Rust - Inner Arch

Post Thu Oct 04, 2012 9:24 am

Hello

Due to having discovered that the original tail light gaskets were useless, I decided to give the gaskets a bit of a clean whilst waiting for the new ones to arrive and took the opportunity to have a closer look inside the boot.

I was well aware there was water in the left arch, hence why I ordered new gaskets. However, I took a look at the right hand one, where the battery is as I saw just a few drops of water. I checked all around the tailights and saw no rust, so I decided to take out the battery and found that the inside arch was rusting away.

I'm guessing this needs my immediate attention! Does anyone have any reconciliations on what I should do next! My initial thoughts are to completely take the carpet out of the boot and have a good thorough look at what other mysteries the can be in there...

View from the outside

View from the inside

Post Thu Oct 04, 2012 9:26 am

That's recommendations not reconciliations (spellchecker got the best of me)

Post Thu Oct 04, 2012 10:04 am

It's a very common area for rot, and as ever the BEST solution is to cut out and weld in new metal. You don't need repair panels because it's all hidden, and you can cover it up with seam sealers and stone chip afters so, as rust goes, it's probably the easiest and cheapest rust to repair on an E30.

However, if you don't want to keep the car long you could just sand it all back, treat it to some anti-rust and then recoat it - but that's not a permanent fix.

These repairs are covered in my resto thread.

Post Thu Oct 04, 2012 10:11 am

Grrrmachine wrote:It's a very common area for rot, and as ever the BEST solution is to cut out and weld in new metal. You don't need repair panels because it's all hidden, and you can cover it up with seam sealers and stone chip afters so, as rust goes, it's probably the easiest and cheapest rust to repair on an E30.

However, if you don't want to keep the car long you could just sand it all back, treat it to some anti-rust and then recoat it - but that's not a permanent fix.

These repairs are covered in my resto thread.

OK - Thanks, seems a bit more re-assuring! I'm looking to keep the car anyway, so cutting out the old metal and replacing it seems to be the only option!

In terms of costs, how much would a job like this cost professionally? (Give or take)

My next door neighbour also knows how to weld, I'd roughly like to know how much, before I ask him!

Post Thu Oct 04, 2012 10:11 am

Another 'water in the car' joyous experience

Sorry mate, welcome to E30 ownership

Looks like someone has been there before you and patched it up....

Post Thu Oct 04, 2012 10:16 am

Get the whole carpet out... Check down both arch linings as they can be seen from the boot lining. Assuming its a 2 door, get the rear door cards out too to check the condition of the arches there.

Also in the boot, check the driver side inner wall all over it as this rusts in numerous places due to all the fitments on the other side

Post Thu Oct 04, 2012 10:23 am

FERTAN !!!!!

Post Thu Oct 04, 2012 10:43 am

Duke137 wrote:Another 'water in the car' joyous experience

Sorry mate, welcome to E30 ownership

Looks like someone has been there before you and patched it up....

It's starting to make me feel a bit downhearted about owning one!

Does it ever stop???

Post Thu Oct 04, 2012 11:05 am

juser wrote:
Duke137 wrote:Another 'water in the car' joyous experience

Sorry mate, welcome to E30 ownership

Looks like someone has been there before you and patched it up....
It's starting to make me feel a bit downhearted about owning one!

Does it ever stop???

Chin up mate they are all rotten turds you are in the right place to get it fixed!

Be prepared though what you see is about 10% of what the car is hiding as general rule of thumb in my own experience. I have spent an awful lot of money on my sorry turd and still I found a fresh crunchy bit the other day when I had water in the passenger footwell.

Age-related seam-sealer failure has been the cause of a lot of the damage I have found. Not sure what the design life is on that stuff or whether the conditions weren't correct in the factory (a cold day) when it was applied who knows?

Make friends with a welder and you can't go wrong. In all fairness from the pictures you have posted so far it appears to look like one of the better ones out there.

Good luck!

Post Tue Oct 23, 2012 11:33 am

juser wrote:
Duke137 wrote:Another 'water in the car' joyous experience

Sorry mate, welcome to E30 ownership

Looks like someone has been there before you and patched it up....
It's starting to make me feel a bit downhearted about owning one!

Does it ever stop???

It never stops with E30s.

I've just bought one last week and when I checked it over before buying it seems "OK"ish. Knew the jacking points needed doing and the rear towing eye area.

I just had a poke in the boot recently and found the rear inner arches are non-existent!

Puddles of water.

Wasn't surprised to be honest.