Hello, Long time member/lurker...
So introductions first...I tend to ramble so try to pay attention.
I've had my 88 E30 vert for over 12 years now. It was my first car at 15 years old. Learned to drive stick on it. It's very sentimental. Well, I graduated high school..got a girlfriend..didn't have money to repair it. Bought a newer GTI that was more reliable and my GF liked better. I attempted to sell it a while ago and couldn't so she sat. For a LONG time. 9-10 years to be exact.
Flash forward to now, I'm finally settled with a good job, a family, and a house with a garage (which this car has NEVER had since I've had her). I now have the money to start a restore on her, but I'm not 100% sure about it because I've found a lot of things that need work. It needs a full bare metal strip plus rust removal. I let a friend try to work on it while I was away for work and he attempted a garbage respray and painted over the pinstripes. There are multiple large rust spots. One has taken the entire spot in the trunk where a battery would've sat in a coupe/sedan. The other bad area is in the floor panels. It seems the top leaked, as well as the rear trunk seals and moisture sat for years. I have money to do a restore, but I don't have the money for a shop to do the work. I want to build it. Own it. And eventually have it completed.
I've started digging deeper into the floor pans and rust areas and not sure I'd be able to take on this task. I've been going back and forth about selling it and finding a rust free vert that isn't heavily modded with nice interior or a really nice already modded E30 coupe. Is rust holes in trunk and floor pans and end all to trying to restore? Or should I be hopeful that I can do this project myself? I have some mechanical experience as I service 5-20 hp motors and air compressors (no welding experience yet). Sorry for the rambling. Tried to clean it up a little.
So introductions first...I tend to ramble so try to pay attention.
I've had my 88 E30 vert for over 12 years now. It was my first car at 15 years old. Learned to drive stick on it. It's very sentimental. Well, I graduated high school..got a girlfriend..didn't have money to repair it. Bought a newer GTI that was more reliable and my GF liked better. I attempted to sell it a while ago and couldn't so she sat. For a LONG time. 9-10 years to be exact.
Flash forward to now, I'm finally settled with a good job, a family, and a house with a garage (which this car has NEVER had since I've had her). I now have the money to start a restore on her, but I'm not 100% sure about it because I've found a lot of things that need work. It needs a full bare metal strip plus rust removal. I let a friend try to work on it while I was away for work and he attempted a garbage respray and painted over the pinstripes. There are multiple large rust spots. One has taken the entire spot in the trunk where a battery would've sat in a coupe/sedan. The other bad area is in the floor panels. It seems the top leaked, as well as the rear trunk seals and moisture sat for years. I have money to do a restore, but I don't have the money for a shop to do the work. I want to build it. Own it. And eventually have it completed.
I've started digging deeper into the floor pans and rust areas and not sure I'd be able to take on this task. I've been going back and forth about selling it and finding a rust free vert that isn't heavily modded with nice interior or a really nice already modded E30 coupe. Is rust holes in trunk and floor pans and end all to trying to restore? Or should I be hopeful that I can do this project myself? I have some mechanical experience as I service 5-20 hp motors and air compressors (no welding experience yet). Sorry for the rambling. Tried to clean it up a little.
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