W116.org

    Nah you can't see your face.   After learning a few tricks from Agents Mulder and Scully from my X-philia days I learned too how people can accidentally give too much info away by taking photos of shiny objects or if it's a photo of a person, they're spectacles or eyes can act as mirror to see who's the photographer.  But my computer has never been up to the same level of sophistication that the FBI gave Scully and Mulder.  Eg, mine doesn't make freaky electronic sounds when I ask it to "zoom in" and "depixelate".

Re the rust, one of my earliest worst ebay purchases was an upper rear set of bumpers that looked darn good in the photos but were flaking rust on the inside, especially opposite where the rubber goes.  It's hard to believe they had such a good finish.

I'm most distressed about finding a decent rear bumper reinforcement bracket. Tj's and Nathans spare items were just as bad, if not worse than what i have to start with. Hopefully I'll be able to find one from the old dude Nathan knows who collects anything and everything Mercedes related. I had wonderful visions of having the whole bracket assembly yellow (zinc?) plated to go with the newly chromed bumper. I refuse to use a crusty one - very distressing. 

How bad are yourbumper brackets - can they not be media blasted and recovered?  I have a good spare but I think postage to perth will be rather prohibitive

I will take a photo tonight.

The brackets them selves are fine, its the long reinforcement section that runs the length of the bumper, which the chrome parts bolt onto that im after. These are allways covered in surface rust as it looks like they had no protection from the factory what so ever. Mine is mostly perforated and crumbled away on the side that is behind where the rubber strip goes on the chrome parts.

One could be forgiven for assuming "Oh, mine wont be like that" Guess again. The reinforcement bar is made of unprotected 3 mm mild steel. No rustproofing what so ever.

I could give you some matching trailing arms from a Tatra that would suit that ! Looks like a coat of zinc and a thin strip of rubber between the parts might be a good idea.

I want to plate this reinforcment so it never rusts again, finding one that isnt gutted with rust is going to be the issue. New, if still available are going to be several hundred dollars. If i cant find a decent one by next weekend ill be placing an order.

I cant beleive mercedes would cut corners on such an exposed to the elements component. In countries that salt the winter roads, these chromed bumpers must only be holding on by rust alone! 

The part number is 116 880 03 16

No longer available! 

Sadly, all German cars of this era appear to be afflicted by a disposable philosophy vis-a-vis corrosion.

I can only assume bad habits emerged during the immediate postwar period when recycled scrap was the only steel available - and IMHO suppliers particularly learned that they could meet the letter of the specification without spending full mine-to-foundry pricing for new materials.

It would be interesting to know the whole story - ethics, owner satisfaction and many other issues pop into mind.

If intentional, for shame.  If not, an interesting caveat on the price of conflict.

Went with nathan and TJ down to see the slav mercedes parts hoarder today. We each came home with something large.

I have a complete lower rear bumper, ready to rechrome. The chrome itself isnt rusted at all, and the bracket it mounts on is still painted in the original black paint. It still even had the MB part number sticker attatched. The rubber is also perfect.

I'm stoked - One major obstacle has been over come. And now i have a good bracket to electroplate.

I knew it was a good one when all of the nuts and bolts simply unscrewed with no swearing involved. The blind bolts did not even turn in the chromed bumper!

Thanks guys for this contact!

Tim truly has mad mad quokka skills.  For those non wa people, we have a second hands goods paper called the quokka.  tim seems to know whats in it from a-z and found this guy in fremantle who had a 70s-80s mercs wrecker in his backyard!  PBs eyes lit up when he saw an intact  bumper - for some reason he declined my offer of a rusted to hell one the week prior!

Isn't Tim the Rain man?

rocking back and forth in the back seat, quoting mercedes model numbers and specifications as they drive past ...

My bumper brackets and reinforcement are now in the process of being real cadmium plated. Yes, real deadly poisonous cadmium.

Apparently the plating is unlikely to go inside the reinforcement, only on the outsides. It will be necessary to rust proof the inside using some other method - probably paint.

I was recommended against galvanising the piece, as its done at extreme temperatures and the reinforcement would likely buckle.

That will not only be some serious eye candy, but it will be very practical. I'm surprised it wasn't at least zinc plated at the factory.

Tim

I think, it was dipped in paint at the factory, but only the kind of crappy paint that dosent last very long.

Ill be picking it up this weekend.

Having rechromed or replaced everything shiny on the rear of the car now, i can mention some prices for reference.

badges were already new at time of respray,
The boot lid handle $100
the boot lid star $40
upper bumpers $220 per side
lower bumper $620
cadmium plating bracket & reinforcement $88
rechroming dicast tail light ilumination centre peice $220
rechroming dicast side peices above tail lights $120 per side.

front bumpers are next, then its onto anodizing.

+$100 above for decent second hand lower bumper to rechome, mine was shagged.