Quite a find. February 1990, going by the serial number, and assembled in Cork specifically for the German market, too, it seems.
No matter which case the MLB ends up in, you may find that a longer-lasting cleanup means for the rusted port casings includes more than steel wool alone, which produces a nice shiny surface ready to resume rusting promptly. One of the proprietary juices used in motor-body rust-conversion—containing phosphoric and chromic acids and a plastic such as PVA to bind the resulting iron-phosphate-chromate film—is useful. I have used one called Kill-Rust. Dilute 1 part of rust-converter with 2-4 parts of water, and roll the converter onto the metal with a cotton bud after removing loose rust with steel wool. Don't be deterred if there is some slight fizzing. That is the remainder of the original zinc or nickel plated onto the metal as a sacrificial layer, but now long past its usefulness. Using diluted rust-converter minimizes the colour changes from blue to brown or black after use of concentrated converter, but still protects the metal's surface. When the film has dried you can coat the metal surface with a clear acrylic spray.
Rust-converters are corrosive to skin, even in diluted form, so use gloves during the work, and keep the converter off the MLB proper.
de
No matter which case the MLB ends up in, you may find that a longer-lasting cleanup means for the rusted port casings includes more than steel wool alone, which produces a nice shiny surface ready to resume rusting promptly. One of the proprietary juices used in motor-body rust-conversion—containing phosphoric and chromic acids and a plastic such as PVA to bind the resulting iron-phosphate-chromate film—is useful. I have used one called Kill-Rust. Dilute 1 part of rust-converter with 2-4 parts of water, and roll the converter onto the metal with a cotton bud after removing loose rust with steel wool. Don't be deterred if there is some slight fizzing. That is the remainder of the original zinc or nickel plated onto the metal as a sacrificial layer, but now long past its usefulness. Using diluted rust-converter minimizes the colour changes from blue to brown or black after use of concentrated converter, but still protects the metal's surface. When the film has dried you can coat the metal surface with a clear acrylic spray.
Rust-converters are corrosive to skin, even in diluted form, so use gloves during the work, and keep the converter off the MLB proper.
de