Enjoy? *PLEASE HIT THE LIKE BUTTON* to help me out - Thanks for your support 😃👍 Want to know what the first 2 years E31 ownership has been like? Give this video a watch: ruclips.net/video/l6hzfqBRB64/видео.html
Great vid. Having been through this on my 840ci I can completely relate. The more you uncover and look, the worse it gets. The good thing is you are doing the right thing because once it’s done it will last you at least 20 years plus. You won’t regret the work it will all be worth it in the end!
Thank you! Thats what i have to keep reminding myself during the low points when i thought we were on top of it and then the car throws up more surprises. I just hope it goes back together ok! Its a pity i cant justify carrying on with taking the front end off right now, but without taking the engine out too that would only allow us to check so much anyway - a future project, perhaps. What were the worst bits on your 840?
Hi Craig - Great Video that shows you can’t be too careful when restoring the bodywork - rust is devastating and really needs to be attended to properly - I know my 8 will be worse than I think it is but they are such a stunning car they’re worth it 👍😃
Completely agree - when you start going through your car essentially just double your budget! 🤭🤦♂️. Deep down i know i should be going through the front end too but i literally cant afford to do any more right now - and the only way to do the front end properly would be to take the engine out too so you can get to the subframe. Ah well thats a future project sorted!
Hi Craig. Thanks for the shoutout. Sorry for length of this comment before I start! Great news about your bonnet front. Mine took loads of work. Our cars are really similar though in terms of rust areas. I have had to put metal into both of my doors, but not in the corners. I am 100% sure that this is due to untouched-up bare metal after catching the door on something. On the rear, 2 of the 3 studs that mount the plastic moulding that secures part of the bumper had rusted through into the spare wheel well. Yours look perfect. I had to do exactly same repair under the wash bottle. My sunroof panel was about the same as yours. At the time I started my project new ones were available from BMW Germany at about £600 from memory. Consequently, I have repaired mine. I spent many hours meticulously de-rusting it. The best rust converter you can get is called Fertan. Not many people know of this product and it is not that easy to get, but a pro restorer friend of mine put me onto it and it really is exceptional. It is a thin liquid, so I applied it several times to the top of the flange where the 2 sheets of metal are spot welded together. Capillary action will draw this down into the seam and (hopefully!) kill the rust for a few years to come. All bare metal should then be epoxy primed, regular primed and painted. If I had to do another, I would make a bath to dip it. There is an excellent company called Rustbuster (rust.co.uk) who make loads of good products. The rusty rear wheelarch flange needs very special attention. Again, feel free to e-mail me if you want or need any further input.
Hi Bob, no need to apologise! Bit of a spoiler for the next instalment but I have bought a new sunroof panel - it didn't seem worth the effort in man hours that I'd be paying the workshop to have them try repairing it over buying a new one, though yes it was an expensive sheet of metal! Dealership said it was the last one in factory. At least now I can feel comfortable that it will be good for many years, along with the new seal I bought also. I shall chat to the workshop tomorrow when I visit about the rust treatment you suggest (especially about epoxy on bare metal as there's a few small areas around the top of both sides that were cleaned back to bare metal as part of the early roof removal) and to check the rear arch flange has been rectified properly. Into the closing stages now! Car being prepped for paintwork and a few tiny bits to finish up on before I can get the car back and straight to the garage for a new MOT which has expired while in the workshop (I know it will fail due to the abs and asc warning lights being on, which is another scary prospect of not knowing what the fix will be...). Thanks again for watching!
It’ll be fine, just worried the investigation/diagnosis on the abs will be never ending and expensive. Not many e31 specialists in my area. No i was lucky with the rear screen in that it came out just fine, and theres no delamination on it so that can go back in (though im not convinced my heating elements in it work properly). The front screen cracked though taking it out, so i need a new one of those as well. Will order through national windscreens rather than bmw as they are made by st gobain who makes the screen for bmw anyway, but its over 2/3rd cheaper!
