[W126 Coupe] Rust

[Dan Gardner]

Mercedes seems to protect their bodies quite well with cavity wax & 
underbody coatings,but in my experiance if there is a minute flaw,the steel 
seems to rust with a vengance.If my old Rover (SD1 1979)or the GM Commodore 
I used to own gets a scratch or stone chip it just seems to surface rust 
lightly and stays that way
    For example I was underneath the car adjusting the modulator,when I 
noticed a brown stain on the bottom door rail locating the rubber 
moulding,(being white is definatly a plus when detecting rust).
 Removing the seal exposed the rust that had been"festering away"and what 
initially looked to be surface turned out to be perforated requiring steel 
to be welded in.

    In typical Mercedes style the whole bottom section is a series of 
compound curves and indentations obviously to give strenght but is a 
challenge to manufacture
steel patch pieces.Having made a new rail ,and a piece for behind the 
rubber,I was fortunate to have a friend who is an expert welder and was able 
to do the job without removing the door.
    I am going to try a lanolin based rust treatment for inside of the door 
as the cavity wax appears to shrink and develop hairline cracks in high 
temperatures after a while.
    Hopefully this is the last rust discovery,I hate looking for something I 
don't want to find.

                                                                             
                    Kind Regards  Dan Gardner 1986 560 SEC(euro 220kw)