BMW E30 Rear Arch Repair Welding | How To Repair A Rusty Wheel Arch | 017

BMW E30 Rear Arch Repair Welding | How To Repair A Rusty Wheel Arch | 017
In this BMW E30 project episode, I finally bite the bullet and get to work on the rear arch rust repair.
This area of rust on my E30 is by far the ugliest looking part of the car, it's clearly visible and is basically a big rust hole.
Having had some recent success with my welding repairs in doing the rear battery box (see the previous video), I'm ready to step up to the plate and take on a more obvious area on the car and repair it. From that experience, I learned a few things about how to set the welder up, and what kind of thing can and can't be welded. I also found out just how hard it is to cut repair panels that actually fit!
As a result, I jumped straight on eBay to source an E30 rear wheel arch repair panel, and to my surprise, they aren't actually that expensive, I'll link the one I use in the video in this description.
Here's what I use in this video:
Clarke Weld MIG 150 TE Turbo: ebay.us/jbdfE8 (this is the newer version)
0.8 Welding Wire: ebay.us/eQWqWx
Argon/CO2 Welding Gas & Regulator: ebay.us/7BOngD
Angle Grinder Wire Brushes: ebay.us/sSJjtM
Dewalt Angle Grinder: ebay.us/CmsNuW
Safety Goggles: ebay.us/2Dvt5C
BMW E30 Rear Wheel Arch Panel Driver's Side: ebay.us/zVTnFt
E30 Rear Wheel Arch Panel Passenger Side: ebay.us/4DAloI
With the repair panel having quite a bit more meat on it than I really needed for my rear arch repair, I was left with a few options for how to approach it. As the majority of the wheel arch is actually in excellent condition on this side of the car, I opted to cut the panel down to just the front section.
But before I could get my teeth stuck into welding that fresh metal on, I unfortunately discovered a Pandora's box of rust within the rear rocker panel (or sill/side skirt).
Hidden behind my rusty arch there is a kind of chassis rail box section that spans between the arch and where the door shut line is, and its clearly been sat rotting away for years.
I realised I'd first have to do a rocker panel weld repair which included that inner pressed steel box section.
Luckily this box section is quite well hidden being inside the bodywork of the car, so despite the fact I knew I wasn't going to be able to make a patch that matched its strange, corrugated pressed-steel shape, I was able to weld in a patch of metal which will more than stand up to the job and be sturdy.
With this out of the way, I could then cut my rear arch patch using a method I'd seen the likes of Vtuned and Motorhead.co doing, which is to press your new panel up against the car and cut both your patch and your car's bodywork in one slick motion, leaving you with a patch which fits the hole perfectly. And luckily this trick really worked wonders for me too, I cant see how it could be done any other way without hours of back and forth.
Further to that, I also used a trick I'd seen online where you weld in supports for your patch, this not only lets you get your patch firmed up in position to weld, but it also greatly reduces your chances of blowing through the thin sheet metal with your welder, by giving it a backing to soak some of the heat into.
With this all sorted, I then dove straight into welding the panel in. On a welding job like this, with extremely thin sheet metal, your biggest enemy is the blow-through. This is way too easy to do, and if it happens you will have a very hard time trying to close that hole back up with the welder.
With my Clarke welder set on its absolute lowest setting (dial to 1, switch to Min), I carefully worked my way around the patch doing around 2-second duration tack welds. Giving it ample time between welds and passes to allow the panel to cool down, avoiding warpage.
This took a very long time, but after 2 sessions there were no more gaps in the weld. At which point I got the angle grinder with the flap disc on and ground all of the spot welds down to a smooth finish, then admired my handy work.
The result is great, and while not perfect, remarkable for my first attempt at anything like this. Coming up next will be the rest of the jacking point repair, and also welding in the inner arch.
For more helpful how-to guides and restoration project logs, visit our blog: www.spannerrash.com/
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[@Alan-gx8gf]

You did a great job . Around a year ago I poked a rust hole in my Honda Jazz , yes I'm 64 😁 but went too far and cut out a Large piece of rust around 10 inches square on the lower body . I took it to 3 Welders but none we interested . Being a Plumber I had done Lead Burning and Brazeing in the past , so went and bought a Mig Welding Unit , practiced for around a week , and hey presto , did the job myself . Took it for the next MOT and when I asked the Tester about the Welding he said " I never noticed any " Of course I got plenty tips on You-Tube , one of the ones I still like watching is "Fitzees Fabrications " I think he is in Newfoundland , he is old School and a pleasure to watch . All the best from Scotland .