@@CraigOnCars OK. Yes, front screens are available, but there is not much change from £800 last time I checked for the rear as the rubber trim strip is an astonishing £150! Rust bubbling up from the roof cracked my rear screen top RH corner. Most of elements on mine didn't work anyway due to delamination. By the time you see the tell tale white blooming the damage has been done to the elements. Fingers crossed your ABS issue will be a wheel sensor. If it's a rear, they are ridiculously expensive (£250) and not available aftermarket. I have,(not tested it yet) modified a very similar sensor for an E34 which is readily available aftermarket, as I had to destroy one of mine to refurbish the rear hub. We'll see if it works. They say the ABS pumps are impossible to get and impossible to overhaul, so I guess, technically, a failed one could scrap the car. If it were me, I would research this to death possibly before committing to the painting costs. NO E31 specialists in my area. I work part-time for Euro Car Parts and deliver to lots of garages. Quite a large one had an 840 in for several months with a failed ABS pump. They had sourced a s/h unit, but told me that they had been trying to track down an "expert" which they needed to code the unit to the car. You may have seen the channel, but if not M359 Restorations is worth a look at. We all look forward to see how you go on. Best of luck mate.
best thing to do with the sunroof panel is buy a complete new roof panel and get rid of it ! i complete new none sunroof panel is about £1000 and although expensive it gives you the best option for fixing all the front and rear screen rust and the rust that runs from the front screen back along the roof panel edges , and lets face it the uk weathers so bad you wont miss the sunroof anyway :)
No rust on my 80k miles 1994 840ci but having a huge issue with wiring just deteriorating, most notably the headlight harnesses and looms. Typical leaks have developed in the a/c compressor and hydraulic brake master. If you intend to restore one of these be aware that parts - especially for the dash and console - are becoming very hard to source so pay up and buy the best condition example you can find.
Im expecting to have similar issues in the years ahead - hope you can resolve the wiring problems on yours! The A/C on mine doesnt work at the moment - thats a future project. Luckily my interior is in excellent condition. If yours is a UK car, keep an eye out for tiny rust bubbles coming up on the rear corners of your roof - jump on it as soon as you spot it!
Always hit the like here, you deserve it; great videos and nice relaxed presentation! May I ask, did the guys there find out what first caused the rust in your drivers door bottom corner? Was it a paint chip rusting inwards or the reverse; standing water causing rust from the inside?
Thank you i appreciate your support so much! No specific cause identified unfortunately, only evidence of an earlier (bodged) rust repair. I suspect its inside going out rust as before we started peeling back it looked so minor externally, i thought it would only require a light clean back. The whole project is leading to some head scratching moments - you’d expect one side of the car to be worse than the other with kerbside getting more weather element exposure due to puddles etc. Yet the passenger / kerb side of the car seems much stronger than the drivers side! Much less rust in the passenger door, the driver side rear arch had that really strange corrosion on the inside of the arch lip yet the passenger side had none of that but needed a big chunk cut out on the corner!
@@timbre7999 thats a good shout. In fact im on my way up there in a few minutes so i’ll make sure to ask that the drain hole has been cleared out! Thanks again for the support 👍
Nice one Craig. Just a matter of interest what is your budget if you don’t mind me asking as i have a BMW 740 96 which needs a similar amount of work, thanks, Ray
My budget went out the window early on as soon as the roof had to come off! I think the roof rust is an E31 specific issue so hopefully you wouldn’t have to do that bit, and theres been project creep with things like the headlining being redone and the wheels refurbed. In terms of labour, i think we’re over 100 hours spent so far and their going rate is £39 per hour. What i would say is whatever the car is assessed as needing done before the job starts, when they give you an estimate to do the job just double it! I didnt factor in things like needing to buy new windscreen, seals, trim and roof/sunroof panel at the start. I know the E38 suffers with rusty arches, doors and fuel tanks - all of which i dont think are too bad to get rectified? Definately a car worth saving!
Hi i have recently bought. 840ci sport estoril blue, in need of a restoration.. i am in Manchester.. is there a ball park figure I should be paying to have this done?
