Corrado G60 repairs

[gavuk]

I'm shocked at how bad this Corrado is, I've got a couple at my garage and neither are too bad, one is a 1990 16v and the other a 1994 VR6, both well used on the road. They seem to withstand corrosion quite well from my experience.

It's got to be worth saving they are such great cars...I really can't wait to make a start on my VR6 properly.

Keep up the good work mate.

Must have been a friday afternoon car .....my 89 scirocco and my 90 golf cab have very little rust in comparison ...none underneath at all ......wouldn't mind a vr6 corrado ....a bit "modern " for me

 

[lummocks]

There seems to be a nice sized VW following on this forum...which in a way worries me! Are they all that rotten?

 

[gavuk]

There seems to be a nice sized VW following on this forum...which in a way worries me! Are they all that rotten?

....How many ford xr3i do you see now days?...Orions .alfasuds,chevette,cortina's even seirra's,i think the fact there's are a lot of vw
enthusiasts here means they are worth fixing and not scrapping

 

[daniboy1_2_3]

Well i also have a mk1 golf gti waiting patiently for its turn, im building a 16V G60 engine to go in that so it should be fun!.

 

[lummocks]

Lovely job! I have a 5 door mk1 20v in need of some love and a new diff!

 

[knoba]

Looks like you've got your work 'cut out' for you there...

Doing really well, though!

Chickenjohn
I would not cut too much of the car out at once without putting some of it back!

Top man that. Very good advice!

daniboy1_2_3
could someone recommend some small clamps for holding panels in place for welding please.

Forum superstar... pedrobedro recommends these (as do I);

These are invaluable too (especially with butt welded repair patches). Cheap ones are fine (the smaller ones are better imo);

daniboy1_2_3
Unfortunately an area was pitted and its started coming back through. Im hopeing that a good wire brushing and a coating of rust converter might do the trick.

Once rust has started to corrode an area, it's hard to stop & it's best to cut it out if one has the inclination & the opportunity!

daniboy1_2_3
I didnt manage to get central whilst drilling out some of the spot welds.

Use a centre punch and hammer (or auto centre punch) to pre-mark the centres, then drill. It's funny how a little extra effort like this, applied throughout the job, can save bags of time later on & result in a much smoother work flow, better finish & greater satisfaction.

daniboy1_2_3
Im now a bit unsure where best to make the cuts on the sill and outer arch

Good question!

Unfortunately there's no easy answer because every job is different. Things to bear in mind are; extent of corrosion, access to seams & joins, working position & access for welding, grinding, sealing, filling, blocking & spraying.

If it were me; I'd start by cutting back the outer wheel arch some more where I've marked in red to reveal more of the inner wheel arch. Hopefully it will be enough to make repairs to the inner arch from this side of the vehicle. It'll be an easier position to work & weld in and also the new cut will offer a similar strength advantage (distortion from heat & stress) for the new welds & repair panel. So...


When it comes to aligning up the new repair panel, welding & grinding, on an outside radius like the one marked above, it will be far easier than trying to accomplish these same processes on an inside one (pic below). So... try to avoid; cutting, welding & grinding on inside corners like this, especially when it's exterior bodywork;


Try a complete repair here, first, before moving on to other sections. The experience gained will provide you with greater confidence through a better understanding of the; mindset, tools, techniques & processes involved.

Experience is the great teacher, the more you do, the better you'll get!

Don't forget to ask for another person to be around, as a fire watcher, when welding & grinding. Strip areas of the car that are combustible, keep your work space clear, etc.

Go for it, daniboy1_2_3!

 

[daniboy1_2_3]

Really appreciate the help and advice, thanks!. Not done much recently, hit another little problem. I removed the rotten section of the inner sill and there is more pitting inside, along with other repairs that are going to need doing:






I have a repair piece for one of them removed from another car:



The box section here:


Is also pitted and is going to need repairing. Its spot welded to this area here:



Would it be ok to remove any more metal before let new in or should i be looking at strengething somehow before i carry on.

Also the floor section underneath has curves and shape to it that im uncertain how to replacate. Would it be best to try and obtain sections from a doner shell or could these areas be replicated. Im uncertain how best to proceed at this point if anyone can help?.
.

 

[Chickenjohn]

....How many ford xr3i do you see now days?...Orions .alfasuds,chevette,cortina's even seirra's,i think the fact there's are a lot of vw
enthusiasts here means they are worth fixing and not scrapping

A mechanic friend of mine has a 20 year old XR3i daily driver in almost perfect condition!

The wheelarches are sharp and only two spots of rust on the whole car. But then he has owned the car from new and buys a can or two of WD-40 every week (or other oily spray) and tells me he is under the car every weekend spraying the underside. Dedication yes, but I don't understand why he doesn't use under body wax.

The reason why most of those cars are no longer around is because very few took the time and care to look after them.

 

[Chickenjohn]

Really appreciate the help and advice, thanks!. Not done much recently, hit another little problem. I removed the rotten section of the inner sill and there is more pitting inside, along with other repairs that are going to need doing:

View attachment 20135
View attachment 20133
View attachment 20137


I have a repair piece for one of them removed from another car:

View attachment 20134

The box section here:
View attachment 20135

Is also pitted and is going to need repairing. Its spot welded to this area here:

View attachment 20136

Would it be ok to remove any more metal before let new in or should i be looking at strengething somehow before i carry on.

Also the floor section underneath has curves and shape to it that im uncertain how to replacate. Would it be best to try and obtain sections from a doner shell or could these areas be replicated. Im uncertain how best to proceed at this point if anyone can help?.
.

I would start putting some strength back into the car before cutting any more of it away! A monocoque car with its sills and half the rear 1/4 cut away can easily lose it's shape.

 

[daniboy1_2_3]

That's what I was concerned about but I can't start putting the new inner sill section in before repairing the floor. How would you recommend I proceed with it?.

 

[Chickenjohn]

If you have to cut a lot of the car away to make repairs, then to avoid the car losing its shape, remove all the interior, mask the glass (to avoid weld and grind sparks damage) and weld some braces across the door gaps and across the middle of the car.

Braces can be angle iron or box section. They don't need to be welded heavily in place, just a big tack or two will be sufficient. Weld them such that a door can be re-fitted to check the door gap.

Also, support the body of the car evenly - lots of stands etc - and have the sills level before you start cutting away.

 

[daniboy1_2_3]

Once again thanks for your input. I havent been anywhere near it of late unfortunately and im having to go away with work for a couple of weeks tomorrow so its stopped in its tracks for now. Ill have to get some strength into it then before removing any more metal then. Ill report back in a few weeks once i get going again with it.