e39 Bootlid Rust

[Patrick Bateman]

I've just got round to fitting a second bootlid to the car as the original was more rust than metal...

Anyway, on fitting we found rust just starting around the space for the registration lights.

Just a heads up to folk that it's worth a periodic check of this area so you can easily nip it in the bud should there be any.

Edited by Patrick Bateman on Friday 1st August 20:47

[lufbramatt]

Cheers for the heads up. Having all the sill covers and arch liners off this weekend for a good look around and to sort a little rust blister inside the rear arch.

[Patrick Bateman]

That's something I'd like to do but I can't be arsed.

[lufbramatt]

Well my bootlid is totally rust free (at the moment) however if you've never had the sill covers off I'd do it sooner rather than later. Today found a few bubbles that could have turned nasty quickly. Currently soaking in bilt Hamber deox gel overnight ready for finishing tomoro. Lots of crap trapped between the cover and the sill.

[Cemesis]

Patrick

Get it done now in the summer whilst you have a chance. I've scrapped two M5's now because the rust got so bad. One guy on M5board found a 15 inch section of his sill missing on a car that was otherwise rust free (or so he thought).

[Patrick Bateman]

How do you get them off exactly? Can't find much about doing them. Don't want to get half way through then find out it's going be a royal PITA.

[lufbramatt]

It's easy- just held on with plastic expanding rivets and a couple of screws (8mm socket). You pull the middle pin out of the rivet with pliers/screwdriver then the whole thing just pulls off. Once you have a look it's pretty obvious. you can do the sill covers with the car on the ground but I needed totake the back wheel off to get the arch liner out as it's a huge moulding.