Firstly congratulations on your purchase! One of the coolest cars out there and in the best colour too 😃. It will really depend on what needs to be done? Is it the bodywork, chassis, interior, or engine?
The cost will depend on what hourly rate the workshop you choose to do the work charges, as the majority of the work is pure labour. Shop around and ask a few places to quote you, and dont be afraid to look further afield as rates differ hugely depending on region of UK. For example Auto Resto hourly rate is £39 - probably alot cheaper than London, Birmingham or Manchester rates. Reputation of the workshop more important i’d say, and the cost of shipping the car on a truck to wherever it goes for the work will be very small compared to the difference in hourly rates. I went into this project quite niaively, without realising all the other rust they may find when stripping the car back which is whats led my project to grow into a full body restoration. New roof skins and sunroof panels arent cheap from BMW. If you are lucky and there is no other rust and its just the arches and roof, it could still be a £5-8k job when all finished.
@@aktarhussain4437 that seems very reasonable, just have a contingency incase more rust/issues are discovered the further they look. The actual process is quite exciting! Let me know how you get on 👍
Hi Ray, its been very slow this past few weeks, but things should start moving very fast this next few (with a plot twist too!) so im hoping to capture everything in one final episode. Thanks for asking and for watching 😃
![Project Rust: The Finale | BMW 840CI Sport [E31] Restoration](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/fPlAEb0uJ1E/mqdefault.jpg)
![Project Rust: The Finale | BMW 840CI Sport [E31] Restoration](/img/tr.png)
![Project Rust: All The Rust | BMW 840CI Sport [E31] Restoration](/img/1.gif)
Enjoy? *PLEASE HIT THE LIKE BUTTON* to help me out - Thanks for your support 😃👍
Want to know what the first 2 years E31 ownership has been like? Give this video a watch:
ruclips.net/video/l6hzfqBRB64/видео.html
Great vid. Having been through this on my 840ci I can completely relate. The more you uncover and look, the worse it gets. The good thing is you are doing the right thing because once it’s done it will last you at least 20 years plus. You won’t regret the work it will all be worth it in the end!
Thank you! Thats what i have to keep reminding myself during the low points when i thought we were on top of it and then the car throws up more surprises. I just hope it goes back together ok! Its a pity i cant justify carrying on with taking the front end off right now, but without taking the engine out too that would only allow us to check so much anyway - a future project, perhaps. What were the worst bits on your 840?
Hi Craig - Great Video that shows you can’t be too careful when restoring the bodywork - rust is devastating and really needs to be attended to properly - I know my 8 will be worse than I think it is but they are such a stunning car they’re worth it 👍😃
Completely agree - when you start going through your car essentially just double your budget! 🤭🤦♂️. Deep down i know i should be going through the front end too but i literally cant afford to do any more right now - and the only way to do the front end properly would be to take the engine out too so you can get to the subframe. Ah well thats a future project sorted!
Make sure that no piano falls on the marina🤣
Someone loves it enough to save it!
Hi Craig. Thanks for the shoutout. Sorry for length of this comment before I start! Great news about your bonnet front. Mine took loads of work. Our cars are really similar though in terms of rust areas. I have had to put metal into both of my doors, but not in the corners. I am 100% sure that this is due to untouched-up bare metal after catching the door on something. On the rear, 2 of the 3 studs that mount the plastic moulding that secures part of the bumper had rusted through into the spare wheel well. Yours look perfect. I had to do exactly same repair under the wash bottle. My sunroof panel was about the same as yours. At the time I started my project new ones were available from BMW Germany at about £600 from memory. Consequently, I have repaired mine. I spent many hours meticulously de-rusting it. The best rust converter you can get is called Fertan. Not many people know of this product and it is not that easy to get, but a pro restorer friend of mine put me onto it and it really is exceptional. It is a thin liquid, so I applied it several times to the top of the flange where the 2 sheets of metal are spot welded together. Capillary action will draw this down into the seam and (hopefully!) kill the rust for a few years to come. All bare metal should then be epoxy primed, regular primed and painted. If I had to do another, I would make a bath to dip it. There is an excellent company called Rustbuster (rust.co.uk) who make loads of good products. The rusty rear wheelarch flange needs very special attention. Again, feel free to e-mail me if you want or need any further input.
