Advice sought on my 535i

[kick7ca]

Hi Guys,
I'm looking for the voices of experience.
My 535i has some pretty serious rust at the bottom of the doors and around the gas filler neck. The driver's rear door has section of rust that runs 5 inches up the back of the door.

I don't know if I should paint the car or sell it and get one that isn't rusting.
The thing is, this car is the car I want - bright red, 5 speed, sport seats, LSD. The chances of me finding another like it in better shape are slim. I paid $6000 CDN for it, 226km.

I'm just not sure what to do. The thing pulls like a frieght train and interior is pretty good. I could spend like $3000 tops on a paint job, but I don't know it it would be worth it for a car that has aleady begun to rust. Advice please.

Thanks

[John B.]

Don't waste your money on a paint job unless you replace the rusty doors first. Buy some clean used ones from Calif or the southwest or just look for a better 535i. Is the rust around the filler hole surface rust or something worse? Have you had a good look under the car to check the floors & rockers?

[kyleN20]

i am in very much the same boat as you, though somewhat less sever, i found my car, and it is the perfect car, 1989 535i manual, black good interior, but i have very slight rust on the bottem of the doors, and about a 6 or 7 inch strip from the rear wheel to the gas tank, i think im going to go to a good body shop and find out how much it was cost o get it fixed, i hope its not too expensive, and i also hope its possible.
kyle

[kick7ca]

Don't waste your money on a paint job unless you replace the rusty doors first. Buy some clean used ones from Calif or the southwest or just look for a better 535i. Is the rust around the filler hole surface rust or something worse? Have you had a good look under the car to check the floors & rockers?

around the filler hole appears to be surface rust, but I'd bet there is some in there.I think the gas tank would have to be removed to fix properly. rockers are solid, but there is some rust above the diff and up behind gas tank. Are doors easy to find?

[JonE]

I had my door bottoms sandblasted and repainted. They did the whole section below the black trim. It was not rusted through anywhere. I understand that this is only temporary, but cost less than $800 with new door bottom trim and I can look for a good door after the car starts rusting again in a couple of years. The door bottoms on the E34's are a common rust trap.