[Car_Upgrade] 1.9 Gti Rust Repairs And Bodywork

[johniban 59 1 Cars]

 

I know the feeling ... keep up , as with the sympathy saving your dads car , as a benefit you'll learn a massive lot of bodywork repair techniques , lacquers , sealants , rust preventing , welding techniques etc. etc. ...

 

And that'll be very keen to be able to fix bodywork repairs by yourself , cos it's entirely different "animal" compared to the mechanics ... and it'll save you a lot of money in future , being able to fix up medium grade crash or rust repair .

 

Myself , i certainly haven’t regret doing this , more to the point i would be clueless about how to fix bodywork stuff :

 

http://forum.205gtidrivers.com/index.php?showtopic=97351

 

... today , i'm gone up to repair state of seamy severe crash repair (with the tools that i have ..) .

 

This is very good site about welding , paint prep etc. check it out :

 

http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/

 

Just don't get the rusty crap scares you - it can be done , enjoy learning new skills

 

Damir

thanks for the advice, i sort of understood you

I'm already i member on that welding website

[johniban 59 1 Cars]

Got hold of some new wire, so back down the garage on xmas eve!

Ground back the primer i sprayed on to prevent rust, finished up the welding and got it nice and smooth,

Even added a small skim of filler,

I know it wont be seen behind the bumper but i know its there!

 

 

Sanded that down nice and smooth, sprayed some etch primer over it then some stonechip

 

 

Then a coat of high build primer from the gun, (my first time spraying using an air gun )

 

Was quite pleased with it even tho it was only primer!

 

Ive not managed to get hold of any miami blue base coat yet so got some in a rattle can just to do the bits behind the bumper, i will flash over it when i get some propper 2k paint.

 

[NFS 32]

looking good,

 

did you lacquer that rear bit after you painted it with 1k paint? if so and you did it with 1k lacquer (spray can) then you are more than likely to get a reaction when you spray base coat over it, best thing would be to use something called an isolator product, it is an alcohol based sealer that will prevent any solvent attacks.

 

i learnt the lesson the hard way by having to stop and rub back any solvent attack on the feathered in edges of primer/filler. this isolator stuff goes on just before you base coat and it will stop any issue and is worth its weight in gold for a perfect finish.

 

it also helps to stick to anything so you are less likely to get any peeling.

 

http://www.refinishsystems.com/product/190-205/MaxMeyerAcryilic2KClearSealer1L

[johniban 59 1 Cars]

I didn't spray in lacquer on it, its just miami blue from a spray can.

Didn't get any reaction from the paint, i rushed the blue paint and it was cold so it ran abit, but ill be sanding the whole car flat when i get some 2k miami blue in a can to spray from the gun

[NFS 32]

I mean you might get a reaction when you come to paint it with 2k now you have sprayed 1k basecoat

[johniban 59 1 Cars]

ohhh i see i will probly sand it back

[johniban 59 1 Cars]

Carried on with the rest of the rear panel today.

 

 

 

Using the basic tools i have a hammer and dolly witch is my first time using them, and they are a big help!

and the vice for bending the sheet. will be happier when i get a bench made up with a bigger vice that i can hammer on with out everything bouncing about.

 

[johniban 59 1 Cars]

 

Not to bad for my first time with metal work..

got the bends done nearlly the same as original, would help majorly with a sheet metal folder

[johniban 59 1 Cars]

Then my s*itty bit of welding

 

Having alot of trouble blowing through the steel, cant lay any nice welds down as it gets too hot and blows through, turned the gas right down and its helped a little

[johniban 59 1 Cars]

Then ground all the welds down to try tidy it up a bit

 

[johniban 59 1 Cars]

Fitted the center bumper mount bracket and flashed over with some etch primer

 

Would like to ground all the welds down but havnt got a small enough grinder to get in there and want to keep it nice and strong

[johniban 59 1 Cars]

Cut aload more rot out from the boot floor

 

 

Then this was going to be a challenge to get the shape of the original floor.