Hi Bob, no need to apologise! Bit of a spoiler for the next instalment but I have bought a new sunroof panel - it didn't seem worth the effort in man hours that I'd be paying the workshop to have them try repairing it over buying a new one, though yes it was an expensive sheet of metal! Dealership said it was the last one in factory. At least now I can feel comfortable that it will be good for many years, along with the new seal I bought also. I shall chat to the workshop tomorrow when I visit about the rust treatment you suggest (especially about epoxy on bare metal as there's a few small areas around the top of both sides that were cleaned back to bare metal as part of the early roof removal) and to check the rear arch flange has been rectified properly. Into the closing stages now! Car being prepped for paintwork and a few tiny bits to finish up on before I can get the car back and straight to the garage for a new MOT which has expired while in the workshop (I know it will fail due to the abs and asc warning lights being on, which is another scary prospect of not knowing what the fix will be...). Thanks again for watching!
@@CraigOnCars OK Craig, don't let it grind you down like it has me! PS. Are you having to fit a new rear screen like I am?
It’ll be fine, just worried the investigation/diagnosis on the abs will be never ending and expensive. Not many e31 specialists in my area. No i was lucky with the rear screen in that it came out just fine, and theres no delamination on it so that can go back in (though im not convinced my heating elements in it work properly). The front screen cracked though taking it out, so i need a new one of those as well. Will order through national windscreens rather than bmw as they are made by st gobain who makes the screen for bmw anyway, but its over 2/3rd cheaper!
@@CraigOnCars OK. Yes, front screens are available, but there is not much change from £800 last time I checked for the rear as the rubber trim strip is an astonishing £150! Rust bubbling up from the roof cracked my rear screen top RH corner. Most of elements on mine didn't work anyway due to delamination. By the time you see the tell tale white blooming the damage has been done to the elements. Fingers crossed your ABS issue will be a wheel sensor. If it's a rear, they are ridiculously expensive (£250) and not available aftermarket. I have,(not tested it yet) modified a very similar sensor for an E34 which is readily available aftermarket, as I had to destroy one of mine to refurbish the rear hub. We'll see if it works. They say the ABS pumps are impossible to get and impossible to overhaul, so I guess, technically, a failed one could scrap the car. If it were me, I would research this to death possibly before committing to the painting costs. NO E31 specialists in my area. I work part-time for Euro Car Parts and deliver to lots of garages. Quite a large one had an 840 in for several months with a failed ABS pump. They had sourced a s/h unit, but told me that they had been trying to track down an "expert" which they needed to code the unit to the car. You may have seen the channel, but if not M359 Restorations is worth a look at. We all look forward to see how you go on. Best of luck mate.
@@CraigOnCars Apologies, M539 Restorations
best thing to do with the sunroof panel is buy a complete new roof panel and get rid of it ! i complete new none sunroof panel is about £1000 and although expensive it gives you the best option for fixing all the front and rear screen rust and the rust that runs from the front screen back along the roof panel edges , and lets face it the uk weathers so bad you wont miss the sunroof anyway :)
I wouldn't want to spoil the next instalment for you ;)
@@CraigOnCars smart man :)
No rust on my 80k miles 1994 840ci but having a huge issue with wiring just deteriorating, most notably the headlight harnesses and looms. Typical leaks have developed in the a/c compressor and hydraulic brake master. If you intend to restore one of these be aware that parts - especially for the dash and console - are becoming very hard to source so pay up and buy the best condition example you can find.
Im expecting to have similar issues in the years ahead - hope you can resolve the wiring problems on yours! The A/C on mine doesnt work at the moment - thats a future project. Luckily my interior is in excellent condition. If yours is a UK car, keep an eye out for tiny rust bubbles coming up on the rear corners of your roof - jump on it as soon as you spot it!
