Bought a salvage M Roadie yesterday

[notomas]

Very impressive restore. Would you mind adding a link, or a phone number here for the import salvage yard. Or pm me please. Thank you, RT.

[Mr Bingley]

Very impressive restore. Would you mind adding a link, or a phone number here for the import salvage yard. Or pm me please. Thank you, RT.

No problem.

Intercity Auto Wrecking

440-439-8100
1-800-GET-USED (438-8733)

[Mr Bingley]

Ok, more progress to report. So the deck lid I got for it had a little damage. We mounted it on the parts car to straighten it:








Back to the project car...



Jack had some extra time one day and cleaned up the doors and threw a little primer on them. Since the whole car is getting painted it all has to be done sooner or later.





Back to the parts car; it's time to cut out the metal we need for the project; start by drilling out the spot welds and cutting through the brazing (every joint is brazed at the factory):







Then it's time to section out the entire piece we need (and then some):









The parts car with what we want cut out:





Now the damaged metal is cut out of the project car:









The donor metal is trimmed to fit:

[Mr Bingley]

Next we fit the new metal to the project car:







Then we cut it in and clamp it down:







It's beginning to like like maybe a tree didn't fall on it after all:



Next we put the custom made measuring system back in the car and check the measurements now that the new metal is in place--it's just screwed in in a couple of places at this stage--checking measurement and fit must be done before actually welding it in:















Everything is within tolerances and measures up:





Now we bolt on the sheet metal to check gaps and fit:











Finally we mount the hard top (I bought a hard top for it--couldn't resist):









It's looking like a Z3M again. That's it for now. Next, the hard top and all that sheet metal has to come back off and the new pieces must be welded in place.

[Grauc]

wow

[DrSasha]

Looks great!!! These cars must be saved!

[SWISS]

When I am done with mine it will have ll the parts you need to fix your left minus hood, and a good B man could bring that back.

[BlackjackM]

I love threads like this, great job!

[Mr Bingley]

When I am done with mine it will have ll the parts you need to fix your left minus hood, and a good B man could bring that back.

Thanks, I think I have just about everything now. Still need a deck lid roundel for an M, a gas filler rubber gasket (the big round one that goes around the filler neck), a gas door stop (little rubber plug), an M lid license plate light, a front license plate mount, a driver's side front marker lamp (amber--the one in the side of the bumper), and a plastic rear window (will order an emiata one when we get to that point).

[wiseriver]

Ralph,

Sure is a good looking hardtop you've got there....

and the fenders don't look all that bad either.

Car is looking good

[Mr Bingley]

Ralph,

Sure is a good looking hardtop you've got there....

and the fenders don't look all that bad either.

Car is looking good

Yes it is--thanks again for the help with the parts. The blue fender in the pics is off the parts car--just using it for set up as yours on that side was clean and no need to risk damaging it. How do you like the roughing out of the deck lid?

[Mr Bingley]

More progress to report:

Sectioning in the new metal:













The welds ground, cleaned up, corrosion protected and seam sealed:













The new metal gets cut in:











While the windshield is out, Jack went ahead and sand blasted, corrosion protected, primed and cut in the windshield frame where a prior replacement had nicked the paint and a little rust was developing:







Repairing the hood:

This is what we got--remember, a tree fell on it:



Jack is an artist--he worked out the major denting and the the magic happens:










The car is in primer, cut in and basically ready for paint at this point, and will be painted probably this week.









Once painted, I get back into the job with the mechanical repair, top install, and putting the whole thing back together--can't wait.

[MrTorque]

Great progress....can't wait to see the final product!

[Average Joe]

It is. The name is Violet. It's an uncommon color because, well, not many people wanted a purple roadster.

The real reason is because violet is the heaviest color, which affects ride height and performance.

All of the violet roadsters I've seen ride 1/4 in. off the ground, drive below the speed limit, and have to slow down to 0.5 mph for tiny crevices in the pavement.

[hexagone]

Just don't paint it silver please.

[Mr Bingley]

Just don't paint it silver please.

Well, I'm not painting it violet. Seriously, it is just that much more work to change the color, so it stays silver--it is enough work as it is.

[IgotBMW]

Looks good silver.

Great seeing the progression.

[Scarceas]

Just don't paint it silver please.

Silver is one of my favorite car colors.

http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum...ll+call+silver

[Nighthawk399]

Thanks for Saving it!

The entire chasis will need to be fully straightened again. Id say 5k will get it back into retail territory.

[Riks M Roady]

I love all the pictures of the progress...

[Mr Bingley]

Thanks for Saving it!

The entire chasis will need to be fully straightened again. Id say 5k will get it back into retail territory.

Well I hope not--the unibody is as straight as an arrow at this point, and all the panels and gaps line up perfectly. But if by chassis you are including the suspension, then yes, I have some work to do in that regard. Front is fine, as the tree landed on the back, but I will be replacing a rear trailing arm and rear shocks and mounts. Then we will check it for 4 wheel alignment to see if it is true or not. But we measured when doing the frame work, and after weld in, which is why I say the unibody is straight--because it is.

[Mr Bingley]

More progress:

The new windshield is in:



body work done, and ready for prep.



Rockers are already painted and installed:




The small parts (rear deck lid panel) are painted separately along with the bumpers:





The hood is prepped:



The masking:





And the color is shot:



This is Bill, the painter, in between clear coats--he is really good at painting, which is an understatement:



This is Big Boy--there will be a paw print somwhere in the paint for good luck:



The first coat of clear:



The second coat:







Next post will be after a weekend of dry time. The hard top is getting painted next week. Once the all paint has dried good and hard, it will be wet sanding and buffing for perfection.

[tractorcrusher]

Holy shit. Great work so far, you're like a reconstructive surgeon!

[Mr Bingley]

Holy shit. Great work so far, you're like a reconstructive surgeon!

Not me--I just bought it and do the mechanical bits--my friends Jack and Bill are the reconstructive surgeons (ok, I get to help a little with the fun stuff). But thanks, it is reconstructing for sure.

[Racer MXM]

Silver is awesome, I don't know what Asim's problem is with Silver, but would love to hear about it