How bad does this look compared to other mk2s

[Angpozzuto]

Hi guys
I recently suspected that that my rear arches were looking a bit rusty so decided to spend an afternoon removing my rear bumper and I found this disaster waiting for me.





I was just wondering how difficult it would be / is it worth doing a repair to this and how it bad it is compared to other peoples cars

[2mad]

Ouch thats pretty bad .. sure a descent welder could sort it .. i mean for the most part its hidden .. some spats would hide the repair if its not to pretty ..


Bad times mate .. hows the rest of the car

[C35Rob]

pretty standard for something that lives outside and is driven year round. not too big of a fix ( I spy a clarke MIG welder in your garage) if you can be bothered.

[2mad]

I spy a clarke MIG welder in your garage) if you can be bothered.

Good eye Rob

[Angpozzuto]

To be fair the bodywork is a bit rough all round and the Sills definitely need some attention but I'm not going to cut them open until I've sorted the arches out otherwise It might start to get a bit daunting. As for the mig welder I've only had it for a week and only got around to playing with it yesterday on an old boot lid. I must say welding looks a lot easier than it is lol. I've got some sheet metal coming next week so I can have a go at putting it right. I Think this would be a good time to start a build thread.

[craig]

Not beyond the realms of fixable. I've seen MK2s with most of that missing around the vent!

[Angpozzuto]

What purpose do those vents have do they have to be kept as it would make fabricating the replacement panel a lot easier[/list]

[CalMac]

I believe they're to ventilate the boot and potentially reduce moisture inside

[dazzy]

The vents allow the displacement of air when you close the boot lid.

[Angpozzuto]

So do I need to keep them

[2mad]

So do I need to keep them

Try to .. but i dont think is the end of the world if you dont

[Angpozzuto]

Hi guys
I need a bit more help. I've spent my day trying to cut away all the rusty bits around my rear arch and I've found more rot going over the top of the wheel arch and starting to show on the outside of the arch. what would be the best way to repair this.

[2mad]

Dont want to be harsh but is quite bad .. sweet talk a welder and get it sorted before it gets worse man .

[Angpozzuto]

The more I look at this car the worse it gets. I've just cut open the sills and found metal stuck to the original sill with around 4mm of filler on top. I Really don't want to give up on this car but I think it's seen 1 bodge too many

[2mad]

Speek to a welder and get him/her on your side mate .

[2mad]

Dont give up on the car is not that bad .

[Angpozzuto]

Thanks for the encoragment I'm chill out a bit this evening and go at it again tomorrow with a clear head

[Angpozzuto]

Trying to forget how bad my rust is

[masterbateson]

I had an xjs that looked mint!
Anyway for one reason or another I had to repair a piece of bodywork underside, radius arm mounting point.
So i began to cut and cut and cut and so it went on, as i didnt want to weld to anything bad.

I couldn't weld yet and had never done body/panel work, anyway bought a welder,watched vids on welding, got a old bonnet froma scrapper i go too (free from mr scrap as it was all dented) and cut holes in it and practiced.

Anyway the moral of this story was sometimes what appear to be a good car sometimes isn't, especially when someone previous has tried to hide it.
The other thing is,eventually i got there,learnt a lot in the process and learnt some good skills.
It aint easy tho.
Dont rush it, if you tackle it your self.

P.s.
Start of cutting out,then you can make carboard templates out of anything, i used to raid all the households cereal boxes and if your trying to fabricate large difficult shaped area's make them up out of several smaller pieces and tack them all together , you can seam weld them later running lots of small tacks into each other.
That way if your a novice you wont burn thru the metal.

[2mad]

I had an xjs that looked mint!
Anyway for one reason or another I had to repair a piece of bodywork underside, radius arm mounting point.
So i began to cut and cut and cut and so it went on, as i didnt want to weld to anything bad.

I couldn't weld yet and had never done body/panel work, anyway bought a welder,watched vids on welding, got a old bonnet froma scrapper i go too (free from mr scrap as it was all dented) and cut holes in it and practiced.

Anyway the moral of this story was sometimes what appear to be a good car sometimes isn't, especially when someone previous has tried to hide it.
The other thing is,eventually i got there,learnt a lot in the process and learnt some good skills.
It aint easy tho.
Dont rush it, if you tackle it your self.

P.s.
Start of cutting out,then you can make carboard templates out of anything, i used to raid all the households cereal boxes and if your trying to fabricate large difficult shaped area's make them up out of several smaller pieces and tack them all together , you can seam weld them later running lots of small tacks into each other.
That way if your a novice you wont burn thru the metal.

Great advice .. yeah it sucks how much rust you have .. spin it into a positive and learn a new skill .. cheep welding unit from ebay , some sheet metal n crack on