Always hit the like here, you deserve it; great videos and nice relaxed presentation! May I ask, did the guys there find out what first caused the rust in your drivers door bottom corner? Was it a paint chip rusting inwards or the reverse; standing water causing rust from the inside?
Thank you i appreciate your support so much! No specific cause identified unfortunately, only evidence of an earlier (bodged) rust repair. I suspect its inside going out rust as before we started peeling back it looked so minor externally, i thought it would only require a light clean back. The whole project is leading to some head scratching moments - you’d expect one side of the car to be worse than the other with kerbside getting more weather element exposure due to puddles etc. Yet the passenger / kerb side of the car seems much stronger than the drivers side! Much less rust in the passenger door, the driver side rear arch had that really strange corrosion on the inside of the arch lip yet the passenger side had none of that but needed a big chunk cut out on the corner!
@@CraigOnCars I reckon that the drain hole has in the past been clogged for a while
@@timbre7999 thats a good shout. In fact im on my way up there in a few minutes so i’ll make sure to ask that the drain hole has been cleared out! Thanks again for the support 👍
Just checked the door - drain hole very much clear! 😃
@@CraigOnCars that's good news 😊
Nice one Craig. Just a matter of interest what is your budget if you don’t mind me asking as i have a BMW 740 96 which needs a similar amount of work, thanks, Ray
My budget went out the window early on as soon as the roof had to come off! I think the roof rust is an E31 specific issue so hopefully you wouldn’t have to do that bit, and theres been project creep with things like the headlining being redone and the wheels refurbed. In terms of labour, i think we’re over 100 hours spent so far and their going rate is £39 per hour. What i would say is whatever the car is assessed as needing done before the job starts, when they give you an estimate to do the job just double it! I didnt factor in things like needing to buy new windscreen, seals, trim and roof/sunroof panel at the start. I know the E38 suffers with rusty arches, doors and fuel tanks - all of which i dont think are too bad to get rectified? Definately a car worth saving!
Hi i have recently bought. 840ci sport estoril blue, in need of a restoration.. i am in Manchester.. is there a ball park figure I should be paying to have this done?
Firstly congratulations on your purchase! One of the coolest cars out there and in the best colour too 😃. It will really depend on what needs to be done? Is it the bodywork, chassis, interior, or engine?
@@CraigOnCars hi sorry I should have been more specific, it need body work, there is some rust to the arches and roof.. under neath is fine..
The cost will depend on what hourly rate the workshop you choose to do the work charges, as the majority of the work is pure labour. Shop around and ask a few places to quote you, and dont be afraid to look further afield as rates differ hugely depending on region of UK. For example Auto Resto hourly rate is £39 - probably alot cheaper than London, Birmingham or Manchester rates. Reputation of the workshop more important i’d say, and the cost of shipping the car on a truck to wherever it goes for the work will be very small compared to the difference in hourly rates. I went into this project quite niaively, without realising all the other rust they may find when stripping the car back which is whats led my project to grow into a full body restoration. New roof skins and sunroof panels arent cheap from BMW. If you are lucky and there is no other rust and its just the arches and roof, it could still be a £5-8k job when all finished.
@@CraigOnCars hi thank you for your reply.. I have budgeted between £5k-10k for the car so hopefully I can get it less than this..
@@aktarhussain4437 that seems very reasonable, just have a contingency incase more rust/issues are discovered the further they look. The actual process is quite exciting! Let me know how you get on 👍
Hi Craig, how’s the restoration going on the 840, Ray
Hi Ray, its been very slow this past few weeks, but things should start moving very fast this next few (with a plot twist too!) so im hoping to capture everything in one final episode. Thanks for asking and for watching 😃
Engine swap maybe 🤔🙂
First 🤣
So see what i mean now about all these unexpected surprises? 😂
Oh yes the end is near though and she will be beautiful
@@Musker1989 very true! Hopefully will start coming together in the next few weeks. Then the summer shows!