skin exchanges started

[Sven]

Holes

Arnie,

I think those holes are for drainage. With the outer fender in place you can reach up underneath and almost put your finger tips into the gutter formed by the inner and outer fender overlap. You remember all the dirt/rust that came out when you took it apart? I left the holes (although I don't remember them being that large) and installed a foam strip that I compressed to fill the opening between the inner fender lip and the underside of the outer fender to keep most water and dirt from getting into the gutter space.

From your photos and the speed of your progress, you make the work look easy. Well done.

 

[arnie]

@Sven:

If these holes are for drainage, they simply doesn't seem to work like they are supposed to do :razz:.

I cannot remember the dirt and rust coming out while I removed the fender, because my car was already missing the wheelwell extension and so therefore also that problem area. Worked a lot better over the last 25 years, but now I prefer to have the car back quite closer to the original ;-).

But I still see the need to do something to avoid that cave - problem also there. To fill it up with foam is a really good idea. I'll consider that also - most probably I'll do a combination of this with sealing the complete edge form the fenders inside and close the non working drainage holes.

@Nicad: I didn't consider any other paint systems in fact. I really hope this brantho stuff will do a good job.

cheers

Ingo

 

[m_thompson]

Any idea why the hell there are these holes in the wheelwell extension ? I can't recognise any function and will close these also I guess

So you can inject the rust preventing wax into the cavity between the wheelwell extension and the fender.

 

[John Buchtenkirch]

@Sven:

If these holes are for drainage, they simply doesn't seem to work like they are supposed to do :razz:.

I cannot remember the dirt and rust coming out while I removed the fender, because my car was already missing the wheelwell extension and so therefore also that problem area. Worked a lot better over the last 25 years, but now I prefer to have the car back quite closer to the original ;-).

But I still see the need to do something to avoid that cave - problem also there. To fill it up with foam is a really good idea. I'll consider that also - most probably I'll do a combination of this with sealing the complete edge form the fenders inside and close the non working drainage holes.

@Nicad: I didn't consider any other paint systems in fact. I really hope this brantho stuff will do a good job.

cheers

Ingo

My car wasn’t rotted in the fenders but I wanted to save what I had. I made a special right angle tip for my blow gun and blew out that fender lip, sand & pebbles came showering out, maybe 2 coffee cups worth on each side. I then took rustproofing wands and sprayed DuPont Vari-prime up in the fender lips and strut tower top reinforcing plate. The Vari-prime is supposed to have phosphoric acid in it to kill light rust. Then I made pizza box patterns for U-channels to fill the gap between the fenders and the skirt edge. I used the pattern to cut thin stainless pieces and indented them on my Pullmax, the indents were the starts of my folds which couldn’t be made on a sheet metal brake because the fold is curved. The indents could also be made with a bead roller or carefully hammered in using soft wood behind the stainless. It took me at least an hour for each side to trim and tweak them for a tight fit. I used a 1 foot piece of hose taped to a tube of 3M fast & firm sealer to get it up where the channel would fit in, then I forced the channel into the opening and further sealed the edges with sealer. I also cut stainless pieces for the back of the wheel well and attached them with a combination of stainless screws & 3M sealer. I figure I’m in decent shape now (but still don’t drive in the rain) but the real answer would be making full fender skirts out of stainless or the plastic the car companies use. I abrasive blasted the stainless pieces so undercoating would grip, I sprayed a whole case of body shutz into the 2 front wheel wells.

Back in the day I did use spray foam up in those lips on the cars I restored for customers but would recommend it today, I really doubt spray foam will hold up to being sand blasted by the tires. I also can’t recommend putting strips of foam rubber anywhere in a car, I look at them as being sponges that hold water. Sorry that I’m knocking down the easy answers but I’m telling it the way I see it. ~ John Buchtenkirch
P.S. I forgot, one of the factory drain holes at the front of the skirt was clogged with factory undercoating, I opened that back up.

 

[Sven]

Fender profile

Here is a sketch of the fender top and a before photo. I placed the closed cell foam at the opening and not inside.

 

[arnie]

Hey guys,

Thx for your input.

