The mint with a hole! Not a polo!

[Daryll]

Lads, advise needed as I think this maybe contributing to my ill health recently!

Discovered my inner wheel arch on the drivers side rear has been eaten away by Rusty the metal muncher. The boot is full of black soot and the battery tray is full of water. The car also stinks of fuel, I've checked the fuel rail and lines and all are fine, I am 99% sure the smell is coming in through the hole in the arch. Apparently I've been told it could be the vent on the top of the fuel tank is filling the boot up via this huge gapping hole. But someone said it could be a cracked fuel filler pipe. I'm hoping it isn't the latter and I just need to get the inner wheel arch welded up.
What do you guys think and how much do you think I am looking at to get it fixed?
I need to get this fixed as soon as poss as I have been driving round like this for months now, but I have since felt very tired all the time and have lots of headaches. The wife was very nearly sick the other week when I took her out in it.







Cheers lads, your thoughts would be appreciated.

[BrAdZ]

ooh not good mate, price wise i would say about 200 beer token's, its in a trickey place to weld :S

[Daryll]

Nuts.

The last couple of garages I have been to won't touch it.
Got a mates old man who will hopefully be able to do it... going to drop him an email with an offer of cash and a bag of haribo but just wanted to know a rough price I should be looking at. Cheers.

[BrAdZ]

i wouldnt got to a garage, i would reccomend a bodyshop, garages only tend to bodge weld to get cars through mot's

[dazleeds]

thats bad mate

i would agree with around 200quid
as long as you can find someone to tackle it mate

i got it done a couple of years ago on another e30 and was 150quid but that was after some haggeling

[Daryll]

This guy I'm trying now is panel beater. His daughter said he is good and will look after me!
This cars cost me a fortune this month, With tax and mot's service and a few other bits, that's another Ԛ£1k spunked on it.

The price of owning an old skool cool motor hey!

[slideordie]

does your car ALWAYS smell of fuel? Or only when you drive it hard? I think I have a similar problem to you. My passenger side boot well (??) collects water so I imagine its either the aerial or the rear inner arch thats letting the water in. Theres a very small dribble getting in on the drivers side too. When I drive it hard I can smell fuel although it smells more like burnt fuel? I too have had a lot of headaches recently and always feels tired Its booked in tomorrow for a look over so I'll hopefully soon find out whats up!

Best of luck getting her fixed mate

[Daryll]

slidey,

yes mate tends to be when i am booting it and when the tank is full to capacity. That's what makes me think it might be the vent as opposed to the fuel filler pipe other wise I would smell it all the time.

Best of luck to you too mate, let me know how you get on.

[slideordie]

Ahh its such a joy owning old cars

I'll post up tomorrow what I find out

[ian332isport]

Daryll,

If your arch has gone like that, I'm willing to bet good money that the fuel filler pipe is also knackered.

Changing the pipe is not a hard job, and is only secured to the car with a couple of bolts. Mind you, the place where it joins the tank has also been known to rust (on the tank). Pop the wheel off, and remove the token gesture plastic mud shield from inside the arch. You should then be able to have a good look at the pipe (and hole ). You can also see a fair bit if you remove the rubber grommet from around the fuel filler cap.

You can still buy the outer section of the inner wheel arch from the dealer for about Ԛ£60, and this would be the best way to go really. Even if you don't get the complete piece fitted, you can cut off a suitable piece to fill the hole.

Ian.

[Daryll]

Cheers Ian. Going to pop it into the body shop tomorrow for a once over. The outter rear arches need replacing as well along with a small paint repair on one of the front arches so going to get all that done. Will tell him to check the filler pipe whilst his at it too.

Should be mint by the time all that's done.

[ian332isport]

Cheers Ian. Going to pop it into the body shop tomorrow for a once over. The outter rear arches need replacing as well along with a small paint repair on one of the front arches so going to get all that done. Will tell him to check the filler pipe whilst his at it too.

Should be mint by the time all that's done.

If you are doing the outer anyway, then it's an ideal time to fit the new inner, as they will be welding new metal to new metal.

Ian.

[slideordie]

Well it looks like my problem isnt the same as yours Daryll. Its an oil leak from either the timing cover or .... the head gasket. Its then burning off the block which is giving me the smell of fumes in the car. I phoned a mate of mine whos a mechanic (but off on the sick with a bust hand which is why i didnt take it to him) and he reckons that its more likely to be the rocker cover gasket leaking, which is obviously a lot cheaper and easier to fix. Fingers crossed!

anyone got any thoughts on this?

[dsio]

Do you drive with your window open at all? Having a window open even a crack creates a negative air pressure inside the cabin, which then needs to equalise, by sucking air in through a place where air isnt being sucked out.

So while the air rushing past the window sucks air out, there is no air being sucked out of the wheel arch, so the sooty air gets sucked in. The faster you go, the more it will be sucked in and the more you boot it, the more exhaust there is to breathe I guess.

I had a hole in the exhaust pipe side of my boot right under the tail light that filled the cabin with smoke, the solution is to try to create positive pressure in the cabin. Aim the vents where they arnt in your face, seal the windows up completely, and have the blower on 2 or so, and you shouldnt have a problem.

Made a big difference to me. (I also plugged it later on with some old jocks which made it possible to open the windows without having an issue).

If you are breathing exhaust, you can fall asleep at the wheel, which does happen to some people that own old cars with exhaust issues. In your case I would stuff a towel around the hole tightly. Or for some ghetto sealing, some plastic shopping bags, with towels holding it in place

[slideordie]

Well, I had a friend of mine look at her and believe it or not but the cause of the burning smell with my car was actually the sump plug. It had taken a hit and was leaking slightly. The oil was then blowing back onto the front cross member and then on to the exhaust! All it needed as a new washer and a tighten. We kept her jacked up for a few hours to make sure it wasnt leaking again. Problem solved

How'd you get on with yours Daryll?