e46 rust

[TX1]

robmarrs said:

Had the same on my 03 plate 330d m sport touring but actually worse, both side around most of the top of the arch, the only real remedy is new wings and a spray job, well over £1000!, the problem with most bodyshops is they don't actually sort the real problem out behind the arch liners.

That is the problem, you take it to a bodyshop and unless you are there watching them you do not know what they are doing.
I think proper panel beaters are a dying breed.
If I had to this all over I would find a proper panel beater who would remove the rust or cut out any rust and than take it to a sprayer after and that way you would get a far better job.
At the end of the day you have to weigh up how much you want to spend and how long you intend to keep it and if you changed it what would you get instead for the money.

[Patrick Bateman]

I shan't be using that bodyshop again. I wasn't expecting miracles but, bar the sills, these were areas that could easily have all the rust removed.

[martin mrt]

Thats needing a pair of front wings for starters, that way the sills can then be treated and repaired correctly

Same for rear arches the rust needs to be removed to prevent it returning?

E46s are terrible for rust IME, my M3 at 4 years old needed various parts repaired for tinworm

[iSore]

E46's are indeed appalling for rust compared to more mundane cars like Vectras and Golfs. I saw one at a mate's garage last week, an 02 plate car with the front and rear arches absolutely hanging - I mean rotten, not just rust. And, there are plenty more like that too - the newest I've seen for rear arch rust is 54 plate, and a 53 plate Coupe for a bubbling front wing. They're a lot worse than the E36 ever was.

[Patrick Bateman]

iSore said:

E46's are indeed appalling for rust compared to more mundane cars like Vectras and Golfs. I saw one at a mate's garage last week, an 02 plate car with the front and rear arches absolutely hanging - I mean rotten, not just rust. And, there are plenty more like that too - the newest I've seen for rear arch rust is 54 plate, and a 53 plate Coupe for a bubbling front wing. They're a lot worse than the E36 ever was.

And I have both and more on an 04 plate, lucky me!

Wonder if it's just best to get it done not too long before selling it.

[Roadrunner23]

iSore said:

E46's are indeed appalling for rust compared to more mundane cars like Vectras and Golfs. I saw one at a mate's garage last week, an 02 plate car with the front and rear arches absolutely hanging - I mean rotten, not just rust. And, there are plenty more like that too - the newest I've seen for rear arch rust is 54 plate, and a 53 plate Coupe for a bubbling front wing. They're a lot worse than the E36 ever was.

Very true. I have a mate who owns a P reg Peugeot 306 which he hasn't washed in about 3 years yet it doesn't have a spot of rust anywhere. Same goes for many other average mundane cars.

[kev b]

My 1999 e46 Ci is virtually rust free but a mate has the same model built in 2002, it needs two front wings, both rear arches and the bootlid repairing.

I may be wrong but the later cars seem more rust prone, did the paint change around 2001?

[Davidonly]

I think how they are looked after makes the most difference:

My E46 M3 2004, 70k miles is totally rust free even at the most vulnerable spots- bought at 20k miles in 2007 so I have had the greatest influence on its condition.

My 2003 140k miles Yaris T Sport is also perfect still - bought new.

My E36 325i went on the trim above and fore of the front wheel arch........loads seems to rot there, but not all. It also started to go on the rear wheel arches at 100k miles just as I sold it.

My E46 330i Sport had two tiny areas on the stone impacted areas of one rear wheel arch at 96k miles (it was a 2001 sold in 2007) but was otherwise rust free.

[TX1]

kev b said:

My 1999 e46 Ci is virtually rust free but a mate has the same model built in 2002, it needs two front wings, both rear arches and the bootlid repairing.

I may be wrong but the later cars seem more rust prone, did the paint change around 2001?

No, mine was 1999 and by 2004 it was infested on the 4 arches.
I know mine had lived close to the sea for 2 years before I got it, that might explain mine going rusty.

[NelsonR32]

As the owner of two e46's this make depressing reading.

Luckily they are both rust free at the moment (08/2002 saloon and 08/2003 Cab)

[iSore]

kev b said:

My 1999 e46 Ci is virtually rust free but a mate has the same model built in 2002, it needs two front wings, both rear arches and the bootlid repairing.

I may be wrong but the later cars seem more rust prone, did the paint change around 2001?

Possibly. Plenty of facelift cars have rusty front wings and 2003/53 is the latest one I've seen with rust. Cupes and Convertibles seemed to be worse, not so sure now though. A neighbour has a 1998 S 323i with mint front wings but the rear arches are ripe. Another has an 02 plate 330i and all four arches are absolutely shagged.
The Compact and M3 models seem to be fine. Apparently a lot of RHD E46 saloons and Estates are built in South Africa which may have a bearing.

