Old BMW E30 Rocker Cover Restoration

Please read the full description for any information about the video.
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Tools & equpitment used:
Quartz Lacquer - goo.gl/8PTVKM
Rust Remover - goo.gl/13gopW
Base Coat Paint - goo.gl/mWhufG
Moldex Full Face Mask - goo.gl/NNYGrv
FGL 5 Spray gun - goo.gl/Acg5rd
A.N.I. R150-T Mini Spray gun - goo.gl/cHTJS2
Colad Washable Overalls - goo.gl/3Css9E
Colad Mixing Cups - goo.gl/8DYmE8
Colad TurboMix Sticks - goo.gl/cYZfks
Colad Synthetic Paint Strainers - goo.gl/H79ZgL
Steel wire bits - geni.us/keyaD
Rotary Tool - geni.us/HGed
Concentrate Degreaser - geni.us/yUn9
Mannesmann Socket Set - geni.us/HCDZ
I found this 30-year-old BMW rocker cover very cheap and thought it would make a perfect restoration project. This is one of the dirtiest, most burnt on and badly cast rocker covers I have come across. Making it an ideal candidate for a Restore It video.
I started by using parts washer degreaser neat in a spray bottle and scrubbed the cover down with steel wire bits in a rotary tool. This removed most of the loose dirt in preparation for the blaster. The media is reused and I like to keep it as clean as possible. Next was to blast it. Once blasted, I then removed the fine dirt still left on the inside of the cover. Once all of the dirt was off, I began removing the casting marks from the imperfect cast. Using 80g sandpaper and a sanding wheel in the rotary tool. The rocker cover was then completely smooth and ready for paint. After Wiping with isopropyl alcohol, I started with two light coats of etching primer to protect the metal from corrosion. I then added three coats of high build primer, starting light and finishing heavier. One that dried, I wet sanded the entire cover with 400g and then 800g sandpaper. After drying and cleaning with isopropyl alcohol, it was ready for the colour coats. Three coats of colour were applied. Starting with a dust coat and finishing with the thickest. It was then left to dry completely. Once dry, I took the cover to a milling place and had the BMW emblem milled back a few thou to remove all of the paint and reveal the shiny metal below. I then applied three coats of lacquer. Whilst that dried, I cleaned the gasket and found a replacement oil filler cap. Once installed the resonation was complete.
Disclaimer: I am no professional. I am completely self-taught and would appreciate any feedback, advice or constructive criticism.
I don't add music to these videos so that you can choose to listen to what you like if you would like to.
Become a patron to win the rocker cover featured in this video!
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[@gtoger]

Remember when BMW built engine components from metal? Not plastic?

[@kevinford6420]

Those were the days !!!

[@voldemarsaugspuls5795]

Pistons

[@ninoratakingofspam5828]

Cover valve cap are plastic 😉

[@archygrey9093]

Nope

[@BillCarrIpswich]

The E30 was the last generation before the plastic came. It was a long time ago now.

[@bram1659]

I actually like that you don’t use music in your video's

[@ChristianFadel]

He’s the Primitive Technology of restoration 👌🏻

[@gilbertvandenbroucke7827]

Que proposez vous merci de répondre ?

[@dac232009]

I wish bmw made reliable vehicles

[@donatass2622]

@@dac23200980s and 90s bmw are reliable, and it usually depends where you live, if you're in america then yes it's hard to maintain them

[@matzeweber8892]

@@dac232009 ?!? BMW had some very reliable vehicles, i mean, look at the machines from 1990-2004! 350.000 Miles are no problem for theese cars. You have to look for rust like you have to look at all vehicles... i really don't know what you mean.

[@incognitotorpedo42]

ikr, but then he uses a mill to do the part that everyone does with sandpaper. Nice result in the end, though.

[@williammememan6002]

I actually love the lack of explanation, you just do it, different to most KZbin channels. It's good.

[@williammememan6002]

O heck I didn't even realise, that's sick

[@MS-gn4gl]

He takes obvious inspiration from tool rescue who took obvious inspiration from diresta. I for one really appreciate this style for build or restoration videos. It showcases the work without unnecessary voiceover.

[@taunusv4power]

ikr? straight to what you were looking for! i wish every channel be like that

[@Ninjago.999]

It's completely unnecessary to blast the valve cover with sand. After cleaning it, it would have been enough if he had just sanded the surface. Unnecessary additional work with blasting!!!

[@SonGChaNSaO]

I can almost hear Chris going "you only need some soapy water" lmao

[@elegy57]

임성찬 ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ and we need some anti-seize and thread locker LOL

[@rollei35mm]

*wooder

[@ME-gt7nj]

And some Good amount of elbow grease haha

[@pordord]

임성찬 lol im a big fan of chris.

[@rileygilks8908]

임성찬 and there your go thats how you restore an e30 bmw rocker cover

[@154Jamesp]

Great job as usual. Just wanted to throw you a hint. I don't know what you're using for blasting media, but a general rule of thumb is to never use anything other that soda or walnut blasting media on engine parts. The glass or sand gets imbedded in the metal and eventually leeches out into your oil or fuel basically destroying the engine or wearing it prematurely. Soda blasting is great and cheap. After blasting, boil the part in water to dissolve the soda and rinse after it cools slowly to avoid warping. 100% safe. One more tip.. I like the milling you did to clean up the raised details. I've used a sanding block with 100 grit, and then 220 grit to get the same effect. Just putting that out there for people who want to do the same that don't have access to a mill. Jim

[@donstule]

I did it by hand. Came out real nice. Would love a mill though!

[@Ninjago.999]

It's completely unnecessary to blast the valve cover with sand. After cleaning it, it would have been enough if he had just sanded the surface. Unnecessary additional work with blasting!!!

[@jackfrost1031]

Gotta love it when someone takes the time to clean up castings like that. It really makes things pop.

[@jackfrost1031]

Restore It I can't stand to let a casting pass through my hands without touching up those sort of spots. I find an assortment of files really helps.

[@mikeshobbiesandrandomstuff]

Greasy parts are much easier to clean if you use brake cleaner.

[@Sahadi420]

you'd think the media blaster would be all you'd need.

[@MikeHarris1984]

For most part, yes. Brake cleaner is an excellent degreaser. However, on cast aluminium, it will etch it very quickly and make even more work out of your job.

[@Kihidokid]

He used industrial degreaser.

[@chrislegget9125]

just wait till the wife is out and put it in the dish washer

[@MikeHarris1984]

Chris I just said that comment to my wife and the look I just got told me to never try that.

[@woodymurphy4522]

Milling down the BMW emblem was a stroke of genius. It made it look 100% better.

[@DKDrawings]

SOOO satisfying to watch. : D

[@Marens777]

asmr

[@jefsiv]

DK Drawings Agreed!

[@user-hu9nu6py6n]

DK Drawings iuiiii

[@musabfeltman1311]

Yeah irlt really is right.

[@HUBBABUBBADOOPYDOOP]

That relief cut idea is superb, beautiful detail.

[@sldierboy]

I honestly found this videos satisfying to watch. Amazing work.

[@stevecruz3724]

I cannot stop watching these vids please make more.

[@garyengland5326]

A couple of tips.... You should never media blast covers like this, unless you remove the baffles. The blast media will end up getting inside, and contaminating the oil, resulting in a dead engine. You also need to turn your gun pressure up, or fluid flow down, you'll get a way better finish

[@Carguy-sp8xj]

Very good tips! I’m restoring a set of valve covers from Ford 460 engine and only sand blasted the out side and not the inside. When I was done I blowed out the inside of them with a air compressor and soap and water.

[@jayoliver3734]

I'm loving the simplicity of your videos, and how your content dovetails with my interests. Tools and 80s BMWs. Cheers

[@jutiarsalman2597]

You deserve a medal and a place in the BMW hall of fame! Well done!

[@Yoda83x]

Admit it, you are a dentist for a living. Those powertools, this effort to find the last spot and dive into the deepest gaps... Love your vids. You have one more subscriber. Love from Germany :-)

[@E30Zone]

Great video, keep them coming.

[@obsoleteprofessor2034]

I first learned about media blasting (glass beads - walnut abrasive - sand blasting) in airplane school in California. Afterward, we would dip the aluminum parts in an acid bath for corrosion protection and the parts would get a gold/yellow tinge. I got the brilliant idea to clean the rear aluminum housing off my Corvair. I didn't clean it completely and the oil pressure regulator got stuck with glass beads and lost oil pressure. I parked the car in 1976 and will fix it soon... still have it. Thank you for this video.

[@upfactoryracing4148]

Just the level of time and care taken for a rocker cover I can only imagine what the engine got! Top notch!

[@guadour]

A million hat's off to you dude, great job, keep giving us pleasure with your videos 👍👌

[@crawl4x410]

This video for me is soo satisfying! Really cool resto.

[@DLT-po6to]

Beautiful, i like your attention to detail. Thats how a restoration is done.

[@jamesexploringonline872]

You actually taught me something today, I will do my LS1 rocker covers the same way, with my dremel. Cheers

[@RestoreIt]

Good to hear it james!

[@nathanleon5039]

Super sick, quality content. No doubt about it, this channel has a lot of potential!

[@DanielTojcic]

You’re going to make it big - keep it up

[@blackknightcustom]

Great job! It looks fantastic! Getting old grease out of side corners is a never ending story.

[@crimpcreep6887]

I Love the Wrinkle Finish paint. Comes in various colors and resist various fluids, and is Bad Ass! Good Job!

[@BiskitPlays]

Wow nice work, lets see more!

[@vb7037]

Professional job. Subscribed!

[@kjamison5951]

Proper old school resto! Nice job!

[@TrustNotta]

Thank god for people like you. I would never in a million years have the patience to do what you do. After about five mins of tediousness I would either take a 2lb sledge to them or throw them at something. I suppose that’s why people like me, pay people like you to do things like this. Nice job.

[@DVDGMSLS]

I gotta be honest, it would have looked so much better in wrinkle black! Nevertheless, very satisfying to watch.

[@DVDGMSLS]

I'd love to see that. Subscribed.

[@Starfireaw11]

You paid someone to mill it? You would have gotten better results, far cheaper, with some sand paper and a standing block.

[@florascent9ts]

Starfireaw11 read the description

[@dhughes67]

Restore It Try it with a BMW M20 valve cover! Might switch things up a little.

[@speed488]

Agreed, I was going to suggest any kind of wrinkled finish. All the small imperfections get lost in the finish.

[@MarinatedPasta]

Soooo much anxiety when you put it on the hood of the car. I would have been so scared of scratching the paint.

[@johnmcdonald489]

Thank god everyone’s ok. It was a close one.

[@timm2396]

Your videos makes my time at work enjoyable

[@theoriginaloneminutesketch7892]

Wow that’s a lot of work but the end result is amazing! Good enough to place it in the house as a piece of modern art

[@Andre-ld5xu]

Next episode Restoring the M3

[@Andre-ld5xu]

Restore It I really want you to restore a car

[@aabmthsk]

Looks like a m40 cover. Not an m3.

[@TheBUGATTI856]

5:41 sounds like pingu being waterboarded

[@alexp8106]

inside and out beautiful. I like the clear coat glising over the top

[@SquaredSmith]

I just watched every video on your channel so I felt I should subscribe. It's incredibly satisfying to watch

[@yavuz7248]

Very nice work👍👍

[@usta229]

Türk be

[@yavuz7248]

BENHUR Aynen usta Türkler böyle şeylerle ugrasmayinca yabancıları takıp ediyoruz ne yapalım

[@usta229]

Alıştı gönül ama bitti ömür aynen

[@billybobjoe198]

The milling of the logo was a good choice, Sanding just wouldn't leave the cool milled finish.

[@zZiL341yRj736]

byw But there are those lines where the cuts overlaped. Not smooth at all.

[@2000broncosfan]

Speaking from experience, those overlaps are very smooth to the touch. They just look rough, you can hardly feel them running a finger over it.

[@pegleg1992]

A quick run over with some wet and dry down to even just 1000 before the topcoat wouldn't have hurt IMO. Great job nontheless

[@mattiel9156]

definitly keep them coming!

[@RH0703]

Now i know why bmw is expensive. So much workmanship devoted to just a small piece of part.

[@adad2757]

Holy crap you did such a nice job on this! Should've used a fly cutter or a shell mill when milling the BMW logo down, probably would've left a nicer finish, but damn it looks amazing!

[@vincevegacustoms754]

Seriously it looks the exact same as a teenager with a spray can spraying outside...

[@user-qz3ei9ps6l]

Как тяжело то вам там живётся на западе без димексида

[@Abra-kadabr]

Ток хотел про димексид написать 😁😁

[@Peterisdid412]

Да ладно я думал я один русский

[@sveenn88]

ору

[@user-xi5eg1os5y]

Анука братья славяне пожалуйста поподробнее)

[@stanislawbazylevich4097]

Даааа)

[@nv1493]

Very nice. No stupid music or "how to" talk, all steps shown, scroll thru tedious parts. Entertaining to see start to finish. Well done.

[@johnmccrae4627]

Really marvelous work. Now I want to see the car all these restored bits are going on

[@222varminter]

Your attention to detail makes me question my life :O

[@wahpanda1520]

the only thing on an e30 i can afford

[@dipacalypse1092]

stop bragging

[@mick.Walker]

Very therapeutic to watch, love it, look forward to many more

[@JimmyPaze]

A job well done. Such a satisfying video

[@restlessjack0042]

Just thinking about collaboration between Chrisfix and Restore It? Wouldnt be great!

[@nicksmith1363]

So far I think this channel is of better quality than Chrisfix. Not sure a collaboration would be a good idea.

[@marcd7332]

Nick Smith A collab is always a good idea

[@cvspvr]

@@marcd7332 he should collab with Jake Paul then

[@marcd7332]

caspar valentine If you see the monetary gain then it sounds like a good idea

[@cvspvr]

@@marcd7332 that's what separates good KZbinrs from bad ones: ones that focus on money vs ones that focus on their fans

[@Conrailfan2596]

Can you show the sandblasting

[@Conrailfan2596]

Restore It ok thanks

[@jarielgarcia]

Dude! The way you made the BMW pop was amazing!

[@talal_almutairi]

I really liked your work and your interest in everything to show your work professionally

[@kamilswiacki3378]

very satisfaying to watch. Waiting for more, sub ofc :)

[@user-ul2ir5ok6d]

По мне так много глупых лишних действий

[@danik1617]

Да вообще много хуйни понаделал

[@Darakon]

Masterfully done, Sir.

[@jackthatmonkey8994]

When I go and clean parts I try and do the same as you did My dad always starts telling me "its clean stop wasting your time", but I always push through Thanks for doing that here too

[@user-ku8ow9gk9b]

Димексид возьми, ролик в минуту уложится.

[@yigorek]

😁

[@aleksandrvasiliev7905]

Молодец👍но ху. .ое масло не заливай больше😉

[@chiefpepdesign]

Now that's some serious cleaning... After two runs with the water compressor I would probably proudly have said to myself: "there, that's finished". Then this guy just got started...

[@socialghost4400]

Beautiful workmanship and final result.....well done indeed sir!

[@NicklausChernoff]

*А ху енна братан!!!*

[@icsunonova]

save the planet....wash all away into nature

[@icsunonova]

yeah of the watercompany :P

[@banaana1234]

I'm pretty sure that you are not supposed to put grease and chemicals down the drain.

[@jamestroutman7517]

Yeah cause I’m sure you guys have never washed anything down a drain that wasn’t supposed to be down a drain. Go somewhere else clowns

[@banaana1234]

I have, but not that substantial. Besides, the uploader said that it goes down the drain like it was the right thing to do when its not.

[@jamestroutman7517]

banaana1234 do You honestly believe that most shops try to hold on waste water? Hell no they wash that out into the parking lot lol

[@R3dRuM839]

This made me Cry Seeing how beautiful of a job you have done

[@davewilliams355]

Im addicted to these

[@mycorvettelife]

Wow that looks great! Awesome job!

[@MiljanBojovic]

Why am I addicted to this type of videos?

[@RestoreIt]

I'm not sure, but im glad you are :)

[@computerwiz38]

This looked like a hell of a lot of work! Great job!!

[@leopoldwhylie5076]

why is this so satisfying?

[@Clod15]

This was mesmerizing you are amazing!

[@borilopez8581]

Amazing great job love your videos

[@robertkopp873]

A lot of effort producing a very nice result.

[@infinityempireservers5883]

Damn. You work REALLY fast. As always looks good.

[@barfmeister8509]

Welcome back my friend, cool vlog as per usual 👌🏻

[@TheCryptKeeper.]

This is pure art!

[@Pendaws]

Definitely a labour of love.

[@rueliotube]

Outstanding. Well done.

[@StreetShamann]

Spends all that time cleaning and painting, then puts it down on a cars paint job. Lol Really love the channel.

[@LorenzBaermann]

Lads, this is really satisfying !

[@andrewlopez314]

The valve cover turned out great!! I think the base coats may have been put on a little too heavy but overall awesome!!

[@frankstrawnation]

Cara, seu trabalho de limpeza e pintura é tão meticuloso e bem-feito que até chego a ficar comocionado.

[@chrisanderson9931]

I'm not sure if anybody else has pointed this out, but when you media blast valve covers the media gets inside of the baffles on the inside of the cover. I have media blasted and powder coated many valve covers and no matter how well I think I flush the baffles, there is always some left in there when removed. You should definitely remove and reinstall the baffles to remove any debris to be on the safe side. I love your videos and keep up the good work. I like how you capture the patience required to do a good job.

[@alift8614]

That looks sick my dude!

[@jaz313det]

Love your channel. Keep up the great work.

[@tbirdboy]

Great! Now I gotta pay three times what a regular valve cover cost new.... excellent job! And worth every penny.

[@urbankriesi8102]

Super Resultat... sieht echt gut aus 👍

[@_zzpza]

I liked the feeler gauge heigh adjustment, good idea! :)

[@SikeGabor]

Really nice job mate. Well done.

[@MRNVCDIY]

So cool

[@dzoni1990]

more of this pls, good video!

[@avenged3118]

does so much effort to restore a rocker cover *puts it on to the paint*

[@redbug3485]

Great stuff you do in these vids!

[@mikelopapa8139]

This work is amazing.

[@E1Jproductions]

JUST found your channel and I LOVE it, it makes me want to buy cars and restore them! Please do an m3 restoration 🙏🙏

[@josepcb2882]

FELICIDADES ,MEJOR QUE NUEVO. SALUDOS DESDE BARCELONA CATALONIA

[@nike1337ib]

This is super satisfying

[@nike1337ib]

I'd love too see more automotive parts restored!!

[@roybrown4944]

That was really good, the nail was hit on the head