Hey all,
Looking for some experienced eyes on a rust spot I found on my 2004 E46 M3 (Titan Silver, ~92k miles). The car spends winters stored in a garage off salted roads, and I've been working through a maintenance refresh on it.
I noticed some rougher, mottled texture along the rolled lip/seam at the bottom edge where the rocker meets the lower door/quarter area, worse on the passenger side. There's some discoloration and what looks like the early stages of surface rust forming along that lip. I've attached photos.
I did the basic press test — when I push on the affected area it feels mostly solid, not soft, crunchy, or flaky. Nothing has perforated and there are no holes. It doesn't appear to be bubbling up dramatically away from the metal, but the texture is clearly different from the smooth painted panel above it.
My questions for those who've dealt with this:
1. Does this look like early surface rust that can be sanded, treated, and repainted, or is there a good chance it's more advanced underneath than it appears from the surface?
2. Is the rolled rocker seam a known rust-prone area on these cars, and is there typically more going on behind/underneath the visible spot?
3. For something at this stage, what's the right approach — DIY treat and seal, or straight to a body shop? And roughly what should I expect to pay to have it done properly?
4. How urgently should I address it given the car is off salted roads in winter?
Appreciate any input from folks who've tackled rocker rust on the E46. Want to catch it early if it's catchable. Thanks.
Looking for some experienced eyes on a rust spot I found on my 2004 E46 M3 (Titan Silver, ~92k miles). The car spends winters stored in a garage off salted roads, and I've been working through a maintenance refresh on it.
I noticed some rougher, mottled texture along the rolled lip/seam at the bottom edge where the rocker meets the lower door/quarter area, worse on the passenger side. There's some discoloration and what looks like the early stages of surface rust forming along that lip. I've attached photos.
I did the basic press test — when I push on the affected area it feels mostly solid, not soft, crunchy, or flaky. Nothing has perforated and there are no holes. It doesn't appear to be bubbling up dramatically away from the metal, but the texture is clearly different from the smooth painted panel above it.
My questions for those who've dealt with this:
1. Does this look like early surface rust that can be sanded, treated, and repainted, or is there a good chance it's more advanced underneath than it appears from the surface?
2. Is the rolled rocker seam a known rust-prone area on these cars, and is there typically more going on behind/underneath the visible spot?
3. For something at this stage, what's the right approach — DIY treat and seal, or straight to a body shop? And roughly what should I expect to pay to have it done properly?
4. How urgently should I address it given the car is off salted roads in winter?
Appreciate any input from folks who've tackled rocker rust on the E46. Want to catch it early if it's catchable. Thanks.
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