the elusive inner wheelhouse

[pwais]

Hi Forum,

I had the bad fortune of getting hit while parallel parked and was hoping to ask for some repair advice. My 1M has been in the shop now for over 6 weeks and has been blocked for the past 3 weeks waiting for BMW to manufacture a fresh inner wheelhouse. (My shop says there aren't any in the US or Europe.. if you happen to know of one available, please please let me know!! ). BMW recently said they're going to need at least another 2 weeks

The shop offered to try to rebuild the mangled inner wheelhouse, but so far I've wanted to stick to fresh parts (insurance is paying). My main question: is it worth waiting for a fresh wheelhouse? I had thought the part was structural, but is it really just a mud guard for the chassis? Do you think it would hurt the value of the car to go with the rebuilt part?

My apologies for the carnage below:




Cops are still trying to find the jerk

[Lord Hemming]

Sorry to read this and see the damage. I would wait for new parts, it will allow the repair shop to do a good job, repaired parts will probably mean trouble and give the shop a chance to blame repaired parts for a sub optimal repair

[YoungGuns]

ouch... this is too painful to look at. hopefully you'll find the guy who did it.. good luck man, the wait's excruciating isn't it? What are you driving in place of the 1M? some noob rental car?

[Glassoman55]

actually the part you are referring to is "structural"....its not just a "splash shield"....it's integrated into the side structure of the vehicle and comes as one unit.......it's a big job to change the whole part....the shop that's doing the work might opt to section a piece in rather than replace the whole piece....the part that the shop ordered is #1 in the diagram below and it includes piece #2,#3 and #4....

just a word of advice when dealing with the shop......don't be in a rush to get your car done and dont put pressure on the shop to rush and get it done....be patient.....this is a fairly big job and you want it done right...not quickly...

i'm also in the same boat....waiting for a left side quarter to come from germany ......should have it any day now.....patience....patience....

[Artemis]

Viewer discretion advised for those pictures, indeed.

As others commented: have it done properly with the OEM replacement parts. Wise words that spending more time is worth the wait (even if it might be quite an excruciating experience on nice Summer holidays).

Also get the geometry of the left rear wheel cautiously checked. Judging by the damage to the bodywork and skid traces on the tyre, the rear wheel axle and suspension must have been stressed by quite some energy upon impact. Taken into account the speeds the 1M can generate, its fine-tuned M suspension and its sportive nature, it should be as perfect as the situation prior to the accident again. Safety first - no compromises or indulging.

Sorry to hear about your mishap. Good luck.

Oh, and welcome to the forum, pwais. Many fine people over here, also for comforting you and helping you out with all things 1er (including the 1M).

[///M1]

Very sorry to hear (and see) your unfortunate incident. Just hang in there, and wait for the new parts to arrive.

As Glassoman is a true pro when it comes to such repairs (you can see his inspiring '1M revival' thread herein), I'd do exactly what he prescribed ^^^ Best of luck!

[pwais]

Hi Glassoman, thanks for the expert advice! I thought the part was indeed structural, thanks for clarifying. And thanks everyone for your support! I'm going to go ahead and wait for the new OEM part then. I've actually used up my 44 days of rental car so now I'm stuck with a bike & public transit, but yea definitely want this job to get done right.

The full repairs also include a new steering rack, three new wheels (the front right is literally missing a chunk of sidewall), and new f&r suspension. Shop claims the diff is ok. Fingers crossed the alignment and paint fairies work major magic. I'm saving up me karma tokens for this one.

Glassoman, hope you get your quarter soon! And sorry if I might have taken the last one X_X

[ozinaldo]

Originally Posted by pwais

Hi Glassoman, thanks for the expert advice! I thought the part was indeed structural, thanks for clarifying. And thanks everyone for your support! I'm going to go ahead and wait for the new OEM part then. I've actually used up my 44 days of rental car so now I'm stuck with a bike & public transit, but yea definitely want this job to get done right.

The full repairs also include a new steering rack, three new wheels (the front right is literally missing a chunk of sidewall), and new f&r suspension. Shop claims the diff is ok. Fingers crossed the alignment and paint fairies work major magic. I'm saving up me karma tokens for this one.

Glassoman, hope you get your quarter soon! And sorry if I might have taken the last one X_X

First of all, good luck. Now, Shop's claim of the differential being OK sounds fishy to me since both the rear suspension and wheels and tires are damaged to the point that they must be replaced. That is not really the kind of part a technician just have a look and say that it is fine. Having said that, since the insurance is paying everything there is no real reason that they would lie to you, on the contrary. So, hopefully I am wrong and they know what they are talking about.

[Glassoman55]

actually my quarter panel just walked in the door 45 minutes ago....wish you luck with your car and hope all the repairs go smooth...

[firechicken99]

that is some seriously bad parallel parking on the other drivers part!! SMH