The 'What If this was Required' on a 131 Scenario

[Rob 131]

I have just had the BMW in for a service at 100,000km and apparently it is a major one. In addition to the usual, plugs and filters, I was advised that the Wishbones needed replacement together with the Bushes and some items related to the Shocks. Following the work being carried out the car feels a great deal tauter and somehow more responsive  .

However what got me thinking was that if similar work was required on a 131 Sport, what would be the situation as regards spares availability .

I assume that all the filters and routine service items are available and there would be new shocks that would be suitable. However what would be the situation as regards say Wishbones or Bushes. In addition what other parts that are often required (or unable to rebuild) that are unavailable  .

[simon131]

Rob,

I had all of the rubber bushes etc replaced on my Abarth back in 2006 and whilst the parts are not exactly 'stock items' at the local factors, everything was 'obtainable' one way or the other.  The old addage 'Where there's a will there's a way' comes to the fore,

I think I've even got Mark 2 Escort bushes on my front anti-roll bar - just don't tell anyone!

Cost generally was only a few quid, so not bank busting, you just have to be imaginative.

[Thotos]

All rubber bushes are available from Yagmur or if an upgrade is needed poly bushes are also available. As for wishbones, there's no problem at all as there aren't any in a 131 

[wak131]

Lets just add that with relation to wishbones and bushes, the front control arm with ball joint and front shock top mount came to my mind as parts one can not obtain as easy nowadays and they do a big work in the ride comfort.

But as Simon said, we still have the "other way"  our friend and forum member Yagmur, who has it all

edit: oops Thotos was faster

[parrish]

Yep did all mine a couple of years back, including anti roll bar, bushing and Track control arm bushes, as has been said all still available. I did both upper and lower rear trailing arms (replaced them as i bent one jacking the car up!) and fitted new bushes all round the rear, new shockers etc, and as you have mentioned the difference when changing these items when worn is tremendous, all i need do now is get my engine running sweetly.
Steve

[Thotos]

Rob does have a valid point here but what must also be considered is that the way cars are made has changed a lot over the years and that has a big effect when it comes to replacement of parts. Take wishbones, for example. I presume the BMW wishbones had to be replaced because the bushes were worn and they are not replaceable. Modern cars have large parts or 'sub-assemblies' manufactured in a way that parts are not replaceable but makes the part easier to manufacture, possibly via an automated process and also easier to fit to the car in the factory. So wishbones will have metallised bushes fitted in a way that are not replaceable and even ball joints that are not replaceable. So where in a 131 you can actually replace the rubber boot of a ball joint if you wanted to, in a modern BMW you need to replace the complete wishbone.

A good example of this is the Gamma (here I go again   ) which has wishbone front suspension. Now most parts for a Gamma are near impossible to get new but getting new front wishbone bushes is very easy because (a) they are replaceable (b) they are the same as a Beta and (c) Betaboyz had them remanufactured. So I could change the front wishbone bushes and ball joints on my Gamma (which I have done) for under ?20 whereas I bet the BMW wishbone was a lot more expensive than that.

On the opposite side of the coin, I recently had the front disks replaced on my Mercedes and they cost under ?90 for the pair of original Mercedes discs while when it came to the Gamma I had to get a pair of custom manufactured discs from Japan that cost ?254 (and I was lucky that I didn't have to pay for postage as they were personally delivered!)

[mirafioriman]

Perhaps like Betaboyz we as a group should investigate remanufactured parts for the 131? Any parts which are needed to keep the car running but hard to find or impossible to get.

[Rob 131]

All very interesting answers and much what I suspected happened in order to keep these cars on the road 

I assume the situation with Body Parts is somewhat more complicated  . Further to Mirafiori Man's Comments what would the possibility of having such parts manufactured.......

[mirafioriman]

My first thoughts would be suspension bushes and mounts. Kev said Polybushes are available but I'm not sure a full set is. Perhaps we could organise a group buy and approach a manufacturer to produce full sets.

I would take 2 sets to rebush my 2 131s. A set for my 130, 132 and Argenta would be nice too!

[Rob 131]

Further to this thread with a slight twist regarding interiors.

I have been looking at used 131 Sport's advertised in Italy and Holland and in the main they look in resonable state body wise. However even allowing for the age of these vehicles the interiors looked somewhat tired, which got me thinking, has anyone had a 131 Sport Interior Retrimmed (new seat coverings, door cards etc). If so which companies have carried out the work and what is the approximate cost.