This is a thread about my 500, which I bought in 1993. It had more rust than I anticipated, so it lingered in the garden unattended until mid 2015 when Geoff (1500/500) convinced me it could be registered with a minimum of effort. Well, it will take more than that but it is do-able.

The plan is to cut out the rust in the floor and weld in new, stick the engine back in (Geoff has been driving it around for 2 years in his 500) and then use it as is lichen and all. As time permits I might chip away at the rest of the car... or not (I do have 2 small kids).

Welcome on board Mike and have fun with the rebuild.

cheers, Steve

What's more fun than pushing a car on its side into soft bushes to get an idea of how the floor looks. Michael got me to help do this when I popped in one night.

Another

It seems that over the years i have somehow established 2 accounts here. Somehow i started the thread in one and loaded the pictures into the gallery of the other. I will post some pics of progress when i sort that mess out.

looks like I need 5 posts before I add a picture.

This should do it.

This gives you an idea of the state of the floor and lower section. The main challenge is the rust under the rear seat, where the suspension mounts.

Here is the floor welded up. Instead of replacing the whole floor, I just did a few sections. I didn't want to lose panel alignment. I think I might do the whole floor on the other side as it was quite a bit more work to do it this way (I think). Small photos aren't they?

Here is the repair to the inner arch where it meets the floor.

The sills were full of rust particles. All of the stuff in the dustpan came out of one sill. As soon as it got wet it turned to mud and caused a lot more rust.

And I have run out of photos. I won't get back to the car now for about 4 weeks as I have to build a small carport for it to prevent this happening again.

Good work... But the pressure is on. I'd better start assembling my engine so you can have yours back again.

I have been chipping away at another 500 project but have a question about where the windscreen wiper arms go through the body. On the driven side of the wiper assembly I have a bush about 7mm thick that is joined to the inside of the hole through the car body. the spindle goes through the bush and the body. On the other side I just have a rusty hole - I don't know if it is also meant to have a bush, or is it just meant to have a hole through the panel?

Anyone know?

thanks in advance.

That is so funny...………


Posted in September 2013 that you are 'chipping away' at it


Posted 5 1/2 years later with a random wiper question..

Oh, the real story is much more funny. There is another more recent thread somewhere on the other 500 I am doing (the red project in this thread got parked as too hard). But I seem to have 2 logins and I can't find the other thread (or login).

In hindsight, I should have continued with the red 500 in this thread. but it's way too late to change horses again.

But back to the question.Do both L & R sides of the body have a bush fixed inside the panel where the wiper spindle pokes through the body? or just the side nearest the wiper motor? or neither (which means the bush on mine has just "welded" itself on?

thanks