Found a little problem... welding costs???

[miniblob]

I've just discovered that my very solid touring has a not quite as solid as it was jacking point at the front. It's started to go a bit crusty!!!!

Question is, how much is it likely to cost to have this repaired??? What should I be expecting???

Can they replace the jacking point, or would they most likely just cut out & plate it???

I'm also thinking if it goes in for that, I'd be tempted to ask them to just plate all the jacking points so I can throw my old trolley jack under there without thinking or looking, or worrying about the floor!!!

Any guidance on what costs to expect would be great, although this will prob have to wait 'till after crimbo now!!!

[Rich320I]

had the same thing done last week mate, rebuilt jacking point, and re undersealed was £50, including a few photos to show they hadnt just bodged it up with newspaper

[polsta]

they arnt actualy jacking points, they are just pads that were put on at the factory to allow the cars to be pulled round the production lines, use of trolley jacks etc is what bends them up and probably causes rust issues, the pad can be pulled/removed from the car

2 options are- remove both pads and have the rust/corners cut out and re fabricated and left smooth and nice, or also have the plates re made aswell and put on to look original but give a higher cost and then they are just needlessly there, so people have them left off

when i had one done on my 318is, a decent mobile welder who asked "jacking points ?" as soon as i said e30 welding, knew the job came round and did it out the back and a decent job charged me £30/40 odd

what you should do really is get the inner sill trimms,front speaker panels out and pull the front corners of the carpet up, have a good feel for damp/wet on both sides in the bottom of the carpet, and a look/poke at the corners in there and see how bad it is, -youl have to get them up anyway to do the jacking points

[miniblob]

That sounds pretty cheap!!!

I know they aren't really jacking points, but as you say, most people seem to use them and then they go through!!!

Sounds like it shouldn't be too expensive to sort out, so may as well make sure the other side is as good as it looks!!!
There is no carpet or speaker panels in there and it is dry - I can see where it's started to push up when I put the jack under it!!!

I'll get a few quid saved up then and have a word with one of the local places!!!

[Jim320i]

As Polsta said... Get the carpet up and have a look at the extent of the rust. If you havent seen this thread, have a read

http://www.e30zone.net/modules.php?name ... sc&start=0

Matt paid £150 to a BMW Specialist to have this exact job done to his sport. The work looks fantastic from the outside, then we started work on doing her up and had the carpets out, they plated over the rust.

My advise would be strip the carpets and anything in the way, buy an angle grinder and cut out the rust yourself, then get someone to weld it up... That way you know the rust has been removed properly and wont be bodged up. If your not there, regardless of who it is, it could be bodged by someone just having a crap day at work and cant be arsed.

[Rich320I]

as jim says, some awesome bodge specialists out there.

think that’s why the chaps I use take photos at each stage just for piece of mind. Saying that, with my luck was probably another car they showed me photos of

[BURNOUTBOB]

friend of mine is a taxi welder and has magic cream that welds anything for £20 QUID TRY HIM

[miniblob]

Ha ha ha, magic welding cream!!!!!!!!!!! I've heard it all now!!!!!!!!

I could hammer it back to flat and fill/hammerite over it if i wanted a bodge!!!!!!

Will speak to a few places over the next few weeks!!!!
Cheers!!!