[@SPANNERRASH]

Thanks Alan! That's a great story about the Jazz, I bet you were proud as punch when the MOT tester said he hadn't even noticed the repair. 😆 I'll have to check that channel out, cheers for the recommendation. 👍

[@williwonkah.9242]

Top tip, always cover up your windows before grinding. As you'll never get grinding splatter off laminated windows.

[@SPANNERRASH]

Uh oh, I'll have to check my windows 😅 hopefully I've got away with that. 🤞

[@100SteveB]

A great job done there, nice and strong and looking good. Nice to see you taking it slow when welding in the patch panel, I learned the hard way not to rush that part. I done the offside rear arch on my Mondeo a couple of years back, but by rushing I distorted the metal so much I had to cut it out start again. I will indeed watch your video where you tackle the inner arch. I approached mine in a slightly different way, I fabricated the bits I needed and welded them in before final fitting of the outer arch. I did it that way because the rear hub and suspension was still on the car, so welding from inside of the arch would have been a nightmare. This year I have the nearside to do, oh joy! But anyway, great job, and very well explained.

[@SPANNERRASH]

Cheers Steve, I'm still really chuffed with how that came out. :) And yeah it takes a long old time when you're waiting for things to cool between welds, but having to start over takes even longer! Thats a good idea doing the inner arch first, then you can butt the new outer up to it for a perfect fit. Not a bad thought at all, maybe I should have tried it that way around myself.

[@ColinBarrett001]

Absolutely brilliant. This is exactly the job I will shortly be doing on one of my classics. Thanks so much for sharing.

[@SPANNERRASH]

Cheers Colin, hope you're successful with the same repair. Take your time and I'm sure it'll work out, as it did for me. 👍

[@imranazhar2945]

Lovely work mate. Happy to listen to the details and repair reasoning along every step of the way.

[@SPANNERRASH]

Thanks Imran, really glad you enjoyed it mate.

[@monkeywentbananas]

Nice Job! Thanks for including the welder settings, most helpful!

[@SPANNERRASH]

Thanks! Thought it might help people get a head start on their own projects. Although I'm still figuring things out as I go myself 😂

[@whomeme3478]

I really enjoy watching someone that takes their time and puts pride into their work. Fair play you did a cracking job! New subscriber!

[@SPANNERRASH]

Cheers mate! I was really happy with the result on this one. Did better than I thought I could do. I have more welding to do on this project yet. So hopefully I'll be able to keep the good results coming.

[@kobiroar4221]

Love the vid mate put across well no fancy tools straight talking a well deserved 10/10

[@SPANNERRASH]

Cheers mate, really appreciate that! 👍

[@bobhope1462]

Patience is a virtue.great job

[@SPANNERRASH]

Thank you Bob! It sure is a virtue, and working on cars takes plenty of it. 😂

[@martinwarner1178]

The fellow knows how to, and also does a really good job. I seen others doing this work, and he is the best that I have watched. Thanks for all the tips, and inspiration to do my sills. Peace be unto you.

[@SPANNERRASH]

You're far too kind Martin, thank you. Hope your sill repair goes well! 😁

[@lawncuttingplusdelta]

Nice work … great 👍🏻 to see the work being done , to teach and motivate others !

[@SPANNERRASH]

Thank you Paul, that's very kind of you to say! 😁

[@kushanpeng]

Watching this gives me courage to try and repair my E30 wheel arches..great video 💪🏼🔥💯

[@SPANNERRASH]

Cheers mate! You should definitely give it a go, what's the worst that could happen?? :)

[@Choober65]

DAMN, the looks about perfect. That welding was spot on.

[@SPANNERRASH]

Thank you mate! I was really happy with how this came together, especially as a very inexperienced welder. 😃

[@bryanwilliams7530]

Brilliant work, respect to you taking it on without having done it before, results in video are extremely impressive 👏 👍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿👍 subscribed

[@SPANNERRASH]

Thank you, Bryan! I was pretty pleased with the results considering how intimidated I was by this job. Glad to have you on board. 😁

[@ronbunker5778]

Great tutorial! I'm getting ready to do this very thing on my 1973 Chevy Vega! Thanks!

