325i sport newbie

[tom_tippin]

Sleepy where abouts are you?

[sleepy]

I'm in Edinburgh

I've got some more pics after getting rid of the rotten metal with wire brush drill attachment....

Main area's of concern:

Hole behind glovebox, looks like a patch has been welded there before but its obviously needing done again





offside rear arch



nearside rear arch (nothing left under the foam)



Other bits that will need fixed

Offside in boot


Passenger floor, surface rust cleaned just needs treated again on weld patch


Throttle cable


Rubber boot...think this may be causing small idle issue when warm


Abover passenger tail lights


So the nearside rear arch is the worst, can touch the tyre .Removed scuttle trim and cant see far enough down to where the water is getting in, everything i can see is solid and still has white paint.
The drain plug under the bat tray has no cover so is open, same with oher side. There is some rust around the accelerator pedal, through top inside layer but metal underneath is solid...thought i had taken pic of that but haven't.

Not yet had the tech 2 kit off to investigate...how easy is this to do?

[ross_jsy]

I would imagine with your car it will be very easy to remove

This will give you an idea:

http://www.e30zone.net/e30zonewiki/inde ... ar_bumpers

[suedenim]

If you want a sport but aren't bothered about the heritage or view it as an innvestment, and that you have the mechanical know how to strip the car, do a reshell. The thing is, now you know where to look for where the rust will be lurking on the donor shell.

[sleepy]

Thanks.....that will come in handy

[sleepy]

I'm still thinking about my options...tbh i dont have the funds or time to do a full resto on this...i bought this as a daily diver as my other car is an e21 320/6 with weber so cant use that as a daily due to fuel costs.

I will be going to a body shop to see if welding can be done to make it water tight again and if i was able to get it to last a couple of years i'd pob be happy with that...could then use engine and drivetrain for my e21 and break rest of car...this would be worst case scenario though

Re-shelling seems like it would be alot of work

But i'm still playing with idea's like i say and will need to get estimates for work required and take it from there

[Duke137]

tbh i dont have the funds or time to do a full resto on this...i bought this as a daily diver

Your decision has been made for you by your own circumstance I am afraid

Two choices, bodge it back up or the more likely break it.

Tragic story to be honest but that car should have been broken before you clapped eyes on it. Any car with a load of expanding foam packed into the bodywork is borderline a death trap

Financial damage limitation from here my friend, here is hoping you end up with a nice solid one in the future

[bmwsport]

I had a sport that like you it looked wicked init on the outside but then you Delve deeper... unfortunately I spent a fortune on it doing bits and bobs like the rear arches, new suspension etc and full servicing getting it in really nice fettle and then I discovered the roof was full of rust when I removed the headlining as a few spots kept appearing on the roof skin

That was the end of the road for me but when you get an e30 With a decent shell it is worth it in the end.

[sleepy]

I will get the headlining off next and then the kit and take it from there. When you guys refer to bodge are you meaning just get some welding done to cover the missing metal?

I was thinking maybe two inner arches and the rotten bit under the dash cut out and new bit welded....was hoping a might get some time out of the car if i did it that way?....it doesn't have to be a minter as long as its water tight

I am annoyed that these get sold on with no warning bu then again i'm more annoyed at myself for not identifying the extent of the rust and other issues

[Duke137]

A bodge is what you have just uncovered just do everything you can to hide the extent of your rotten turd and punt it on to the next unsuspecting victim (you in this case).

It's a shame mate but I did the same, I drove my tech 2 kitted 318is for 18 months before I took it off the road to tidy it up and realised just how bad it was! I was in it for £1800 but I broke it to about £1500 an kept a load of the nice bits for my next car including the full interior, gear box, Stereo system, heated washer jets etc and I still have lots of spares on the shelf.

It's not the end of the world, there are so many patched up hounds out there, I wouldn't be comfortable personally hiding all that rot and trying to sell it on.

FYI it is said that to repair a rear arch to a good standard (properly) is between £400-£500 a side. That should make you realise how easily you could sink a few grand into it when you can find a car with a decent shell still for £500-£1000 you just have to keep your ear to the ground.

Good luck