5 GT Turbo 11 years later silver bullet comes home

[Turbell]

Ok.....had a long conversation about this with trusted contact, as you'd expect doom and gloom.....but, agreed best , least chance of trouble would patch in , bit at a time.
I had a look , pressed Campus roof and I stand by keeping as close to screen surround as possible, where stiffness is, probably 40mm towards back of the car looks safest.
I'd start from where aerial hole is , let a section in towards area of rot that extends furthest, but stop short of it, then go from gutter towards same rot extended part, but stop short again.
Then put a 'tooth' section in that gets rid of that extended rot section.
By this time it would be well on the way, but consider making a profile of the better passenger side to offer up to bad side and see what's going right/wrong.
Obviously you're gonna need to butt weld with a good gap you're stiff confident you can bridge, loads of air, tack , air, middle out, left right, right left etc etc.....watch gap if pulls tight.
Keep tacking till it's continuous, if in doubt walk away and let it cool before doing anymore, grind it back and use a thin piece of rag and move it around with your finger tips and you'll feel if your getting highs and lows.
Disclaimer.....that's how I'd tackle it without a full skin, never done it on a fiver, never done that bad a skin on anything, I'm back street bodger....
I'd get lower surround in first, drop screen in before , measure all gaps as it stands, clamp surround, measure, plug, measure, stop , think measure, repeat repeat.
I think it'll be dandy, but I'd prep it, rattle it gloss black and check it, you can wipe it off with thinners and re skim it with top stop.....or realise it looks like Frankenstein's monster crotch and cry.....I'm rooting for you

 

[Steve Swan]

There's always the Vinyl roof option...

 

[Turbell]

Or do it satin black, big diamond a la Ragnotti

 

[Leigh5t]

Cabriolet?

 

[Duncan Grier]

Still alive all and much passion still to finish, don't worry

Alas work the last month a bit insane with almost zero time free and also trying to finish some needed house DIY that also slipped for the same reason.

Anyway while not quite a power hour got 30mins earlier and set to separating the top section.....all as planned and if anything just reminded me how much I love tinkering and the crazy 5

Long overdue a good run on it

Few nothing pics

 

[Duncan Grier]

Ok to get you used to my power hours of boring progress......last night I forced a couple of hours as I needed the therapy after work

Amazing how long drilling spot welds out can take as I ended up with 95% separated in 90mins.




Last 5% was full on knackered and while had some more time the below take a bit of the brass out before blow torch ended in oops time to stop.





Oh well, went home and

 

[Duncan Grier]

Well you would not believe it as I thought another 30 mins and be all separated.........2 and a half hours more on it and while super close still a bit of work needed to complete

Maybe I should have just fired up the plasma cutter and angle grinder



At least I dont have to do the same thing to the original one on the car also

 

[DaveL485]

Too delicate for plasma, youll blow thorugh it and be left with nothing to weld! Gently does it. Took me a full day to pick off the skin for the 21.

 

[Duncan Grier]

Definitely @DaveL485 plasma was a bit tongue and cheek statement

Die grinder ball will probably make an appearance on the rusty/rot of old screen but slow and steady as you say

 

[Duncan Grier]

Got a few hours in this morning with one goal in mind

Result.......


So with that done started on the next one and removed most of it as per pics



Kind of thinking other side of screen cradle out while this far in but top section left in looks ok

Gutter sections to get out but easier with the section removed and gave up looking for die grinder bits so that's next time

 

[Leigh5t]

Mammoth task but you’re making good progress! You’ll be chuffed once you get this section buttoned up.

 

[Duncan Grier]

Good to get back on it and definitely a milestone to tick off looming for some time.

Looking at the volume of rot on the upper still undecided on best approach but cradle first..

Worst case have to replace the roof and spend a day unpicking the roof and associated joy

Or sell a kidney and go carbon roof......

 

[Turbell]

I think it's six of one , and half a dozen of other.
Despite what I said, and what others have told me , I'd struggle to fight the urge to slit straight across the fecker, bearing in mind the sun visor inner panel is there, if you could keep the skin bonded half furthest away......it'd be tempting.

I'd justify it, in that rust could be hiding between the skins, even where it looks sound.

Chop.
Chop.

 

[Duncan Grier]

My thoughts as well @Turbell - chop chop against all good solid advice is what my gut is telling me is best and still think the bonded bottom section gives a nice base to work from and few ideas to use to my advantage but sometimes maybe I should follow the herd for once

Lets see what tomorrow brings

 

[Norwich Nick]

Let’s face it, back in the day they used to cut cars clean in half and stick them back together and nobody could tell, your car has a pretty substantial roll cage holding it all together. As they say, there’s more than 1 way to skin a cat. Just go with your gut feeling, the main thing is you’re doing it and it’s getting done

 

[Duncan Grier]

Gut got me this far .....however I am no professional at this stuff

Anything can be achieved with enough time and effort. While I will miss the metal work side of things, can't lie my vision of 5 pot turbo/DSG at full chat in the back of the 5 and tinkering with suspension and engine/gearbox etc is something I miss and looking forward to also

 

[Norwich Nick]

When I’ve paid professional to do work for me, it turns out they’re not either and I generally rip their work apart and redo it anyway. In theory you’re already ahead of the game just by your gut alone.

Talking of gut, my boy called me fat, bald and lazy! To be fair he has a point. I’ve still not started any metal work, or anything for that matter but I’d much rather be playing with engines, suspension and brakes etc, shame I’m fat, bald, lazy and also deaf if you include the wife’s input!

 

[Duncan Grier]

Sunday power hour update

With die grinder and burr set found fired up the air compressor and came out as planned



Turned focus to other side.....leaving the top section atm in 1, 2, 3, 4

 

[Duncan Grier]

So while inner side fine there is some surface rust on the outer.......is a solid section and held off until deciding on roof section

Stay or go?

 

[Duncan Grier]

Then we have marked for death options