[Patrick Bateman]

Been quoted 1200 to sort everything; sills, new front arches, rear arches, rust between rear bumper and boot as well as respraying the bonnet and giving the wheels a refurb.

1000 without the bonnet.

I'm not sure what to do. The car is everything I want until I save up enough for something M related or similar. I'm thinking better the devil you know, get it done and actually get the car washed every other week rather than once every 6 months...

If I tried to sell it I'm not sure what I'd replace it with (that isn't another e46) or who would want to buy one with the way the rust is now. Not to mention what I'd possibly have to end up spending on its replacement that I've already sorted on this.

Any advice/experience?

[jagdeepbmw]

I say bite the bullet and go for it. However, to bring the price down, why not source some good condition second hand OEM wings and spray the correct colour if need be. I did this with my E39, sourced a second hand bootlid (rustfree)from ebay for 50 quid, respray and fit by a good local body shop 100 quid. It was actually the bodyshop who recommended I do this ,as a repair would never solve the problem in the long term.

[robmarrs]

Patrick Bateman said:

Been quoted 1200 to sort everything; sills, new front arches, rear arches, rust between rear bumper and boot as well as respraying the bonnet and giving the wheels a refurb.

Too cheap I'd say, I paid £1200 incl VAT for 2 new front wings, fitted and sprayed and some touch up on the A-Pillars, by a very reputable body shop that won't bodge it. A decent wheel refurb is at least £150 - 300 by itself depending who you use, I don't see how they can do it, and do it PROPERLY for the money, I suspect the rust will come back and the wheels will be a blow over.

[Patrick Bateman]

Let's just say it's a friend of a workmate...;)

There's always a chance the rust will come back unless you're fitting new panels I'd expect.

Edited by Patrick Bateman on Friday 15th March 18:05

[TX1]

Indeed very cheap.
Did they tell you what type of repair they are going to do ?
The rust on those wings shall come back there is no doubt in my mind, unless they change the wings or cut the old metal off and put new in.
Like has been said best to change the front wings however you are still snookered with the back ones.

[Johnnytheboy]

Funnily enough, I've also been told - by an excellent bodyshop guy that I use - that E46s are prone to rust.

IIRC he said they have lots of water traps that are hard to preventatively treat as well. It became a bit of a joke at one point that every time I went there he had one in there.

[iSore]

robmarrs said:

Too cheap I'd say, I paid £1200 incl VAT for 2 new front wings, fitted and sprayed and some touch up on the A-Pillars, by a very reputable body shop that won't bodge it.

You were seriously stung then. BMW wings are 200 quid each, meaning they charged you £800 for about 2 days work. Reputable indeed!

I've just fitted a new pattern wing to mine, a 52 plate facelift car. The wing (from Imperial Panels in Doncaster) was £44 with VAT, another £80 to paint it and I bolted it on - it's a very good fit as well. Some will whine and bh about pattern panels, but the E46 is an old car now that's not worth a lot. Good luck finding rust free secondhand ones as well. I'd say you could get two pattern wings fitted and painted for around £400. I paqid a lot of attention to rustproofing this new one, lots of paint in the arck lip befopre fitting and plenty of grease brushed in before and after the plastic liner was refitted. Should last as long as the rest if it.

[Patrick Bateman]

TX1 said:

Indeed very cheap.
Did they tell you what type of repair they are going to do ?
The rust on those wings shall come back there is no doubt in my mind, unless they change the wings or cut the old metal off and put new in.
Like has been said best to change the front wings however you are still snookered with the back ones.

Well what would you do with rust in the rear arches?

To sort this 100% you'd be as well writing off the car.

[robmarrs]

iSore said:

You were seriously stung then. BMW wings are 200 quid each, meaning they charged you £800 for about 2 days work. Reputable indeed!

Yep, Rolls Royce approved body shop, but does not charge stupid money per hour. I am keeping the car and don't want the rust coming back or the paint fading in 12 months it is a rare Red coloured one. No rust has ever come back on any repair they have done, including the dreaded front wings on a 635 CSi, which were not replaced but repaired, and they say if it does they will fix it.

A Mcycle hit one of our vans recently and bent the sill in just under the drivers door and a slight depression in a side panel, the bill is £1500+ vat for the insurance repair with no panels to buy!

It is no wonder so many cars get written off these days, uneconomic repair.