Bubbles on my Beemer

Because they rot from the inside to the outside. Dirt and crud get behind the plastic liner and this is the beginning of it. If you grind it back.it will.just go again unless you deal with the inside of the wing.
 
You either bodge it now and have it come back in a few months, or spend some money and fix it long term. Depends how long you intend to keep the car.
 
[TW]Fox;22222998 said:
New wings are the best cure, it isn't thousands to get done. This is sadly very common on the E46 and oddly silver seems most prone to it.
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+1

My Mums e46 had this very issue, it had two new wings and is now fine again.

Yes, its Silver! - Unusual imo for one colour to be affected, I often look at similar age e46's, and it is indeed the Silver ones that in the main are the scabby ones.....
 
I had two E46's and both suffered from this (as well as a few that I had viewed when buying). It is a common issue due to a huge lip inside the wing collecting dirt/crud as has been mentioned before.

Age is the main factor to this, the older the car the longer the wings have been exposed to the crud build up. It has nothing to do with the colour (both my E46's were Orient Blue).

I went to a body shop to get this sorted out. They stated that once the rot had started it will always come back. The only real resolution is to replace the wings and keep that inner lip as clean as you can...
 
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poker_999 said:
:rolleyes:

can you tell me exactly what is wrong with grinding all the rot out, treating the rust and giving a quick skim of filler?
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Mr bodywork expert to the rescue again. It's coming through from the inside of the panel. If you grind and fill it'll be back to looking like that in a few months.
 
Janesy B said:
Mr bodywork expert to the rescue again. It's coming through from the inside of the panel. If you grind and fill it'll be back to looking like that in a few months.
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What a sad little boy you are answering a question that has already been answered so you can try and have a dig. LOL.

Why not just waxoyl behind the repair? if you properly grind the rust out and treat it with kurust I see no reason why it would come back.

If road salt is getting thrown up behind the wheel liner why is the pro repair replacing the wings if its just going to rot out again in another 8 years?
 
poker_999 said:
What a sad little boy you are answering a question that has already been answered so you can try and have a dig. LOL
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It's quite typical that corrosion like that comes from the inside out, much like on the Puma. I thought an expert like you would know that?

Anyway what a sad little man getting banned from a forum and signing up under another name.
 
E46 wings cost about £120, I bought one from my usual specialist (E-Tech Havant) and got a local bodyshop to prep, spray and fit. They charged £275 for the job and that included blending into the neighboring panels.

Edit*
My replacement was due to damage, not bubbling. I've not noticed any paint defects on mine at all. Titanium Silver.
 
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This is the state of them couple of hours ago


Can someone link me to the wings please in stock? what are the part numbers for drivers and off side wings for 2003 E46?
 
mrk said:
E46 wings cost about £120, I bought one from my usual specialist (E-Tech Havant) and got a local bodyshop to prep, spray and fit. They charged £275 for the job and that included blending into the neighboring panels.

Edit*
My replacement was due to damage, not bubbling. I've not noticed any paint defects on mine at all. Titanium Silver.
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was that just for one wing the 275 sprayed ?:eek:
 
The Running Man said:
id get on the owners club find someone breaking similar colour to you and just replace the wings. or live with it..
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The wings on a car that's being broken up could start to bubble in a few months, why go to all the trouble of replacing wings with another set that could just rust again?
 
Janesy B said:
The wings on a car that's being broken up could start to bubble in a few months, why go to all the trouble of replacing wings with another set that could just rust again?
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I thought 'similar colour' was the best bit. Yea, I'll just get a complete wing in only a 'similar' colour to the rest of the car. Thats almost as good as not wanting to do the 'Ring in an RS6 because its an Estate :D
 
[TW]Fox;22229445 said:
I thought 'similar colour' was the best bit. Yea, I'll just get a complete wing in only a 'similar' colour to the rest of the car. Thats almost as good as not wanting to do the 'Ring in an RS6 because its an Estate :D
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Maybe buy 'similar' colour doors, bonnet + bootlid too and make the world's only E46 Harlequin.

à la

XXVkd.png
 
But surely if you're replacing, you'll get a good look behind them, clean, make sure your linings are clean, waxoyl, etc etc. So if used replcements are good you should be able to keep them that way.

Anyone know if E39 suffers from this?
 
poker_999 said:
:rolleyes:

can you tell me exactly what is wrong with grinding all the rot out, treating the rust and giving a quick skim of filler?
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You won't be able to grind all the rot out. The nature of the lip and location of the rot will mean that it wont be done properly.

If it's grinded with the wing still on the car it won't work.

If the wing is taken off and grinded, even if you did manage to grind it all out ( which you wont) the labour spent in doing that, you might aswell just replace the wings completely.
 
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