Front wing - rust repair advice needed

[Paul 290T]

Hi,

The bottom corner of the front wings of my 1986 turbo are fairly rusted. The rest of the wing is in great condition, I've had the wheels off and checked behind the liner. I don't want to replace the whole wing as this will involve tearing the original sealer and stone guard chip material away, revealing bare steel in the process. I'm fearful that this factory applied protection has done a good job and to break it up might lead to more trouble in the future.

I am therefore thinking about cutting the bottom section of wing away and having replacement sections fitted. I'd only need the lower flange and about an inch up the vertical surface removing to get rid of the rusted sections.

I have read that steel sections are available and also fibre glass.

I'm interested in fibre glass as this could be the end of all corrosion in that area and I can't see the outer wing being greatly load bearing.

Can anyone point me in the right direction for:

1) A good coachbuilder who could do this work, I live in Sunderland
2) A supplier of lower wing steel sections
3) A supplier of lower wing fibreglass sections.

And finally, I'd be very happy to receive your experience and advice regarding how I am planning to approach this repair.

Thanks in anticipation

 

[edh]

Paul

I think most bodyshops would just fabricate their own repair pieces. Eldavo has recently had a load of bodywork done - he's up in the NE so might be worth asking

 

[pauljmcnulty]

The classic restorer who did mine fabricates all his own pieces. He spends less time making the parts than messing around with poor repair sections that people bring him. The wing is a very simple repair if it's only the bottom bit, the paint is the time-consuming part. If you're able to resrict it to below the line of the stone guard that's a far simpler job than painting the wing, and then where do you stop?

 

[Eldavo]

Yes, I did get "a load of bodywork done" well - more than I planned to anyway.

Am sure my guy could replace the parts in situ but I removed the wing that needed attention. As stated, anyone half decent will just make their own bits and bobs, my guy took a replacement wing, chopped out the corrosion and replaced it with 2 pieces of new metal and a return from my previously repaired original wing.

He's based in Sandyford, 5 mins from Newcastle city centre and is a one-man old-school operation. PM me your number and I'll give you his details and tell you what he did for me, timelines, etc.

 

[J4CKO]

I have all the gear now, going to give it a go myself.

 

[944Scott]

ORIGINAL: J4CKO

I have all the gear now, going to give it a go myself.

Keep us updated with pictures[]

 

[Paul 290T]

Thanks everyone.

I've PM'd Eldavo.

So who's had this repair done the longest time ago, with no rust coming back?

 

[pauljmcnulty]

So who's had this repair done the longest time ago, with no rust coming back?

Assuming the rust treatment is applied perfectly, and you renew it every year, it should almost be an indefinite solution. As would n original wing if it was stripped back, cleaned thoroughly, and re-rustproofed at least annually.

To give you an idea, the "before" pic on mine above had a repair before I bought it. The picture is three years on, with only my less-than-perfect cleaning and waxoyling. I'd guess that it wasn't treated at all, and in the first year the rust got in again. It was thin steel as well.

One option I'd consider as an alternative would be plastic wings. There is an argument that the wings should be removed on cars as old as ours, as there is some evidence that rust can get in to the lower a-pillars. It would be good if a few breakers could confirm what they see when they strip cars down, as few 944s have the front wings off. Take the steel wing off, treat everything underneath, put a plastic one on, and you're good for at least 20 years.

 

[Lowtimer]

If you're going to take the wing off - and I agree with Paul that it would not be a bad idea for reassurance - I can't see much point putting the same wing back on when new galvanised wings are available. Galvanising doesn't last forever, it is sacrificial protection, and the whole wing may well have to be painted anyway. so the labour involved in making a repair section, welding it into the old wing, grinding it all down and repainting it, may not save any significant amount compared to the much quicker and easier job of prepping and painting a completely new wing. Although new wings aren't cheap neither is the hourly cost of a good panel guy. If you have a new wing then the whole thing will be new galvanised metal.

Incidentally I'd much rather have steel than plastic wings for road use - though heavier, they absorb a lot more impact in a shunt, and they never seem to take the paint as well as metal ones - plus I think most potential future buyers would be fairly wary of them.

 

[Eldavo]

I had bodywork done on the wing, door and bumper. Some corrosion treated around the windscreen aperture and a few other bits of work plus all he required painting for less that the cost of a new wing though

Paul 290T - I've not received a PM???

 

[Lowtimer]

Did that involve taking the wing off though?

 

[Eldavo]

Yes. I removed the knackered wing myself and supplied a used replacement wing that needed work.

Here is the wing before fitting, Bodyshop guy said it had been pretty easy to do (much easier than the Lancia Delta sills he was also fabricating at the time):

 

[zcacogp]

For what it's worth, I made a new wing bottoms for the driver's side on my S2, cut the old one out and welded the replacement section in with the help of a friend. The steel used was bought cheaply from a bodyshop supplies place and it took me a day or so to do. I had it sprayed by Paul Smith (Diver944 on here), and it looks fine three years on.

I had never done any bodywork before (although am fairly practical) and didn't find it that hard. For someone with some experience I suspect it would be a trivial job.


Oli.

 

[944Turbo]

ORIGINAL: zcacogp

For what it's worth, I made a new wing bottoms for the driver's side on my S2, cut the old one out and welded the replacement section in with the help of a friend. The steel used was bought cheaply from a bodyshop supplies place and it took me a day or so to do. I had it sprayed by Paul Smith (Diver944 on here), and it looks fine three years on.

I had never done any bodywork before (although am fairly practical) and didn't find it that hard. For someone with some experience I suspect it would be a trivial job.


Oli.

And I made one for my Coupe as a temporary fix, riveted on, it took about half an hour.......





but it looks like it!

I think Paul or Mike has a photo

 

[J4CKO]

ORIGINAL: 944Scott

ORIGINAL: J4CKO

I have all the gear now, going to give it a go myself.

Keep us updated with pictures[]

Will do when I get aorund to it, going to do the bodywork then paint it temporarily, then send it in to a local body shop, going to do a few more practices first, key seems to be, not to rush.

 

[944 man]

Seat photos Mark?

 

[amrbose14]

ORIGINAL: Paul 290T

Thanks everyone.

I've PM'd Eldavo.

So who's had this repair done the longest time ago, with no rust coming back?

I had both front wings repaired at that location... probably 5 years ago. No rust yet. I did rust-proof the inside again a couple of years ago. It's presumably down to the quality of the repair.

 

[Paul 290T]

Eldavo,

I've just PM'd you, but like the first time its not shown up in Sent Items on my profile. I'll give it some more time.

=

 

[J4CKO]

ORIGINAL: 944 man

Seat photos Mark?

Will give it a try, things were too fraught due to the Gear linkage issue at the time and I forgot.

 

[nicksonmsport]

i have a pair of fibreglass front wings to match up with s2/turbo front bumper if any1 is interested pm me