C230 Coupe Resto/Rebuild
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Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 131
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From: Toronto, ON
2002 C230 Coupe & 2010 C300 Sport
C230 Coupe Resto/Rebuild
A little background first. My car is a 2002 C230 coupe. I've had the car since September 2005 and drove it as my daily driver till the end of April. I considered selling it but it's not worth much in it's current condition plus I actually do like driving it in the summer months so I kept it. My car currently has 377,xxx km and although it's been rust sprayed every winter, it still has a bit of rust in the usual places - I'll post pics soon.
As it sits now, the car is bone stock but that will change in the next few months. The plan is to go through the drive train/suspension/steering etc., and ensure that everything that needs to be changed/refreshed is done then I'll do some performance/cosmetic mods and finally finish up by having the car painted.
Although I've had the car since 2005, with the exception of the supercharger, I'm not at all familiar with what should be changed from a reliability standpoint on the drivetrain side so any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Anyway, yesterday when moving the car I noticed that the brake pedal was soft. I checked the fluid level and it was well below the min level. I then looked around and underneath the car and saw that there was brake fluid inside the left rear wheel. I pulled the wheel expecting to find a failed caliper but instead I found this.
- Sorry for the small pic, I have to figure out how to make them bigger.
I have to clean the line but the steel line supplying the left rear caliper rusted through and is dripping brake fluid. Anyone else ever run into this problem?
As it sits now, the car is bone stock but that will change in the next few months. The plan is to go through the drive train/suspension/steering etc., and ensure that everything that needs to be changed/refreshed is done then I'll do some performance/cosmetic mods and finally finish up by having the car painted.
Although I've had the car since 2005, with the exception of the supercharger, I'm not at all familiar with what should be changed from a reliability standpoint on the drivetrain side so any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Anyway, yesterday when moving the car I noticed that the brake pedal was soft. I checked the fluid level and it was well below the min level. I then looked around and underneath the car and saw that there was brake fluid inside the left rear wheel. I pulled the wheel expecting to find a failed caliper but instead I found this.
- Sorry for the small pic, I have to figure out how to make them bigger. I have to clean the line but the steel line supplying the left rear caliper rusted through and is dripping brake fluid. Anyone else ever run into this problem?
Out Of Control!!
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 10,067
Likes: 11
From: Westwood, NJ
2004 Civic Si. FWD for the Win!
I haven't run into that problem yet - that's a new one. Looking forward to it happening on my car, too. 
Since you can see some rust, that means that you've got a ton underneath that you don't know about yet. Before you do anything else to the car, I'd take it to a quality body shop, and have them give it a thorough going over to let you know what you are looking at, from a rust/repaint perspective. I would be very surprised if the repairs would cost less than the remaining value of the car. So unless you really love the car and can't do without it, it's probably time to start looking for other options. I've had the rust taken care of on my car several times now, sometimes in the same spot, so if you haven't had it taken care of yet, I can't imagine there's much good news hiding in the body of the car.
But to answer the other part of your question, yes, the sc should probably be rebuilt, all belts should be changed if they're old, wheel bearings, end links/tie rods, etc. looked at, all fluids changed, the usual stuff. Another area you should look at if you have the sunroof is the front flap - the metal underneath mine had to be completely swapped out, as it had rusted out over the years.
Good luck, but make sure that you think the car's worth all of this stuff before you spend any more money on it.
Since you can see some rust, that means that you've got a ton underneath that you don't know about yet. Before you do anything else to the car, I'd take it to a quality body shop, and have them give it a thorough going over to let you know what you are looking at, from a rust/repaint perspective. I would be very surprised if the repairs would cost less than the remaining value of the car. So unless you really love the car and can't do without it, it's probably time to start looking for other options. I've had the rust taken care of on my car several times now, sometimes in the same spot, so if you haven't had it taken care of yet, I can't imagine there's much good news hiding in the body of the car.
But to answer the other part of your question, yes, the sc should probably be rebuilt, all belts should be changed if they're old, wheel bearings, end links/tie rods, etc. looked at, all fluids changed, the usual stuff. Another area you should look at if you have the sunroof is the front flap - the metal underneath mine had to be completely swapped out, as it had rusted out over the years.
Good luck, but make sure that you think the car's worth all of this stuff before you spend any more money on it.
