Corrosion is worse then I thought

[CJHenderson]

Removed the rear bumpers and chunk of body stayed on bumper brackets. Not to mention that it appears that someone tried to tow or pull the car backwards have two holes on back of frame yanked on and pulled outward.

[114015]

Sorry to hear (& see) that, CJ.

Rust in these areas, especially the rear valance, is not uncommon.
But it's not the end of the world.

Nevertheless, the amount of rust you found (i.e. amount of body filler there) and also the "status of paint" in your trunk indicates that a closer look to all areas of your car's body is necessary.
One spot with (lots of) rust is never alone on our cars (and on unibody cars in general).

In the next future it is unavoidable to inspect your car carefully for more rust and especially how much there additionally is. From there on you can decide what (and how much) to do with your car.

Many Pagodas were (before) like yours now and have undergone rebirth since then.

Best of luck for you both & keep us updated

Achim
(rustbucketcollector)

[CJHenderson]

Thank you for the advice and encouragement. Getting ready to strip out the interior and then the final but hardest part will be to remove front sub frame and rear axel. 

[johnm]

 I have a 1970 280SL and it was very rusty as well. I purchased a number of body panels from K&K Manufacturing. They provided great service and all panels including the lower rear piece that you note in your photographs fit well with very slight adjustments. Of note in addition to the rear piece my Son and I also replaced both front fenders, both rear quarter panels, all floor pans, and lower front facia. After 7 years of Sundays and a ton of Molson Canadian beer its back from paint and ready for re-assembly this winter. Good luck with your project !

[CJHenderson]

I have a 1970 280SL and it was very rusty as well. I purchased a number of body panels from K&K Manufacturing. They provided great service and all panels including the lower rear piece that you note in your photographs fit well with very slight adjustments. Of note in addition to the rear piece my Son and I also replaced both front fenders, both rear quarter panels, all floor pans, and lower front facia. After 7 years of Sundays and a ton of Molson Canadian beer its back from paint and ready for re-assembly this winter. Good luck with your project !

Thanks for pointing me in the right direction for body panels. I have a full size fridge with nothing but beer.

[dirkbalter]

Hello,
I have a 66 230sl and I did a similar project than johnm. I think especially in the beginning it can be quiet overwhelming when you recognize how much work is ahead of you. (I used Becks instead of Molsen as a motivator). But as you keep moving from area to area or panel to panel it becomes more and more fun and satisfying and you will eventually come to an end. (I also replaced the rocker panels as well as the front and rear wheel housings). My biggest eye opener and I predict it will be yours too, was when I picked up my body from the strip cleaner. Anyway, as far as panels are concerned, I found that the best panels are the OEM panels from MB. If they are available and within 120-125% of the aftermarket panels, I would choose OEM. I also bought quite a few from SLS and like their fast shipping, service, quality. Especially their price compared to the US vendors.

Good luck and have fun
Dirk

[Scottcorvette]

Corona has given me quite a bit of help....

I would get genuine panels where you can even if they are considerably more expensive, so far everything I have had from K&K has needed a lot more work to fit than the genuine parts. The floorpans I bought from Mercedes were not genuine however, although I was told that at the outset. I don't know where they were from though.

For me it is more satisfying that I am using genuine parts wherever possible. Good luck with the project.

[Shvegel]

After 10 years and countless thousands of dollars I moved on to good Scotch,  good Bourbon, Cheap Bourbon, good Tequila and finally cheap Tequila.

[dirkbalter]

Yup, they all look similar at one point.