[Body_Work] My Gti Respray And Stuff!

[Robbiedundy 58 4 Cars]

Well, after silently reading through tonnes of restoration threads etc I thought it was time to make my own!

 

I'm Robbie, living in the Scottish highlands currently doing a joinery apprenticeship, with all my mates at uni I've not got much to do! So I thought it was time to get a project started. After passing my driving test last year I bought a 1.1 base model 205, I thought I'd join a forum to help me do little bits and pieces on it but now I have some bigger plans!

 

Two weeks ago me and the old man set off to Glasgow to pick up a non sunroof F reg '88 Graphite grey 1.6 GTi, it's mot'd untill October and was taxed 'till june. On the for sale ad it mentioned a 1.9 engine and box which had been fitted, which I didn't pick up on, probably because I was too excited about getting a gti Anyway, when we got there I had a quick look around the car, the guy mentioned the 1.9 engine and box, I thought this would be a big problem as I don't even have 1 years ncb yet so insurance would be far too high, although it had the 1.9 engine and box, the car is still registered as a 1.6, I'm not sure if this is a big issue or not, if it is I will probably swap engines while the engine is out for the respray, I've never done anything with cars other than change the oil, bumpers/valances etc on my base model, so I've got no idea how big of a task this would be. Anyway, while looking round I noticed some lacquer peel, few dents, scabby trims etc but it was what I was looking for, a project! There was a problem with it starting, if you didn't feather the throttle it would just cut out, the owner took me out for a little drive and I was hooked! It pulled great and was such a difference compared to my 1.1! When we got back he told me a bit about the car, how he had owned it for 8 years and had put a lot of money into it over time, the only problem being the body work. I had another look around the engine bay, under the boot the arches/sills etc looking for rust but it really wasn't that bad, I noticed there had been a new rear quarter on the passengers side, but it looked a decent repair as far as I could see, not that I really know what I was looking for!

 

After a while we settled on a price, £750 which I thought wasn't too bad considering all the recent maintenance it had, including 5 new tyres, new front struts, refurbed beam, new clutch and some more stuff!

 

On our way home!

 

The car as it stood the next day:

 

In the evening it was time to get started stripping it, the plans for it is full respray in miami blue Maybe tart up the engine bay with some new bittys just to look nice, refurb the wheels, plasticare the trims, tidy the interior up a bit!

 

Anyway -

Rear quarter panel badges held on by velcro?

Bit of trim screwed on, not so good

 

That's as far as I've got so far, interested to know what all your thoughts are, if I'm taking on too big of a job, not really knowing what I'm doing? Should be fun.

 

Also got this in the post yesterday from a group buy, 1.6 Gti badge keyrings! They look soooooooo good.

 

Cheers!

Robbie.

Edited February 7, 2013 by Dundy53

[sensualt101 31 1 Cars]

that looks a good solid project car if a little unoriginal but nothing you cant put right if you so choose

[Robbiedundy 58 4 Cars]

I'm not sure I want to go back to completely original, as I'm changing the colour anyway, I wan't subtle mods like the rear lights changed to the later dated ones, maybe paint the red trim inserts a different colour? I don't know yet

[Robbiedundy 58 4 Cars]

Well I haven't done much since last update, started tackling the engine bay..

 

I'm not really sure where to go from here, probably wait and get some help from someone who knows what they're doing before I go any further! Picked up some goodies for the gti aswell! Got the gear stick gaiter off ebay for like £8, really good quality for the price! Got the rest of a mates brothers donor car.

 

I've been doing some stuff with my 1.1 style! Treated it to some rallye steelies and new tyres which I painted up a while back.

and painted my nuts!

All done! I've also taken the slatted panel off the rear to try and make it so just the Peugeot and 205 badges fit back on, so I've cut out two holes which I'm gonna try and fill with fibre glass but I'm not really sure how. If anyone could give me some pointers that'd be grand.

 

Well that's all for now.. not much of an update but och well.

Robbie.

Edited February 12, 2013 by Dundy53

[muddatrucker 125]

I really like the look of the 1.1

[BlueBolt 156]

+1.

1.1 Looks great!! As does the basis for the project.

 

Oh what I'd give for some garage space! (and a non-sunny!!)

[sean-G 2]

love the 1.1 mate looks like its just rolled out the factory abeit some tasteful mods,gti looks like a good base to start with aswel.l i payed £750 for mine (e-reg,none-sunny) but its got rust in ALL the norm areas

[Robbiedundy 58 4 Cars]

Cheers for the comments on the 1.1!

 

Took the engine and subframe out this weekend, first time I've ever done this, had the help of my dad which was good. It went quite well I thought, few seized nuts but everything was overcome.

Engine sitting on a wee trolley dad made up when he built a kit car!

 

When we were disconnecting the manifold from the rest of the exhaust, I noticed it had been welded before and that it's cracked again - is this bad?

You can see where it's been patched over and theres a small crack to the right of the patch.