[@SPANNERRASH]

Awesome, hope my vid helps you out with the Chevy work. Best of luck with it! 😁

[@aarondavidsmith208]

Awesome! I'm about to tackle a very similar job on my e30 convertible. Absolutely golden reference video for me. Thank you.

[@SPANNERRASH]

Cheers Aaron! Hope you pick up a few tips from it. Good luck getting your convertible sorted out. :)

[@SG901]

always good to see how others do the repair and learn from it. keep up the good work. Have to weld this year also 2 or more BMW s . The welding is the more easy part off the repair for me. Getting to remove all the rust and need space for the grinder is often the most difficult and off course making the repair panels.

[@SPANNERRASH]

Thank you, Geert! Getting repair panels shaped up correctly is the worst I'd say, it takes so much time.

[@mrlondon963]

Marvellous show, excellent narrative 👏

[@SPANNERRASH]

Cheers pal! 😁

[@medievilassassin]

Great work mate 😎

[@SPANNERRASH]

Cheers Jason! I'm starting to believe I'll get there now :D

[@HorstSchmidt]

Very helpful and fun to watch as well. Good job.

[@SPANNERRASH]

Thanks Horst! Glad you enjoyed it :)

[@777rakso]

great job mate, been dreading doing this to my civic but this video made the process seem very rewarding

[@SPANNERRASH]

Thanks Oskar, I was pretty intimidated by this job, but really happy with how it came out in the end.

[@davewood7739]

Really enjoyed your video, thanks mate! It has given me the confidence to tackle my E28 528i needs rear arches doing, jacking points, new front wings, new passenger doors... basically a shed load of work! but im going for it.. wish you best of luck on resto, and have set a reminder when you next post a new video!

[@SPANNERRASH]

Thanks, Martin, really glad you enjoyed the video. :) Sounds like your E28 needs the full works, but they're awesome cars so it'll be well worth the effort!

[@jorelkrypto7475]

Thanks for the demo, exactly what I was looking for. Just subscribed to your channel. Awesome job!!!👍👍👍

[@SPANNERRASH]

Glad to have you on board pal, hope the vids help you out! 😁

[@urdead2meboy]

well done mate iv worked in a body shop for last 20 plus years and you done your self proud there

[@SPANNERRASH]

Thanks mate! That means a lot from someone with a body shop background. 😁

[@alan1112]

Fair play looks great!

[@SPANNERRASH]

Thanks Alan, figuring things out as I go 😁

[@mattgriffiths8810]

You done a brill job with that rear arch first time and nailed it should be proud

[@SPANNERRASH]

Thanks so much Matt! 😁 I was pretty pleased with the result considering.

[@detailingworx2017]

Amazing work,loved the vid

[@SPANNERRASH]

Thank you mate, glad you enjoyed it! 👍

[@ChopperMeir]

Absolutely spot on video mate. I've been putting off doing a 1/4 repair on the other half's 88 Panda 4x4 and that technique of cutting both panels is definitely the way I'm going after this. Also that cordless grinder is very sexy 👍

[@SPANNERRASH]

Thanks mate hope you picked up some good tips for the Panda job. 👍 And the Dewalt grinder is great, but it'd be better if it had a speed control. 😂

[@CooCuMbEr]

been with you from the start you have balls mate

[@SPANNERRASH]

Haha cheers Andrew! I've definitely passed the point of no return, so I can only keep going at this point..

[@GrandThriftAuto]

Great job! And a nice clear video too. I’m doing the rear arches on my Honda Aerodeck at the moment, but the inners are a lot farther gone and there are no inner wing repair panels so it’s a lot of work. I have an E30 too but luckily that’s mostly solid…mostly.

[@SPANNERRASH]

Thanks! That's a shame you can't get the panels. Maybe you can get panels for the inner arches of another model and beat them to fit correctly? They're well hidden in the wheel arch anyway. I'm actually doing the inner arch on this E30 next as its currently a gaping hole. If your E30 is solid, hang on to it because they're hard to find these days! I'd say my one is pretty good compared to most.

[@deebee3901]

Lovely work! You're going great.

[@SPANNERRASH]

Thank you! 😃

[@ianhands9289]

Great job nicely done 👏👏👏👏

[@SPANNERRASH]

Cheers Ian!

