Any tips on radiator support replacement?

[namsayin]

So thinking about buying a 318is to serve dd for my while I travel to work and school. The body interior and motor on this particular vehicle are immaculate and in great condition. However a truck decided to back into it destroying the front plastic bumper, valence and severely bending the lower part of the rad support. However the current owner has a replacement set of bumper, valence and fog lights. Can't pass it up for the price. Any advice?

[jlevie]

That can be repaired. Depending on the extent of the damage it might be possible to straighten it, or it may be necessary to cut the damaged area out and weld in a replacement.

[namsayin]

Replacement at this point is the best way to go. I took most of the front end when I went to inspect it yesterday and looks like a rad support is the only thing I need. All body panels, hood and fenders and new front end stuff are still good and the car drives perfectly straight.

[reelizmpro]

Cut it out and weld the new core support in as clean as possible.

[namsayin]

Has anyone ever done it? Mike (white325is) told me that the best way to so it is to drill out any of the old spot welds that hold the rad support in and then weld in the new support. Any pictures or DIY of this?

[jlevie]

I've done it. It has always seemed to me like this sort of task was a matter of applying common sense. I use a spot weld cutter (like http://www.eastwood.com/ew-skip-proo...ld-cutter.html) to get the old part free.

[bimmer_E30]

i got into an accident with my old 325e...i bent the raddi support, i took it to a body shop and they pulled it out...to be honest i would replace it! i had issues with the lower radiator hose(alternator, hitting the raddi hose, due to a shitty job benting the raddi support by the idiots that work there).

get a new one and weld it in.

[blueapplesoda]

I drilled out the spot welds on mine.....what a fuckin pita. welded the new one in. but i hate body work/repair so thats just my opnion

[nando]

I did it. dropped it off at a shop, gave them $500, bam! new core support. ;)

[2002maniac]

I drilled out the spot welds on mine.....what a fuckin pita. welded the new one in. but i hate body work/repair so thats just my opnion

same story here.

[sandlock]

Back from the dead as searching hasn't helped. If I wanted to get the rad support oem to help my bodyshop out, would i beable to order the 318is rad support? For some reason in realoem the 325i only shows the ability to get the entire front end as one peice. The 318is shows the front complete rad support as a single unit. I just want to make sure the radiator and fan holes are the same on both the 4cyl and 6cyl late model e30s. Otherwise I'll just have to find a straight donor. Can anyone confirm they're the same or different? TIA

[sandlock]

Disregard! Upon further investigation it appears they're the same for both engines. Still weird how they list it for one model differently than the other.

[Just Scott]

This isnt terribly hard to do. Just consumes time.

You need the spot weld driller, a welder and patience.

Search for a thread I started on this topic. Not a great how-to, but it gives you an idea of what's involved.