Parting (with rust) is (not) such sweet sorrow…

Happy Friday!  What a beautiful day it is!  The heat and humidity have subsided for a bit, and boy, are we happy about that!  It should be a perfect evening for our Cruise-In!  Come join us!   And don’t forget to help make us the #1 repair shop in Indy by voting for Reggie’s Motorworks on the the A-list!  Thank you for your votes!
Last week, Reggie was tackling rust removal from the rear passenger side of the 1988 e30 M3.  Here’s a look at the rest of this project:

Reggies MotorWorks | Repairing BMW, Audi, Mercedes

We had to patch both the inner fender well and the outer fender well.  This is a photo of the inner fender well after fabricating a patch from scratch.

Reggies MotorWorks | Repairing BMW, Audi, Mercedes

Reggies MotorWorks | Repairing BMW, Audi, Mercedes

Reggie fabricated a patch panel out of a leftover piece from the Baur’s battery box (more on that below).  Note how the panel folds downward to create a factory-looking seam.

Reggies MotorWorks | Repairing BMW, Audi, Mercedes

Reggies MotorWorks | Repairing BMW, Audi, Mercedes

Reggies MotorWorks | Repairing BMW, Audi, Mercedes

Using a card stock template makes getting the right size patch much easier to achieve!

Reggies MotorWorks | Repairing BMW, Audi, Mercedes

Here’s the view from underneath:

Reggies MotorWorks | Repairing BMW, Audi, Mercedes

And the view from inside the trunk:

Reggies MotorWorks | Repairing BMW, Audi, Mercedes

Once the metal patches are cut to size, Reggie uses his trusty magnet to help hold the patch in place while applying some tack welds.

Reggies MotorWorks | Repairing BMW, Audi, Mercedes

Then they are properly welded in place.

Reggies MotorWorks | Repairing BMW, Audi, Mercedes

Reggies MotorWorks | Repairing BMW, Audi, Mercedes

Reggie uses a grinder to smooth the welds:

Reggies MotorWorks | Repairing BMW, Audi, Mercedes

Reggies MotorWorks | Repairing BMW, Audi, Mercedes

Reggies MotorWorks | Repairing BMW, Audi, Mercedes

Reggies MotorWorks | Repairing BMW, Audi, Mercedes

Reggies MotorWorks | Repairing BMW, Audi, Mercedes

Reggies MotorWorks | Repairing BMW, Audi, Mercedes

A coat of self-etching primer (green) is sprayed on to prevent rust.  The tan area is weld-thru primer, where a bracket will later be welded in place.

Reggies MotorWorks | Repairing BMW, Audi, Mercedes

Reggie used fiberglass reinforced body filler to seal any pinholes that may have been left from welding.

Reggies MotorWorks | Repairing BMW, Audi, Mercedes

Reggies MotorWorks | Repairing BMW, Audi, Mercedes

And now to smooth out the finer areas with some body filler!

Reggies MotorWorks | Repairing BMW, Audi, Mercedes

Reggies MotorWorks | Repairing BMW, Audi, Mercedes

Once the body filler dries, it’s time to do some sanding to even out the surface.  Please note that the work done on this area is not 100% show quality, since it will be covered by the bumper in the end.  But we are super happy with the results!

Reggies MotorWorks | Repairing BMW, Audi, Mercedes

Reggies MotorWorks | Repairing BMW, Audi, Mercedes

Reggies MotorWorks | Repairing BMW, Audi, Mercedes

Filler primer fills in scratches and finer details to create an even surface for painting.

Reggies MotorWorks | Repairing BMW, Audi, Mercedes

Once the filler primer dries properly and some more sanding is done, the car is ready for color!

Reggies MotorWorks | Repairing BMW, Audi, Mercedes

Reggies MotorWorks | Repairing BMW, Audi, Mercedes

As we mentioned above, even though this area will be covered by the bumper in the end, we are very, very pleased with the results of the finish work.

Reggies MotorWorks | Repairing BMW, Audi, Mercedes

Reggies MotorWorks | Repairing BMW, Audi, Mercedes

Reggies MotorWorks | Repairing BMW, Audi, Mercedes

Reggies MotorWorks | Repairing BMW, Audi, Mercedes

And voila!  The bumper has been reinstalled and is ready to go!

Reggies MotorWorks | Repairing BMW, Audi, Mercedes

Adios, rust!  Speaking of rust, Reggie had made some progress on the rusty battery box that he removed from the Baur.  See more here.

He’s welding in the new one as I’m typing this.  So I better get busy to get you caught up to speed!  Here we go!

Before:

Reggies MotorWorks | Repairing BMW, Audi, Mercedes

Now: Prepping the area for the installation of the new battery box.  The surface needs to be clean and smooth to ensure a nice weld.

Reggies MotorWorks | Repairing BMW, Audi, Mercedes

More grinding and sparks!

Reggies MotorWorks | Repairing BMW, Audi, Mercedes

Reggies MotorWorks | Repairing BMW, Audi, Mercedes

Finally! The new battery box is ready to be installed…

Reggies MotorWorks | Repairing BMW, Audi, Mercedes

and is ready for welding!

Reggies MotorWorks | Repairing BMW, Audi, Mercedes

Reggies MotorWorks | Repairing BMW, Audi, Mercedes

Now that the nice new battery box is welded in, all Reggie will need to do is a little grinding on the spot welds you see below, prime, then paint.

We can’t wait to put her back on the road!

Reggies MotorWorks | Repairing BMW, Audi, Mercedes

That’s where we’ll stop today!   Come and join us at the Cruise-In!  We’ll have a tent, some chairs, and good company!

Have a great weekend!

Written by Reggie's Motorworks

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