1 Exterior and 2 Interior Questions

[lex89]

I`ll start with the outside. The paint is bubbling up. We got bumped from behind a couple of years ago and I guess the body shop did a sh**ty job respraying. Had to go to a body shop for another part (driver`s side `runner` I guess you could call it) where the paint was split entirely and it was rusting underneath.



Here`s a couple of pics. It`s located on the driver`s in between the back of the car and the rear wheel.



http://img465.imageshack.us/img465/7748/7657371224011262906cz.jpg



And a close-up



http://img384.imageshack.us/img384/9540/7657354324011206808og.jpg



Can I fix this myself? I have a PC. I`m assuming I can`t.. but you never know :)





Inside (99 BMW 528i)



This is on the driver`s side. It looks/feels like the paint, or whatever it is, is just gone. It feels like plastic on the white part.



http://img384.imageshack.us/img384/2257/7657331624011132500zj.jpg



close-up



http://img465.imageshack.us/img465/7739/7657302424011035803lq.jpg



What can I do to fix this up?





Last thing is the gear shifter (auto).



http://img384.imageshack.us/img384/549/7657281324010967207vt.jpg



It`s hard to see from the pic, but there are little indentations on the top of the stick. It`s the light area in the black, right at the edge of the wood. I don`t think it`s leather. I`m not exactly sure what it is. Does anyone with this car or another automatic E39 know what to do about this? Thanks, Alex.

[imported_cj99si]

You cant fix that with a PC. its either bodo or rust coming out. you might be able to paint the handle but your better off buying new(used) parts for the shift knob, and door handle.

[Accumulator]

Yeah, sorry, but the short answer is "you can`t fix that stuff", any of it.



The paint is a rust out. Fixing it sooner rather than later will be good, but it`s gonna cost you some money.



The interior is where it`s really been worn down. You could try refinishing the door but if it were mine I`d live with it.



The shifter probably *is* leather, just worn down to the backing. You could maybe fix it with the putty from Leatherique but don`t expect miracles.



Things wear, simple as that, and to me it`s just part of the way life is. Replacing the parts that *really* bug you is about the only way to solve this, and that`s expensive.



If anything, I`d only worry about the rust. That`s a "fix it or sell the car" issue to me and I`d get on it right away whichever way I decided to go. You have maybe a year tops before it turns into a gaping hole and every day it`s gonna get worse; it`s literally the automotive equivalent of cancer.