Thread Starter
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Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 131
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From: Toronto, ON
2002 C230 Coupe & 2010 C300 Sport
Today I pulled the right rear wheel and inner rubber protective lining (sorry, don't know what this part is called) and had a look. To me, the car looks surprisingly good. I found a few rust spots which I scraped clean and temporarily coated with grease. Good thing was that it was just surface rust...no holes...
The underside of the car seems to have a really good coating of grease around the rear sub frame so hopefully when I get around to pulling the rear sub frame in a few weeks, I won't find any major surprises...
As can be seen in the pics, there is a bit of rust around the sub frame suspension arms but that's pretty normal.
Last summer I had my resonator replaced on the car and while the car was on the hoist, I had a really good look underneath and it was pretty clean. We'll see what happens when I pull the front and rear bumpers and plastic shielding from underneath the car.
The underside of the car seems to have a really good coating of grease around the rear sub frame so hopefully when I get around to pulling the rear sub frame in a few weeks, I won't find any major surprises...
As can be seen in the pics, there is a bit of rust around the sub frame suspension arms but that's pretty normal.
Last summer I had my resonator replaced on the car and while the car was on the hoist, I had a really good look underneath and it was pretty clean. We'll see what happens when I pull the front and rear bumpers and plastic shielding from underneath the car.
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 131
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From: Toronto, ON
2002 C230 Coupe & 2010 C300 Sport
I haven't run into that problem yet - that's a new one. Looking forward to it happening on my car, too.
Since you can see some rust, that means that you've got a ton underneath that you don't know about yet. Before you do anything else to the car, I'd take it to a quality body shop, and have them give it a thorough going over to let you know what you are looking at, from a rust/repaint perspective. I would be very surprised if the repairs would cost less than the remaining value of the car. So unless you really love the car and can't do without it, it's probably time to start looking for other options. I've had the rust taken care of on my car several times now, sometimes in the same spot, so if you haven't had it taken care of yet, I can't imagine there's much good news hiding in the body of the car.
But to answer the other part of your question, yes, the sc should probably be rebuilt, all belts should be changed if they're old, wheel bearings, end links/tie rods, etc. looked at, all fluids changed, the usual stuff. Another area you should look at if you have the sunroof is the front flap - the metal underneath mine had to be completely swapped out, as it had rusted out over the years.
Good luck, but make sure that you think the car's worth all of this stuff before you spend any more money on it.
Since you can see some rust, that means that you've got a ton underneath that you don't know about yet. Before you do anything else to the car, I'd take it to a quality body shop, and have them give it a thorough going over to let you know what you are looking at, from a rust/repaint perspective. I would be very surprised if the repairs would cost less than the remaining value of the car. So unless you really love the car and can't do without it, it's probably time to start looking for other options. I've had the rust taken care of on my car several times now, sometimes in the same spot, so if you haven't had it taken care of yet, I can't imagine there's much good news hiding in the body of the car.
But to answer the other part of your question, yes, the sc should probably be rebuilt, all belts should be changed if they're old, wheel bearings, end links/tie rods, etc. looked at, all fluids changed, the usual stuff. Another area you should look at if you have the sunroof is the front flap - the metal underneath mine had to be completely swapped out, as it had rusted out over the years.
Good luck, but make sure that you think the car's worth all of this stuff before you spend any more money on it.
Super Member
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 904
Likes: 22
From: Toronto, Ontario, Canada, eh!
2003 C230 Sports Coupe, Paprika Metallic Red, Auto, Pano, Leather
Wow,.. 377,000 km on a Mercedes,.... amazing! I got about that much from my old Honda Civic,... and would be laughing if my current CL203 coupe gets even half of that!
Your 2002 coupe doesn't have the galvinized steel so it's prone to rust. Since you're in snow-salt belt, when you wash the car - make sure you spray the underbody and wheel-well to get rid of the salt.
BTW,... brake fluid lines usually don't rust from the outside. Brake fluid line usually rust from the inside-out,... namely because too much water and air bubble got into brake fluids. That's why you really should change your brake fluids every 2 years.
Since you discovered your braking is soft,... in order to come to a complete stop you'll likely have to press on the brake pedal even harder and further than usual,... which can result in damage to the master brake cylinder.
Get a good Mercedes Indy,.... I would recommend McNally Auto in the Finch-Keele area of North York.
Your 2002 coupe doesn't have the galvinized steel so it's prone to rust. Since you're in snow-salt belt, when you wash the car - make sure you spray the underbody and wheel-well to get rid of the salt.
