Rust, a Topic Close to the Hearts of Any Series Owner

[BSF]

Five years ago I bought (very cheaply) an old, tired and battered looking S3 109. It was bought for one particular job, but for £200 I did the king pins, fitted cheap para springs and new shocks. As it passed its MOT I splashed out on a disc conversion at the front.

It passed another MOT.

Over the last few years it started jumping out of 2nd, the fuel consumption was getting a cause for concern (as was the rattling from the engine) and the clutch was getting a bit delicate. Time for a heart/lung transplant, but was it worth it? It was still a battered looking 109 that might not last long.

In the end I took up the challeng. A rebuilt gearbox and a low mileage 200 Di were waiting, so I started last week. Engine and 'box are now out and for the first time I took a good look at the bulkhead and chassis. They are unbelievably good!

Although it was clearly a very basic model when new (no servo, single speed wipers, that sort of thing) and had evidentially had a hard life, it had been undersealed when new. There is a little surface rust on the top of the chassis in the gearbox bay and the same on the bulkhead near the top where the overspray didn't reach but otherwise not a problem in sight. Thirty odd years, goodness knows how many miles (but a lot) living outside on a farm and a little bit of undersealed saved it.

This, of course, now gives me a problem. What I thought I had was an old banger that could be patched up for a few years, what I have got is a good candidate for longer (more expensive) preservation.

It does say a lot for undersealed, though.

[lexi]

Definately. Anything is better than nothing. Paint ,oil, or whatever is lying around and repeat now and again.

[nicks90]

Unless it s like mercedes wheel arches - paint looks fine but there is nothing but dust underneath.....

Pick some of the underseal off and hope for the best before doing anything else.

[BSF]

Unless it s like mercedes wheel arches - paint looks fine but there is nothing but dust underneath.....

Pick some of the underseal off and hope for the best before doing anything else.

That was my first thought because years ago my Dad had an Austin Cambridge which was like your Mercedes, but I did everything I could think of to check including hitting with a hammer (rings like a bell). It's solid. The giveaway was the way the bulkhead has survived below the level of the overspray and all the little holes where they sprayed inside the box sections.