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 Ideas on how to fix floor pan rot in my ancient Mercedes 
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Location: Duvall
Joined: Thu Mar 17, 2011
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Real Name: David
I've got a 1976 Mercedes 300D that has advanced rot in the floor pan of the rear passenger seat. I thought it was a much smaller hole than it actually is, so I was visualizing a welded patch or even a JB-Weld-ed patch. We already don't allow anyone to sit in that seat so I'm not worried about someone putting their foot through the floor (a very real possibility as it is right now). What I'm looking for are ideas that'll seal the hole, a structural fix (so that someone could sit there) is not a requirement. After pulling up the rusted parts as much as I could today, I'm thinking this fix is outside the realm of my capabilities, especially since my new knee combined with my busted up old knee makes it difficult to kneel for any length of time, and i have no access to a lift to work on it from the underside. I don't know how much further the damage has gone, but I know I can poke a hole through the seam to the left of the Dremel with a paint scraper, but not the surrounding metal. Repairing this "properly" might cost more than the car is worth.

Here's what it looks like:

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The light beige color is the floor carpeting sitting on the ground beneath the hole, with the Dremel there for a size comparison.

Anyone got any ideas on a "quick" (as in maybe an entire weekend's work) fix? Is anyone in the east King or south east Snohomish county willing to lend a hand to get this fixed? I don't expect you to work for free, we can negotiate compensation.

Rita's understandably hesitant to drive the Mercedes with a giant hole in the floor pan, I'd like to get this fixed.

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Sun Feb 12, 2017 3:14 pm
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Location: Selah
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You might check to see if there is any other rust on the floor pan. Usually they don't just rust in one place. As far as safety goes, as long as the seats are securely fastened and there is a floor, so you don't fall through you should be alright. That said, the best way would be to cut out the old metal and replace with new; which could cost a lot, depending on the extent of the corrosion.


Sun Feb 12, 2017 3:29 pm
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Location: Camano Island, WA
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Real Name: Jeff
Google is your friend.
http://www.ecklersmbzparts.com/mercedes ... -1985.html

Or

http://www.ecklersmbzparts.com/por-15-f ... n-kit.html

Or

http://www.andysautosport.com/floor_pan ... s_300.html

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Sun Feb 12, 2017 4:09 pm
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Location: Mill Creek
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Real Name: Robby
Cut the metal rot out. Get a small piece of of mesh fence metal/plastic whatever (Lowe's, Home Depot). Cut a piece big enough to cover the whole and screw to floor with short self tapping screws. Get some fiberglass sheet and resin (auto parts store). Lay the sheet over patch area and brush resin on per instructions. Let dry and cover with carpet or floor mat. Done $40-50 in materials and a 300lb man could stand on patch and not fall through. ;)

I did this with 2 floor pans in my 69 Mustang years ago. Broke, no welder, welding skills nor money for pans. Lasted for years till I sold it.

I forgot I sprayed the patched area underside of car and inside floor with rubber coating to seal the edges.


Last edited by YeeHaw on Sun Feb 12, 2017 4:37 pm, edited 1 time in total.



Sun Feb 12, 2017 4:35 pm
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You will ne needing some replacement floor pans and a welder


Sun Feb 12, 2017 4:35 pm
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Location: Nisqually Valley
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It doesnt sound like a restoration candidate, just a "seal it up and get rid of the hole" kinda fix.

Find another car like yours at a wrecking yard. Have them cut the floor section out just a little larger than where yours is bad.
Bust off as much rusty chunks as you can on your car. Then place the new panel from the wrecking yard over yours and screw it down with some self tappers. Seal the edges with some calking (cheap) or body seam sealer (expensive)and your put your carpets back over it and your DONE.


Sun Feb 12, 2017 4:38 pm
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Location: Marysville, WA
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Real Name: Mike
My ex-father in law lived in Iowa. Just about every part of the car rusted out back there. When the floor started rotting he'd just pull up the carpet, put down a piece of 3/8" exterior plywood and secure it with sheet metal screws in any place he could find solid metal. Back went the carpet unless it was rotten. Then he just got a piece of carpet from the local carpet dealer.


Side note: I learned that you never wanted to hit anything in the road during the winter that just looked like a bunch of slush that fell out of a wheel well. They had annual vehicle inspections back then and if any of the panels around the wheels had rusted out the inspector would fail them. The argument was that CO could infiltrate the car from these gaps. The average farmer's solution? A bag of Portland Cement mixed into a mortar and plastered in the rusted out area. Some areas were large. As the rust continued eventually these concrete "chunks" would fall out. Picture a chunk that is the size of the void behind a front wheel inner fender and the firewall. In winter time they looked just like slush but hitting one usually cost you a wheel, tire, and some suspension parts.

I think they finally outlawed the "cement patch".

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Mon Feb 13, 2017 9:17 am
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