[@140rware]

First class job. Subscribed.

[@SPANNERRASH]

Thank you mate, welcome aboard! 😃

[@vanishingpoint808]

The arch looks great once welded!

[@SPANNERRASH]

Thanks, I was pretty happy with how that came out in the end, better than I thought I could do. 😀

[@YANDEX30V]

And I use stick welder ; it's a labour and half. Great idea about pre welding strips for panel to sit on, I learned something there. Ty

[@SPANNERRASH]

Yeah thats an awesome trick, works perfect for me! I've never used a stick welder, I imagine its harder than a mig to get a neat result.

[@ric4623]

Very helpful! Thank you!

[@SPANNERRASH]

Thank you Ric, glad it helped :D

[@ricardomaldini6508]

Very relaxing video for car nuts 😎

[@SPANNERRASH]

Thanks Ricardo, hope you enjoyed it. 👍

[@stephendowney4930]

that was great to watch lad,im doing the same job to an old honda and i keep putting it off 😅👍

[@SPANNERRASH]

Thanks Stephen, get stuck in pal, you'll be glad you got it sorted. 👍

[@etctai]

You did a great job!

[@SPANNERRASH]

Thank you!

[@ruprext81]

чего только не найдешь после таких работ в этой бороде

[@SPANNERRASH]

Haha Совершенно верно, я должен быть осторожен, чтобы не поджечь его. 😂

[@martinmaxwell2004]

Top tip -- if you are welding gasless , remove the torch shroud for better visibility. Be doing my own soon and not looking forward to it-- even though ive done it countless times before, -- it always seems more daunting when its your own car lol.

[@SPANNERRASH]

Cheers Martin, yeah it's always tough getting a proper visual on what you're welding with the mask on. Good luck on the job!

[@465painkiller465]

I'll be tackling this kinda work on my e46 soon eough and if it ends up looking as well as this then I'd be very pleased with that. Good job mate

[@SPANNERRASH]

Thanks Josef. I hope the repair goes well on the E46. If you have similar repair panels to me I'm sure you'll be able to do it. This was my first attempt at such a thing and I feel like It went pretty well. 😁

[@stephensomersify]

liked and subscribed - I've got to face my own project - so,, BIG THANKS for wading in. Old git,UK

[@SPANNERRASH]

Cheers Stephen, glad to have you on board! Best of luck with the project. 😁

[@kennethtalbott2233]

i love watching other people struggle. good job.

[@SPANNERRASH]

Cheers Kenneth! You'll love this channel then pal hahaa 🤣

[@kennethtalbott2233]

@@SPANNERRASH yeah, i like to do similar jobs on me old jags

[@SPANNERRASH]

@@kennethtalbott2233 Nice, you'll be quite familiar with a rust repair too then pal. 😁

[@kennethtalbott2233]

@@SPANNERRASH yep, if you own a jag be prepared for a bit of welding. love it though. just bought myself a portable car lift. that's gunno be a god send.

[@bmerfan]

Lovely work!

[@SPANNERRASH]

Thank you, Neil 😁

This is amazing and pretty unique guide and your honesty in stating that its your first time doing such a major project makes it all the more authentic rather than the 'im a pro' videos where the end result is normally sub par. I own an old Metro which was my first car 12 years ago and it needs its arch repairing this year. I got it done 4 years ago but they clearly just botched it to make it look good and neglected the inner arch rust. I have armed myself with a welder and months of research and will be taking the job on myself this time to make sure its done to the best standard. It's nice to see the way in which you methodically untied the panels and rebuild them up one by one. By the way, you should check out 'bilt hamber' - their rust cavity protection products are some of the best out there. Subbed :)

[@SPANNERRASH]

Thank you for such a kind comment, I really appreciate that! :D Sorry to hear that the previous fix on the Metro wasn't up to scratch, I think you're doing the right thing taking matters into your own hands. If you take your time and you should get the same result I did on my E30. I really hope it works out well for you mate.

[@31acruz]

Fantastic job to a problem everyone has sooner or later. Well done.

[@SPANNERRASH]

Thank you! I was very happy with the result on this repair. 😃

[@wirefeed3419]

Nicely done, only thought because I live in a land of snow, ice and salt is if there is any chance moisture or road water/grime can get into that area the backing strips you added could become rust points low down.

