Golf Mk2 Sunroof Help

[Lou_B]

Hi All

This is my first post, I trying to repair my Golfs sunroof that on some parts has rust holes , as you can see from the photos.

I was thinking of cutting out the bottom piece of metal by the line I've drawn on the photo, repair the rust a weld the same piece back again after the repair.

Would this be the correct way to do it?

I have very little experience at welding but willing to have a go.


Right rusted part

Left side

Cutting line

Thanks in advance for any help

 

[octo0072000]

if you have little experience of welding forget it that is far more involved than you think
it's also a common fault due to blocked sunroof drains
a lot of people on the golf forums replace the whole roof with one without the sunroof for this reason but again this is a lot more involved than you think

 

[DrNik]

i wouldnt cut that bit out if i were you, it would probably distort when you come to weld it back in, if i were you id drill the spotwelds out of your sunroof and remove it that way from below

 

[Lou_B]

Thanks for the replies, DrNick that is the problem, you cant remove it from inside the car, to remove it, it has to be from the top so you would have to take the roof skin of to get to the sun roof, I think when it was made they didn't think the whole thing through, that why its different on the Mk3.

octo0072000, I really didn't what to cancel out the sunroof, and I had some idea that it wouldn't be easy, but I have to get a way around it, that why I came to this forum and not the vw one, I saw people had grate ideas with metal.

Ok, after reading both your comments, I had an idea , I don't know if its any use but here goes.
Instead of welding the metal piece back and risking distortion and also to make it easier for me, why not put on the inside a metal strip, spot weld it to one side and rivet to the other, at least if I have ever to repair the water hole again, I just take the rivets out.

I have a drawing of my idea, (sorry about the drawing but I was never any good at it).

 

[DrNik]

id be inclined to maybe us jbweld on the holes and then use some of that rust killer stuff, finally a good coat of waxoyl or something to keep the water away from the metal, if you were good at welding you could probably mig up the holes, but as the metal is very to be very careful

 

[Wallace]

Excellent work on the metal preparation, very dedicated! The drain tubes look like they are brazed in place so welding on or near to those will be a problem with Mig welding. Can you see down the sunroof aperture between the roof skin and the framework to check how bad the corrosion is?

 

[Lou_B]

DrNick jbweld is an option, but I really would like to weld the holes with the mig or replace the rusted metal, I know that the second option is the most difficult, not because of my welding experience but because of the space there is to work around the rusted metal.
But if I cant do any of these two options Ill go for your idea of Jbweld.

Wallace, thanks, but the preparation was literally a pain in the neck, working looking up after about 5 min you have a neck pain .
Yes I can see the rust on the inside, its doesn't look to bad, but I can only confirm that after I cut out the metal part so can be able to clean up the rust an see what the real damage is, and that takes me to the original problem, of the way to get get to the rust .
Ill try taking a photo of it tonight.

 

[dannyp]

golfs really hate welding on there roofs

i would reapair that in situ, even if it meant cutting in pissy littel patches its a right twerp but far better than cutting sections out the roof, don't do any welds longet than about 10mm and do not get it hot.

welding round te sunroof can easly distort the roof the problem is that the roof skin can loose it tension then you end up with a big wavey wobbely roof. then you end up haveing to take a pasma to it and cut the roof skin up ( literaly plasma out everything between the reinforceing strutts and then bond a fiberglass or carbon one on, been there done that, wasent fun

 

[Lou_B]

Wallace, here are the photos from the inside of the sunroof as promised.

Dannyp so in your opinion I shouldn't cut the panel, not even if when I replace the panel weld it back with spot welds link in the drawing?
As you can see from these photos I really need to get to the backside of the metal before it gets any worse.
What do you mean by "i would reapair that in situ"

Cheers for all the help

Left side

Right side

 

[johniban]

Could you not fit a new roof skin?

 

[Wallace]

You need a gynaecologist to get in there! What about using FE-123 Rust Converter, paint with Epoxy Mastic 121 then seal the holes?

 

[Lou_B]

Lolol, that right Wallace its real narrow.

Well I've tried to clean it up with my new High Tech Equipment

Here it is all clean

I think I'm going to weld the holes on the bottom, but on the side I can get to them form the out side.

 

[Wallace]

It looks to be in quite good condition apart from those corners, be careful welding around the brazing though.

Are sunroof seals still available? I seem to remember they might fit a Manta.