the demise of ANOTHER mtech I sport.....

[ScottMc]

to say i'm gutted doesn't even begin to explain how i'm feeling right now. I bought the sport last summer (to replace my 320i which had been crashed into) and it was rough back then but after test driving it i knew i wanted it just for that 2.5 engine, i worked hard at fixing her up and she was beginning to look nice again all that remained was the bodywork as i had replaced most of the mechanicals and Scott325SE and i were planning to fix up the bodywork in the summer....

tonight i was replacing the antiroll bar bushes and the jacking point just crumpled away taking a chunk out of the sill and popped the side skirt off the car and half of the rear wheel arch came off with it. the state of the sills was the final straw for me, there are huge holes in the sill where some complete twat of a previous owner has decided to re-attatch the skirts with self tapping screws which has just accelerated the rust..... then i got pissed off and pulled off the fuel filler flap (came off surprisingly easy ) the worst thing is i just spent 200quid at euro car parts to try and get her fixed up but now its just pointless and way beyond the boundaries of economical sense.

i'm gutted but it looks like its gonna get broken up now so i'll be taking a note of all the parts that i can get off it and put them up in the for sale section.





and as she was......



and the moral of this story is................... always check behind the mtech kit on your car before buying.

[Ant]

Ahh gutted mate, I think Scott had formulated a plan to cover this BTW

[placey]

economical it may not be - but i vote rescue it anyway! they're the finest those early sports.

[Simon]

Sorry to hear that mate, rust is our worst enemy....

[SCOTT325SE]

Ant, tbh mate i think this has demoralised the other Scott to the point where he wont want to do it anymore. The plan was laid and agreed and was all well and good. i think we should wait to hear off Jon 1st tho as to how solid his sport is before we decide on anything.

[ScottMc]

yeah Scott and I were thinking about buying another early sport and swapping over the good parts on to this one or vice versa and i WAS really excited about it but now i just dont want to lose more money but i suppose its early days yet, this only happened a few hours ago.

[E30WEZ]

It was a MK1 like your's that got me hooked on them in the first place sorry to see the metal worm

[Dom]

ahh that's a bastard but at least you found out now before throwing more money at it

[zaust]

Sorry to hear the rust monster visited..
why dont you look out for a rolling shell and swap the bits ..

[Adammcf]

Ouch! Thats nasty. I'll know now to have a really close look behind the skirts etc when Im looking for one.
That said however, it could probably be sorted in a decent bodkyshop for around 600.

[Russ]

Sorry to hear that matey...

[Karan]

ouch

my thoughts are with you mate...benn there done that although mine wasnt that bad

find another one and mtech it up!!!

[SCOTT325SE]

Ouch! Thats nasty. I'll know now to have a really close look behind the skirts etc when Im looking for one.
That said however, it could probably be sorted in a decent bodkyshop for around 600.

Ԛ£600????? ye ye...maybe the sills can be done for Ԛ£600, but think of the rest of it (inner and outer rear arches, jacking points, sills, full respray coz so much would need to be done) ive just got away very lightly with a 2grand bodyshop bill for the same work and trust me, 2grand for that work is almost mates rates!!!! there are a weeks worth of welding on scotts car for a bodyshop. a welder doesnt come cheap mate and multiply that by 40 hours work and youve almost said goodbye to your 3600.

i think Ԛ£600 may be just a BIT conservative tbh.

[Demlotcrew]

I say you keep it, and do it up if you can!

andrew

[SCOTT325SE]

scott doesnt have 2k to throw at it andrew, plus its his daily driver.

[MasterBates]

Well yes, technically it's buggered and way beyond any economical rebuild. The rot in the sills is one thing but the rot by the filler flap means that really, it's scrap.
BUT: What I would do is to get the structural stuff welded up - just patch the sills and jacking points, tack enough metal onto the back arch to reattach the bodykit and just fibreglass the rest. You could probably get it nailed back together for a couple of hundred quid and there's no point in having anything proper done. Get it good enough for an MOT and looking tidy, and just continue driving it. And when you get offered a really nice late model 320i for peanuts, swap all the bits over.
With that much rot it'll probably never be a nice car again but in truth, my white Alpina C1 was a rusty bucket of sh!t but boy, I really enjoyed driving that!