 

Next task is to get the remaining bits in the engine bay removed ready for painting/welding! Would it be okay to use rattle cans? Dads got a spray gun that he got free somewhere but I don't know if it's any good? Any help would be great.

 

Took the 1.1 out this weekend for a little run with some boys I went to school with, being in the highlands has it's benefits! Piles of windy roads with no one about. Makes me want to get the Gti finished even faster!

Behold the excellent photography from the iphone!

 

Anyway, that's all for now!

 

Robbie.

[DamirGTI 342]

When we were disconnecting the manifold from the rest of the exhaust, I noticed it had been welded before and that it's cracked again - is this bad?

You can see where it's been patched over and theres a small crack to the right of the patch.

 

 

Common problem with the exh. manifolds , they all crack on this the same area ... it can be welded but , i wouldn't bother cos welding cast iron just isn't fun .. better find an good Ph2 second hand one .. can be from the petrol XU10 8v engines it fits as well .

 

D

[Robbiedundy 58 4 Cars]

Alright, thanks Damir!

[Robbiedundy 58 4 Cars]

Well I've got no work this week so I'll be getting on with finishing the engine bay and underside of the car, I removed the front bumper brackets today and they came off in pieces..

Are these available to buy anywhere?

 

Also I came across a rubber hose in the engine bay and I'm not sure what it's for, I forgot to take a picture of it but I think it's this hole here -

Theres like a plastic pipe inside it which goes into the back of the centre console somewhere?

 

Not really an update as such but a couple of noob questions

 

Robbie.

[Robbiedundy 58 4 Cars]

Well today consisted of sanding, priming and painting for 8 hours straight (apart from tea and lunch break) Got quite a bit done, piles of brackets and stuff, I'm in the middle of doing the subframe, arb, struts etc and just wondering what bushes, ball joints and stuff would make sense to change now whilst everything is apart? They all look fine, apart from a couple which were completely wrecked. I'll also be taking the springs off as when the struts were changed new new bilsteins the old rusty springs were put back on and they look hellish! I want to lower it a little, as I think it looked quite odd the wheel being as far out of the arch as it was. I want to go from this height -

To this height -

(roughly) I'm not sure how much of a drop that is and if it's too much? The ride height on the back of the miami looks too low I think but the front is fine?

 

I've seen that a few discounts have been set up through the forum on a few websites, like the gti floor/boot mats which I bought recently Just wondering if there's any discounts I could use for new springs? I've not really got to terms with the search bar yet so sorry for filling this thread full of noob questions. It should act as a guide for when another clueless guy like myself comes along though!

 

Cheers,

Robbie.

[GLPoomobile 958]

The Miami is probably lowered about 30mm. It's not too low on the back, just the additional offset of those SLs that makes the rear wheel stick out further in the arch, which skews your impression of the height.

[Robbiedundy 58 4 Cars]

Ahh, thanks mate, that makes sense. Are the 434s alot wider than 299s? They seem to fill the arches a lot better imo.

[Robbiedundy 58 4 Cars]

Right so I've not done much since last time, apart from finished painting the subframe and stuff which is all ready to go back together!

 

 

And I've started removing the rust in the engine bay, sanding it down to bare metal in alot of places and applying kurust the some primer just so it doesnt come back while I'm doing the rest, and I've still not bought primer for the whole engine bay yet, just using rattle cans which will be sanded back down later.

 

 

Right now I'm looking for paint online as I'm going to be painting the car myself. I've looked at a few sites and the only offer a 2pack paint in solid colours, not metallic? So am I right in saying I go for a metallic basecoat, with a 2k lacquer?

 

As for a compressor and gun, that's sorted but I need to buy myself a mask, I know 2k lacquer is very dangerous so I'd really appreciate all of your opinions on which mask is best to buy.

 

Cheers for now,

Robbie.

[DamirGTI 342]

For the DIY respray safer route would be - cellulose basecoat , it's a 1pack paint without the hardener .. you just use a cellulose thinner to prepare it for spraying . So yes , buy 1pack cellulose basecoat in color which you want if you can get it

 

And as a top coat you'll need just clear lacquer , and this is a little bit nasty stuff .. need to be careful with this one cos it's 2 pack , with the hardener which contains Isocyanide , an very dangerous chemical .. since you'll need smaller amount of clear lacquer and this is your first respray it'll not harm you , but do not by any chance expose yourself to this stuff without :

 

1. active carbon cartridge mask (buy the best which you can find !!)

2. wearing full working suit without skin exposed

3. wearing gloves

4. wearing protective working glasses

 

.. even if you're just mixing the clear lacquer .

 

All the above goes for cellulose basecoat , and primer etc. -> always item 1/2/3/4 ..

 

Now do not get scared by reading this , by all means go for it .. the fact is that this is your first car respraying , and if you find cellulose basecoat , you wont need so much clear lacquer cos the majority of the paint which you'll need will be basecoat ..

