steering and suspension Rotted Front Shock Tower

[smithgrind]

Hello,

 

I'm looking at a 71' for sale that has some pretty good rot in the passenger shock tower. The driver side tower a little something going on too.

I have very little experience with welding and wanted to get an opinion on how complicated this repair can get? The rest of the car looks pretty solid.

 

The guy is asking around $3500 and I'm not sure it's worth it. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks much!

[joysterm]

Hard to comment but do you have any pics. 

[smithgrind]

I didn't take any photos of the rust issues.

When I told a local BMW shop about the car and shock tower repair, he said I might have to spend $1000 on Tylenol for the headaches.

I thought that was pretty funny at the time... and not so funny if it is true.

[joysterm]

I have learned that just about anything can be fixed when it comes to these cars, but not without some major costs if repairing rusted out structural components. Without pics it is hard to make a educated guess but based on your comments the best money you could spend, would  be to look for another in better condition. Unless of course you have time and money to spend on this one.

 

Good luck with whatever you decide

 

Mike 

[smithgrind]

Thanks, Mike.

[TobyB]

Where you at?

 

That is probably the varable that matters.

 

That, and the condition of the rest of the car...

 

 

t

[Simeon]

If serious rust has set in there in a comparatively accessible place, what is lurking in more hidden spots? I would tread carefully here, especially if you haven't done this work before yourself.

Edited November 10, 2015 by Simeon

[M3M3]

Move on to another car. ...

[smithgrind]

TobyB, I'm in New Jersey.

 

Thanks for the feedback everyone.

[Hans]

It is unlikely that the rust is limited to one shock tower.I assume were talking about the rear, in which case another piece can be grafted in. But per above, where else is rust? eg floors, pedal box, rockers, and so on.

[smithgrind]

The rear shock towers looked good. Rockers and floor pans were solid too. It seems like the front passenger side has the rust issues. I addition to the shock tower, the lower fender near the rocker is rusted and right above the headlight is puffing.

[Conserv]

Front fenders are not a big deal. Even a very low rust car like my '76 is bound to need front fenders. But the title of this thread, "Rotted Front Shock Tower," if true, is more concerning than even the "quite concerning" rear shock mount areas, if only because the front inner fenders, which serve as upper mounts for the front struts, are less often a rust problem. Sure, the base of the A pillar is a real problem, and the front frame rails -- particularly those doused in brake fluid for decades -- are a problem. But I've seen few cars with real rust issues on the inner fenders around the upper mounts of the MacPherson struts. Forum user stymee is one example:

http://www.bmw2002faq.com/topic/111768-full-of-surprises-a-72-tii-from-the-northeast/page-5

Post #94, third photo. And I seem to recall some earlier photos but I'll let you do the legwork. Stymee, hero to many of us, is restoring, largely by his own hands, a tii that 99.9% of us would have characterized as a pig wearing lipstick, a good-looking parts car, when he bought it. Lots to learn from his build thread!

Good luck and regards,

Steve

[bwingate]

I am in the process of fixing the inner front fender areas of my car.  It's not pretty, and I am not so skilled - so I'm REALLY slow at it.  Most of the panels are available, but it seems like it will be a lot of work.

 

My inspiration:  http://www.bmw2002faq.com/topic/111768-full-of-surprises-a-72-tii-from-the-northeast/

and http://retrorides.proboards.com/thread/65793?page=1  <--- this guy, tonybmw does amazing work.  Look at his other threads in his signature.

 

I agree though - if you are seeing major rust up top, that's just the beginning. 

Edited November 10, 2015 by bwingate

[TobyB]

Hmmm, that's an odd one, I agree with Steve- if you can't run a screwdriver through the rears, or the inner or outer rockers,

it might be worth carefully looking over.  Sometimes cars rust in non- traditional ways.  But not usually.

 

In NJ, you can go south to find 'less rusty' cars, but you'll still have to travel.

 

Pix would help a lot.

 

t

[smithgrind]

Thanks to everyone who offered top-notch advice and links! I learned more in 24 hours than in the past year of fumbling around online.

 

I made an offer of what I could afford right now ($2000) on the 71' and it was turned down. I had a hard time coming up with a number because the seller wasn't sure himself.

He had inherited two 2002's from a family member that passed away recently and wants to get rid of them before the winter. Friends of mine said to offer around $1200, but that didn't sound right to me.

 

In the meantime, I'll read through all the threads and get educated on the 02's

 

Thanks again.