I've looked though the archives, but haven't really found anything that answers my questions...

Well, I was going to change the rear brake pads on my '80 245 DL last week. I got the tire on the passenger side off, and noticed a fairly deep groove in my rotor about 1 cm wide.

It's deep enough that it has me worried. I think it's probably from my own stupidity. I've let this last set of pads stay on the car way too long, and I think I've had my parking brake over adjusted...

Now, do you think maybe a pair of Metal brake pads would maybe grind these things back down to a smooth state, or should I just have the rotors machined/replaced?

I've only changed the pads on my 240's a couple of times, so I don't think that changing the rotors my self would be the best idea, unless it's an insanely easy job.

Here's what my rotor's look in case you were wondering. The grove is that "shiny" part around the bottom there...