Jump to content
  • Welcome to 205GTIDrivers.com!

    Hello dear visitor! Feel free to browse but we invite you to register completely free of charge in order to enjoy the full functionality of the website.

Sign in to follow this  
Tom Fenton

[body_work] Sill Repair

Recommended Posts

Tom Fenton

Thought I'd put up a few pics of a bit of work I'm on with at the moment.

 

The car in question is in the main a very very original 1988 1.9 non sunroof GTI. It was bought between me and a mate a while ago with the intention of stripping it for parts but to be honest it seemed a shame to do so to such a nice original car.

Therefore slowly around other projects it has gradually been brought back to top spec mechanically, it had suffered all the usual well used 205 traits, such as knackered driveshafts and wheel bearings, collapsed rear beam, snapped off rear caliper bleed nipples etc etc.

The last bit of work needed before it gets a darn good polish and we decide what to do with it was some bodywork repair. The only bit of bodywork that wasn't good on the car was the drivers side seam between the sill and the rear quarter.

It looked as though the sealant had failed and this had let water in causing rust, but when I took a good look at the area, it was evident that the sill had been scraped along a low post or stone, this has caused the very rear edge to be bare metal, and water had got under the sealant there.

After a good going over with the wire brush on the angle grinder this is what I found, not at all as bad as it looked beforehand TBH.

Photo-0022.jpg

 

However as I delved further I found that the return on the end of the panel had basically disintergrated, and there was a small rotten patch where the scrape to the sill would have been at its worst. Not wanting to do half a job I set about bare metalling it, and then with the air saw cut out a square, and made a neat patch to butt weld into place.

Photo-0025.jpg

 

Once I'd welded that into place and linished off the welds I made up a new return to go on the rear edge into the wheelarch. This was then welded on, and then the welds were linished back to copy the original radius that exists between the quarter panel and the return. I was quite pleased with how this turned out.

Photo-0026.jpg

 

Next job was to spend some time getting the crap out of the join between the sill and quarter, and then treating it with Loctite rust inhibitor stuff. Once this had been done I got stuck in with the Wurth seam sealer and sealed the join as well as I could to copy the factory sealer. There were also some tiny "spiders legs" running beneath the lower part of the quarter panel so this was flatted back with the DA ready for paint.

Photo-0029.jpg

 

Once the sealer had cured it was out with the stonechip to do as best a job as I could at recreating the factory finish to the sills. The stuff in an aerosol can is useless, so I use Gravitex applied with a underbody Shultz type gun. It comes in white grey and black so I chose white, it will also be overpainted when I paint the lower part of that quarter panel.

So here is where I am up to so far

Photo-0030.jpg

Photo-0032.jpg

 

 

More to come.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
welshpug

looks great there Tom, are you doing any repairs to the 1/4 panel above the sill?

 

I need to find out how one would go about repairing a hole in the 1/4 panel just above the patch you've done on the sill.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Tom Fenton

No, aside from some rust converter it doesn't need anything doing to it.

 

To repair a hole in the 1/4 panel you'd have to cut out and butt weld a piece in, in exactly the same way as I've done on the sill.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
paul205mi16

Good job there Tom.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Tom Fenton

Remembered I never posted to finish this off.

 

When prepped the lower half of the quarter was primed

 

Photo-0038.jpg

 

And then later topcoated. Once hardened off it was polished back, the finished job looks like this

 

IMG_0332.jpg

 

Not a bad job, I'm happy enough with it.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Ethos

Want to come down and do mine? ;)

 

Very good job there mate!!!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
dale205mills

That look's great and well done for shareing it with fellow 205 people ;)

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Tom Fenton

Cheers chaps, I am of course available for similar repairs to other peoples cars on request.... B)

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Dan Ingram

Do all 205 GTis have that finish on the sill? My car has been painted at some point so I don't know if its the correct finish or not. Its just the same finish as the rest of the car. I have to do a similar repair on my car so I may as well have it right.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Tom Fenton

As far as I know they do, yes.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Hardgraf

Good job mate. How much would you expect a bodyshop to charge for this as both my sills are similar?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Tom Fenton

Sorry buddy I've no idea, I've never used a bodyshop for anything (do it myself).

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Dan Ingram

I got a quote to have the sill repaired and the whole side sprayed so it matches and it was £300. Thats from a local body shop with a very good reputation.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Hardgraf

It would be great if you could sort out my sills but I'm in Bristol so It's a massive mission to Rotherham!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
JimLad

Great work there! Wish I wasn't so useless when it comes to bodywork.

 

Hardgraf, it's not that bad a trek if you get up early and I'm sure you'd get an excellent job at a good price! I'll certainly bear Tom in mind if I need any bodywork :lol:

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Alastairh

Great work mate ;)

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Ethos

Wish you lived closer, I'd happily pay good money for this level of correction!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Smudgey1985

Top job!!! Got the joy of starting the quarters on mine this week!!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
Sign in to follow this  

×