Famous Last Words (Off Road 6 Years)

[Leet205 48]

It will just need acouple of patches for the mot then I will get round to replacing the full sill.

 

One step forward and two steps back seems to be the way with my 205

 

Tax expired on it in Feb. '06, I thought to myself I will put it off the road and refresh the engine etc. To be fair It has sat outside in the wet for 4 years before it was brought to my warm dry garage when I moved to England.

 

It has had new disks and pads, replacement struts and shocks, refurb rear axle, new braided brake lines and new copper fuel lines, replacement 8v with top end rebuild and new cambelt, it had a pretty substantial inner wing repair done a few months ago (seen here)

 

Well with the new engine just started up after a few electrical gremlins I made a list to get it ready for its for first MOT in a while. the list was quite small;

 

1. Arrange wiring along front panel

2. Fit slam panel

3. Top up p.a.s

4. Repair/replace headlight loom where needed

5. Tyre swapped onto xsara rim

6. Inspect sill - patch

7. Fettle exhaust and fit and clamps

8. Fit bumper/bonnet/grill/lights

9. Fit lower dash panel

10. MOT

 

Today I decided lets have a look and see what the state of it was - to say I'm fed up with this car now is an under statement.

 

 

Not only will it need the outer sill replaced but the inner sill is pretty knackered too. You can see my fingers going through the panels from the back in one of the above pictures. with no budget left for the 205 I dont know how long it will be now before(if?) it does see the road.

 

I dont even know why I am posting this - bit of a rant I guess.

 

This car hates me!

 

Colin.

Edited July 8, 2012 by Leet205

[Slo 283 1 Cars]

good god i just read your other thread not seen it before, i didnt realise they rusted so badly having an entire inner wing rot away like that is seriously worrying that the internal chassis isnt in the same condition. my cti is in worse shape than yours looks wise at the moment but being galvanised not a patch of rust anywhere, makes me glad i got it now rather than a gti

[Leet205 48]

To be fair the front was badly repaired with pattern panels and filler some time ago.

 

been back into the garage to check out the inner sill

 

[Leet205 48]

MORE rot. What a day.

 

 

[Slo 283 1 Cars]

im surprised its not worse are you going to replace it all or just get another?

[johnnyboy666 195 1 Cars]

maybe buy a low mileage base model shell and do the old switcheroo?

[Leet205 48]

I know this might sound stupid (because it is) but I think I owe it to the car to repair it. Will just need to do it as funds allow

[Slo 283 1 Cars]

it would certainly be alot less hassle to do the old switcheroo looking at that amount of rot

Edited July 8, 2012 by Slo

[dcc 855]

not seen that much rot on a gti shell before!

 

Might be worth buying a spares/repair item?

[Tom Fenton 1,541]

f*** me, here are all the doom and gloom merchants at the first sign of a bit of rust. Inner and outer sill and a small repair to the floorpan, a days work if you crack on with it. I can't believe that people would rather reshell a car than do a days repair.

[johnnyboy666 195 1 Cars]

thing is, if they cant weld then it would probably end up cheaper to reshell rather than paying somebofy to weld it?

[Leet205 48]

Tom, Do you know if that 3dr 205 is still in at Wilf Jays? Its gonna take me longer than a day, thats for sure

 

If I get the chance I might get a section chopped at a scrappy and pick some panels off it. If not I will just need to make the bits that are rotted out and buy an outer sill

 

Colin

[Slo 283 1 Cars]

I usually take that approach tom but there is a fair amount of rot there and considering the inner wing was almost gone there could be even more on the other sill and elsewhere

[Leet205 48]

Other sill is fine mate, Only place im worried about now is under the tank (and theres nothing under there too complicated to replicate). Everywhere else on the shell is fine.

[johnnyboy666 195 1 Cars]

fair play to you then sir! be sure to get a few pics of the work if you get the chance

[Slo 283 1 Cars]

deatons at staveley have got a 205 in dunno if its a 3 or 5 door tho

[tidypug 5 2 Cars]

The 205 in wilf Jays will have gone. They've closed for a few weeks to have a concrete floor put in and racking. I was speaking to the guy there and said they were getting rid of most of the cars.

[M@tt 77]

Looks like its rotted with mine in sympathy! Must be a Sheffield thing!

[Tom Fenton 1,541]

I had to put a piece the size of a sheet of A4 paper into the footwell of the best Shogun yesterday if that makes you feel any better?

 

As I have said before, this is NOT serious or extensive rot, as anyone who has owned a Mini or old Ford will also agree.

 

I cannot remember 100% but I'm fairly sure you could recreate an acceptable version of an inner sill from flat sheet.

 

If you need to borrow the spot welder to make a neat job of the sill then let me know. SEL do an outer sill panel, not that expensive either. It might be worth a chat with Death at the meet tonight as he might know if an inner sill is available anywhere.

[M@tt 77]

from looking at mine the inner sill would certainly be fairly simple to make from some sheet steel without too much bother. Autosupplies in Bolsover stock it, and its not expensive

[tartanbloke 35 1 Cars]

I have seen a lot worse.........surprisingly on my old mini, which was a mere 6 years old. Tom is correct in his comments with regards to other manufacturer's being worse.

 

I have no doubt that I will be in for a long haul with regards to welding, paining and pitfalls when I start restoring my old girl but I am fully prepared for it and have no plans to do a swap.

 

Good luck with it and the hard work will all be worth it.

[Leet205 48]

Took all the s*ite out of the boot this evening and prodded it a bit. Where the floor meets the back panel has rotted out and 3/4 of it is no longer attached to the back panel, its also got some big rusty holes where the boot floor runs along the chassis at both sides.

 

Still not got the tank off yet, hopefully tomorrow to see what the damage is in there.

 

No pics tonight as I got fed up finding rust and came in early.

 

Im sure I can repair this, Its not beyond me (I dont think!) but im beginning to wonder if I should as it will be alot of hassle.

[Leon 24]

f*** me, here are all the doom and gloom merchants at the first sign of a bit of rust. Inner and outer sill and a small repair to the floorpan, a days work if you crack on with it. I can't believe that people would rather reshell a car than do a days repair.

It's always the same on this forum, and has been for years - a lot of the member base have a borderline pathological fear of corrosion.

[TehPrefect 5]

People just need to realise and accept they are not a new modern car. They are 20 years old and more in some respects with plenty of owners and some off road adventures.

 

Have to say mines in a similar state regarding the boot floor. Have had the passenger floor done, inner and outer drivers sill, rear bump stops and some around fuel tank. The boot floor and cross member are next as well as underneath tail lights. Had a patch put on boot as when i tightened wheel up it pulled bolt through.

 

These cars arent bad by any stretch thankfully due to galvanisation process, but accept once its started you have to keep on top otherwise reshell is only option.

 

And btw the damage to the sill looks as though the drainage holes were blocked and water has sat in there. Keep em clear!

[maxi 36 1 Cars]

Im another one who votes repair it. I think im going to have the same uphill battle with my original GTi, the Sla. 205 numbers really are dwindling and after a while we are going to be struggling for decent 3 dr shells to "re-shell" our little Gtis into.

 

Maxi