W203 rust any good bodyshops?

[chip92]

Hi I have a 2003 Mercedes C-Class W203, I have the usual problem of rust, I have had a local bodyshop quote me £815 + vat , does anybody in the west midlands/Walsall area know of any bodyshop that don't cost the earth?

Many Thanks Chris

 

[chip92]

 

[chip92]

 

[chip92]

 

[chip92]

both rear wheel arches and o/s/r + o/s/f lower doors

 

[MikeHartley]

I'm taking mine to a local (Ford Approved) body shop later this month to have top of wheel arch sorted - £300 cash. He cannot guarantee how long it will last so I am taking some Aqua-Steel rust converter for him to apply to the bare metal. I've heard some great things about this product, so we'll see how it goes.

 

[KillerHERTZ]

You'll need to take the sills off aswell, the rust is right down agaist them and no doubt continues underneath.

 

[chip92]

I have just been quote £600 cash by a bodyshop, do you think this is a reasonable price?

 

[KillerHERTZ]

Yep, as long as they fully remove all traces of rust (not just sand over it).

Did they give you any guarentee of its lifespan?

 

[chip92]

no there is no guarantee just make it look better, as I have never had a car rust before, how long does rust take to develop into a serious problem?

 

[KillerHERTZ]

Done correct, you shouldnt see it again, done poorly and we will be having this conversation this time next year...

 

[shanra]

Here's a link to welding work I had done and they are just down the road from you.https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1439776819680238&set=gm.500691676746970&type=1&theater
I also had paint correction done and all the work was top class and not expensive. The address is Perfection motors
Unit B3/23 Forge La,
Minworth, Opposite ASDA
Sutton Coldfield B76 1AH
Phone number
07958 241377
They'll take photos of all the work as it's being done and post it online for you on "The Devil Is In The Detail" facebook page.

 

[kwk]

Those jacking pads have rotted on my W210. Are they available as repair panels and any idea of the cost please.

 

[chip92]

Here's a link to welding work I had done and they are just down the road from you.https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1439776819680238&set=gm.500691676746970&type=1&theater
I also had paint correction done and all the work was top class and not expensive. The address is Perfection motors
Unit B3/23 Forge La,
Minworth, Opposite ASDA
Sutton Coldfield B76 1AH
Phone number
07958 241377
They'll take photos of all the work as it's being done and post it online for you on "The Devil Is In The Detail" facebook page.

thank you very much, looks good workmanship, will give them a bell later

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Try Aldridge Body Craft (01922 458545) - they do lots of Mercs with rusty bits, and I've seen two cars they've worked on, and the quality was good. I also saw them working on one and they were very thorough. I can't comment on how long it will last though.

 

[oldguy57]

There is no reason at all why rust cannot be removed permanantly from body panels its just that most body shops dont know how to do it or cant be bothered. Depends how far you want to go - if the car is a keeper nothing beats removing panels from the car and getting them acid dipped at iro £30 a panel. This will remove everything and you will be left with a shiny panel. Paint inside with POR 15 and acid etch prime externally then paint as normal. If maintained properly the rust will never come back. On rear wings or parts which cant be removed I would use a spot blaster £30 to remove rust and again etch prime. Done the above many times on cars and years later no signs of rust.

 

[surebet]

Save your cash

I have a w203 52 plate, had it from new, was back at Mercedes within first 3 years, has had 2 full re-sprays by 2 different body shops, Mercedes lifted the bill. Every year rust comes back on all the places you mention, I just rub it down and coat with hammerite and the use touch up to blend in colour, not perfect however keeps it at bay. Normally I would have renewed my car after 4 years however the thought of a car salesman pointing all the flaws in paintwork would drive me nuts, so this is a personal protest to Mercedes for producing cars with duff paint jobs and from reading this forum they are still at it. My car is immaculate every where else and has only covered 51k miles and I enjoy driving it however I don't think I will buy another Mercedes for this reason. My car is not really worth anything in monetary valve, yours will be much the same, I certainly would advise you not to waste any money as the rust will certainly reappear. Sorry I cannot offer a more positive reply.

 

[Oxfordian]

Hi Chip92,
Did you ever follow up either Perfection Motors or Aldridge Body Craft? I'm interested in your experiences as I'm about to have a few corrosion issues sorted on my old C220.

Thanks

 

[Oxfordian]

Mine's a C220 CDi 02 plate (so it's 13 years old) and while I agree with most of what Surebet says, I'm a bit more optimistic. At year 7 I found bubbling paintwork on both wings and submitted a warranty claim. Mercedes funded 55% of the cost of replacing both wings and I had the bonnet (suffering from stone chips) and the rest of the lower body done at the same time by Bodywork Solihull. The results seemed to be better than the original (how weird is that?).

Anyway, it's 6 years later and the paint is starting to bubble on the lower edges of one door, rear panels and the bonnet - no issues with the replaced wings though. It's still reliable, economical and not in bad shape so although it's done 215,000 miles, I decided to get the corrosion attended to. I had a quote from Bodywork Solihull again but didn't feel confident in how they would treat the rust - I believe the company has changed hands.

Has anyone else got any feedback on Aldridge Body Craft?
Thanks

 

[C250TD_Auto]

i've used Bob Bob's Bodyshop in Northampton NN2 6EE for my BMW E90 and he did a really exellent job - excellent prices