I'll for sure will seal this area completely. No cavities anymore.
I was already considering an additional profile like John is showing in his pictures.

In addition, everything, that helps to keep the dirt and wet out of these critical areas, will be in my mind. Still also the inner fenders from Lokary.

And of course, not to drive in the rain (or even snow) is the best rust prevention ;-).

I'm actually at the right front area. This is even in a worse condition, than the left one was. (allthough I didn't think, that this would be possible :roll: )

The struttower in fact is not existing anymore and has to be replaced. OK, something, which isn't existing, can't be replaced. But at least some remaining fragments of the sheetmetal shows, at which position the new one should be ....

Pictures to follow soon.

So long

Ingo

 

[Nicad]

Ingo, once mine is done, I will give it a yearly shot of Rust Check or Krown rustproofing. Do you have an oil like anti corrosion service in Germany? It is very popular in Eastern Canada.

 

[arnie]

Ok, here are now the announced pictures from the right side (rear axle mount, floor, rocker, front wheel well).

And because it was also very impressive to me I took some pictures before I cut out all the crap of the right front end.

First I considered to keep at least the estimated 20 remaining % of the strut tower reinforcement plate, but because I had a pretty good one as a complete exchange for that, I did it this way on the right side. To keep the right position of that reinforcement plate I welded in an aid piece with the 3 holes prior to the removement of the remaining "good" piece.

So, now I'm done with the rear axle mounts, the complete floor exchanges (seat mounts are still not back inside, but coming soon), rockers, front whell wells and roof skin. Doing the repairs on the remaining rear end will be hopefully a bit easier.

cheers

Ingo

 

[arnie]

and some more after the repairs of the wheel well

 

[arnie]

and the rest of the right side until the actual status

 

[arnie]

some progress on my project.

- removed the paint to naked metal for the floor, engine compartment (pretty nasty work, when you do it manually - no sandblasting or chemical stuff)

- seatpodiums went back in

- frontpart removed

- engine compartment straigthened

- new frontpart installed

- front wheel wells basic coated, sealed etc.

- underfloor until the rear axle basic coated

so long

Ingo

 

[arnie]

some more pics

 

[arnie]

again

 

[Kev]

:shock: This thread is amazing. I'm going to be referring to this thread for some time as I prepare to do the same exact thing to my coupe. Thanks for keeping track of your progress!

 

[John Buchtenkirch]

Arnie, an amazing amount of structural repair work completed in a relatively short period of time !!! How many hours a week are you putting in and do you have a helper ? I used to be able to work a lot of hours myself but have lost a lot of steam as I have aged. I would suggest (now that you have gone so far) that you replace the front bumper mounting system with threaded bungs or connecting nuts welded into the uni-body frame rails --- whomever designed that was clueless about assembling a car. ~ John Buchtenkirch

 

[arnie]

Hey John,

it's about my complete offtime, around 10 - 20 hours each weekend and 2-3 hours each day after my regular job.
Of course it's somehow exhausting, but it's also kind of fun, so I really don't recognise all the running hours.
I'm doing it completely without any help until a certain point. So the paint job I can't do, because of missing enviroment in my garage.

Thx for the hint with the front bumper. I would agree, that some responsible guys in the E9 design and production process might have been drunken :razz:

so long

Ingo

 

[arnie]

OK, the following feels a bit unreal to me but:

Mission Rustfree E9 Accomplished !!!

Last approx 3 weeks went away by doing the repairs to the back end of my E9.
Last week (but complete, cause of vacation from my Job) only to put back on all the outside panels. Was kinda tough, because some gaps between the panels weren't pretty easy to get them straight. In addition the door skins from W&N doesn't fit 100%, but not that bad at all.

It's very comprehensive to explain every step to the actual status, instead of this find again some pictures.

 

[arnie]

again some more

 

[arnie]

final and the last ones in regards to the sheetmetal topic. Upcoming next will be the suspension, powertrain, paint of the trunk, under floor and engine compartment etc.

cu

Ingo

 

[Nicad]

You are in the Home stretch now Ingo. Nice work, keep posting.