We bought a broke one with 40k miles on it

[Diggs24]

Love that color.

 

[Mr Hatt]

Love that color.

Yes I did until I had to match it to existing panels, then it got interesting, the driver door was included after a van backed in to it so i had to complete all the repair and base coat leaving a six inch strip of original coat to fade in to so no difference to back door once lacquered, Shiraz Red by the way.

 

[Desslok]

Quick pic of our View attachment 248421View attachment 248420broke GTI before I ran it through my workshop

Nice tow truck.

 

[Mr Hatt]

Nice tow truck.

There is no law that says if your gonna tow, you cant do it with style,

 

[Michael gti07]

It was just like one of those Chip Foose episodes really, went in my shop looking like the first pics, after the add break it had no rear quarter, second add break and I had it all masked up then 45 mins later it came out as you see it nowView attachment 248427 View attachment 248426

Excellent Job!
There's no seam across the top rear quarter....?....
How did you decide to cut there? Did you just spot weld down on top of the original shell?
Otherwise you just ground off the old sections to be able to spot the new skin onto the old unibody?

 

[Mr Hatt]

Excellent Job!
There's no seam across the top rear quarter....?....
How did you decide to cut there? Did you just spot weld down on top of the original shell?
Otherwise you just ground off the old sections to be able to spot the new skin onto the old unibody?

 

[Mr Hatt]

Excellent Job!
There's no seam across the top rear quarter....?....
How did you decide to cut there? Did you just spot weld down on top of the original shell?
Otherwise you just ground off the old sections to be able to spot the new skin onto the old unibody?

As the seems are internal and triple layer for the roof and tailgate sections, and as they were intact I decided to pic an angle thats easy to lose visualy and hit the new section with a joggler so it dropped in behind the existing, tac weld with a mig for convenience then tigged the whole seem so lower heat and little distortion, didnt take much skimming to lose it, all existing seems have spot welds so drilled them out of front panels, new and old then mig welded through the hole to refit, I use aircraft skin pins to hold panels in place whilst welding

 

[Mr Hatt]

Excellent Job!
There's no seam across the top rear quarter....?....
How did you decide to cut there? Did you just spot weld down on top of the original shell?
Otherwise you just ground off the old sections to be able to spot the new skin onto the old unibody?

The joggler presses a recessed edge on metal sheet so I can drop it behind another panel instead of trying to butt directly up to it, have a close look at this section on a ford focus before welding that did this week, the new section is a body cut from a scrap yard, where the two panels meet I have loads of room to move in and out and the weld is lost in the recess so little to grind and minimal filler, unfortunately I still have the A pillar to do to reposition the doors, trees are pretty unforgiving.

 

[HelloNewman]

Americans towing: Imma need a 2500, Duramax diesel, 4wd, Silverado to tow a single axle trailer with a few of my wife's storage boxes and a lawnmower.

Europeans: If its got a tow hitch it can pull it.