Judge my Rust

[NCTerp]

Here is the underneath of my '91 325ix- mostly the rear. Let me know what you think... I don't think this is not too rusty with 2 notable exceptions. underneath the right side- there is a channel that has a couple tubes in it- vent for the gas tank? It's obliterated. Also- there is a hole on the left side near the spring- you'll see it. I poked around to see if anything was soft and didn't find anything other than those two areas. Oh and the cat converter.

Thanks

http://imgur.com/a/Ua3aD

Edit: People keep asking me if it's rusty, and I have little experience with these cars, so I'm asking you experienced people. Also- if this is posted in the wrong spot please move it. Thx

[rturbo 930]

Looks more or less rust free. Not sure if the hole by the spring is supposed to be there or not. Might just be surface rust, or it'll need a small patch... weird spot for a rust hole though. The piece with the tubes in it looks like a bolt on piece, no big deal. Same for the cat.

[101]

Compared to most IX'es I see, you get a solid A-.

The rust over the spring should be repaired with new metal. It's a common rust point on these cars. Yours is not horrible, but it won't get any better.

We just repaired the metal shield over those fuel vent lines on our IS. Not one of BMW's better designs. It is held on with 4 plastic nuts. Be careful removing it as you don't want to damage the studs that are welded to the sheet metal. I melted mine off with a soldering iron just to be safe. Removing the shock helps immensely. Clean it all up, treat any surface rust and replace the shield. IIRC, it was around $45 from the stealer. Also follow those lines into the cabin, where they run through a metal tube (its under the rear seat). See if the metal tube is in good condition. Ours was NOT, and we had to fabricate a replacement as it was letting water into the car when rinsing wheel wells.

The cat converter is just a heat shield. My cars lost theirs to rust long ago. You can just pull it off. Don't park the car in a hayfield, though.

Do check your metal brake and fuel lines for corrosion. They tend to fail when the car is at least 100 miles from home. Clean up and treat any surface corrosion. IF they look worse, plan on replacing them before they pop during a hard stop.

[ST1G]

The only rust that is mildly concerning is on the exhaust.

[estoguy]

I'm actually concerned about the apparent leaking going on at the back of your diff. I know mine doesn't look like that.

[TobyB]

the metal shield over those fuel vent lines

Under that, there is a metal 'Y' pipe that rusts out even in our relatively low-rust environment- pull the remains of your
cover, and find the 3 hoses that are supposed to hook together, and figure out how
to get them back together. Your fuel- smell problems will get a bit better.

t

[McGyver]

As far as rust goes, I give it a solid 2/10. You could use more flaking and holes in various locations, but it looks like you've got a solid start. Keep driving on snowy salted roads without washing your car and you'll be a total rust bucket like the rest of us in no time.