Quote:
Originally Posted by HardDrive
Are there any hidden/less obvious areas I should be searching for rust?
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Cars in general rust in different places depending on what the source of the rust is, i.e. salted roads vs. ocean salt air vs. Seattle rain getting trapped in places where drains are plugged, etc. One car could potentially have more than one of these sources of rust in its lifetime.
I have an old BMW that is rusted in weird places from San Francisco bay area salt air. It has rust on the inside of the doors and under the hood but absolutely ZERO Minnesota-type rust from salted roads. The underside is factory new.
If a w123 has been exposed to what I call "Minnesota-type rust" from salted roads, it's a worthless car. $1500-$2k if it runs great and is not in need of mechanical attention. This would be rust in the pan and along the rockers and lower fenders/inner fenders where wheels spray back road slush. Salt melts the ice on freeways and highways at much lower than freezing temps, so the salty slush gobs on the underside of the car and gets in crevices, then stays there until it's power-washed off. Some is never able to be removed and it is cancer.
And the $2k would be if it still looks decent but has a lot of small, hidden rust. If it has holes, it's an $8.00 car just like any other soggy POS.
I would say the same about most other rust, i.e. ocean spray, unless it's very isolated. I have an '81 w123 TD that is a SoCal car since new but it has a little rot in the spare tire compartment from a clogged drain. The spare is directly behind the left rear wheel in these cars, facing the same way as the drive wheel. I'll go outside in a minute and take a picture for you. I would imagine that in Seattle, this is a common rust spot. Floors rust out in these cars, (and other cars), in places like Texas where they get torrential rains and water leaks in a bad window seal. Texas and places with similar climate has burning sun part of the year that will destroy a window seal, then big rains to leak as well. I've seen old cars from Texas that have rotted floors but are otherwise dry as a bone. The rest of the car is clean and dry. Really weird.
I don't actually know any hidden, strange rust locations on w123 wagons. Just the usual; floors, rockers, door jams and A/B/C pillars, etc.
Here are some pics of my nice, dry wagon, just to show what you would ultimately like to see. This was a garaged car in AZ. and Colorado, it's as dry as the desert:
Spare tire compartment:
Rest of underside:
Spare tire compartment exterior:
