BMW E30: Windshield Cowl is Ruined!!! Update

Hi everyone!
Update! The E30 is going under the knife. The windshield cowl on the driver side is not salvageable so it must be cut out and a new one welded back into place. I’ve never done this type of work so buckle in because I need to practice and then it’s cutting, grinding, welding, grinding and painting. I’m excited for all of you to join me in this journey!!
Shout out to Igor at CaTuned for sending me a portion of the lower windshield cowl.
Yep, the fender is a different color (ergh), but that is actually closer to the correct color. I will find a way to smooth the transition and perhaps we will wrap the car.
CaTuned:
catuned.com
yo_yo_servi...

[@DrewCartwright]

Looking forward to watching this project unfold! 👍👍

[@thedriversapex]

Hey! Thanks for watching. Me, too! To be honest, I was initially scared to take on the project, but I feel better now after the weekend. I have a video posting today and after that, I will have in queue, the dashboard restoration, and cutting/welding process. In fact, I cut out the damaged portion of the windshield cowl this weekend. It was empowering! Thanks again for watching. - Tom

[@marchindy]

Good job for taking on the job, life is learning.

[@thedriversapex]

Thank you!! It’s so easy to bondo it and be done, but I just can’t!! Thanks for watching!!! I’ll start this project this week.

[@mikesphoenix_e46m3]

Hey great to have you back again and everything you both spoke about on this video i can relate to mentally etc ive literally not done anything on my m3 this winter but ive ordered parts eg fitting a remote footwell button for boot which would have been option in my country but im struggling with motivation and time to do stuff but also find the more stuff i have to do the more mentally i struggle iff you get me at all but looking forward to more videos from you and hoping to get mine back out onto the road from about may again

[@thedriversapex]

Hey! Thanks for checking in. That means a lot. It's weird, I haven't gone on any drives or gone to any car shows in months, but thankfully I feel good and want to get back into creating content. I just filmed the removal of my e30's dash and thought I was going to lose it and quit, but it's out. I say start with something small that you can do. It's like going to the gym or working out. Once you finish a short workout, you feel better. I am hopeful you can get back to working on your car. You are right, when there is a lot to do, it is easy to ignore it. Let me know the first thing you can work on. I will be curious to hear about it. Good luck and yes, content is on its way. I am downloading filmed content and answering comments right now. Hopefully I can start editing tomorrow. Thanks again for checking in! - Tom

[@mikesphoenix_e46m3]

Hi Tom sorry late replying life taking over again but i totally agree with everything you say there and its so true but will keep you updated on stuff im also on instagram with some of my car stuff on there 😊 I will do are you on facebook at all ? Im just about to start catching up with your videos this evening 😉👍

[@polloloci21]

Dude! Definitely do it right. I cut into my 912 and 300tdi for some rust repair. It’s a bit daunting but after a while it’s a cool skill to have. Rust repair kinda sucks that’s why I knew that I wanted a rust free 325is. Don’t sell the car for a Porsche- the Porsche tax is outrageous and after a while I was scared to park it where I couldn’t see it. 😢 Word of caution when it comes to welding. Don’t weld galvanized metal cause the fumes can be lethal- so make sure you prep the metal correctly. Not sure what gauge metal the e30 is (maybe 18-20gauge) - so get some sheetmetal and practice your welding before welding the car. The M20 sounds badass. And if I may mention- that it’s awesome that your lady likes cars. It definitely makes it much easier to stay motivated.

[@thedriversapex]

Hey! Thanks for commenting. It means a lot. One of the favorite aspects of my channel is community. I appreciate every one of you who comments and gives advice. It means a lot. Yes, I read about galvanized steel, terrifying!!! I also learned that cleaning parts with brake chlorinated brake cleaner before welding is incredibly dangerous, too. When I removed the dash (video to upload soon), I thought, that's it, I am going to sell the car, but I can't. I picked up some 22-gauge steel to practice on. Igor from CaTuned gave me some advice on where to cut. That is where I got the spare lower windshield cowl piece from. I am excited to learn the welding process and to repair this issue correctly. I feel like this is the next natural evolution in my channel. I still lust for a 997 though I still really enjoy the e30. It is just a fun car that drive hard, and it keeps asking for more. Thanks again for watching and commenting. I appreciate it! - Tom

[@polloloci21]

@@thedriversapex dude- we are all grateful that you make this cool content- I don’t even watch TV anymore 😂 I get it man- Porsches are badass. I was lucky enough to buy an old one when they were inexpensive - I remember that i once bought a somewhat running 1967 912 for $1k. That was around 2003. What a difference 20yrs makes. 😵‍💫

[@thedriversapex]

Thank you!!! That means a lot. I can’t imagine buying a 912 for $1k 😮. I’ve told my wife that getting into a Porsche gets harder every year because the values continue to rise. I’m currently finishing up the dash and the donor lower windshield cowl piece is nearly ready to be welded into place. I’m hopeful I’ll have a new video soon.

[@robpalmer2822]

So happy to have discovered this. I am about to take on the exact same project. And I have zero experience. Can't wait to see how you tackle this. Meanwhile, any idea how this happened? I have a barn find e30 with the same ailment.

[@thedriversapex]

Hey! Thanks for watching and dropping a comment. I cut out the affected area this weekend. What a scary yet exciting process. I just posted my dashboard removal video today. That was not fun, lol. I am currently working on prepping the donor piece and hope to have it welded into the car this weekend. Great question on how it happened. Here is my hypothesis: the car sat exposed in LA for six year. During that time, I imagine leaves and debris gathered in this exact area along with rain. I believe that was the culprit for the rot though I never saw it because someone had bondo'd the area and it wasn't until about eight years later did I begin see the issue. Not to worry, we got this! LMK if you have any questions or need any specific photos or videos. Thanks again! -Tom

[@robpalmer2822]

@@thedriversapex awesome. I am mid dashboard removal. Bought myself and angle grinder and looking at MIG welders. I suspect a similar scenario with this car. It sat for years in god knows how much shelter. But it's only showing 13k on a working odometer, so I'm going to give it a whirl

[@thedriversapex]

Nice work!!!!! I bet you now have the dash out and are working on prepping. Great job!!!! I have my donor piece nearly ready to weld into place. I’m also finishing up the last few bits on the dash restoration. Keep us posted!!

[@thedriversapex]

@@robpalmer2822 That's awesome!!!! I cannot wait to hear more about this. Welding is so much fun. Yeah, my car sat for years and the damage was covered up so I never knew about it until the Bondo began failing. I finally looked at it, poked a hole in it with a screwdriver, and thought, "well, now I have to really fix this!" I am so glad I did. It is a rewarding project and you are going to love your car even more afterwards. Keep wrenching and welding and let me know how you're doing with the project. P.S. the donor piece is already welded back into place. Such a surreal feeling. Thanks for watching and thanks for your patience. I am terribly sorry for the late reply.