AH Feck!

[MINTER_325i]

well have the 325 since friday...having bought it as the engine felt good and the body was straight <i brought it home with the intention of tidying it up over the winter for next year..I knew id some welding to do ,although under further investiagtion and prodding with a screwdriver ive came across this....Is this salvagable or ready for the scrap heap....??
I stripped the interior out on saturday ,grinded back the rust to see what was what,drying out the water that lay in the footwells...came back out tonight(car hasnt moved) and there is two fresh puddles,some water is getting in elsewere other than were id assumed was from the back of the arch from which you can see needs a big plate welded in.ideally id love to save the car,though if it means a constant amount of welding it has to be questioned..what you experts think? TBH im fresh into a restoration ,not normally used to the amount of rust..need to figure out were the water is getting in as it isnt the floor or rear of the arch because the car hasnt moved and now there is two puddles




[/img]http://img690.imageshack.us/img690/7665/012reb.jpg[img]

[MINTER_325i]

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[DHFiS]

Does the car have a sunroof?

[alexdkj]

I to had a similar problem to yourself, however my car had a hole half the size of that floor pan haha, as well as the rear arches inner arches and all four pans e.t.c, the problem you will find is that what you have found at this stage (rust) will only be the half of it! I bought a clarkes 135t mig welder and blitzed the whole lot in about 2 weeks solid and was really my first real welding project. Im deffinately a perfectionist but i actually acheived a high standard of bodywork. So deffinately go for it as a project. Some sheet steel, mig and a garrage/ gazebo and your away.

[Rodderz]

You're going to need a new username OP!:)

[MINTER_325i]

Does the car have a sunroof?

it does mate yeah...cant see anything obvious fom it..but ive laid a large piece of cardboard over the centre to see if i get any water drops/marks left to rule that out

[MINTER_325i]

You're going to need a new username OP!:)

lol,yeah its my knickname...must change it too MUNTER now...lol

[MINTER_325i]

Alex thanks for that...gives me some confidence in the old girl yet then...dread to see what the inner arches look like tbh lol but if its salvagable ill tackle it...think the welder investment might be a better route so i can stay on top of it myself ,rather than multiply trips to a welder garage. p.s what did you use for sealing after the welding?

[alexdkj]

Invest in a large co2 bottle as well youll need it. I used primer, stone chip and underseal (schutz) brand good stuff, either in rattle can or tin for use with underseal gun very effective! Whatever you do dont use hammerite as its silicon based and nothing will stick to it as i founnd out lol. The inner arches were a nightmare mate, they can be done from sheet as i did, if you have the cash i would deffinately recomend buying pattern inner arches.

[VW-will]

check next too where the battery should sit in the front mine had a oblong hole there i think its where the aircon is meant to be was causing it on mine..

[Grrrmachine]

Pour some water into the scuttle vents (the plastic bit around the windscreen wiper) and see if you get water dripping into the footwell. If you do, the seam sealer has failed inside the drainage channel, and has led to a hole behind the dashboard.

I discovered some rust on mine that was pretty bad, but a few weekends and some scrap steel has got my car back in one piece again. If yours is a proper 325i, she's worth the work.

[MINTER_325i]

this is great advice guys for a novice!! will check these areas tomorrow..and yeah shes a 325i sport..lovely motors always loved them,just a pitty about the damn rust...thanks again..

can see this leading to a restoration thread...lol

[Mikey_Boy]

+1 on the scuttle vents... If you take those out (easy peasy) then you will see what a crap design the water drain is in that area - you need to check your 'elephants trunk' (oooooh matron!) in the engine bay - drivers side, behind the exhaust manifold on the bulkhead by all the brake and clutch pipes - that will most certainly be blocked, not allowing water to drain away - the water builds up under the scuttle vents, up to the heater box level, where it duly pisses into the cabin through the (crap) sponge gaskets. Windscreen not being sealed up is also a favourite...

Good luck!

Mike

[Jacko_]

That doesn't look too bad tbh, i've had some fabricators working on my E21 and its now in for paint. The workmanship is so good you'd struggle to know where they have worked if it wasn't pointed out to you. If you need someone and you're in the north (well even if you're not) i would seriously recommend them and the pricing is very resonable (very!!)

Website is http://www.autofusion-uk.co.uk

[Speedtouch]

My Sport also had rust in this area, and holes in the front inner arches that let in water (remove the wheel arch liner to check):

[TouringMatt]

Im suspecting this is what i'll find on mine when i lift the carpets, just finished welding up the rear, (both sills and inner arches) rust that i didnt even know was there. Scary!

[chrex]

Mine has been plated at some point in the wells too...but its still letting water in on the pass side. Its running down from behind the glove box, but i cant see anything...i may have to take the wing off as it looks like its getting in between the wing a scuttle.

If i can leave it and get the bodyshop to sort it when it goes in for arches next year...then i will.

[Grrrmachine]

Unbolt the fuse box and you'll immediately see whether there's rust there or not; it'll show up like this...