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DISCUSSION => Exterior => Topic started by: dark_islight on September 11, 2008, 08:02:10 AM

Title: rust repairs
Post by: dark_islight on September 11, 2008, 08:02:10 AM: I bought this car as a winter car in 2005 expecting to get a few winters out of it. Sadly, I can't just let her die or resell it with the rusted areas not repaired.

So I have started doing some repairs in the dreaded e30 bad zones.

1. Under the fuse box.
2. Firewall/Drivers floor/Passenger floor
3. Passenger rear wheel well

I'll keep you posted on the progress.
Title: rust repairs
Post by: dark_islight on September 11, 2008, 07:10:24 PM: Cut out all the rot.
Title: rust repairs
Post by: monty23psk on September 11, 2008, 11:22:57 PM: good luck. keep us updated.
Title: rust repairs
Post by: dark_islight on September 12, 2008, 08:04:43 AM: Fab the patches and weld....
Title: rust repairs
Post by: dark_islight on September 12, 2008, 08:11:02 AM: Rear Fender Well
Title: rust repairs
Post by: monty23psk on September 12, 2008, 01:36:02 PM: wow, great work. I need to learn metal work.
Title: rust repairs
Post by: dark_islight on September 13, 2008, 06:58:30 PM: Metal work is not hard to learn, its the tools that can be expensive.
Title: rust repairs
Post by: monty23psk on September 14, 2008, 01:55:00 PM: wow, you are moving along nicely and quick. Car did have lots of rust.

Tools, that's why I haven't started yet, to expensive right now just to learn.
Title: rust repairs
Post by: dark_islight on September 14, 2008, 06:32:41 PM: Definitely had some rust issues after 17 years on Eastern Canada's salted winter roads.
Title: rust repairs
Post by: dark_islight on September 15, 2008, 07:08:53 PM: Well the drivers floor is buttoned up. Still needs a cleaning, and I'm waiting for the POR-15 rust paint that I ordered so I can seal it up with joint sealer.
Title: rust repairs
Post by: ak96ss on September 15, 2008, 07:15:25 PM: As a side note, POR-15 rocks.
Title: rust repairs
Post by: monty23psk on September 15, 2008, 11:32:14 PM: POR-15 does rock. Trick to make is last is using on bare metal, not on painted surfaces.
Title: rust repairs
Post by: dark_islight on September 18, 2008, 06:47:46 PM: The next adventure was rebuilding the lower fender attach point/corner box.
Individual parts fabricated from .063" thk mild steel and fitting then welding together.
Title: rust repairs
Post by: Royalratch on September 20, 2008, 04:55:30 AM: That will be fine for a few winters.

But for proper long lasting repairs you must cut out ALL the rot. Absolutely every last bit.

Looks like there were some shots where you left a few inches around the cut.

But great work to get a few years motoring out of it. Rear wheel arches are such a pain...
Title: rust repairs
Post by: dark_islight on September 20, 2008, 08:43:34 AM: Most of the shots you refer to were just the preliminary cuts. Those cuts were adjusted and expanded to remove the rust back to sound metal. Some edges you see surface rust and was ground out before welding.

The ("Looks like there were some shots where you left a few inches around the cut.") areas you refer to is not rust but the colour of the rubberized coating on the underside of the car.

I didn't post shots or have shots of every change, they were just to lay out the process.

I've got over 3 weeks (of nights and weekends invested) in this repair so far.

Yes the arches are a major pain, lack of space, hard to see and work while rust and dirt keeps falling in your face. :mad:

Too late for me but a friend is buying a bead roller to simplify the fabrication of new arches.:p

Thanks for the observant commentary.:D
Title: rust repairs
Post by: batsbats on September 20, 2008, 04:45:29 PM: well down, I have similar cancer on the right rear quarter panel I need to do
Title: rust repairs
Post by: dark_islight on September 20, 2008, 08:22:29 PM: Today's update....after the POR-15...

