W114 / W115 rust repair (journey with pictures) -PART IV
by Patryk Rebisz

Let's go back and fix the inner wheel arch. The problem with this repair is twofold. First, it's very close to the fuel lines, so you have to cut and weld very carefully (I spread a welding blanket over the lines to protect them from sparks). Second, the mudguard section has a complex curve that doesn’t always fit perfectly. On top of that, it’s located in such tight quarters that you have very limited space for the welder gun. Such is life...

1. This is what the patient looked like before.

2. Here is what it looked like after we cut out all the rust. (black color is from rust converter)

3. Cutting out the rusted back of the rocker (mudguard). Notice how close the fuel lines are (the protective welding blanket was removed for the photo). The rusted parts are treated with rust converter, which turns them black.

4. There is a complex curve that holds the mud guard and provides rigidity. The patch panel often is not fitting precisely so you might have to fight it to help it fit the existing contours. Parts of the mudguard are spot-welded in.

5. Time to shape a section of the inner wheel arch—then weld it in. (Notice the variety of welding techniques: spot-welded at the top and lap-welded at the bottom; Cooper color is from weld-through primer.)

6. Painted and waiting for seam sealer.

7. Lets finally weld in the outer arch.

8. This side is almost done. I just need to weld in small patch at the bottom.

9. Done. Notice: the patches are welded in and painted but still without Bondo applied.

Part V in the next post.