E30 Rust Repair

[Roshy28]

Hi guys hope everyone is well,I've been on this forum for a couple of years now been looking into getting an E30,however I ended up buying a few E36's but am now looking at getting an e30 and restoring it.I know this has probably been said a million times by people new to E30's but I've been offered an non-running E30 316 for around the £1000 mark and just wanted to know how much it would roughly cost/time taken to get it rust free.Not looking for the car as an investment/quick flip but rather a long term project and would need someone to do the work for me. I've added pictures below of the car as it is now,but would need new scuttle panels,rear section by the lights,front and rear valances,rust on the boot floor and some on the roof as well from what I can see.Thanks in advance!

[flybynite]

If you look back through the threads on here you will read comments like
"nothing more expensive than a cheap E30" and
"think of the rust you can see as the tip of an iceberg"

That will not be a small job, and from what you show in those photographs you might be better finding a better one for a little bit more money. Cheaper in the long run.

A lot will depend on whether you are paying someone to do the work or you are VERY handy with a mig

[Roshy28]

Hey man I hear what you're saying with the rust just going on forever.Can do the mechanical work myself but have no experience with welding so would need someone to do that for me.

Cheers

[Satan]

Go on a welding course..........

[Bonymaenjack]

Go on a welding course..........

and practice . Nothing more satisfying then seeing shiny new metal where once before just a pile of oxides and hydroxides of iron existed and you made it happen

[ocde30]

Dare I say, and not wanting to be negative but whoever is "offering" this car to you for that money must be rubbing their hands. As above - spend a bit more and get a much better car than this to start as a project.

[rix313]

I have a friend with a Clio Williams. It’s an early one and she thought she needed to ‘just do the sills’. I don’t have any photos, but you’d scrap it if it wasn’t what it was. The only reason it has been viable for her to keep it is her partner is a fabricator. So far the boot floor and both rear chassis legs have been made from scratch and fitted.

So as others have said, tip of the iceberg. Spend the extra money on a better car to start with

[minesapint]

Apart from the bodywork, the tiny glimpse we can see into the engine bay isn’t looking encouraging.
No timing belt, cam sprocket red rusty, absence of coolant pipework, towing eye rusted in position, etc.
I’m all for having a project, but be very aware of what you’re getting into here and think about the possible long term costs of such a project against it’s final value.

[damers2000]

after just getting my E30 back from the bodyshop, which didn't look bad at all from the outside before the work, I would stay well clear of this one. Inner rear arches were rotted through on mine, both front footwells near jacking points gone, wings gone, sunroof tray gone, boot floor bottom corners gone..... it ended going from needing some welding work to a complete strip out and full respray. It looks great for it but left a gaping hole in my wallet

[Satan]

It's fucked, leave it alone.