[@TheNorthernmunky]

Brillo work mate, exactly what I need to tackle (except I can’t weld lol) really enjoyed watching this

[@SPANNERRASH]

Thanks Logan! :D You should pick yourself up a cheap used welder and give it a try like I did. You might like it!

[@paurictighe]

Great video thanks for sharing 👍👍

[@SPANNERRASH]

Thank you! 😁

[@sssds8573]

Great job matey definitely can open the welding repair garage

[@SPANNERRASH]

Cheers pal! 😃

[@garethplaysdrums]

great job, nice video too

[@SPANNERRASH]

Cheers Gareth, glad you enjoyed it 😁

[@MrEnver2]

Well done..

[@SPANNERRASH]

Cheers!

[@freedohmcreations]

Great content... 👍

[@SPANNERRASH]

Thank you!

[@stefanogeepoca537]

Stupendo lavoro ciao e grazie per il video 😉👋👍

[@SPANNERRASH]

¡Gracias por ver, espero que lo hayas disfrutado amigo! 😃

[@jurgendiscoapa8182]

Dude nice job. Im right here too with my 325 mtech2 since some time back, but also changing the inner wheelhouse panel, some frustrating work to make the smallest amount of work, for the best outcome. Gave me some more motivation to continue. Please continue sharing! :)

[@SPANNERRASH]

Thank you Jürgen :) Are you replacing the entire inner arch? I've got to repair mine but luckily it's mostly intact so I can avoid a full replacement. It's a huge job repairing the rust on these cars, I am chipping away at it bit by bit, and hopefully you are too. I'm glad my video gave you some encouragement to keep going with your Mtech II restoration, it'll be well worth saving!

[@jurgendiscoapa8182]

SPANNER RASH yeah that looked easier. I’ve repaired the jack stand like you also. But i need to change both sides inner arch, but only the outer side. But to be able to weld them properly i need to cut out almost the whole side. Feels a bit sketchy.

[@SPANNERRASH]

@@jurgendiscoapa8182 Nice, and yeah sometimes you have to cut more out than you'd like to, to be able to access everything and do a proper repair. We're lucky that outer repair panels are so easily available to replace it. :)

[@SwPiotrek]

Very nice!

[@SPANNERRASH]

Thank you! 😃

[@nigelhaines7900]

good job mate

[@SPANNERRASH]

Cheers Nigel! 😁

[@adeh503]

Good work man, I remember doing my first arch year's ago and crapping myself the morning of the job 😄 I've seen a similar method of cutting for the new arch where the new metal is clamped on like you had it but, when they cut around it the angle grinder was at 45 degrees and every 6 inches of cut it was then tacked in, leaving the old metal at the back to drop off at the end.

[@SPANNERRASH]

Cheers Ade! Ahh yes I've seen that before too, you gotta have some confidence to do it like that, but it looked like a nice quick way to do it.

[@My911]

Brave man. Great job. Subscribed!

[@SPANNERRASH]

Cheers mate, glad to have you on board!

[@garylatto4191]

Great vid mate , nice job too 👏, got my fronts to do on a t4 🤞🤞

[@SPANNERRASH]

Cheers pal! Was happy with the result, skim of filler and you'd never know it was there. Good luck with the T4!

[@leedsguyuk69]

Excellent buddy, I really enjoyed it 👌

[@SPANNERRASH]

Glad to hear it Baz! Cheers 😃

[@darkfactory8082]

Well done, cut to precision and fitted exactly. The only thing I'm not fan of are the overlapping joints. If you want to avoid rust, the best way is to make butt welds and dress them, so no corrosion is possible after painted. As soon as you introduce laps, you get water and dirt in between the sheets starting rust fast. Since your metal is not that thin and cut to precision, I would avoid laps at all costs, but this is what I would do. 🙂 It doesn't mean you should do it.. It's easier with a back strip but it comes at a price.. 😏 Anyway, cheers and keep on, it looks promising.

[@SPANNERRASH]

Thanks mate! Yep a few people have warned me about the supports I welded in. In an ideal world I do agree that they are a compromise to avoid wherever possible. But in this case I had to make that compromise to be able to do the job with my limited welding experience. The good news is I have good access to the rear side of this repair where the laps are, so have been able to seal them in with seam sealer and cavity wax to prevent future corrosion.

