Panici's long awaited E30

[Panici]

...It takes time and lots of patience so i hope you have some. Good luck!

Thanks for the tips! I've read your build thread and it looks like you've done some good work.

ughh i dont know how you do it... That car wouldnt be worth it to me... So much rust it hurts to look at it haha Good luck!

Rust is just fact of life in this area on older cars. It's the combination of salt, de-icing chemicals, and our weather patterns that really eats cars away. (In this case, neglect by the previous owner to fix leaks)

Here's hoping that the rest of the floor is not as bad. Or that another E30 comes my way that is cleaner!

Until then I'll continue to fix this one. :)

[mitch500]

ughh i dont know how you do it... That car wouldnt be worth it to me... So much rust it hurts to look at it haha Good luck!

[ThatOneEuroE30]

I don't have any fab/metal working skills, but that's first on my list this summer. Going to get a gas setup for my (barely used) MIG and start practicing! I'm always excited to learn a new skill, and metal working + welding is long overdue.

Believe me, I'm keeping my eyes open for another E30 that's cleaner.
Like I said before, they're becoming very hard to find in this area.

I've seen cars that have more exterior rust (not sure about the floorpans), and body damage., and the owners were asking between $2-4k

If I can find the right car at the right price, I'm not at all opposed.



I cleaned up the floor a little more. Probably about the best I'm going to get it until I'm able to pull the rest of the carpet.
Here's a few pics. And a bonus shot of the driver's side rear pan.

I can tell you right now that the floor pan is done. Get an angle grinder and good wire wheel and go at all the rust to see where it spreads to. What kind of MIG welder do you have I hope it Isn't a cheap one... Believe me i thought a cheap welder would work and I was sadly wrong. If you dont know this already you are going to need a welder with an adjustable wire feed speed and adjustable heat. You will also need some L-56 superarc wire size .023 or .025 will do just fine for gas you will want to run a 75/25 mixture of argon/Co2 . For the steel get some 18 gauge cold rolled, You'll also want a set of dolly's and body work hammers alot of this stuff can be had at harbor frieght for cheap. Except the welding stuff never cheap on welding stuff it just cuases more headaches... been there done that. I hope this helps. Me and my dad went into my car completely blind only thing we had going for us is he knows a little bit of metal work that he picked up over the years and he can weld but never had done mig until we got this car. It takes time and lots of patience so i hope you have some. Good luck!

[Panici]

good god Your brave for taking on this car. So much rust...

I don't mean to discourage you, but I think you need to really consider just how much work the car needs, and how much time it'll take, especially if you don't have any fab/metal working skills. I think you'd be much better off taking a road trip to find a cleaner starting point.

I don't have any fab/metal working skills, but that's first on my list this summer. Going to get a gas setup for my (barely used) MIG and start practicing! I'm always excited to learn a new skill, and metal working + welding is long overdue.

Believe me, I'm keeping my eyes open for another E30 that's cleaner.
Like I said before, they're becoming very hard to find in this area.

I've seen cars that have more exterior rust (not sure about the floorpans), and body damage., and the owners were asking between $2-4k

If I can find the right car at the right price, I'm not at all opposed.



I cleaned up the floor a little more. Probably about the best I'm going to get it until I'm able to pull the rest of the carpet.
Here's a few pics. And a bonus shot of the driver's side rear pan.

[rturbo 930]

I don't mean to discourage you, but I think you need to really consider just how much work the car needs, and how much time it'll take, especially if you don't have any fab/metal working skills. I think you'd be much better off taking a road trip to find a cleaner starting point.

[ThatOneEuroE30]

Obviously, that's the proper order. I just haven't had a lot of time to spend on big projects on the car. (Taking an Electrical Engineering degree at the same time here). My exams are done on Sunday, at which point I'll be able to tear into the car and get the entire interior apart.

Good to know that those frame rails are separate pieces (and still available!), I will be replacing the driver's side.



In the mean time, I was having visions of a completely disintegrated/nonexistent floor, and HAD to see what was under my driver's side carpet.

It looks much worse in the pictures then it actually is. A lot of what looks like rusty metal is just rusty water/rust covered sound insulation. There is a few holes, but based on some poking around at the areas I could see, the majority of the floor is in one piece! :)

The drivers side rear looks mint, as I suspect the passenger side pans are as well :)

good god Your brave for taking on this car. So much rust...

