rotten arches!!

well its fair to say im damn well hacked off!! took the rear arch off to repair the rear end lil bump only to find that your canmt really call it an arch, the lip of the arch is no more!!!! so im guessing all four are the same, im gutted. so looks like the project maybe getting broken? i cant see how i can repair this, it would need our arches welded on? looks like 22years of water has got behind the arches and proper rusted em, so anyone after any parts, of a 1983 1.3 driver, in azure blue, 97,000 miles on the clock, totally standard!! j

sorry about the swearing ive jkust been working solid on the car for a week to find that, anyway has anybody had to do a repair like this on the arches, or had the repair done in a garage? i really wana keep this project going!

You should edit your above post .  

Arches are easily replaced but you need to get the welder out and get your self to you local Hadrian stockist for panels to replace the rot .
Search the site and you will find loads of info on the subject , loads of us have replaced rusty arches . Also search Amazon.co.uk and buy the restoration guide to the Mk1 golf there is plenty of info on arch replacement and loads of other usefull info .

You have to remember that your car is OLD and rust can be everywhere unseen until MOT time or when you start to poke about . So check the whole car using the buyers guide on this site just in case your rusty arches are just the tip of the iceberg and its rearly not worth doing .

What about some pics of the rust ? And the car ?

LOOK AT The Mk1 Golf Owners Club

AND The Mk1 Golf Owners Club

Hello mate - I'm in the same prediciment - I recently removed my arches and there is some rust on each wheel arch - it's not detered me at all and I see it as a chalenge to sort and fix! Show some pics as I have been treating the rust on mine and then fibre glass/ filling the arches the get them back to normal! My front left wing is shot though I reckon so I will need to check for a welder to fix or replace it myself!

Don't give up - see it as a challenge as it will make the whole experience a lot more rewarding if you've had to overcome some tough problems on the way!

Heads up mate!
Jord

Hey dub driver, i feel for you mate, sounds like mine when first got it. I used Hadrian panels, inner and outer arch panels, got a few pics below, that i hope might help, you just gotta stuck in, I,ve neva done anything on a car really before my mk1.

My old rusted arch ready to be cut out.



If your replacing the inner arch as well, cut the outer skin futher up, leaving about 10mm ish of the inner sticking out, so you can lap joint the new inner on the bottom of the old remaining inner arch, then i spot welded it on.



Then i clamped the outer on, to make sure it was siting right and tacked it on until i got it right.



Then i spotted the outer on, being careful not to let too much heat build up, i used a damp old sponge, to cool down the welds, and also when building the spots up, dont weld up all one side, spread the welds to different parts of the repair, so as not to make it bow out.



Then i ground the welds down, and fillered away, gaining sum blisters :roll:



Hope this helps, you just gotta get stuck in, then you can say you did it! :wink:

yer cheers, pretty determined now, yer mine looks alot like your arch did, just not as bad on the front, i was just gutted when the clumps started crumblings between my fingers, been working solid for days! its first time iv been doing bodywork! hopw much do all the panels cost to do the arch? cheers j

Yep, mine was pretty bad to




brought pattern outer arches from eurocar parts, not the best but did the job, can't complain when they were ?12 a side

Nice rust Phil , yea cant remember exactly how much their were, think i paid same amount as Phil did per side, not alot really, mate have a go, you can do it, when you B and Q it!!  :roll:   Wat am i goin on about :?  Have a go mate, then you can say youve done it :wink:  8)

Haynes do a good restoration manual for the gti, its good for all mk1s, that was my bible for about a year :wink:

Heres the ISBN 1 85960 448 x

Buy it you wont regert it, plus i just like reading it anyway (weirdo) :roll:

Pete's car now looks really sweet! It just shows that it can be done if you keep at it. Don't let the bodywork deter you. A guy I know has an old porsche 911 that is so rusted it literally has NO floor or sills, and he's going for it with that!!!!!

I restored a MK1 mini when it was 22years old, replace 65% of the panels!!!!!  five layers of MOT plating in the footwell. Go for it the satisfaction will out way your current misery

Dub_driver - just to reiterate everyone else… don't give in to the evil rust :starwars: . Hadrian arch panels are around ?14 a side www.perfectpanels.co.uk . Check out the restoration section of the forum there's plenty of advice and projects there to get you going.

This is the Haynes to get.

Cheers

Stick at it mate

I bought a GTi back in August but was very lucky as the bodywork and chassis was pretty solid.  The sills & arches had all been replaced very professionally by the guy before me.
I knew the front & rear panel needed replacing which I had no problem with but the worst part was finding how bad the inner wings were.  This hasn't deterred me though, I just cut out the bad stuff and welded the good stuff in.  

Fabricating the pieces to fit to the inner wings was a bit daunting and I've got to admit I was a bit scared of it at first but I persevered.  The feeling you get when you've sorted a problem is great and welding in new metal can't be beaten 8)

A welder is your new best friend and the Haynes Resto manual is very helpful (I got mine from http://www.play.com/play247.asp?pa=search&searchtype=bookall&searchstring=golf+restoration+manual&page=search as this was the cheapest by far)

Good luck

cheers everybody, its fair to say ive got my heart back into the mk1 poject and with trips to the ring and essen on the cards, looks like its guna have to be done by april or may if guna stand a chance of running it in, but guna have to get the new lump in also, could anyone on here help me with my other queries on the 20v t lump, plz click on the link below,

http://www.vwgolfmk1.org.uk/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=6149

cheers j