[@itunesaccount760]

holy that looks perfect!

[@SPANNERRASH]

Perfect might be pushing it a bit, but it's definitely a whole lot better! Should be an invisible repair once the car is repainted in one colour. Thanks mate :)

[@stephendowney4930]

super tip on cutting the patch im doing an old honda and im shitting myself about cutting it out 🤣

[@SPANNERRASH]

Yeah it's quite terrifying when you pass the point of no return isn't it. 😅 Sometimes you gotta jump in with both feet though and make it worse before you make it better. Take your time and I'm sure it will work out.

[@harviegemmell8697]

Great work! 😎

[@SPANNERRASH]

Thanks Harvie :D

[@snhongo1]

Great video there…

[@SPANNERRASH]

Thank you!

[@tw0million]

fantastic work! subscribed

[@SPANNERRASH]

Thank you mate, glad to have you on board!

[@kaibrown987]

Looking really good. 😁😁 once painted you never know. Cracking job well done 😄

[@SPANNERRASH]

Thank you Kai! I was pretty happy with it. Looking forward to painting this car.

[@ianlynn5117]

Top job I am starting on outer sills and rear arches on Mazda 2 dy 2006 totally will use this …. Wish me luck

[@SPANNERRASH]

Thanks Ian, I hope it works out well for you on the Mazda. Take your time and I'm sure you'll get it sorted!

[@martinnaylor]

Great video there fella and nice work too. I have an E39 that I've had the jacking points/sills cut out and replaced, just need to sort rear arches too next.

[@SPANNERRASH]

Thanks Martin, sounds like you've come a long way with the E39, worth going that extra step I'd say. 😁

[@martinnaylor]

@SPANNER RASH I've had it 15 years this March so it's part of the family now.

[@SPANNERRASH]

@@martinnaylor I've not had an E39 yet but if it's a plusher version of the E46 then I can understand why it's been a keeper. 😄

[@mariosnikolaou5212]

Really nice m8.I was watching a video about mig welding and the guy told that the welding point must sound like a frying bacon.Yours doesn't sound this much loud but also i can see that you get a lot of buildup and maybe not so much penetration... Remember weld means that you essential melt the metals and so they bond together.Just bought myself an e30 but its almost completely rust free. Greetings from Greece!

[@SPANNERRASH]

Hi Mario, thanks for the tip on that, I'm definitely a beginner welder and learning as I go, but when I grind the welds back down totally smooth, if I've done it right then the metal has become one. And where it hasn't, I have to weld again. :D It's really tough to get the welding consistent, you need to be using enough power that you melt the metal you are welding together (just like you say), but not so much that it blows a hole in it, and with thin sheet metal that is a very fine line! Hopefully, I'll get better and better at it as I gain more experience. It's one of those things which is way harder than it first appears. I'm jealous that you found a rust free E30, they are too rare! :)

[@vwcoco]

Cracking job m8 def help me out on my recent caddy pickup barn find 👍

[@SPANNERRASH]

Awesome, I hope there's some useful tips in there for you pal. Good luck with the Caddy restoration, sounds like a cool project.

[@vwcoco]

@@SPANNERRASH yeah cool caddy barn field last week to go along side my 36 aircooled vws -vwcoco 👍

[@aleksej79novosibirsk]

This was great :)

[@SPANNERRASH]

Thank you! 😃

[@lesbaty8919]

Dropped you a sub; you made a nice job of that mate , as you said heat distortion is the biggest problem here but turned out great , thanks for sharing 👍👍

[@SPANNERRASH]

Thank you Les, and great to have you on board mate! 😁

[@dion1970dion]

Impressive work, I’m learning a lot and enjoying your videos. Subscribed and liked immediately!

[@SPANNERRASH]

Cheers mate, glad to have you on board. :) Still plenty more to come on this E30 project so keep your eyes peeled.

[@paulpaintshop103]

I usually clamp the repair piece on (slightly oversize, then cut through both panels with 30tooth blade in the air saw, this way there's no shaping up to fit and it leaves a 1mm gap for welding. Also I cool the welds with an airline to minimise distortion.

