Would a '98 202 have rusted by now?

[bin]

Hi

I suppose the title is the question - I'm looking at a late 202 C200 '98 - '99 V reg which seems about the worst possible age looking at the various threads of rust in the forums.

The question is whether any nasty metal moth would have shown up by now - low mileage car though so lack of exposure could be a factor?

Might just be in Mobilo Life but not sure of SH yet.

Thanks for any observations

Bin

 

[television]

There are some very clean 202 cars out there they did not all go rusty

 

[horgantrevor]

i have a 94 w202 and no rust not a bit . she is in ireland and we dont salt the roads here too often as the weather is not to bad some of the time ( if you dont mind all the fecking rain ) .

 

[Blobcat]

i have a 94 w202 and no rust not a bit . she is in ireland and we dont salt the roads here too often as the weather is not to bad some of the time ( if you dont mind all the fecking rain ) .

I just wish you would keep a little more of the wet stuff before sending it over here

 

[horgantrevor]

AS we say it never rains here it pours as it is today

great for ducks

 

[jberks]

a 99 202 should be ok. Possibly a bit of rust around the boot lock (most mercs of that era went there) and do check the arches but assuming all clean it should be fine.

to horgantrevor I'd be shocked if you did have rust. the '94 ones were really well painted - as was my '95 model. Water based paints came in around 1998.

 

[horgantrevor]

to horgantrevor I'd be shocked if you did have rust. the '94 ones were really well painted - as was my '95 model. Water based paints came in around 1998.

ya she's perfect no rust a strong well built car i see by the posts that as the years followed the builld quality gets a bit suspect as mb started to save money and have higher profits ..

 

[vijilants]

Mine is a 1999....already had the boot lock area done, and all four wheelarches - courtesy of MBUK.

Its really odd the way it appears though...one week you wash the car and its all fine, and the next week its all popping out !

 

[MotardMan]

This thread is timely. I am booked in to MB in Cribbs Causeway at midday to have the car inspected. It is a 1998 W202, C240 estate. I have rust on the rear o/s arch where the sill meets it, rust bubbles and pin holes on the doors and bonnet, A pillar, roof and the lower edge of the tailgate is a long line of rust.... Not on the outside of the tailgate, but on the folded lip inside it.

I'll let you all know what they say. I'm hoping it won't be "pi55 off", the car is 10 years old. It is a 2 owner car with 38k miles on it.

 

[philharve]

One minute all is well, the next minute you have a major repair on your hands

... Its really odd the way it appears though...one week you wash the car and its all fine, and the next week its all popping out !

Hi selsdon500

That pretty much describes my experience. However, to be honest, I didn't discover the rust on the wheel arches, my indie did, but he had the benefit of viewing the car from below when my car was up on a hoist. The corrosion, it seems, starts on the thin strip of wheel arch which is not visible from the side of the arch. Furthermore, the corrosion starts beneath the paint.

Then one fine day when you're washing the car the cloth suddenly catches on the flaking paint which immediately comes away from the arch and you discover the underlying rust which seems to extend along the full length of the arch and where the arch meets the trailing edge of the sill.

As you say, one minute all is well, the next minute you have a major repair on your hands.

REGARDS

Phil

 

[bin]

So - at this point I'm thinking it's a case of pot luck! Scary stuff.....

Seems like I'll have to invest in an AA engineer inspection for some kind of peace of mind one way or another.

If it's still clear of rot, what's the best way to keep it that way? In the old days I'd have just squirted a few cans of Waxoyl around and hoped for the best?

I always wash well around the wheel arches and especially fuel filler area,s from bitter experience they're great for trapping damp road dirt.

bin

 

[philharve]

Full bodywork inspection desirable.

Hi bin

Pot Luck? Yes, this seems to play a part, but there are a few clean examples around.

A thorough inspection is advisable as the presence of corrosion may not always be obvious. However, it is present, it tends to appear in all the 'usual' places.

If it's clear of rot then either it's not been affected by corrosion or it has been repaired at some time. But there are repairs and there are professional repairs. Some owners might elect the cheap option before selling on theirs cars and rust soon breaks out again.

The wheel arch corrosion begins BENEATH the paint and is usually invisible until it gets a good grip and starts to spread up the side of the arch forming rust bubbles.

REGARDS

Phil

 

[vijilants]

Sick your hand behind the wheelarch lip and see if there is a large build up of mud.

If there is, as the song goes "There may be trouble ahead"