BTW,... brake fluid lines usually don't rust from the outside. Brake fluid line usually rust from the inside-out,... namely because too much water and air bubble got into brake fluids. That's why you really should change your brake fluids every 2 years.
Since you discovered your braking is soft,... in order to come to a complete stop you'll likely have to press on the brake pedal even harder and further than usual,... which can result in damage to the master brake cylinder.
Get a good Mercedes Indy,.... I would recommend McNally Auto in the Finch-Keele area of North York.
Out Of Control!!
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 10,067
Likes: 11
From: Westwood, NJ
2004 Civic Si. FWD for the Win!
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 131
Likes: 0
From: Toronto, ON
2002 C230 Coupe & 2010 C300 Sport
Wow,.. 377,000 km on a Mercedes,.... amazing! I got about that much from my old Honda Civic,... and would be laughing if my current CL203 coupe gets even half of that!
Your 2002 coupe doesn't have the galvinized steel so it's prone to rust. Since you're in snow-salt belt, when you wash the car - make sure you spray the underbody and wheel-well to get rid of the salt.
BTW,... brake fluid lines usually don't rust from the outside. Brake fluid line usually rust from the inside-out,... namely because too much water and air bubble got into brake fluids. That's why you really should change your brake fluids every 2 years.
Since you discovered your braking is soft,... in order to come to a complete stop you'll likely have to press on the brake pedal even harder and further than usual,... which can result in damage to the master brake cylinder.
Get a good Mercedes Indy,.... I would recommend McNally Auto in the Finch-Keele area of North York.
Your 2002 coupe doesn't have the galvinized steel so it's prone to rust. Since you're in snow-salt belt, when you wash the car - make sure you spray the underbody and wheel-well to get rid of the salt.
BTW,... brake fluid lines usually don't rust from the outside. Brake fluid line usually rust from the inside-out,... namely because too much water and air bubble got into brake fluids. That's why you really should change your brake fluids every 2 years.
Since you discovered your braking is soft,... in order to come to a complete stop you'll likely have to press on the brake pedal even harder and further than usual,... which can result in damage to the master brake cylinder.
Get a good Mercedes Indy,.... I would recommend McNally Auto in the Finch-Keele area of North York.
On another note, a bit of a shocker. I called my local dealer asking for a price on a replacement brake line that ruptured on my car and it's $56. I was expecting to hear hundreds of dollars...
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Member
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 174
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From: Mississauga, Canada
2003 CL203 C320, 2002 W208 CLK320 cabriolet, 2012 A207 E350 cabriolet, 2011 X204 GLK350 4matic
Rouge, get the loyalty membership! For that replacement line, you'd be paying closer to 45 bucks rather than 56.
Also, I recommend Dynavin Automotive. It's 1170 Eglinton ave West in Mississauga. The guy who runs the place, Peter, is a very good guy. Easy to talk to, easy to work with, and knows what he's doing, especially when it comes to W203/CL203's. Give him a shout.
Also, I recommend Dynavin Automotive. It's 1170 Eglinton ave West in Mississauga. The guy who runs the place, Peter, is a very good guy. Easy to talk to, easy to work with, and knows what he's doing, especially when it comes to W203/CL203's. Give him a shout.
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Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 131
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From: Toronto, ON
2002 C230 Coupe & 2010 C300 Sport
Just thinking a bit ahead here but I'd love to find a supersprint header for my car but that seems pretty unlikely and if I do, it will be pretty expensive. I do have a back up plan though. I have a tube header from a 94 BMW 318is. I took some preliminary measurements on the tube spacing and it looks pretty close to the spacing needed for the M111. I'm planning on cutting a flange for the M111 on the CNC, cutting the flange off the BMW header and welding the tubes to the flange for my Coupe. I'm going to have the entire exhaust re-done anyway as it's cracked in several places so why not try.
BMW M42 header
BMW M42 header
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Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 58
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From: Toronto
12 BMW 535Xi; Retired 02 C230 Sport Coupe
Wow, it really is hard to imagine a 2002 with that mileage on it.
I sold my 2002 C230 coupe last year with 45,000 km on it. I had owned it from new with no accidents, no rust and original tires and paint(Bordeaux red). It rarely saw snow while driving but lived outside its entire life. I paid over $40,000 and sold as a trade with my BMW trade and got an estimated $5,000 even with the low mileage. It was my last and worst MB after owning them since 1979.
