1984 318i Resto Project... - BMW Forum

filter27e · 07-16-2005, 11:29 AM

I made a post a little while ago how I had more or less inherited this project car, and since then a lot of things have changed. My girlfriend and I are expecting a new addition to the family this december, so we moved up to CT where her family is, as well as the BMW. As fate would have it, I totalled my daily driver (2003 pontiac sunfire) on the jersey turnpike on the way up. So, that leaves me carless, with all the time in the world to spend with this BMW lol.

Anyways drama aside, let me just get you guys' opinion if this car is even worth working on. I love project cars so I'm not one to just go ahead and buy a new car because it'd be cheaper or whatnot. So I have an 84 318i 5-speed with unknown mileage (odometer stopped turning at around 170k) that runs great but has a hard time keeping a battery charge. For the most part the body looks great, dirty, but minimal rust. However I did find an area under the rear bumper I'm concerned about. I got pics I can post here but about a dozen pics on my car domain page.

Cardomain page

I'm wondering if that's a common area to rust or if it's easy to repair. I have a welder here, I'd just need to learn how to use it...
Thoughts? Warnings?

filter27e · 07-20-2005, 08:34 PM

Hmmm should I take 3 days of silence as "just buy a new one"? lol I'm not the type to give up on projects... just wondering if anybody else had rust problems in that area, if maybe that panel is easily removed so I could get another one at the junk yard. Don't have much of a chance to go out there and check it out I have a lame mid day shift right now.

'89 635 csi · 07-20-2005, 09:26 PM

You will have to cut and weld!
It is part of the car!
I too am working on an '84. It's a 5er though.

ducatipaso · 07-20-2005, 11:14 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by '89 635 csi@Jul 20 2005, 07:26 PM
You will have to cut and weld!
It is part of the car!
I too am working on an '84. It's a 5er though.

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not me man. you can find a rust free car and save yourself the headaches/money. it's $$$ to do that if you don't have the skills to do it yourself.

ldsbeaker · 07-23-2005, 12:12 PM

I agree. I spent $3200 (which is on the high side, I know) on a relatively low mileage E30, and it only has a couple small spots of rust, nothing that won't be fixed with a new paint job. I would find a better example. You should be able to find one for less than $2000 easily.