[Panici]

Your priority is to deal with water leaks before you attempt any electrical (audio) projects. Running-->driveable-->water leaks/rust holes. The frame rails, front and rear, are separate pieces available from BMW that can be cut out and replaced. Check realorm.com.

Obviously, that's the proper order. I just haven't had a lot of time to spend on big projects on the car. (Taking an Electrical Engineering degree at the same time here). My exams are done on Sunday, at which point I'll be able to tear into the car and get the entire interior apart.

Good to know that those frame rails are separate pieces (and still available!), I will be replacing the driver's side.



In the mean time, I was having visions of a completely disintegrated/nonexistent floor, and HAD to see what was under my driver's side carpet.

It looks much worse in the pictures then it actually is. A lot of what looks like rusty metal is just rusty water/rust covered sound insulation. There is a few holes, but based on some poking around at the areas I could see, the majority of the floor is in one piece! :)

The drivers side rear looks mint, as I suspect the passenger side pans are as well :)

[NoM54me]

....and I thought I had rust issues.... A very common place for holes to form is the bottom of the footwells on both sides, seems to start under accelerator pedal and in same spot on passenger side. Your priority is to deal with water leaks before you attempt any electrical (audio) projects. Running-->driveable-->water leaks/rust holes. The frame rails, front and rear, are separate pieces available from BMW that can be cut out and replaced. Check realorm.com.

[ThatOneEuroE30]

Thanks guys. I'm going to need that luck pulling up the carpet next week!
Who knows how long the floor has been getting wet in the rain.





You'd be surprised at the condition of cars this old, in this area. I've seen cars in worse shape, sell for MUCH more.

I got the car for $500. If I pull the carpets and find the entire car is one big unsalvageable rust hole, I can still easily get my money out of it.

On the other hand, if the rust is manageable, I've got lots of headroom to work with budget wise. (Compared to picking up a car for $2-3k)
I'm not afraid of a little hard work, and it brings me great satisfaction to breathe new life into an old car. :)



I'm in Hamilton for most of the year.

I was the same as you I found my car and thought I could manage the rust and then I found that the car had no floor pans I was so close to scraping the car but like you said I get great satisfaction breathing new life into old cars.

[Panici]

Man and I thought my car was a mess. You got your work cut out for you good luck and keep it up!

this^ good luck...

Thanks guys. I'm going to need that luck pulling up the carpet next week!
Who knows how long the floor has been getting wet in the rain.

should've kept looking!

You'd be surprised at the condition of cars this old, in this area. I've seen cars in worse shape, sell for MUCH more.

I got the car for $500. If I pull the carpets and find the entire car is one big unsalvageable rust hole, I can still easily get my money out of it.

On the other hand, if the rust is manageable, I've got lots of headroom to work with budget wise. (Compared to picking up a car for $2-3k)
I'm not afraid of a little hard work, and it brings me great satisfaction to breathe new life into an old car. :)

Nice find! Whereabout in Ontario are you? I've got an even rustier E30 that was in much the same situation as yours, it runs 100% but looks like shit now.

I'm in Hamilton for most of the year.

[TSI]

Nice find! Whereabout in Ontario are you? I've got an even rustier E30 that was in much the same situation as yours, it runs 100% but looks like shit now.

[2mAn]

Hey guys,

I've been looking on and off for almost 6 years, and finally picked up an '86 325e yesterday!
Cheers!

should've kept looking!

[F34R]

You got your work cut out for you good luck and keep it up!

this^ good luck...

[ThatOneEuroE30]

Man and I thought my car was a mess. You got your work cut out for you good luck and keep it up!

Edit: bro I like really want your euro plate that's my life motto hahahaha

[Panici]

-Found the source of my PS fluid leak. One of the high-pressure hoses going to the rack. Snugged up the banjo bolt and the leak appears to have stopped. I'll know for sure when I put some more ATF in there and cycle the steering. I ordered some new crush washers just in case it's still leaking.


Decided to just buy rebuilt calipers, along with other new brake components, and some bushings. Here's a full list if anyone is interested. Set me back $700, plus whatever it costs for me to bring them over the border.






-Although the tierods are pretty rusty (and probably seized) they don't have any free-play, and should pass safety. They'll probably need a replacement when I need to do an alignment in the future.

-I'm going to drop the whole rear subframe and clean it up.

-Plan to source a used transmission mount crossmember, and a lower rad crossmember locally.

-Poked some more holes through the body.
--Drivers side front wheel well, and top of passenger side front wheel well.


Here's some pics of the worst of the parts under the car.