The hammer and dolly came in here, wack wack wack weld wack wack wack weld. got half way and gave up

 

The shape is sort of there im pretty pleased with it! looks better than it does in the photo but ill leave that for you to decide

 

[johniban 59 1 Cars]

Again the welds on the boot floor are really wide as i kept blowing through really annoying

[johniban 59 1 Cars]

Large chunk of rust cut of of the rear seat area

 

Also started on the sill and kept cutting more rot away even in the floor pan

 

[NFS 32]

What welder do you have? I'm having the same problem mine is a beasty 165 amp turbo welder and the min amp is high so I have my on amp level 1 and lower wire feed and blows through. I know how you feel. Keep it up.

[DamirGTI 342]

Try "pulse" welding .. oh , dunno how to describe

 

Basically the main thing for MIG welding machine is - no rust or any kind of layer on the metal , needs to be clean for quality welding .

 

Thin metal burning . What i use to do , i weld on one blob of weld and then set myself up to add another one , and another etc .. i count 3sec. in between the welds keep on stretching it making sure that each one covers the last and that i do not have any "cold welds" , which will be weak .. if the panel is larger , switch from side to side until you complete the panel welding .

 

One neat thing to have as a help while welding thin metal is - an air compressor ... i use the air from the compressor gun to cool down the weld between the each weld line , or if it starts making holes .. try it it really works !

 

Obviously , each welding machine is a different one to set up , so i can't be no guide as regards to this ..

Need to practice and you'll sense how much heat/wire speed is enough for the surface thickness/state repair .

 

Damir

Edited December 29, 2012 by DamirGTI

[buchanan84 1]

also, you can use a copper block on the other side to "weld against" works as a heat soak

 

not actually tried it myself yet, but if you google it, it seems to be a good way of welding thin sheet together

something like,

http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=27240

[johniban 59 1 Cars]

Ive herd of a few things to heatsink like dry ice but never tried anything, i do weld at difrent points but sometimes it just blows through on the first tack, i have a sealey supermig 150 with 0.6 wire, i can weld thick stuff lovely but 1.0mm im s*it at

Edited December 30, 2012 by johniban

[damo 17 2 Cars]

looking good. I've got a similar issue with my boot rotting out so its good to see what others are doing.

 

Good luck

[johniban 59 1 Cars]

looking good. I've got a similar issue with my boot rotting out so its good to see what others are doing.

 

Good luck

 

thanks mate, i haven't touched this car in about 2 months now, just haven't got the time

[johniban 59 1 Cars]

I have no updated this in a while as not much has gone on really, the lack of time and space isn't encouraging me to get on with it.

This is how it is looking at the moment,

Looking very sorry for itself!

I have been using my spare time on my daily driver changing various parts like the fuel lines to stainless msa spec lines that are run inside the car, as now ive fitted a rear roll cage that ive welded in and the strengthening plates go where the original fuel lines run. so i thought it was a good time to upgrade to stainless braided hose.

Made up a little mount for the engine bay to hold the hose securely,

[johniban 59 1 Cars]

couple pics of the cage

[johniban 59 1 Cars]

Then took it to lyyden hill bhp show to have a go on the track got 6 sessions 3 for me and 3 for a mate to drive it, it performed amazingly! gave me a huge smile throughout the day! with the only issue of cutting out on the long corners, a quick trip to the petrol station to fill the tank up cured that problem, id get a swirl pot and a stronger fuel pump if i was to do a proper full day track day

 

[/uRL]http://s13.photobucket.com/user/johniban/media/null_zpsf787b907.jpg.html]

 

gave it a quick wash after, half the tyre rubber from the front tyres was up the doors,

 

Then i put the back seats and roof lining ect back in for daily use

[johniban 59 1 Cars]

Now back to the 205, i have found a local double garage/workshop that i am going to rent with a mate hopefully at the end of the week.

it full of the owners crap at the moment, that they promised to clear out ready for us to move in, yet it hasn't.

this part is a double garage with two single doors, a mate will have one half with his 400bhp series 2 escort that he is rebuilding and tidying up and the other half for my 205

 

Then there is this part witch is divided by a wall unfortunately as weed be able to get another couple cars in there, pic doesn't really show the size as there is another window the same size on the back wall.

this has benches with vices already in, and will be used to store parts and tools,

[johniban 59 1 Cars]

So now work will get on, ill get the shell in and get everything stripped down to a bare shell