Body Repair: Front End 325

[csrnumber1]

I had a bit of an accident with my car recently, however the only truly devestating damage was to the front end of the body. The car is a 1987 325, two door; Here are some pics:

http://pages.sbcglobal.net/shadowofbob/bmw/bmw1.jpg
http://pages.sbcglobal.net/shadowofbob/bmw/bmw2.jpg
As you can see, the front end was smashed in, along with the radiator.

Rather than fixing it, does anyone know how to take that piece out?

Because i can always replace it with one from another car.

[Kowalski]

Originally posted by csrnumber1@Mar 16 2005, 12:09 AM
I had a bit of an accident with my car recently, however the only truly devestating damage was to the front end of the body. The car is a 1987 325, two door; Here are some pics:

http://pages.sbcglobal.net/shadowofbob/bmw/bmw1.jpg
http://pages.sbcglobal.net/shadowofbob/bmw/bmw2.jpg
As you can see, the front end was smashed in, along with the radiator.

Rather than fixing it, does anyone know how to take that piece out?

Because i can always replace it with one from another car.

[snapback]312541[/snapback]

somone did this a while back search for the post.

[e30fanm3]

that is the core support, if you look on each end of it you will see where it is welded to body, if you get another one from a different car a body shop can just cut yours out and replace it, we just had it done on a 535, its a little different but the same concept

[csrnumber1]

Ok, thanks....but are there any specific tools i may need to take it off?
I dont want to have to go to a body shop just to remove that one piece.

I have already spoken with one mechanic, and he told me that a body shop would charge me a couple thousand to straten the body and put in a new piece

[Kowalski]

Originally posted by csrnumber1@Mar 17 2005, 09:11 AM
Ok, thanks....but are there any specific tools i may need to take it off?
I dont want to have to go to a body shop just to remove that one piece.

I have already spoken with one mechanic, and he told me that a body shop would charge me a couple thousand to straten the body and put in a new piece

[snapback]313422[/snapback]

probably its a lot of laboour to straighten the boddy. your going to need a wheel grinder to grind the welds, a welder to weld int he new piece (for the support), or you could bolt it on i guess, so in the case you will need a drill. for the boddy work you shouldn't even bother doing, you need the full set of boddy hammers and the stones, also a dent puller. or if your going to go the easy way and bondo it atleast get some good boddy filler... then if your going to spray it yourself your going to need a spray gun, good primer, matched base clear, with the thinners, and hardners. then your going to need to either borrow somones booth, or settup your own makeshift one. http://www.wendels.com/55chevy/booth_constuction.htm that is a complex homade one, but you can just get a large roll of poly and hang it from your celing and get a fan and a filter and away you go. your also going to need a compressor and water filter your also going to need lots of sand paper. so i recomend getting somone else to spray it cause thats a lot of work and unless you plan on doing it often its not worth it. where abouts are you located?

[e30fanm3]

yea i didnt say it was not alot of work, its pretty involved, i would get someone to do it