RetroAde's Repairs.... tidying up my chromey cab.

[RetroAde]

So the car. Bought as a totally original 325i cab, two owners, huge history, thousands spent keeping it tip top, just the type of car I look for. This was October 2013.

Straight away had an engineers report on the car, full service, and fixed loads of oily bits totalling about £700.

Since then I've slowly plugged away fixing little niggles, restoring the leather etc. Today the big jobs started, sorting out the rust. Rear arches are the main culprits, so new arches being welded in. Few areas on the sill need patching. Rear valence needs tidying, it's had a tiny dink that's been bodged.

[RetroAde]

New O/S arch in place

[RetroAde]

O/S sill, solid. Happy days.

[RetroAde]

N/S arch.

[RetroAde]

N/S sill. Again nice and solid.

[RetroAde]

Not all good news. This will be coming out.

[RetroAde]

N/S rear jacking point, luckily only surface rust.

That's as far as I got today, the hangover beat me. It was my birthday yesterday and I drank far too much at Lingfield races.

Back on the case Monday stripping the sills and valence. Updates to follow.

[darkchild]

Nice looking convertible.

I would get the bung in the floor sorted whilst its having the other work carried out. The one in your O/S sill picture looks like the lugs have rusted. Its very likely to let in water, if it isn't doing so already.

[RetroAde]

Nice looking convertible.

I would get the bung in the floor sorted whilst its having the other work carried out. The one in your O/S sill picture looks like the lugs have rusted. Its very likely to let in water, if it isn't doing so already.

Thanks, well spotted. I'll get it up on the ramp tomorrow and have a closer look.

[RetroAde]

Take one bumper a bit scabby on the underside...

[RetroAde]

With scruffy old end caps...

[RetroAde]

And a big kink near the hanger.

Clean, polish, panel beat and paint...

[RetroAde]

Looking better

[RetroAde]

Really happy with this, top result.

It's the rear bumper by the way.

[RetroAde]

Meanwhile, back at the paint shop...

First coat of primer on.

[RetroAde]

Faded paint behind the bumper will be sorted.

[BenHar]

Take the boot vents and rear lights off before you spray it.

Ben

[RetroAde]

Take the boot vents and rear lights off before you spray it.

Ben

Yeah, don't worry, we will. That was just a first coat of primer over the areas that have been patched.

[RetroAde]

Rear valence looking like new again.

[RetroAde]

Close of play today. Bumper back on, new plates fitted and new boot seal fitted.

Sills to finish Monday then off for an MOT Tuesday. Finally back home for a thorough valet, it's full of dust!

[magpie]

good to see owners getting stuck in and not just paying a garage to do the work .

i know we can't do everything at home and some jobs need to be farmed out to the trade, in my case this is welding and panel paint because i don't have the tools needed .

I'd rather own a socket set than a spray gun .

[RetroAde]

I'm like you Magpie, do what I can. I'm also lucky being trade to have trusted people helping and having the opportunity to use their premises as my working space is limited. Oh, and 'mate's rates' and pulling in favours goes a long way.

Over the last week I've done my first bit of panel beating in 20 years, last time I took a hammer to a car was my old mk 3 Fiesta 1.6S when I fitted 15" OZ wheels and a Spax fast road kit and the arches rubbed. It's also the first time I've restored chrome, previously I'd have written that bumper off. I can paint (the end stops are my work) but Stu who painted the car is like Michaelangelo, the man's a genius as can be seen by the calibre of car that passes through his shop. I'm talking E-type Jags and a mk 2 Mexico in the last couple of weeks.

At the end of the day it's about being able to say 'I did that', or at least helped to do it. It just feels 'your' car that way.

[RetroAde]

My car's back home again! Fresh paint, new wheels, freshly serviced and a new advisory free MOT

Happy days!

[RetroAde]

Looking much tidier round the back.

[RetroAde]

Just needs a good wash now, looks clean but it's full of filler dust.

[RetroAde]

Few more jobs this week. Started cleaning 27 years worth of crud out of the engine bay.

[RetroAde]

Stripped the lower dash, fitted some decent OEM speakers, deep cleaned everything whilst out of the car, shampoo'd the carpets. I know have a fully working original dealer fit stereo system running an iPod through a cassette adapter and it sounds surprisingly good.

[RetroAde]

And finally a full detailing session on the original paint to bring the finish up to the quality of the new paint.

[RetroAde]

The end result of all that detailing.

Next job is to strip out the fan blower motor and work out what's wrong but for now I'm enjoying the dry weather and putting some miles on it.

[Cypriotgeeza]

The end result of all that detailing.

Next job is to strip out the fan blower motor and work out what's wrong but for now I'm enjoying the dry weather and putting some miles on it.

Gorgeous looking car mate!