 

Other than this , Acrylic lacquer is the easiest for DIY , it's a straight shine from the gun when finished with respraying .. if you can find it that one might be best ..

 

I've been using all of the above - cellulose , 2pack and Acrylic .. but sadly i can't no longer find any paint shop which sales and mixes Acrylic car lacquers , so i'm mostly using cellulose basecoat and clear lacquer top coat .

 

Water based paints/lacquers - i had really bad results with them .. it's kinda expensive , takes the S****** amount of time to dry out , needs a lot of coats to build up the color and thus twice amount of paint when compared to Acrylic or cellulose , needs special spray gun , paint drying gun etc. etc. ... not for DIY if you don't have proper equipment it'll end up as an disaster of the respray !

 

Some useful info here :

http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/spray-painting.htm

 

(I have this the same mask - http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/paint-safety/cartridge-mask.jpg)

 

D

Edited March 8, 2013 by DamirGTI

[pugpete1108 62 1 Cars]

That's the mask I used and its amazing for keeping out the fumes as well as the paint.

 

Can you not use celly clear coat? I didn't use any clear as I had flat paint which didn't need it.

[DamirGTI 342]

Yes , if you can find celly clear at the paint shops in UK - definitely !

 

Over here , sadly i can get just 2pack clear coat .. but anyway i just need small amounts to "build up the shine" of the celly .

 

D

Edited March 8, 2013 by DamirGTI

[DamirGTI 342]

.. just one , simple and yet important stuff with regards to this mask above - needs clean shaved face to seal properly !

 

D

[Robbiedundy 58 4 Cars]

Really appreciate that, thanks Damir! I've been on a couple of paint sites and they offer just a metallic basecoat when I put the miami blue code in - The cellulose and 2pack paints only come in solid colours? I'm not sure if this is the case for all paint shops but the few I've been on it has been the same.

 

I'm aware that cyanide is very harmful for you and I'll definitely be protecting my whole body from it! Cheers for the link to the mask, I'll be buying one soon!

[toddydal 1]

the only mask for any 2k paint is air-fed only,and i wouldnt bother will cellulose clearcoat for a full respray as its not as harder wearing as 2k and it will sink back and loose its gloss and you will struggle to get round the full car without it starting to dry on you,if you are changing the colour from grey to blue and painting the full shell inside and outs then get 5lrs of basecoat they recommend you thin it 50-50 but i would go 2-1 so if you have a 5 litres of paint and you mix it 2-1 you end up with 7.5lrs this should be more than enough for a small car like the 205,,,also if you are going to leave the primer exposed for long periods of time then you will need an epoxy primer because it sticks like s*it and will not absorb moisture and you can get it in rattle cans,and for the clearcoat which ever you decide to go with 1k or 2k there is a few decent cheap 2k clearcoat packs out which give you 7.5ltrs for £50_£90.the basecoat is about £20 a ltr from local panel factors or if you have a halfords store near you its mebs £25 ltr but they will not mix 5ltrs so you will have to keep going back

[pugpete1108 62 1 Cars]

also get anti bloom thinners for the base coat.

 

and yeah i would nt use that mask with 2k for sure.

[Robbiedundy 58 4 Cars]

Okay thanks for that, does anyone know a good air fed mask I should buy? I'll look into that epoxy primer, the only bits that will be sitting in primer for a while is where I go back to bare metal so it's probably worth buying a couple of cans if they don't let in moisture! As for the lacquer I think I'm definitely going for 2k clear coat, as you say, it stays shinier for a lot longer and is a lot harder! There's a garage across the road from me and the guy who owns it has helped out a lot and offered to give/sell us a gallon of primer he has, do they have shelf lives? and are there certain types of primer you need for certain types of basecoat? I'll look into anti bloom thinners pugpete, i'm not really sure what they are though, I'll be doing a lot of reading in the next few days!

 

Sorry about all of the questions, this is supposed to be a project thread after all, but hopefully it will act as a guide for someone doing this later on with all this great advice I'm getting.

[pugpete1108 62 1 Cars]

Anti bloom is basically a good quality thinner as opposed to general paint thinner that you would use with primer or for cleaning your gun etc.

 

You can get quite a few different sorts but with the cellulose base I used I used anti bloom and nearly a year on the paint is still good ( no fish eyes etc)

 

I used acrylic primer from a can for small areas but then did the whole car in high build primer before base coat as I had lots of repairs on the shell

 

Acid etch is good for bare Metal but I'm not sure if its water absorbent if left that's why epoxy is recommended

Edited March 8, 2013 by pugpete1108

[Robbiedundy 58 4 Cars]

So I've still not bought paint yet, but I've been buying some stuff lately, the project is looking really big atm but hopefully buying a pile of parts will give me motivation to get it painted asap, I'm looking into getting rallye style arches like yours pugpete, but I want to make them the same colour as the bumpers, and wondering if I could recreate the bumpy texture on them to match the bumpers to some extent. Just wondering if anyone has any ideas how this could be done?

 

Cheers!