I've been stripping my 124 i got very cheap a while back and I've noticed that over all the seams there is seam glue or bondo or something. Did the car come like this or is this a bondo disaster from the previous owner?
This part looks fairly stock but I don't know how bodies were done in the 70s
this is what really got me worried is that really stock? I've knocked the stuff off in several places and there is no rust under so i don't know
I think the stuff your talking about is seam sealer.
If so its stock and its important.
Many cars are made of spot welded sheet metal lap joints. The lap joint will pull in and trap water that ends up rusting out the whole joint. So manufacturers put seam sealer over the join to make sure water does not get in there.
You can buy replacement seam sealer.
Yes seam sealer and just about every car made in the past 50 years has it underneath the tupperware liners. Most auto paint supplies carry it in tubes for use in your caulking gun.