How to check if my e30 is rusting under the undercoating?

[static]

Just like it sez

I really want to go ahead with a m50 swap into this car but afraid that soon my foot might go thru the floor.
Also, are there usual spots underneath where an e30 'likes' to rust?
Otherwise there is almost no rust on the visible parts of the body (except for one little bubble on rear fender) - presumably the car had been rustproofed (sprayed at rustcheck) every year but cannot confirm that.

If there is some metal rotting is going on underneath, how hard/expensive it would be to fix it?

Thanks
Alex

[kowalski]

depends what it is for a price quote, but generaly your going to be ok about rust. the usual spots are underneath the rear license plate lights, under the battery tray, the fender folds (usualy all chipped up, and start to rust), as for the underneath of the car, again under the battery, and other then there shouldn't be any bad rusting areas.

[E30junky]

I have a rather large hole behind the pedals in my car.

[E30junky]

You can also lift up the carpet in the raer floor pans for the back seat.

[Jand3rson]

Pull your front and rear seats, and the center consoles. Pull up the carpet (gently), and inspect around in the floor panels for rust. Pull the trunk carpet and do the same, check under the battery tray, etc. Get under the car, remove the plastic fender liners, and take a good look around everywhere under and around the car. Check the rocker panels, might not even be a bad idea to drop the exhaust, and pull the heatshielding to check under there.

[static]

thanks a lot for pointers , guys

Alex

[mikeedler]

never seen an e30 rust under the heat shields though. in germany, the big places for rust are at the front jack points-pull the plastic wheel well shield away(a few screws), under the fusebox, rear battery area, by the padal area, and rear floor pans. just jack it up and take a look at what you see.

[Hick]

hammer

[ping65810]

I usually find the worst rust area on New England e30's is the driver's side floor....usually right near the pedals. Also, trunk wells on either side, front jack up points, and bottoms of front fenders. My 84 318i had flintstones floors for a while....thats why a little fiberglass and cardboard, and it got traded in a week later :)

I got lucky with my 87, but my jack up points are not perfect, and am probably gonna need to work on the front fenders a bit.

[gazellebeigem3]

use it as a litter chute as i do in my general lee

[equate975]

I have a bad spot that I first noticed when working on the driveshaft, under the driver seat sort of. Its like this little round plug disc of sorts thats all rusted up. The passeneger side has one too.

[bimmer8604]

i like the hammer idea. hit untill it sounds funny.

kyle

[browntown]

I have a bad spot that I first noticed when working on the driveshaft, under the driver seat sort of. Its like this little round plug disc of sorts thats all rusted up. The passeneger side has one too.

The drain plugs? About 6" in diameter? Replace them. My PO jacked the car on mine. I tore out the carpet to find them not even in their holes. Worst case POR-15 them. Thats the friend of 2002 owners.

[Beej '86 325es]

I had some major cancer spots in my right rear wheel well, all around where the fuel hose is routed, also along a seam in the drivers forward wheel well, a big spot at the drain hole by the jack. I'm afraid to take my side skirts off...

I wouldn't mind taking a heat gun to all of my wheel wells, scraping off all of the old undercoating, treating the metal, and putting on some new undercoating.

Midwest winters are a bitch.

[Hick]

i like the hammer idea. hit untill it sounds funny.

kyle

GET OFF MY NUTS