GL with your plans. I still have a strong soft spot for the coupe.
I sold my 2002 C230 coupe last year with 45,000 km on it. I had owned it from new with no accidents, no rust and original tires and paint(Bordeaux red). It rarely saw snow while driving but lived outside its entire life. I paid over $40,000 and sold as a trade with my BMW trade and got an estimated $5,000 even with the low mileage. It was my last and worst MB after owning them since 1979.
GL with your plans. I still have a strong soft spot for the coupe.
Last edited by Gilgorm; May 24, 2013 at 08:46 PM.
Out Of Control!!
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 10,067
Likes: 11
From: Westwood, NJ
2004 Civic Si. FWD for the Win!
My Supersprint headers didn't really do anything for me, and I remember seeing others post similar results. So it may not be worth the money, doubly so if you do some one-off customization.
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 131
Likes: 0
From: Toronto, ON
2002 C230 Coupe & 2010 C300 Sport
Wow, it really is hard to imagine a 2002 with that mileage on it.
I sold my 2002 C230 coupe last year with 45,000 km on it. I had owned it from new with no accidents, no rust and original tires and paint(Bordeaux red). It rarely saw snow while driving but lived outside its entire life. I paid over $40,000 and sold as a trade with my BMW trade and got an estimated $5,000 even with the low mileage. It was my last and worst MB after owning then since 1979.
GL with your plans. I still have a strong soft spot for the coupe.
I sold my 2002 C230 coupe last year with 45,000 km on it. I had owned it from new with no accidents, no rust and original tires and paint(Bordeaux red). It rarely saw snow while driving but lived outside its entire life. I paid over $40,000 and sold as a trade with my BMW trade and got an estimated $5,000 even with the low mileage. It was my last and worst MB after owning then since 1979.
GL with your plans. I still have a strong soft spot for the coupe.
I'm still a bit apprehensive about this project. I'm used to doing this sort of thing on older cars that don't have a quarter of the electronics that these W203's have. Metal work I can handle, electronics still scare me a bit but I like a challenge.
I've always loved hatchbacks myself. I tried a 318ti before getting my car but I just didn't like the looks...looked like the back end was chopped off and the power wasn't that great with the M42/M44 engines. The W203 Coupe was perfect for me, it offered my must haves - manual transmission, rear wheel drive and good power to weight. Still love it today.
Last edited by Eau_Rouge; May 23, 2013 at 11:04 PM.
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 131
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From: Toronto, ON
2002 C230 Coupe & 2010 C300 Sport
I hear you, I'm not expecting any performance gains, it would just be cosmetic. A tube header looks a lot nicer. I've got friends in the machining business. I'm sure I can negotiate a pretty good discount :-)
Last edited by Eau_Rouge; May 23, 2013 at 11:07 PM.
Out Of Control!!
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 10,067
Likes: 11
From: Westwood, NJ
2004 Civic Si. FWD for the Win!
You'll be very happy with the improvements with the pulley.
When I was looking at cars to buy in 2001, the ti was on my short list. I really like its looks, especially with the California roof. Seen a couple of M3 swapped tis - mmmm!
When I was looking at cars to buy in 2001, the ti was on my short list. I really like its looks, especially with the California roof. Seen a couple of M3 swapped tis - mmmm!
Thread Starter
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Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 131
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From: Toronto, ON
2002 C230 Coupe & 2010 C300 Sport
A little update on the car. I removed both of the plastic panels that bolt underneath the car on both sides of the transmission/drive shaft tunnel to have a look at the condition of the metal. I was expecting rust primarily by the foot well's on both the driver and passenger side of the car. To my surprise, there was no rust. In fact, with the exception of a few surface rust spots on the jack rail, the entire driver side of the car was clean. The passenger side was a similar situation with one exception. Right underneath the seat, there is a spot the size of a small breakfast plate that is completely rusted through. Back in 2006 I remember my then girlfriend spilling a cup of coffee on the seat. Before we could clean it, it soaked through and into the carpet. Could this have caused it?
Here's a crappy pic of the rust spot. Unfortunately I couldn't take any better pics.
I know people complain about rust on these cars but given the life mine has had and its mileage, I'm pretty impressed with what I've found so far.
Here's a crappy pic of the rust spot. Unfortunately I couldn't take any better pics.
I know people complain about rust on these cars but given the life mine has had and its mileage, I'm pretty impressed with what I've found so far.
