"Rust Free"

[THMotorsports]

OP, I agree with you and everyone on the board. The term "rust-free" is a bit of a stretch, especially considering these cars are in the mid-late 20's and early 30's. Hell, mine are 26 with minimal rust, but there is rust present. Natural oxidation sees to it. If you're a potential buyer, then it would be helpful to learn of the more problematic areas that are prone to rust.

[Jordan]

It depends where you live... Down here in Texas finding an honest rust free E30 isn't a problem unless its rust from shitty previous bodywork.

The shell I build Imola E30 on didn't have any rust except for surface rust on some scrapes.

[Jb325is]

I've never owned a rusty car. My e34 m5 had some rust starting on the drivers side lower door trim (common e34 problem) and my e30 has a couple small rust spots from where I hit it really hard with hammers. It really depends on where you live I suppose, but those of you who say that no e30's are rust-free should just come down here and buy one... a large percentage of them truly are.

[SamE30e]

My car is 95% rust free. I can use all the jack points. It was under sprayed every year for 25 years. Garage kept. The paint is destroyed but in terms of rust repair, it would be minimal.

[lukeADE335i]

So something I hear and see quite a bit..."My E30 is rust free" and before people get on the band wagon of "its a series 1, series 2's don't rust" This is a series 2

Except it's not a series 2.... what year is it? Where's the big tail lights, plastic bumpers etc. Looks very much a series 1 to me - doesn't even appear to have the low rear arches or deeper front valance like an 87 does (which is sort of a series 1.5)?

I wouldn't say my series 2 is totally "Rust Free" but they certainly don't rust like the series 1s.

[ForcedFirebird]

It depends where you live... Down here in Texas finding an honest rust free E30 isn't a problem unless its rust from shitty previous bodywork.

The shell I build Imola E30 on didn't have any rust except for surface rust on some scrapes.

Likewise in FL, but there are so many people who move to FL from northern states, that we don't have a lot of "true FL cars" anymore.

I have 7 e30's in the shop right now. The early models have the least of any of the cars that have rust, and the two of the three with rust are late models (floorboards), the early model has a couple tiny pinholes where the taillight gasket leaked, and a pencil sized hole in bottom of the floor jack cubby (and the typical few sunroof dots). The two e36's here have battery trays that are about to fall out.

[bangn]

Except it's not a series 2.... what year is it? Where's the big tail lights, plastic bumpers etc. Looks very much a series 1 to me - doesn't even appear to have the low rear arches or deeper front valance like an 87 does (which is sort of a series 1.5)?

I wouldn't say my series 2 is totally "Rust Free" but they certainly don't rust like the series 1s.

my other car is a series 2.

[Preyupy]

"Rust free"= "I won't charge you extra for the rust"

There are a few out there but finding them can be a difficult job. I found a '86 with 60,000 original miles (still had the factory installed tires, TRX with July 86 DOT numbers) it is a Euro spec car that was imported to the US in Feb '89 and lived it's life in a garage with heat and NO winters at all. It still has the original top and it looks brand new except for the lightly fogged rear window. It still had cosmoline on EVERYTHING. The only rust I have found was the original muffler.

[lukeADE335i]

my other car is a series 2.

Ah - I see in your pics. The last ones are a different car.

Is that the battery tray? That's the only spot mine has rusted in the rear - it's probably the most obvious weak spot on the series 2 cars.

[bangn]

Yep thats the battery tray area, however it didn't rust from in the trunk outwards.. It rusts between the two layers of sheet on the valance. So its rusts outwards and you cant tell so much inside the trunk as its covered in seam sealer on the other side. Nearly every series 2 I have looked at has rust there. I think it comes down to BMW not painting or cavity sealing that area off.

[lukeADE335i]

Yep - I'd say you're right.

My 320i rusted there when the battery was still up front. It's a relatively easy spot to fix though - I just cut it out, fibreglassed it as the rear skirt isn't structural & then sealed it. 6 years later the rust hasn't come back.

[TobyB]

That's surely a clean example of a rust- free 2002, certainly....

...as an E30, it's a bit rustier than we get for "rust free" here...

heh

t

[nando]

we don't really have a rust issue around here, although they started to salt the fuck out of everything around the last few years.. one of the reasons I picked up an E90 to beat on every day and leave the E30 parked in the garage. They used to just sand the roads when it got icy (mostly intersections) - lots of rock chips, but no real rust. Now I swear if the temp is down to 35 degrees my work orders 2 dump trucks of salt for the parking lot and the roads are sprayed with deicer at a minimum.

I ended up with a small rust spot by the driver's wiper arm, and the metal cover for the tank filler hose is disappearing. but nothing else otherwise - my front valance is from a NYS '88 ix that was a rusty POS, and oddly enough it didn't have any rust on it at all. And that car had a fist size hole in the cowl by the A pillar, and that was just one of the obvious spots you could see.