E30 Zone

I'm thinking of having a respray and sorting out the wheel arches which have a few rust patches… is it worth getting new wing panels or just sorting out the rust patches on the original arches?

Also, what rough sort of price should I be looking at for a respray (in the same colour) I'm south west UK. I've been told all sorts of prices from different people between 2k to 10k

Cheers

I think new wings from BMW are about £280 each but with no guarantee of a good fit. Personally I'd look to get them repaired if they're not too far gone. Regarding resprays, you will get what you pay for. 2k would be a dodgy blow-over whereas for 10k I'd expect a top job with all glass removed etc.

Thanks for the reply! I think I'll look into getting them repaired as they're not too bad anyway. With the respray, hopefully I'll be able to find a happy middle ground around 8k ish then… if anyone knows any good bodyshops south/mid Uk give me a shout!

From my experience, if the wings are original get them repaired. New wings (including those from BMW) do not fit anywhere as good as the originals.

If your paint is original keep as much of it as you can or do a proper respray. Nothing worse for a good classic than a cheap blow-over. Personally I would sooner see nicely blended repairs on original paint.

I know photographs can be misleading but doesn't look like it needs much

Hi mate, its definitely going up north a bit for a respray. Prices go down a LOT and you still get high quality of work. Hopefully someone from a bit more north can chime in and recommend you somewhere.

Thanks for the advice lads! It's a difficult one, as it's not too bad at the moment, a couple of paint chips on the bodywork where there's a dot of rust and small parts around the arches, pic of the worst parts. At the moment everything is original on the car and would love to keep it as original as possible, but at the same time don't want it to get any worse! She stays dry in the garage when it's raining at least!

joe87 wrote: ↑

Mon Sep 27, 2021 4:31 pm

, pic of the worst parts.

If that is the worst, then definitely do not start doing anything drastic like replacing wings or full respray. Just needs wire wheeling back to metal, Jenolite to get the bits of rust left, rattle can epoxy primer and it will be good for years. A good place will blend that sort of repair in and you will never notice.

Do little, often and early and it will be a better car in the end.

Ah awesome, sounds much less painful for my wallet! I'll look into that and see how it goes! Cheers

flybynite wrote: ↑

Mon Sep 27, 2021 5:22 pm

Do little, often and early and it will be a better car in the end.

Great advise, then you can evaluate the on going situation without splashing loads you may not have to

Mart.