Walter - Mk 2 GTI 16V

**golfmeup** · 24-02-2014, 10:41 PM

That's looks lovely in the sun.
Just keep it clean

**Jarred** · 25-02-2014, 01:37 PM

First post updated. Will be slowly updating with details on summers efforts.

**sports racer** · 25-02-2014, 09:07 PM

At least you've still got a MK2, even if it is brown.

**Jarred** · 26-02-2014, 07:55 AM

I've had a mk 2 for a long time Paul, since 09/10 I think.

**Water Boy** · 26-02-2014, 12:45 PM

Do a skid!

**Golf Loon** · 04-03-2014, 10:30 PM

Nice score. Where did that come from? Very brown. Let's say chocolate! I have a red one about as assembled as that.

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**Jarred** · 11-03-2014, 02:20 PM

So there wasn't really room for my new compressor in the garage/workshop, and I also got a bench top sandblast cabinet for my birthday, something that I've always fancied. Not having room for that in the garage either, nor wanting to make a mess inside, I spent a few afternoons putting this together.

Some old laserlite sheeting that was in the back yard has formed the roof, and 'door'. It isn't winter yet, but with the combination of where this is located in reference to the house, it should stay reasonably dry. Only time will tell though.

The blast cabinet was from Supercheap. For size reference, here it is with a 15x7 wheel inside.

When blasting some really rust brake backing plates, I couldn't see bugger, so I modded the cabinet to accept some vaccum.

Final product:

Nothing a few plumbing fittings, an old radiator hose and some sikaflex couldn't fix. Mostly solved the problem, just need to fit some more lights now.

Next job on Walter is to refit the rear brakes onto the mk 3 rear beam (hard lines are a little different), still need to cut and polish the paint, and then a few bits and pieces that I'll need for RWC having been ordered and should be here in a fortnight or so.

**HaydEn** · 11-03-2014, 03:27 PM

Cool setup!

**Jarred** · 11-03-2014, 03:30 PM

Rust Repairs, part 1.

The number one job to perform on Walter was rust repairs. Being an ex-UK car, rust was always going to be a problem. I do think that the rust on Walter wasn't too bad though. The main areas that needed attention were under the windscreen, the bottom of the rear arches, both sides, front and back, the rear beaver, the tailgate and under the battery tray. There was also a few other areas where the rust had started to develop, but was nothing a wire brush and/or some rust convertor couldn't fix, such as the lower edges of the front guards or along the floor. I think if this car was left to sit in the weather for another couple of years, it really would have been a different story.

First up was the windscreen and the tailgate. Both panels only had minor holes, which didn't really warrant purchasing rust repair sections. I fabbed up replacement sections using the skin off an old audi door.

Here's the start of the repair patch. Manipulated by hammer and dolly and also using the area due for replacement, as a 'mould'. I found it to be a pretty effective trick when tackling this sort of rust, in window channels etc, where the surrounding structure is still solid. (Thanks Pete Jones!)

When it came to cutting the rusted section out, I used the patch panel as a template, rather than trying to cut the rust out, and then fabricate a section to fit the whole. I have no doubt this way was 100 times easier, and more accurate.

and cut..

Tacked in

The gap was just filled with MIG. it would have been far too fiddly to try and fabricate a little section to fit in there. Welded, ground and filed back. Happy with this repair.

And onto the tailgate:

Here's the RHS side of the window sill of the tailgate

As you can see, the flanged where the two pieces of steel were spot welded has been well and truely attacked by rust. This continued around the entire lower flange, and between a number of other 'joins' within the tailgate. It was at this point that I decided I'd get a new tailgate eventually, but for now, I would accept the challenge to repair this tailgate. This allowed me to get on with the work, and means that I'll probably look to purchase a brand new, or very good second hand tailgate, in the final stage of the project.

I used the same technique to manufacture the replacement patch, and then used it as a template for cutting the rusted section.

The repair wasn't 100% perfect, but definately much more solid and will certainly be good enough for the next few years.

The other side of the tailgate didn't have such a big hole, but the flange was still just as rusty.

here's a pic of one of the replacement panels for the flanged section. using pie cuts to get the desired shape, but led to some difficulty welding (especially for an amature such as myself!)

Here's the cut for the above replacement section

Here's the finished left side:

And the (almost) finsihed right side: Nothing that a touch of filler couldn't fix.

TBC.