Rust Attacks! To trade or not to trade?

[Motorhole]

I have a dilemma with my 320i.

I was looking at some minor bubbling on one of my rear arches. Upon closer inspection, I find the the inner skin (If I put my hand under the lip of the arch, where all the cack collects) has corroded pretty bad up to a few inches up.

Thing is, my car is solid otherwise. Aside from this, and some very, very minor other spots (I have given it a thourough inspection), its mint with just 112,000 miles.

Now, is this worth fixing? I don't weld myself, don't have the time to do the work anyway, and with winter coming on it is only likely to get worse. If I pay the bodyshop, probably looking at a fair bill as it is on the driver's side and the fuel filler pipe would have to be removed. I estimate it would cost about 200 squid minimum.

So, do I sell my car and put aside the money to buy a minter when one pops up at the right price? Or do i put the effort in to keep my car mint? I have a feeling that the trade would be more cost effective...

[E30BeemerLad]

Hi fella, sure i've seen you on the ppc forum?

If that's all that needs doing to your car to make it a minter, then I would keep it, knowing the car is half the battle.

Yeah you could cut your losses and buy a minter, but odds are that will still need money spending somewhere.

[Motorhole]

Yep, its the same motorhole! (From my website, www.themotorhole.co.uk)

Thanks! I think I will get some quotes before going ahead and posting it for sale. See if its worth it. I just wish I could get a house quicker (Damn house hunting!!), and some outdoor space and a grage where I can start a project and leave it out you know! All I have now is a driveway, with 2 other cars on it (Parents!). Thats the other advantage of selling up and getting another later...I don't need to pay out to keep it on the road when I don't really need the car...as I want the car for fettling. ANd the money will always be there until the right car pops up. Does that make sense?

Plus I am tempted by a 318i. Not as quick out of the box, but I think much easier to tune (Megasquirt and throttle-bodies route will I save for an LS1!!!) and if I can find a sub-80,000 miler, should be reliable for a long time.

[ian332isport]

Finding an E30 without a rusty inner arch is getting hard these days, so you may be better off fixing your car seeing as you know what the rest of it's like.

If you are worried about the ravages of winter, and what it will do to the rest of the car if the rusty hole is left un-checked, then just fill it up with Isopon P40 (or any other fibreglass bridging paste).

Before I did a mini restoration on my car, I used P40 to seal up the arch to stop all the winter muck from being sprayed up inside and doing more damage. It actually worked surprisingly well

All replaced with nice new panels now though

Ian.

[Motorhole]

cheers man, that sounds like a plan!

Is it worth getting a vaccum cleaner up there beforehand to suck all the crap/flakey rust out?

[ian332isport]

cheers man, that sounds like a plan!

Is it worth getting a vaccum cleaner up there beforehand to suck all the crap/flakey rust out?

Yes. Vacuum cleaner, Wire brush - anything that shifts the loose crap.

You will be surprised how well P40 sticks to dodgy surfaces

Ian.