body rot on 1984 rabbit gti

[Triggerh4ppy]

he yall i got a vw rabbit gti and body rot that went through the spare wheel compartment not a big hole just a small one but anyways,im thinking about welding a panel over it but im not sure if the electricity would harm any of cars parts.i guess id have to drain the gas tank first of all i havnt done stuff like this before ,any pointers would be great

thx

[Frenchy]

I would probably remove the gas tank as any heat could cause you to wish you had left the "small" hole there, then use fiberglass to cover the hole.

Welding with out the proper treatment on metals will cause them to rust (heat causes exelerated oxidations) where as Fiberglass will be just as strong and not as hot.

Just my 2 cents. Also Fiberglass wont rot

[bloomautomatic]

if you haven't done anything like this before, then you should really get someone to help you with it.

if there's a hole rusted through, chances are the area around it also corroded. when you try to weld that, it's just going to burn through. you can't weld rust!

since this is in an area that's not visible, I would pop-rivet a piece of aluminum over it and patch over it with bondo or an automotive sealant.


vince

[mrwildroot]

Cheapest solution:
goto the local home center.
In the HVAC Parts section, purchase a roll of METAL DUCT TAPE. This is metal tape with adhesive pre-applied.
Cut and fit several layers of same over small hole.
Problem solved fast and cheap with no muss or fuss.
mrwildroot

[knight0334]

I've welded on many cars and trucks.

Just disconnect the battery. The electricity from the welder will go directly from the rod/wire-feed to the ground clamp. So long as there are no electrical component in between, then you are safe.

Try no to mount the ground clamp too far away..

And as mentioned above, you cant weld rust.. make sure you trim out any bad sections and weld to good metal.

[Boomer]

What Knight said will work....... but, this will work too.......

[Punisher]

how big is the hole? you might be able to just clean all the rust out and put something in there - i used to work at a body shop and i live in the same county as you, so if you need some pointers or a little help, let me know and i'll do what i can. i'm a real busy guy, but if you have an open schedule, we can pry work something out..........

[Agent Smith]

Hmm, I would say just scrap the car and buy something newer. Problem solved.

[brian]

Hmm, I would say just scrap the car and buy something newer. Problem solved.

why scrap a car if it still runs and drives? besides driving old stuff is cool.

removing and replacing is the best route.
everything else just covers the rust.....which does not stop it....when you see it agian, it will be much worse=much harder to fix right, the second time around.

[762xIan]

I miss my '82 rabbit diesel...made it to 300,000 miles and it was still getting over 40 miles to the gallon....wrecked it in a snowstorm in '96. Something about those rabbits....the ergonomics/seats/dash layout/ were great and it was a comfortable car to drive for being so small.

Cheap alternative....remove as much rust and bad metal as possible....pop rivet in a piece of sheet metal over the hole....treat with rust converter top and bottom, and cover the repaired areas with spray on rubber undercoating (comes in spray cans).