[@SPANNERRASH]

Cheers Paul, I quite like the idea of your technique, even if your air saw work isn't perfectly straight, if its through both panels they'll fit together perfectly like a jigsaw. I do have a small air saw but to be honest, it leaves slightly rougher edges, although no doubt that's more of an issue with the blades I've got. The airline to cool it is good too. I was giving a good amount of time to allow the panels to cool again but of course, the breaks didn't make the edit! 😂

[@mrfishbulb7187]

Good job with that old little mig welder, those small gas bottles get expensive but I started the same way. Good luck.

[@SPANNERRASH]

Thank you mate 😁 Indeed, I've already found the little bottles to be too expensive so I've upgraded to a refillable cannister from a local firm. Going well so far.

[@przemekpaleczek90]

Good job 👍🇵🇱

[@SPANNERRASH]

Cheers! 😃

[@endeavour2127]

Great video! You can get all the information you need to repair rust on a car from a guy on KZbin called Fitzees Fabrications, they guy is a genius and ideal for people having a go themselves. He uses only basic tools to do the work. I completed my whole car using his videos.

[@SPANNERRASH]

Cheers! That sounds like a great channel I'll look that one up and check it out. 👍

[@diegosilang4823]

I am working on restoring a 1968 Cutlass and I have huge section of the quarter panel skin, on both sides, skin to be replaced, adding the support is ingenuous.

[@SPANNERRASH]

Awesome, I hope that trick works well for you on the Cutlass pal. It really does make the job a lot easier!

[@alexandrealmeida2932]

Bom trabalho de reparo.

[@SPANNERRASH]

Obrigado Alexandre 👍

[@shanedoyle1057]

Really enjoying the series. Mine is requiring similar work. So this is a great help. Although if you’d look under the bonnet of mine it actually says, “BMW Brilliant Rot” 🤦‍♂️😂 The corrugated bit underneath, could it be replicated using a bead roller or something I wonder?

[@SPANNERRASH]

Cheers Shane, glad you're enjoying it, and hopefully it'll help you prepare for working on your own. Haha! Yeah, that's always entertained me too, they come in "rot" from the factory. 🤣 A bead roller is a good idea, I suspect you could have a good go if you were handy with it, but I'm pretty sure my crude fix has done the job. You won't be able to see it anyway which is why I didn't try to prettify it too much (at all).

[@davida871]

For first time doing this procedure you did a brilliant job. I need to do the same. Quite nervous about welding around petrol tank filler area though. Did you drop your petrol tank? Thank you for the video. Helped me immensely.

[@SPANNERRASH]

Thank you David! And you're right to be cautious about welding near a fuel tank. Luckily mine was removed at this point in the project so I had no worries. I'm sure if you're very careful using welding blankets you could do the job with the tank in place. Don't start without a fire extinguisher near by though. 👍

[@bennyben8390]

I got to say that is a cracking job. I was wondering if you will be able to do my car. Requires a passenger side rear quarter panel which is rusted. Keep up the good work.

[@SPANNERRASH]

Thanks Ben, I'm really flattered you'd ask me to work on your car! To be honest though, I'm just a humble DIYer really with barely any time to get my own stuff done so wouldn't take jobs on. I've got my hands (and workshop) full already basically! I encourage you to have a go yourself though. 😁

[@moarif9139]

Subbed, like what you're doing, want to take the plunge and take on my car like this.

[@SPANNERRASH]

Awesome, welcome aboard Mo! Hope my vids give you the pointers you need to get stuck in.

[@moarif9139]

@@SPANNERRASH yes buddy, i'm just a average home DIYer at best, been watching your videos for a while and it's giving me the confidence and mindset to actually do this myself so Thank you. Would love to pick your brains on a few things

[@SPANNERRASH]

@@moarif9139 Just like me then, I'm figuring things out as I go with this project and its been quite rewarding so far. Let's hope that continues. 😃

[@justinhoelker376]

Awesome. I swear your car has all the same issues as mine. When you got into the rocker panel - I could feel your pain lol

[@SPANNERRASH]

Hey Justin, yeah I was gutted to see what a state it was inside there. I definitely wasn't expecting it to be that bad.. But at least it's on its way to being sorted now. :)

[@justinhoelker376]

Out of curiosity do you recall the thickness of the metal you used for the inner skin patch panel? Thanks!