FENDER WELL, UNDERSIDE, FLOOR AND AROUND FLOOR PEDALS

LOOKS 100% BETTER
Title: rust repairs
Post by: dark_islight on September 22, 2008, 05:57:42 PM: Passenger side floor is not as bad but is interesting. The rear passenger quarter is finished.
Title: rust repairs
Post by: dark_islight on September 28, 2008, 07:02:15 AM: Passenger beam area is in worse condition than I thought when I removed the rubberized coating.
Title: rust repairs
Post by: RED IS 91 on September 28, 2008, 08:20:10 AM: That is great work and photos also.
I've been thinking of buying a car with rust problems and trying to fix it up.
Is there a place to buy body panels that can be welded in ? I found this site and wondered if anyone has used them ?
http://www.rustrepair.com/
Also ,what gauge metal are you using ?
Title: rust repairs
Post by: dark_islight on September 28, 2008, 06:47:02 PM: The panel/floor is 22 ga. and the corner box/main beam reinforcement is 16 ga. mild steel.:D
Title: rust repairs
Post by: dark_islight on September 29, 2008, 06:51:17 PM: The continuing saga.
Title: rust repairs
Post by: hoevesruperd on September 29, 2008, 09:55:12 PM: inspiring!
would you want to do the same thing to mine? i live in qc too and i will offer you good beer
Title: rust repairs
Post by: dark_islight on October 02, 2008, 08:25:48 PM: Quote from: hoevesruperd;57552
inspiring!
would you want to do the same thing to mine? i live in qc too and i will offer you good beer

Thanks for the invitation, I couldn't drink that much beer.LOL :rolleyes:

This has been a great learning experience though and not something I want to turn into a career.:eek:
Title: rust repairs
Post by: ose30 on October 03, 2008, 12:53:20 AM: You just use too much salt on the roads during wintertime in Canada. I was few years ago in Toronto (my son played in junior hockey tournament) and we were just shocked when we saw that red salt stuff all over the city. No wonder why cars get that rusty. We have about the same kind of winter as you guys have but we use hardly any salt. Just use proper winter tires and you are just fine. My 1988 318I is almost rust free, just passanger side door has a little bit rust on it, nothing serious though.
Title: rust repairs
Post by: Matt-B on October 03, 2008, 12:57:33 AM: Washington -USA, illegal to use salt. we sand roads here. helps a lot
Title: rust repairs
Post by: RED IS 91 on October 03, 2008, 11:02:32 AM: Maine-USA , Salt galore ,When I was growing up the snowplows had sand with a little salt so it wouldn't freeze together but now it's almost all salt .They do it to keep the roads to bare tar.That's why my car goes to sleep in the barn during salt season.
Title: rust repairs
Post by: dark_islight on October 04, 2008, 05:58:51 PM: So far this weekend...

passenger floor...

passenger floor underside...

drivers side lip...
Title: rust repairs
Post by: dark_islight on October 05, 2008, 05:06:23 PM: All the sealing is done....

Drivers floor...

underside...

Passenger floor....

underside...

Drivers lip...

Passenger lip...

Next is spray the rust coating under the car and re-attach the fuel and brake lines to the floor.

More re-assembly this coming week yeeeeeeehaaaaaaaaaaaa:D
Title: rust repairs
Post by: ponchiz318 on October 05, 2008, 09:21:15 PM: Have you considered using inorganic zinc to spray the underside of the car? I work in the paint shop of a company that manufactures natural gas compressors and are sold all over the world. Our off-shore packages require inorganic zinc as a primer. Or base-coat. Same difference. Anyway, that stuff is really good. Looking at the specs sheets and MSDS, the paint will hold up to direct saltwater splash.
Ameron 68hs zinc rich epoxy primer
American AZ76 inorganic zinc primer
International Interzinc 22.

Those 3 are zinc rich primers and are industrial grade paint for active off-shore oil rigs. Check out the pricing (if price is no object) and maybe you'll be able to drive your car directly into the saltwater, without worrying about rust!! Although the mechanics might go to shit, You'll have one shiny hunk of junk. LOL
Title: rust repairs
Post by: dark_islight on October 06, 2008, 02:34:57 PM: If you were to start fresh with a zinc chromate epoxy primer that would be an excellent choice. Since I have a restoration type repair I used the POR-15 with success. For what you see in the pics I used two 4oz. cans (2 starter kits). The stuff is pricey but tough as nails. I needed to encapsulate some of the existing rust to neutralize it.
Title: rust repairs
Post by: ponchiz318 on October 06, 2008, 03:01:10 PM: I have to admit that you have done one awesome job. Although you can still spray zinc on top of rust. Well, the ones that I posted allow you to do this and it will prevent any further rusting. Ameron is owned by PPG so maybe their can be some sort of compatability. I guess it must really suck to drive on those salty roads. I live in Houston texas where it is alwas hot. San Antonio and Austin posters are on the same boat.
Title: rust repairs
Post by: dark_islight on October 06, 2008, 05:19:12 PM: Here we worry that the heater works for at least 6 months:) and the air conditioning maybe 2 months;). Driving in the salt isn't a problem it just rots the cars after 10 years.

Bad for the brakes and chassis parts:(.

