The duke's 2 door/Rot-box

[Duke137]

The story of my car:

Purchased in August 2009, a 318is with 143k on BK reps and Tech II kit. I had never heard of the zone, just always fancied owning an old E30. I knew nothing about these cars, I just wanted one so off I went to Leeds and picked this up. It seemed in good nick and to all intents and purposes it was/is.



Here it is after I stuck some 15”a BBS on end of last winter.



Took off the road April 2011 with 156k and 20 odd months hassle free motoring, due to going down to one car as my girlfriend went on maternity leave. Always fancied a 24v swap so thought I would upgrade this car as a worthy donor. I had found my way around an E30 mechanically by buying a breaker in the meantime and learning as I went along

I bought a few bits for it, had some Borbets then changed my mind, swapped them for some Hartge wheels, found a cheap M50b25 and set about buying all the necessary parts for the M50b25 conversion.

Then I got massively side tracked with another heap of shyte I bought for about £200, some might remember it but after many hours of practicing welding and working in the rain (all summer) I gave up with it as it was just too far to gone. Here is how it ended up:



Spent some time getting used to farther hood after messing with that and learned a valuable lesson not to get side tracked LOL

Skip forward to a couple of weeks ago and I finally get round to getting this car stripped down. I knew it wanted some attention and to be honest what I got is what I expected and being a non-sunroof car it has no roof/scuttle rot, and more importantly no bulkhead rot from what I can see. The dash will be out very soon so can confirm that ASAP, but where the wiring loom comes through looks all good.

Before it was touched, covered in unloved green sh1t and cobwebs



Kit off:



Interior and carpet out (looks like it had already had a floor bung this side)



So far:

Both front wings scrap
Drivers door scrap
Front valance scrap

Got good replacemements already so that’s them sorted.

This the story inside the boot:



Tail panel is coming away from the boot floor with rot, it is also crusty above the number plate under the seal

NSR inner arch, Not gone through yet but you know as well as I do that its fooked.



OSR arch, to be honest if I ignored this I would be stupid



Drivers footwell:

Accelerator pedal mount came off with the carpet! Plenty of brown and holes here:



Passenger footwell, previously ”arepaired”a (using the term loosly)



So already got 2 new inner arches on order and a tail panel, just need to order up my outer arches and get stuck in.... Easy

[DanThe]

Not more rust

[Jim320i]

The blue chromie was mint compaired to this

[Kedge]

N/s floor is a right mess and what's the crack with those brackets on the boot floor to the rear panel?

[e30topless]

what's the crack with those brackets on the boot floor to the rear panel?

probably the remains of a towbar once fitted ?

this should keep ya busy Ferg

[spook]

Duke me ole mucker, do you have a rust fetish?.

[E30BeemerLad]

My name is Fergus and I like crumbly brown stuff

[Duke137]

Nah, I am just brave enough to photograph it. All E30's are like this Spook, didn't you know that

[Kedge]

Nah, I am just brave enough to photograph it. All E30's are like this Spook, didn't you know that

Nah they aren't, just the ones you buy!

[Duke137]

Decided I can't be arsed to fix the body work so I have scrapped it. All parts available in for sale section

[Tom_Maverick]

that's a shame.. its very sad when I read about another 30 gone to the big scrappy in the sky

[Duke137]

that's a shame.. its very sad when I read about another 30 gone to the big scrappy in the sky

I know Tom but sometimes you have got to be realistic

[capri_rob]

Whats the plan then mate ? You gonna mint up the moredoor ?

[Alex]

what's the crack with those brackets on the boot floor to the rear panel?

probably the remains of a towbar once fitted ?

this should keep ya busy Ferg

Makes sence why my cabbys boot floor had came away from rear panel, i'am never buying an e30 thats had a tow bar fitted if they all end up like this

[Duke137]

Whats the plan then mate ? You gonna mint up the moredoor ?

Nope

[capri_rob]

Whats the plan then mate ? You gonna mint up the moredoor ?

Nope

Very cryptic

Just PM'd you mate

[Tay]

lol there is still light at the end of the tunnel............... well for some of us anyway!

sorry to hear about your motor buh but another one to the scrap yard does mean that it increases the value of the few that are left!!!!

you should get the scuttle cut out and graft it into a good cleaner shell???? shame because the old red bus didn't look too bad on face value.

[Duke137]

Tay the scuttle and bulkhead will both be grafted into the car behind on pic 4 which belongs to my brother the non-sunroof roof has also been ear-marked for another car.

Thanks for the comments, your dead right get rid of the shiit to save the good ones!

[mercdriver]

Tay the scuttle and bulkhead will both be grafted into the car behind on pic 4 which belongs to my brother the non-sunroof roof has also been ear-marked for another car.

Thanks for the comments, your dead right get rid of the shiit to save the good ones!

Gutting when even big red has to go to heaven ain't it Ferg. On the plus side i fix my scuttle problem for me!

It just seems the same story, buy an e30 with all good intentions and it gets blown out of the water by reality... When you bought it, it seemed all there but them mtech kits really glossy up the traps beneath! And that rear end discovery made this an uphill task. If you had the time I know you would keep it and repair it. You can store your roof in my garage mate if we can get it in! Theres always a future shell to convert to m50 status

[Duke137]

Tay the scuttle and bulkhead will both be grafted into the car behind on pic 4 which belongs to my brother the non-sunroof roof has also been ear-marked for another car.

Thanks for the comments, your dead right get rid of the shiit to save the good ones!

Gutting when even big red has to go to heaven ain't it Ferg. On the plus side i fix my scuttle problem for me!

It just seems the same story, buy an e30 with all good intentions and it gets blown out of the water by reality... When you bought it, it seemed all there but them mtech kits really glossy up the traps beneath! And that rear end discovery made this an uphill task. If you had the time I know you would keep it and repair it. You can store your roof in my garage mate if we can get it in! Theres always a future shell to convert to m50 status

PM on the way lad