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I have rust on the lower half of all four doors, it's also around all four wheel wells. There is also rust along the underside of the license plate on the trunk lid.
I am will to sand it down and fill all of the rusty spots and patch up the paint where needed.
My question is: Is it worth it?
I know that these model years have had issues with rust. Additionally I live in a very snowy region and the roads are salted all winter. I am concerned that I will just be dealing with this problem again in a year if I don't do an entire repaint of the entire car.
Looks like your car is a 2001. They didn't start galvanizing the W203 until the end of the 2003 models. I hate to say it but you might as well run the car into the ground then pick up a newer model. Not too many people will want to buy a car with rust problems.
Last edited by slammer111; Apr 14, 2020 at 04:05 AM.
Looks like your car is a 2001. They didn't start galvanizing the W203 until the end of the 2003 models. I hate to say it but you might as well run the car into the ground then pick up a newer model. Not too many people will want to buy a car with rust problems.
It's a 2001, and we bought for a really low price. I have no intentions to sell the car, it's just a useful mode of transport for the time being. The plan is to drive it until it dies. My concern is that the rust will continue and start to cause more problems.
Without cutting it all out and replacing it, top sanding and paint (especially auto store cans) is useless. To do do it right, you need a booth and supplies like a gallon of prepsol to a good SATA gun...
Even then, you again, have to get behind it, properly seal it (especially at new welds) and back paint it.
So there, you’ll need above, plus good zinc self etching primer...
I think the only chance of a scuff and spray is on the door belt line, everything else looks to have started inside the poor w203...
I have what LOOKS like a little rust on my front right door. I bought a replacement, rust free door within 2 hours East of me, and about 10k more miles than mine to TRY and get as close a paint match as possible...
Last edited by BF_JC230; Apr 14, 2020 at 11:30 AM.
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