My e30 is a winter car ;)its not worth a full out restoration but its still quite solid (more solid now) most owners wouldn't have even attempted what I did and just parted or scrapped the car:eek:.
Title: rust repairs
Post by: dark_islight on October 06, 2008, 05:22:17 PM: The first coat of under coating has been applied and it looks very good. I'll give it another coat tomorrow...
Title: rust repairs
Post by: dark_islight on October 07, 2008, 05:39:30 PM: Top coat applied in the drivers and passenger footwells...
Title: rust repairs
Post by: monty23psk on October 07, 2008, 10:33:56 PM: Very clean and nicely done.
Title: rust repairs
Post by: dark_islight on October 12, 2008, 06:53:05 PM: The interior is now back in the car. It needs a good cleaning...

The "A" pillars needed some attention because they were showing bubbles under the paint. After grinding the rust out I found some bondo that was previously there to cover up the hole from a previous repair. I welded a patch over the hole and filled the area with new bondo...

Continued the body work on the lip...

I fabricated a custom heat shield because the original was aluminum dust...
Title: rust repairs
Post by: dark_islight on October 13, 2008, 05:08:27 PM: Fenders installed and ready for painting...
Title: rust repairs
Post by: jrobie79 on October 13, 2008, 07:48:09 PM: seems from the pictures and ur posts that you enjoy doing this..........how much do you want to do about 1/4 of that work to my car haha j/k seriously tho that is some sick work right there
Title: rust repairs
Post by: dark_islight on October 13, 2008, 08:05:48 PM: I just wanted to make a log of the general e30 rust areas for others on the forum. If you know where they are its easier to inspect before you buy an e30.:)

Also, I did have fun doing this job but I must say it was more than I had originally bargained for.:D

It's been said, "if you buy a welder, you will find things to weld". It's true!:o

Need the car painted before the end of October when my e36 goes into storage until next April.
Title: rust repairs
Post by: jrobie79 on October 13, 2008, 10:10:57 PM: i have a welder, but i dont even want to start something like this, i think im just gonna part mine out and find another e30 with mechanical problems so its cheap, that i know i will be more comfortable fixing than repairing bodywork
Title: rust repairs
Post by: dark_islight on October 23, 2008, 07:11:22 PM: She's in the paint shop. Should be back Tuesday..................:):):)
Title: rust repairs
Post by: monty23psk on October 23, 2008, 11:11:15 PM: excellent job, can't wait for next set of pics.
Title: Final after paint
Post by: dark_islight on October 26, 2008, 04:14:12 PM: She's back after paint and rust proofing. :D

Paint was only applied to the fenders and sideskirts then blended to mid door. The hood was only buffed. I installed the sideskirts and the other parts I had removed for the bodyshop.

Many thanks to Phil and Dave for an excellent job on the paint and clean up:D:D:D:D.

Here's the final outcome..........:cool:

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v355/dark_islight/HPIM1039.jpg)

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v355/dark_islight/HPIM1041.jpg)

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v355/dark_islight/HPIM1042.jpg)

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v355/dark_islight/HPIM1043.jpg)
Title: rust repairs
Post by: monty23psk on October 26, 2008, 10:47:36 PM: wow, what side skirts are those? OEM?
Title: rust repairs
Post by: Cobra Jet on October 27, 2008, 11:48:41 AM: nice job, turned out really good!
Title: rust repairs
Post by: dark_islight on October 27, 2008, 02:52:33 PM: Quote from: monty23psk;59542
wow, what side skirts are those? OEM?

Sideskirts are a fiberglass copy but it's hard to read the bottom but they're marked RECHTS.
Title: rust repairs
Post by: dcm42 on November 08, 2008, 01:03:12 PM: Bravo, Bravo - what a turn out - great job!
Title: rust repairs
Post by: charlesmarseille on March 01, 2009, 03:03:42 PM: hey dark_islight, im from st-bruno montreal south shore and i was wandering where you bought your steel from? cause ive been looking every where to find some (tole) to work with and, well, no luck! thanks in advance.
Title: rust repairs
Post by: dark_islight on March 14, 2009, 04:36:48 PM: Quote from: charlesmarseille;67446
hey dark_islight, im from st-bruno montreal south shore and i was wandering where you bought your steel from? cause ive been looking every where to find some (tole) to work with and, well, no luck! thanks in advance.

I bought the steel from Auto Plus. Generally you can buy the steel sheets in 48" X 48" sheets from any auto parts store that sells body repair items. Check around you'll be surprised that at your local auto parts store it's available.

Sorry I didn't see your post or I would have responded earlier.
Title: rust repairs
Post by: sports.racer on March 14, 2009, 10:07:39 PM: Well done, looks great. Suddenly my horribly cracked dashboard doesn't look so bad. :)
Title: rust repairs
Post by: 95m3032679 on March 21, 2009, 09:19:47 AM: Great work