E36 Dreaded Rust

[james328i]

I have carried out a search but to no avail, the search reveals no relevance to what I am looking for.

Anyways,

As we all know E36's are prone to rusting on the rear arches. My arches have started to develop a few rust spots, mostly on the inside of the arch. Hopefully this weekend I am going to havea go at preventing any further damage. What are the best products to use? Is there a specific kit to use?

I am lookng to treat the rust for the winter and stop it getting worse. In time, when it gets worse I will get it repaired properly in a body shop. But for now I am looking for advice on the above.

Cheers

[james328i]

What did you use to strip it right down? Only problem is my car is black. Also noticed that the rust is on the bottom of the arch too, so if I were to strip that right back to bare metal it would look terrible?

[james328i]

jz325i said:

james328i said:

What did you use to strip it right down?

Hack saw blade filed down on the short edge - useful for scraping. A few grades of sand paper. Cordless drill with wire brush attachment bits. By the way, WEAR GLOVES and a decent pair of SAFETY SPECS. You'll wreck yourself and get bits in your eyes if you don't.

james328i said:

Only problem is my car is black.

Black is good - you could easily get some black car paint and I doubt anyone would notice the repair work. Have a look at U-Pol's product range. Be careful and observe the safety instructions when painting; even more so if spraying.

james328i said:

Also noticed that the rust is on the bottom of the arch too, so if I were to strip that right back to bare metal it would look terrible?

I wouldn't say terrible, just as long as you're careful enough to not touch the outer face if it's ok.

But whatever you do to stop rust in it's tracks, you've extended the life of the car. And if you don't like the outcome, you can still get a professional to do it properly - but you've stopped it from getting worse.

Cheers mate, exactly the information I was after. Would you recommend the kits you can purchase in Halfords? Apparently they have 'everything you need'.