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Thread: Bad rust in rear door corner. Why?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Oct 2016
    Location
    Norton Massachusetts
    Posts
    76
    My Cars
    2003 530i M-sport

    Bad rust in rear door corner. Why?

    rusty.jpg

    Picked up this 2003 530i for just $2000 recently, with 130,000 miles and some rust.
    I don't think that the door's vapor seal is the culprit here because the water's in the wrong place.
    There's a drainage slit on the door that lines up with this corner, but that slit is SUPPOSED to shed water.
    Does this rust spot indicate a failed door gasket or trim? Or is it a simple case of tiny breach left to rot over time?

    I noticed the other morning that the window on this door was foggy and no other windows were. Related?
    The carpet is not wet.

    How reparable is a rusty mess like this?

    t.i.a. guys

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jun 2013
    Location
    Boston, MA
    Posts
    1,154
    My Cars
    99 528i/5, 05 ZHP conv
    Hard to say for sure...could be previous body work in the area, or a small nick that was never treated.

    I do know that that is an area where sand/salt dirt can gather, and also know that some drivers can go a month or more before opening that rear door. Wouldn't take much New England road salt to cause that.

    I think it is pretty repairable. It might come back, but not for several years if done correctly. I have a body shop in Randolph/Stoughton MA that I like using for this kind of work. PM if interested.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jun 2017
    Location
    Chicago
    Posts
    438
    My Cars
    2003 BMW 530i M Sport
    Hey I have this as well! Mine is in one of the rear doors (driver side I think). I also oddly have 3 large rust bubbles on the lower unibody/sideskirt. 1 front and rear on one side, the other one almost dead center on the lower sideskirt

    Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk
    2003 530i M Sport [Black Sapphire Metallic & Sand Interior]

    IMG_1075 by Alex Wilson Photography, on Flickr



  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 2016
    Location
    Ca
    Posts
    6,981
    My Cars
    2001 525it
    It's an east coast car eventually something is going to rust

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Oct 2015
    Location
    Washington, IL
    Posts
    1,238
    My Cars
    2003 540i6
    I had to do that repair on my car. I don't have any pics of what it looked like before, but here's an after pic. My rust wasn't as bad as what you have, but pretty close. Just make sure to remove all the rust, and I mean ALL of the rust before putting down any filler or primer. You could also use POR15 if you're not sure you got all the rust off.

    I used a wire wheel on my angle grinder to remove most of the rust, and then in the corner I used a dremel with misc little dremel grinders to remove the remaining rust. I then sprayed down some self etching primer, basecoat, and then 2k clear. I think I did this 3 years ago and it's still rust free. Here's a pic right after the clear coat cured.
    paint2.jpg
    2003 540i/6

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Oct 2016
    Location
    Norton Massachusetts
    Posts
    76
    My Cars
    2003 530i M-sport
    Niiice. That's encouraging.

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