Replacement pieces for these rusty areas for sale?

[Rob_farmer]

Guys,

Have you seen replacement pieces for these rusty areas for sale?

[Grrrmachine]

Get used to using RealOEM - it will walk you through all of the parts you need.

With that said, I replaced almost every single part you've highlighted with my own parts fabricated from 0.8mm sheet steel. Otherwise you're looking at buying:

New sill
Rear valance
Rear wing
Right rear side member

The first two can be bought aftermarket, but the other parts are BMW only which will cost you $$$.

[bigbird76]

As stated by Grrr make your own parts from 0.8 and buy aftermarket valance and sill, Ebay will normally find you a valance ive seen a few for sale in the past.

Get used to using RealOEM - it will walk you through all of the parts you need.

With that said, I replaced almost every single part you've highlighted with my own parts fabricated from 0.8mm sheet steel. Otherwise you're looking at buying:

New sill
Rear valance
Rear wing
Right rear side member

The first two can be bought aftermarket, but the other parts are BMW only which will cost you $$$.

[Rob_farmer]

I`m using BMWfans.info, but:

1. Rear tail panel shown there as one big panel only. I`m not sure if I cut out and weld in new whole panel, I`ll be able to get it back perfectly, so that ever mm lines up, lights sit flush etc I`m not such welding expert to get it done as from factory. Don`t want to ruin it, its nicely welded in from factory. So I thought there could be aftermarket part, just a bottom I highlighted. Unless there are some tricks/tips/DIY article to replace tail panel with no big headache and smoothly?

Part number 2:


2. Part numer 20 is 160 Euros

3. To replace this area, BMW catalog shows nothing(or I`m blind). Do I have to replace whole section ?

[Grrrmachine]

As I said, replacement parts cost lots. You're not supposed to use the entire panel though; just cut off as much as you need.

Really, this link of photos is all you need to learn how to make your own repair panels. It's what I used for the restoration in my signature:

[Rob_farmer]

Fabricating parts requires skills which I don`t have. I have never done it before and I don`t have tools like in that article. I will have to consider going to scrapyard then and cutting out with angle grinder parts I need.

[Grrrmachine]

I didn't have skill or tools either, but buying them and learning to use them was cheaper than buying replacement panels.

Any cars you find in a scrapyard will be similar condition, or worse.

If you can't use a hammer and dolly, you shouldn't be using a welder.

[Sanchez]

What you need is someone breaking an e30 or e30s with the clean parts on a donor that can be cut off and used on your car.

[Rob_farmer]

There is a E30 scrapyard in another city, I`m going there next week to pick up drivers door and both front wings, will look for some body bits there. I have found sills for 25 Euro a piece, will be getting them:
http://www.klokkerholm.com/xProductCata ... oup=708527

[Rob_farmer]

You're not supposed to use the entire panel though; just cut off as much as you need.

Actually, good idea. Somebody might need other half of that part I cut off.

[Rob_farmer]

If you can't use a hammer and dolly, you shouldn't be using a welder.

I will be learning how to weld next week, got MIG welder already.

[harry_p]

Have a poke around the boot lock, behind the numberplate and the numberplate lights. If it's too ten at the bottom there's a good chance the rear panel has gone in those places too, so may infact be easier to replace the whole rear section.

Other sections are going to need good donor parts or be made up. You don't have to fabricate entire sections in one hit, break them down into smaller sections and join them together. Take your time, make cardboard templates etc. most of those parts aren't going to be seen, so don't have to be 100% perfect, as long as they're neat, properly welded and protected.

[Rob_farmer]

Harry - I like an idea of replacing whole tail panel with brand new, but I haven`t found any threads where somebody has done it, to see how its done - where to cut, how to weld it back in etc. Its going to look so bad if I don`t weld it back perfectly as it was from factory - gaps on tail lights, boot lid not closing properly or something like that

I do have other rust spots on it, but small, easy to fix:

1. Numberplate lights:


2.

[Grrrmachine]

The whole rear panel (the valence) isn't welded, it's brazed, which is a different technique. Quite a few people have replaced them in the past, but if you're new to welding I really wouldn't recommend doing a panel like that.

Have a read through the Restorations to see what's involved:

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