Restoration.... or is it Resuscitation??? - '88 Lachsilber/Cardinal M3

[Navarone]

Holy crap, just jack up the hood ornament and drive a whole new car underneath!

[rturbo 930]

Holy crap, just jack up the hood ornament and drive a whole new car underneath!

It's really not that rusty. This is.

[Navarone]

Holy crap!

http://jalopnik.com/youll-never-see-a-car-collection-like-this-14-million-1678005288

[UNHCLL]

If we want to have a "competition" on rusty cars....



I'll post the restoration of the 3.0CSL below once we finish this thread...



Have a nice weekend guys,
-Chris

https://www.VSR1.com

[wazzu70]

I'd hate to see what "big hole in passenger footwell" was like!

Glad to see an E30 M3 being saved. Its in good hands at VSR.

I thought it was weird in NH to see signs that said things like "please wear a seatbelt" and "please wear a helmet." I honestly had no idea there was any place it was OK not to wear a seatbelt! I was surprised at the motorcycle helmet thing too. Beautiful area though!

[bjorno]

Indeed nice to see another M3 is getting saved. Doing a very good job while doing it!

[UNHCLL]

The astute among you may have noticed at the start, that there appeared to be quite a bit of pine needles and leaves poking out from behind the fender near the door… Voila – the results of sand, dirt, mud, other detritus being stored between the body and the fender:


So now we’ve eradicated the major rust from the car, and are back to solid metal. But therein lay the issue – the car is from 1988, has lived a life both in and outside of a garage, and had that 1988 patina we’re so used to seeing. Small dings, dents, chips, and cracks in the paint… and the oft seen “button” in the middle of the hood where someone left a tool (usually a 10mm socket) on top of the plenum and then slammed the hood shut.
I know my mother always told me that I needed to remember when I meet people it’s “not what they look like, it’s who they are on the inside that matters.” It’s a true statement, but let’s be honest… we all like to have a little shine on the outside when you’ve worked so hard on the inside… right? Especially after working so hard to make the inside solid and strong!

Time to move it into the work-booth, and start prepping for some shine…






Ooops – more rust!



-Chris

https://www.VSR1.com

[ThatOneEuroE30]

Great work my friend. rust is a PITA to fix but you guys got the tools indeed

[esomethingian]

wow this is awesome. i had the same spots gone on my car, wish i could have fixed them this nice!

[motors4me]

What process did you use to strip the bumper?

[E30NJ]

Captain Rust Buster. Nice project!

[UNHCLL]

What process did you use to strip the bumper?

Sanding - no chemical stripping.
DA, hand, block...

Cheers,
-Chris

[DER E30]

Great work! What color will it be?

[UNHCLL]

Great work! What color will it be?

Lachsilber - the original color.


The below should get us almost up to current - Interior is 90% reinstalled, car is being wet-sanded and polished as I type, and then final assembly will occur.

Time for basecoat!


Clearcoat!



-Chris

https://www.VSR1.com

[jonnip]

Wow great work. Looks amazing


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk