So, How Screwed Am I? What I found in my trunk! (pictures) - United Bimmer Community

**delmarco** · 08-25-2005, 01:42 PM

So I took E36Bimmer advice and pulled evrything outta my trunk to get to the shock mounts...well I got to them, and found this...

So tell me before I take my car to the BMW mechanic, how screwed am I? Is it just the mounts or do I new body work and looking to replace evrything in the rear suspension that may have been damaged?
BTW...I must have been driving with this since March or April...when I 1st heard it...Only last night everything became loud and rattly...

Blow up of rear suspension components:

**B3M2W5i** · 08-25-2005, 01:57 PM

i think you may need to get new shock towers welded in

**Dudesky** · 08-25-2005, 03:52 PM

Yea, sorry, but you are sooo screwed. To be specific, you're one nut away from the shocks going right through your speakers. You have to take that to a body shop and have them weld a reinforcement plate on. Then prime & paint. I wouldn't drive it till you get this done.

**VANCE** · 08-25-2005, 04:05 PM

doode you are going to need some welding done

**catalyst** · 08-25-2005, 04:09 PM

How the fuck did that happen.. jesus christ, did the previous owner of you car do some jumps or something? Offroading perhaps?

as i said on bimmerwerkz:

That is not good, not good at all, thats going to be expensive as hell to fix.. You may have to drop the entire rear end, not sure..

I dont see that being fixed for under 2 grand. And i doubt BMW will touch that, an independent bmw race shop that deals with welding in custom cages is your best bet.

**B3M2W5i** · 08-25-2005, 04:11 PM

too bad del.. just when things were going your way too.. you better hope you get paid to be the mechanic in town lol

**delmarco** · 08-25-2005, 04:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dudesky_E36

Yea, sorry, but you are sooo screwed. To be specific, you're one nut away from the shocks going right through your speakers. You have to take that to a body shop and have them weld a reinforcement plate on. Then prime & paint. I wouldn't drive it till you get this done.

I already ordered new boge shocks from bavauto just now,

but how much we talking in terms of just the welding work and getting it all fixed?
$30
$300
$3000

DEATH2000 · 08-25-2005, 04:16 PM

^^^ try well over $3000. the damage i did to my moms bumper was one little weld that needs to be fixed, damage to that is like $2000 CDN. And judgin by the pics thats ALOT worse than my moms van,

**Spieluhr** · 08-25-2005, 04:21 PM

Would honestly not be suprised if an insurance company called it totalled. With the amount of miles on the car the value is probably fairly low. and that kind of damage will burn a hole in your pocket the size of the grand canyon.

I seriously wish you the best of luck in this endeavor my friend.

**delmarco** · 08-25-2005, 04:23 PM

is welding work that expensive!????

**catalyst** · 08-25-2005, 04:34 PM

I would cut my loses and buy a new car, seriously.

What do you want to do? spend well over 2000, probably closer to 3000 or higher, or buy a new, faster e36.

Keep your car for parts, tranfer all the goodies you have over to the new car and call it a day. Try to find a 325 for around 5000.

**Dudesky** · 08-25-2005, 04:36 PM

It's not the actual welding. It's taking the entire rear area apart, not to mention the gas tanks, then prepping the area for welding the new plate on there. Then it all has to be reassembled.

Also, there are different types of welding. Most auto shops have MIG (metal inert gas) welders on hand for jobs like exhaust systems and such. That job on your car requires a TIG weld (tungsten inert gas), and that equpment is more expensive. Very few shops have them, and even fewer mechanics are trained well enough to use them.

**xsperf** · 08-25-2005, 04:36 PM

guys, its bad, but it can be fixed, del, you might have some luck with bondo, dont worry about paint because no one can see it, justmake sure you straighten out that little ring so the shock mount can fit on, so yeah try to put some bondo on there, and then buy new shock mounts, shocks, etc, and then drive it, and see how it is

**catalyst** · 08-25-2005, 04:40 PM

Delmarco i feel so bad for you.. lol.

This is seriously why you need to inspect a car thoroughly before you buy it.. get it on a lift, check under the carpeting for rust, look for bent undercarriage components, etc...

**catalyst** · 08-25-2005, 04:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xsperf

guys, its bad, but it can be fixed, del, you might have some luck with bondo, dont worry about paint because no one can see it, justmake sure you straighten out that little ring so the shock mount can fit on, so yeah try to put some bondo on there, and then buy new shock mounts, shocks, etc, and then drive it, and see how it is

Dude, this isnt just body work, thats a major structural point in the cars chassis, and it is clearly RIPPING out of the body, if he continues driving the car like that he will end up with shocks sticking through his roof..