[@danallured5806]

Don't wanna sound like "that guy" lol, but wear gloves when your cutting metal out, don't try to bend it off with your bare hands, you will slip and open up a finger! (Don't ask me how I know!) And you often cut with the wrong side of the angle grinders disc, always use it so that it's dragging away from you, if it kicks if flies away from you, the way you did use it, its more likely to kick and will travel towards you when it does! Apart from that, you're doing a great job! Where are you from?

[@SPANNERRASH]

Cheers Dan, I'm taking your suggestions on board regarding grinder safety, fair points indeed. We're up in sunny Yorkshire.

[@talhadasti8794]

This looks awesome I just bought my first e30 and was scared of how to take care of the fender rust but I'm Def going to give it a shot with your approach now, thanks! Also can I ask why you didn't replace the entire rocker panel instead of making the separate panels?

[@SPANNERRASH]

Awesome I hope your new E30 has minimal rust! Replacing the whole rocker panel felt unnecessary when they appear otherwise in good condition. I may live to regret that decision when I strip all the protective underseal off them though. We will find out! 😅

[@talhadasti8794]

@@SPANNERRASH nice man well hope yours isn't too bad but I'm definitely looking forward to more videos!

[@paulmarris2568]

Hi I enjoyed your video,a top tip is to use compress air to cool the welds to speed up the process thanks to Edd China

[@SPANNERRASH]

Cheers Paul, great tip so thanks for sharing that! I do wish I had a quieter compressor though. 🤭

[@c3dk]

I want a E30:- ) And good job :- ))

[@SPANNERRASH]

Thank you! 👍 You should get an E30 soon before it's too expensive to buy a good one. 😃

[@c3dk]

@@SPANNERRASH I know, and I would say, I should have bought 5 years ago.....

[@jeremyjenks]

rad for first time

[@SPANNERRASH]

Cheers Jeremy! 😁

[@SwedesGarage]

Man I wish I had watched this video before i f...ked up my own car, I should have put support in the back before welding.

[@SPANNERRASH]

Oh dear... 😅 The supports make this way easier, especially when you're a beginner welder like me! Maybe you can cut it out and fix it still using this method?

[@SwedesGarage]

@@SPANNERRASH Thanks for reply, I'll figure something out when time comes.

[@mikle65]

I dont know what is your plan later but i wouldn't advise to use primer as rust prevention inside where you cant see it anyway. Use quality metal paint. As primer can absorb moisture from the air and over time it will cause corrosion.

[@SPANNERRASH]

That's sound advice, I've found that some primers do just that, only epoxy primer seals it properly. Cheers!

[@viggoclausen3809]

Looks good, great work. You could use 0,6mm wire for the thin metal welding, its easier to weld with on these European cars, thats only 0,9mm frem factory 😉

[@SPANNERRASH]

Thank you Viggo! Someone else mentioned that too, I should really take the advice and pick some 0.6mm welding wire up.

[@stormytempest6521]

No, Just backstep or wander when welding after Tacking up ! you done OK for the job in hand, it's mig welding not gas welding, no where near the same amount of heat given off ! Still you done OK.

[@SPANNERRASH]

Thanks for the tips! Cheers 👍

[@georgecondon4518]

It looks spot on, fiberglass filler and some normal filler, job done, I thought you might use some air in between tacks

[@SPANNERRASH]

Cheers George, I'm guessing fibreglass filler as it has a bit more build? Thanks for the tip on that. I would use the air, but the noise of the compressor is just too obnoxious! Although I did leave a good amount of time between welds, but you'll have to take my word on that as it was cut in the edit. :)

[@arashdavari957]

Well done mate

[@SPANNERRASH]

Cheers Arash!

[@ToyotaLandCruiser]

I hate those double layers which someones do to get the parts aligned. So potential place to rust in the future. Did you even apply any weld trough primer?

[@SPANNERRASH]

Each to their own I guess, I'm just a DIY hobbyist so these support brackets made it possible for me to get a decent result first time. Luckily I have good access to the rear of this repair so its now seam sealed in solid. I don't think it'll be rusting any time soon.

[@paulw106]

Reaally useful thanks, how long did this take you?

[@SPANNERRASH]

Thanks Paul, it was a while back but I reckon it takes a weekend!

[@guntherzipperle6107]

Great job and a nice video! Where did you get the repair sheet?

[@SPANNERRASH]

Thanks Günther, I picked the panel up on ebay, surprisingly good value and fits up great: ebay.us/zVTnFt