E30 Zone

I need to fit a new rear panel as I have a donor shell which has had a bash and the D/S rear chassis leg has been squashed in about 1/2" and rear panel is badly mishaped. I have bought the panel from my dealer £125.00 - BMW tell me that it was the last one in the UK and that Germany have none left now ??

Anyway I need some advice on removing the original panel and refitting the new one - I can see the spotwelds along the floor but am not sure how it is attached vertically up the sides ?

the fact that the drivers rear chassis leg is squashed in about 1/2" would put me off welding any panels onto it until id had it on a jig... no offence but for what you'd pay putting it right wouldnt it be cheaper buying a decent straight shell? if the shell you have is really rot free and this is the only bad bit fair play... but even at that i would get it done in a body shop specially with the chassi leg being involved... at least that way you know its right

your talking about re shelling and rebuilding your sport its going to be a money pit don't rush in and buy the first shell you see hang off until the right one comes as if your doing it your wanting to get the best shell possible even if it means buying a unmolested 316 or even a 320 auto from eBay or where ever as this is going to take a lot of cash, blood , sweat and tears if your doing it you want to do it right the first time so you don't need to go back and do it again... trust me I've been there...

i spent a fortune on a drivers rear qtr and getting it fitted to a tech 1 shell to end out buying a better shell a few weeks later for less money than i had spent buying the rear qtr from BMW

I'm now in the middle of rebuilding the new shell and I've cut the one up i got the rear qtr put onto... the one I've bought does need work but far less than the previous 2 I've had... but then try and buy a tech1 shell or a preface lift shell that doesn't need work...

but you're doing a tech2 there's a lot more out there and there is unmolested examples out there that are pretty much rot free and straight

cant remember if its spotted or brazed on either side.

the rear part of the chassis leg comes with the battery tray(£80 from bmw iirc), it connects with the rest of the leg just behind the spring mount, look carefully and you will see the join. i cut mine off when i replaced my battery tray as it looked a proper bastard to get out and it wasnt rotten anyway.

Cheers dudes - Yeah new battery box with chassis leg sound sthe biz as its only the end 2" thats damaged - Apart from that the shell is a sgood as they get.