E30 Scuttle rust - urgent advice needed!

Hi All,

I haven't posted here for sometime (since I sold my E30 Evo 2, infact). I'm teetering on the brink of rejoining the M Club, and have found a car which sounds pretty good. The only issue is the scuttle panel has some rust (no surprises there, then)!

Does anyone have any actual, real world experience of rectifying scuttle rust on an E30?

Obviously it is impossible to tell how bad the damage is until the screen is out, but here's a picture anyway.



I have found this thread on S14.net

http://www.s14.net/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=3299&pe rpage=15&pagenumber=1

which has put the fear of god into me! Do I run away? Costs to repair (properly)?




Edited by Jim Bo

This is a good link to see how much work is needed to replace a complete scuttle . Not had mine done so can't help on the pricing . I believe the panel is �30-40 from BMW but will need to be stamped with the VIN number which can take some time.

Scuttle link

Thanks for your help so far guys.

Anyone else had this job done recently? Did yours look better or worse than "mine"?

Hi Jim,

Good to have you back in the fold (potentially anyway).
I'm still taking good care of your old girl for you. Here's what I posted in response to the same question last week. I know your up in Yorkshire so the guys in Sussex aren't relevant, but everything else should apply. You just need to find a competant garage that has ideally done this work before!! I would say from the photo, that a new scuttle would be needed. Various people have said that it can take several weeks to supply from BMW. I didn't need one in the end as the rust in the EvoII was caught nice and early, however, Munich Legends reckoned they could get a properly stamped up one in around a week?? Never put that to the test, but it may be worth phoning them if you do look to go ahead as they may be able to source it and then ship it to you somewhat quicker.

Cheers and Regards,

David (JudgeBaxter)

"Hi there,

Assuming your replacing the scuttle only and that there is no rot anywhere beneath this that needs sorting.....your looking at approx �400 quid to supply, fit and paint from a bodyshop that knows what they are doing. This should include removing and refitting the screen. Double that at least if you take it to BMW.

I recently had mine done at Crowborough Accident and Repair down in Sussex. They are the bodyshop that Munich Legends use for all there work (be it crash repair or comestic/restoration etc). I didn't need a new scuttle as the rot was caught in time, but they still had to cut out a section, let in new metal and then flatten it and paint it - a tricky job given that the area itself is curved and is where the bulkhead meets the screen pillar meets the wing etc.

As far as I know you always have to pop the screen out when this job is done - regardless of whether you are putting in a new scuttle or reparing the old one. This adds a bit of extra cost, and if you have even a small crack in your screen, then it will almost certainly break when removed - so make sure your insurance is OK to get this done. I'm with Aon and they were great. They allow you to get the screen done with whomever you choose (as opposed to being forced to get it done by an Autoglass monkey and end up with leaks etc all over the place). It is seriously worth checking the specifics of this before you get it done. Most classic policies will allow you to get a new screen fitted by an independant specialist - most normal insurance policies insist on Autoglass (or RAC if your lucky) and they really don't know what they are doing with cars like this (IMHO). If you need a new screen - you neeed to factor in the policy excess, which is normally no more than �40/�50 quid.

I'm very happy with the work they did on my EvoII. The colour is Misano Red which can be a pain to blend in, but the paintwork is seamless and the repair looks perfect. They also went around and touched up a few stone chips etc. and then machine polished the car - so it looked lovely when collected. If you are in the south of England - I would say they are the place to go, but I know that other people have had this work done recently and were happy with it, so there are some other options if you can't get to Sussex.

Cheers,

Dave.

PS - If it needs doing - get it done now!! If you let this go untreated, then the rot can spread beneath the scuttle and get into the bulkhead and/or wings - this equals major surgery and major expense!! Very much an essential peice of preventative maintenance and arguably adds a bit of value to the car as it is a well known weak-spot on E30 M3's that any half-clued up potential buyer will likely know about.

cheers,

dave b (JudgeBaxter)"

PS - It's pretty hard to tell if the rot has got any further than the scuttle, without actually taking the screen out and popping the wings back etc. You need to have must of the wiring loom and the dash half out to get right into the potential problems area's OR pull up the carpet from the passenger/driver footwells. ANY sign of damp, on either carpet in either footwell, is probably a bad sign, and grounds to either walk-away or INSIST that the car is fully inspected and you are allowed to remove the above items to have a good poke around. If the seller is iffy and or refuses - I'd personally walk away. I almost walked away from your old car over just a few bubbles in the corner of the scuttle - glad I didn't in the end, but it was a calculated risk based on the viewing I'd had before from when Bernhard owned the car!! - do be careful!!


Edited by JudgeBaxter

dom_k wrote: has that car had paint at some point? seems 2 be overspray on the rubbern screen? or is that just my eyes goin funny?

........well spotted Sherlock 

Thanks for all of your help guys. Looks like I've missed the car - someone has coughed up the asking price just before I put my sporting bid in !

On with the search....