Tackling Rust and Looking for a Winter Project?

Reggie tackled another rust repair project this past week here at the shop.  And he even documented it himself!

All the rough edges were smoothed out and cleaned to prepare for welding.

Reggie cut out a paper template before cutting out the patch panel.

And here is the metal patch panel for a custom fit!

This telescoping magnet is perfect for this job.  It holds the patch panel in place so that Reggie can spot weld it.

Patch panel successfully welded into place!

And our dear old friend self-etching primer returns to prepare the surface for the texture that will make this repair look like it came from the factory.

We’ll have a follow-up on this project next week!

NEXT:

Looking for a winter project?  We’ve got one for you! Just a few weeks ago, we acquired a black 1988 325i Cabrio in need of some TLC.  Last week, you got a glimpse of her driver and passenger seat, which we used at Vintage Fest to demonstrate Leatherique’s restorative powers.  Considering the top on this cabrio was shredded from sitting out in the elements for a couple of years, the car is not in too bad of shape!

We actually bought it as a parts car, but it is just too nice to part out. We’ll sell it as-is for $1,000, or put it together for you for around $6K (this would be a very nice car at this price).

The body is very straight, with just a few door dings that could be taken care of by a paintless dent repair pro.

It was purchased from a shop that acquired it through a mechanic’s lien. We believe that it is going to need a cylinder head. It has a new looking timing belt on it, but we’re afraid that it was installed just after the other one broke (probably some bent valves).

The interior will clean up nicely, and the dash has no cracks…..and it has HEATED SEATS!

Wheels and Tires:

It will most likely need major engine work, or replacement. It will also need a new convertible top. These two things would bring it back to being a mobile project car. It should probably get lots of other work after sitting outside for so long. Here’s a quick list of what we would do:

engine repair/replacement

new convertible top

tires

shocks/struts

brakes (pads and rotors)

full detail

service ALL fluids/filters

etc, etc….

This cabrio would be a great winter project…hey, at least working on it would keep you warm!