Welding New Front Sills...

[Tan91]

As you know its a common rust problem on a half looked after turd.

Does anybody know how much a good welder would charge to cut out the front jacking point areas (by the sill where the wings end at the bottom), and have them redone?

I'll try and put up pictures of what I need doing, the rust is about the size of the 3 fingers in thickness not length. So about 2"x 2", but i understand you need to cut around it more etc, so any body know on pricing??

Also with using fresh material, i have a spare wing lieing around, its a pattern part so useless, wondering if cut-outs from that would be usable or is it too thin to be used.

Any help much appreciated, in Heathrow area.

[Meatballs82]

I paid £150 for a ''BMW specialist'' to repair the jacking points, only to find a total bodge job once we lifted the carpets months later.

I'd worry less about price and more about finding someone you trust!

[Ianb]

If it's any help I found an excellent welder who came to me, he was reasonable pricewise and did an excellent job.
His name is Lee and he trades as "Weld in Action" look it up on Google. I did the prep ie cutting out the rust and cleaning edges back to bright steel and removed all necessary trim etc, and lee came an made the sections and fitted them, it was various sections all round the car, took all morning welding as I had done the prep and cost to me was £125 I can't recommend him enough as I 've seen some really poor welding on E30's in my time, usually by so called Pro's.

[staley_turbo]

There are not many good welders out there that will take the same pride in your car as you do. Id do it yourself if you can and spend the time getting it right. Like meatballs says, there's loads of welders about. Not many id trust.

[Tan91]

If it's any help I found an excellent welder who came to me, he was reasonable pricewise and did an excellent job.
His name is Lee and he trades as "Weld in Action" look it up on Google. I did the prep ie cutting out the rust and cleaning edges back to bright steel and removed all necessary trim etc, and lee came an made the sections and fitted them, it was various sections all round the car, took all morning welding as I had done the prep and cost to me was £125 I can't recommend him enough as I 've seen some really poor welding on E30's in my time, usually by so called Pro's.

You got pictures of the work before and after or even current pictures?

[German-Whips]

I've got the same area needing welding.
After thinking about it I decided to try and do it myself.

I went out and bought a gassless mig, and practicing my welds at the moment. Its an investment in tools, skills, and just the satisfaction of doing a job yourself!
Going to practice for another month or so then hopefully cut cut cut, weld weld weld!

[FinalD]

Gassless is f'ing 'orrible

[Jos]

Gassless is f'ing 'orrible

Totally!

Can't see the arc, big high welds, too much heat. Is it a dual machine or just gasless?

I picked up a Clarke 151EN the other day to do some car work on, lovely thing for the money. Already had gas and regulator so was only the cost of wire to switch over, the fluxcore wire can sit on the shelf for windy day doing the boat trailer!

I find backstepping the best for thin stuff. Time on torch is all you need once you can set the wirespeed right!

[Green]

Just so you know sometimes it can look a lot better then it is, this looked fairly bad



which led to this



I had to cut this far back!



Probs took me about 8 hours to get it cut, cleaned up, a new bit shaped, welded and protected start to finish.