Help - Urgent assistance or recommendations required!

[seismic22]

Hi!

My Dad who lives on france took a risk and bought a Category D damaged 3.0sd BMW X3 this week with the intention to drive it back to france next Wednesday (I know the time constraints might seem unnecessary but he is a cattle farmer out there and the farm has unexpectedly dictated timescales available). We knew the car started and drove and there didnt appear to be any suspension damage. The only damage evident was the front bumper, which we have a replacement being delivered Monday. We expected to have to do a little extra work but we had this weekend to sort anything.

Anyway, car arrived yesterday and is exactly as expected and he has got a bargain. The only exception to this is a reasonable size hole in the left plastic end of the intercooler from where the bumper got pushed into it in the minor accident it had.

Now due to it being the 3.0sd engine (281bhp, same engine as a 335d) we cannot seem to source a intercooler for it. Rung, breakers, part motor factors, trawled ebay etc etc. Only one motor factor (SES autoparts Southampton) said they could order one in for Tuesday. This is too late to enable me to rebuild the front end before he leaves to drive back to france on Wednesday.


I have attached pictures below, does any one think it can be plastic welded repaired? Can anyone/is anyone willing to do this for me for some cash? Anybody got any suggestions of what other options I have? Really stuck at the moment any pistonhead help would be really appreciated! Desperate enough to maybe stick a thread on "general gassing" and suffer any abuse as a result!

I'm located on the edge of Winchester in Harestock. Thanks.

[DarkMatter]

Maybe one of those bumper repair places could weld it?

Could you effect a temporary repair yourself by pop-rivetting on some plastic/aluminium and sealing/bonding it with something like araldite?

[seismic22]

I am going to try and nip down to a local garage who I have been informed can plastic weld but I'm not holding out much hope.

Mesh, araldite and reinforced tape is plan Z. Problem is he has got to drive circa 500 miles.

All a bit of a cock up really but sometimes gambles pay off.

Thanks

[normalbloke]

Wrap it in tape, then go to town with a Halfords supplied Isopon fibreglass kit,less than an hour and it'll buy you all the time you need.Degrease the hell out of it first though, and key the platstic too.

[mgbond]

DarkMatter said:

Maybe one of those bumper repair places could weld it?

Could you effect a temporary repair yourself by pop-rivetting on some plastic/aluminium and sealing/bonding it with something like araldite?

This is what I would attempt. Sand down the ribs and create a smoothe area. Cut up a piece of thin ally from B&Q or somewhere like that. Bond it on with Arldite. Once cured to be sure cover the edges with silicone sealant.

If the ally is thin enough you should be able to mould it.

[mgbond]

mgbond said:

This is what I would attempt. Sand down the ribs and create a smoothe area. Cut up a piece of thin ally from B&Q or somewhere like that. Bond it on with Arldite. Once cured to be sure cover the edges with silicone sealant.

If the ally is thin enough you should be able to mould it.

Just noticed the crack. Could sand this down and do the same or cover crack with Arldite. Take Gaffer tape with u for maybe temp repair if something happens.

Other option is temp fix it and get his France AA to recover him if he has one. Lol

[mikeveal]

Plastic welding is tricky. To get a good repair you need an offcut of exactly the same material to use as a patch. Only then will the two pieces melt at the same temperature. Use something else and one piece will be running on the floor before the other has melted.

Araldite and an aluminium patch should do it. Or fibreglass from the inside, but it might be worth checking that the styrenes don't dissolve your plastic first. And wear a good face mask.