I just couldn't stop myself opening Pandora's Box!

Dan Mooney

Well-Known Member
Site Donor $$
Messages
473
Reaction score
605
Location
Austin, Texas
I was recently investigating why my headlamp stalk was so close to the rim of my recently installed Petri 380mm steering wheel. I had initially thought it was because I was using a 2002 hub, rather than an E9 hub, although the 6mm difference between the two didn't explain how close my headlamp stalk was to the wheel rim. Eventually someone at e9coupe.com recognized that my headlamp stalk was not an E9 component and most likely from some other BMW. Accordingly, the search is on for a correct (shorter) replacement headlamp stalk.

I mention this only because while I was sitting in the car contemplating the headlamp stalk mystery, I noticed an old repair to the carpet in the driver's footwell. Truth be told, the repair was effectively hidden beneath my Cocomats, but I knew it was there, and it bothered me. I removed the offending piece of carpet, then began tugging away at the surrounding carpets, wondering what I'd find beneath. As a professional car restorer for the last 25 years, you'd think I'd know better. Anyway, the net result of me investigating my incorrect headlamp stalk was the purchase of a new carpet set from GAHH.

Having received the new carpets, I decided it would be unwise to install them without thoroughly investigating the condition of the sheet metal beneath, so I removed the seats and center console, and began pulling up all the insulation and sound deadening material. Although the main floors and inner rockers are actually in much better shape than I expected, the front floors are bad enough that I am just going to replace them. New floor panels are ordered and on way from Walloth & Nesch in Germany.

My incorrect (but perfectly functional) headlamp stalk has turned into something of a Pandora's Box!

I am actually really pleased that I decided to pull up the carpets. I no longer have to worry about what lurks beneath my sound deadening and carpeting. I was hoping not to be posting in the Projects and Restorations Forum, and yet here I am :rolleyes:

21418dm100.jpg

Headlamp stalk, AKA Pandora's Box

21418dm7.jpg

Starting to remove all the carpeting

21418dm2.jpg


21418dm3.jpg

Peering into the inner rockers, everything was looking good

21418dm11.jpg


21418dm6.jpg

Main floors beneath the seats look pretty sound

21418dm5.jpg

Time to scrape up all the sound deadening and padding

21418dm8.jpg

New carpets will have to wait a while

21418dm14.jpg

Still looking pretty good at this stage

21418dm15.jpg

So far everything we found was just surface rust

21418dm13.jpg

Main floors are better than they look in this photo

21418dm17.jpg

Inner rockers look totally sound

21418dm18.jpg

Front floors not so good :eek:

21418dm20.jpg

I decided to remove every last bit of insulation to make sure we catch everything
 
Last edited:

Dan Mooney

Well-Known Member
Site Donor $$
Messages
473
Reaction score
605
Location
Austin, Texas
Those floors won't cleanup w/a circular wheel and some rust treatment?

Hi Rob, not the front floors, no. There are actually quite a few small holes in the driver's side that don't show up in the photographs. My guys can install the new panels as fast as patching the originals, and they aren't terribly expensive, so I figured I'd do it right.
 

adawil2002

Well-Known Member
Site Donor $$
Messages
5,183
Reaction score
3,045
Location
Brunswick, Maine
Pretty sure I see outside shop light in the upper left corner on the driver side.

Yes these cars are a Pandora's Box...better to know what's there and fix it correctly now.
 

Dan Mooney

Well-Known Member
Site Donor $$
Messages
473
Reaction score
605
Location
Austin, Texas
Pretty sure I see outside shop light in the upper left corner on the driver side.

Yes these cars are a Pandora's Box...better to know what's there and fix it correctly now.
Correct, Andrew. The upper left corner of the driver's foot well is a significant hole.
 

Dan Mooney

Well-Known Member
Site Donor $$
Messages
473
Reaction score
605
Location
Austin, Texas
does't seemes that bad ? why not repair any spots and keep it OEM ?

I may see how the passenger floor cleans up, but the driver's floor definitely needs to be replaced. As well as the larger holes, there are several smaller holes that aren't obvious in the photo. Even if we welded up all the smaller holes, the surrounding sheet metal will be paper thin, so I am committed to at least one new panel, and probably both.
Cheers!
Dan
 

milwaukeesk

Member.
Site Donor
Messages
270
Reaction score
144
Location
Atlanta GA
I havent made it past the second picture. Such a pity you must work in a garage that is such a disaster.

Any evidence of rust issues from the bottom?
 

Dan Mooney

Well-Known Member
Site Donor $$
Messages
473
Reaction score
605
Location
Austin, Texas
I havent made it past the second picture. Such a pity you must work in a garage that is such a disaster.

Any evidence of rust issues from the bottom?

Really only in two obvious places, the front left corner of the driver's footwell, and the front right corner of the passenger footwell. Both will obviously be dealt with when replacing the front floor panels. All in all, I am quite pleased that it isn't much worse.
 

Gransin

Well-Known Member
Site Donor
Messages
1,528
Reaction score
1,271
Location
Vasa, Finland
I blame @Gransin for posting those fabulous photos of his beautifully finished cabin. If I hadn't seen them, I may not have started tugging at my carpet :rolleyes:

If I'm the reason that you'll now too have a floor and carpet that matches the rest of your gorgeous coupe (and garage!), I can live with that;) Thanks!
 

StephenZ

Well-Known Member
Site Donor
Messages
318
Reaction score
125
Location
Cumming, GA
Hahaha! I love it... I'm glad I'm not the only one that takes a minute to work on something and tears the entire car apart...(I type while my daily driver's paint was bothering me and now the 4 doors and fenders are strung up in my shop ready for priming and paint, followed by the rest of the truck...) I understand!
And yes, I believe Gransin will be to thank (blame?) for many new projects for a lot of us...LOL!
 

Dan Mooney

Well-Known Member
Site Donor $$
Messages
473
Reaction score
605
Location
Austin, Texas
Dan,

You might as well go bare metal rotisserie now you that have the carpet out. The hard part is over.

You may be closer to the truth than you know, Markos. Overnight I decided to remove the outer sill covers and the engine bay sound deadening, knowing full well where that may lead.

The good news is I enjoy this stuff. The bad news is that it will probably be quite sometime before the CSi is back on the road.:(
 

Peter Coomaraswamy

Well-Known Member
Site Donor $$
Messages
3,787
Reaction score
896
Location
Austin, TX
I was thinking... your shop really should be cleaned up a little, it's really hard to stay organized in a cramped and dirty space like that!

wink,wink!
 

zinz

Well-Known Member
Site Donor $$
Messages
1,212
Reaction score
1,206
Location
Austin, Texas
oh my... is "scope creep" hyphenated? :)

Looks not too bad, Dan. Your guys should be able to sort that out easily. I would be a bit concerned about what the base of the A-pillar looks like if you can see daylight from the cabin. That's where Pandora's box will be WIDE open.

Fun!!

Ed
 

Dan Mooney

Well-Known Member
Site Donor $$
Messages
473
Reaction score
605
Location
Austin, Texas
oh my... is "scope creep" hyphenated? :)

Looks not too bad, Dan. Your guys should be able to sort that out easily. I would be a bit concerned about what the base of the A-pillar looks like if you can see daylight from the cabin. That's where Pandora's box will be WIDE open.

Fun!!

Ed
Hi Ed,

I have very positive vibes about this car, so I am fully committed to making it a totally rust free Coupe, whatever that takes. To use a poker analogy, I am "all in" :D
 
Top