BTW, the Alpina has now left the BMW dealer bodyshop. New inner arch housings, outer arches, rear sills, front jacking points, scuttle, front panel, both front wings, complete battery tray, rear valance, secondhand bonnet, boot and doors and a complete repaint in the oven. It looks stunning, going to start fitting it back up soon.......

[Kedge]

Sorry to see that mate, looked a good one as well.

If you can i reckon you should try and find another pre-face lift in good nick and swap the bits.

Good look with whatever you decide.

[johnono]

sorry to hear that scott, bad luck bruvs i donԚ´t know what to suggest to u mate, uԚ´re probly to pissed to want to hear it anyway

[Jhonno]

BTW, the Alpina has now left the BMW dealer bodyshop. New inner arch housings, outer arches, rear sills, front jacking points, scuttle, front panel, both front wings, complete battery tray, rear valance, secondhand bonnet, boot and doors and a complete repaint in the oven. It looks stunning, going to start fitting it back up soon.......

Nice!! i'd hate to imagine the cost of that from a BMW main dealer!! should be pukka when its done tho..

[MasterBates]

Not that much - the guy who owns it now has two sons, one of whom is a painter at the dealer. It was there for about 6 months being fitted in around other things. The engine bay looks like new - painted in the boot and all the inner wings as well.

[Jhonno]

ahh - nice way to get it cheaper..

gonna be any pics when you get it back?

[Adammcf]

Ouch! Thats nasty. I'll know now to have a really close look behind the skirts etc when Im looking for one.
That said however, it could probably be sorted in a decent bodkyshop for around 600.

Ԛ£600????? ye ye...maybe the sills can be done for Ԛ£600, but think of the rest of it (inner and outer rear arches, jacking points, sills, full respray coz so much would need to be done) ive just got away very lightly with a 2grand bodyshop bill for the same work and trust me, 2grand for that work is almost mates rates!!!! there are a weeks worth of welding on scotts car for a bodyshop. a welder doesnt come cheap mate and multiply that by 40 hours work and youve almost said goodbye to your 3600.

i think Ԛ£600 may be just a BIT conservative tbh.

Not trying to start an argument or anything as Ive only been on the forum for a few days but believe it or not Ive work like this done before.
I had new sills, arches and filler cap done for Ԛ£500 on the Astra.
Granted the fact that the inner arches etc on that car need done which will add alot more and I didnt think of that when I put up the price.
I had quotes when I needed mine done which went up to around Ԛ£1500 for the work.
I went to a bodyshop which was reccommended by a friend and after inspecting their car I couldnt fault the work.
Ԛ£500 and two weeks later my car came back like new and 8 months on is still that way. The place which charges the most doesnt always do the best work.

[SCOTT325SE]

adam, very true mate.

Generally, a good bodyshop will also charge a fair whack, as they know they are good and can still pull the punters in. If you can find a decent cheap bodyshop, then wicked, but they are rarer than rocking horse sh1t!

[johnl320]

Don't give up scott, there are a lot of pre facelift 316 motors lurking in old peoples garages waiting for there owners to die !!! i got a d reg for 200 quid still with t&t. if i were you buy one of those, drive it around til the summer , then swap the bits. Just a suggestion mate, it would be horrible to break her up ,Pre facelift motors rule . What ever you decide don't make any rash decisions
john

[pacerpete]

Oh no!! not another rusty metal bumper sport on life support, pull the plug and pass me an 8mm allen ,i'm having the LSD P.S if you go the fibreglass route , i'll rent you my cement mixer, you'll need it!

[johnl320]

BUTCHER!!

[pacerpete]

Butcher; one who turns waste and offal into tastey morsels! yes thats me!

[johnl320]

oh come on , the bloke is mourning the loss of his trusty steed and you want to rip its arse out before the bonnet has gone cold, have a heart

[pacerpete]

John, surely you mean "mourning the loss of his Rusty steed"

[Davenotouring]

Still on form Pete!

Next Lakeside meet is approaching by the way!

[johnl320]

Pete , i'm man enough to know when i'm beat. Ill shut up now