1987 BMW E28 M5 Blue

Got the floor welded






Check for penetration







Then cleaned off










Remember this odd shaped tear







Well it was where the accelerator stop was removed,







and it gives me the perfect reference point (purely by chance I must add) to refit it







That makes the inner sill next







A new bit of Zintec bent over an old jack handle






and one bend in old faithful







Gives us what we need






My favourite 2lb hammer comes into action as a dolly, to add some detail












Spot weld that in






and then some zinc primer






I discovered a couple of weeks ago that the Genuine BMW sills that we got don't run the full length







You can see from the OEM Image that they tie up with the front and rear pillars







So thought thats a shame, lets get some Geniune full length sills, so they turned up but are rubbish,






yes they run the full length so would be easier to fit

But they don't have any of the drain holes or detail of the other ones, infact they look almost like copy parts but with BMW stickers on, there is no definition to the bends or anything and the paint that is on them is definitely not OEM









No comparison to the short ones









So after much deliberation I decided to work with the shorter ones, they would be much more work to get right, but hopefully the extra detail and definition would be worth it



This meant that the bottom of the A pillar would need repairing






Bish






Bash






Bosh







It fits like this











Which then goes back here







so then tried the wing on, all good








and marked the Hole for the Sunroof drain tube modification, through a hole that interesting enough already exists in the front wings







I need a 20mm hole to suit a grommet that I have, best way to do that is with a stepped cone cutter







Drill a smallish hole first to get started and then just keep drilling until you reach the 20 mark, you then end up with a nice round hole, much easier than a hole saw, which can wander all over while your drilling







A small extension to the front of the sill







Goes here







Cleaned off (well almost if stealthstylz is watching ), will work a bit more on it when its all in place, You can see how its going to come together






Most important thing is to make sure all the sections are straight and true, so at every step I'm using a straight edge to check and adjust if needed


Thats it for this weekend

That repair panel for the bottom of the A pillar is just superb!

You don't dissapoint do you? :)I know this might sound silly Tony,but do you find that you are pushing your own abilities further with everyone watching? Ie on the internet even the slightest detail can be noted, so you make double sure you do your best? I imagine not, most probably your normal skill level anyway ;D

Thanks for the Sunday night update, always a nice way to finish the weekend off.

Bish, Bash, Bosh....... yeah right! - that's metal magickery that is

Nick

Pure brilliance!!

However, are you sure this is a jacking point?



E30's suffer with the same rotten footwells due to people thinking the square at the bottom of the A-pillar is a jacking point when infact it isn't. Just wondering whether the E28 suffers from a similar problem.

Danny, I'd be lying if I said having your work on show, for all to see, does not make you think harder about it, but the main purpose of the thread is to show whats possible with even basic tools, and encourage others to give it a go, no matter what their skill level.



Even the best welder / fabricator in the world had to start at the beginning, so we all share that with him (or Her) so go on post your results and no need to worry




Kedge, your absolutely right, these are not jacking points, from what I understand these were put there for part of the manufacturing process, I think this is how the cars were actually mounted on the production line. Problem is the jacking point did not look any stronger, so I was Damned if I did and Damned if I didn't, although it has helped to identify that they do need work



Spinx, that is a valid point, may be worth a try, as there is no way that the profile of these sills would in anyway match the front wings, we might have got away with it for a car with a full bodykit on, but not for this car


And as always Guys, thanks for the positive comments and continuing to follow my threads

Tony,
Once again my hat is off to you. Your on line threads and demos are inspiration to all who read them. Your kind and gracious words are encouragment to those (like me) who tremble at the thought of putting a cutting disc to oxidised steel.
I had planned to practice my mediocre 'talents' on my old MGB- but fate has took a hand, and revealed rust in the sills of my beloved Mk3 Zodiac (- nothing like a bit of pressure to focus the mind). Have spent the last two weekends stripping her out. Have found some smaller patches needed inside that I can practice on - before starting on the more visible stuff.
The floor, and sill end repair detailed here have already been a great guide for me- Thank You and keep the threads flowing, You have no idea how inspiring they are.
I'll get started... as soon as I grow a pair of Ball's.

I have been following this project from the start and as all the other poster say it's brilliant.
What I also have to say is it's so well written and interesting. Can't wait for the next instalment.

+1 ;D

Inspiring work!! One day I want to be as good as you!