Passat GL5 & GL Saloon - Rust Fettlin

[forddeliveryboy]

Ah! The 2E2 - almost my first car had one of these on which was problematical, I spent ages learning all about the vacuum paraphernalia and electrics which work* them, only to find the cause of all the bother was a wire which was intermittently shorting out on the manifold. Isn't the saloon called a Sultana?

 

Great to see someone loving these old buses, it used to take me about half an hour to swap a cambelt. Apart from the complex carbs, these were tough, long-lasting cars. I replaced the dampers with ones intended for an Audi 80 Sport (Boge turbo-gas I think) and transformed the ride and handling - much better than with the tired, soggy old things which were binned. Always fancied a GL5 - doesn't the nose obscure the road when accelerating hard?

[Grundig]

  You need to get drunk and purchase an estate to complete the set.

 

 

 

......... Well erm, ........... it's funny you should say that ...... cos........

 Isn't the saloon called a Sultana?

 

 

 

Ah classic mistake - The Santana was a model in it's own right with a different front end, then in 1985 the range was facelifted & the Santana got the same front as the other Passats did = Passat saloon 

[forddeliveryboy]

The Sultana was a massive hit in China, I remember.

 

I always lusted after one from Germany with quattro underpinnings and a 2.2 5 pot.

[pandamonium]

I love these Passats and even though I like a modified car, I am impressed with your work in making this unmodified, well done. 

[Coprolalia]

Echoing above comments... the 2e2 can be such a bag of shite. Have one on my Scirocco, and for cold starts it's pretty good, but it's got a mind of it's own for tickover. They're a bugger to get set up correctly, but when they are, they run well.

If your main problem with it is the over-run/ dieseling when switching off have a look at the flange (whey) where the carb and manifold meet. If it's anything like the Scirocco it's a flimsy piece of rubber taking all the weight and rotational force, and it's just not man enough. My current one has lasted about 5,000 miles and it's already refusing to shut off. If it's split you can get replacement metal ones on the bay. GSF/Euroshodparts all fall apart.

[Grundig]

 

I have had a look at this - it's been sat on the drive for 3 years or so in all weathers, but that shouldn't be a problem cos vags don't rust do they ?

 

 

oh....... well just a bit on the cill - at least the inner cill is ok 

 

 

...or maybe not - thats the bottom of the B post & seatbelt mount

 

 

N/S & O/S both rotted through - both rear arches also rotten & not had much luck finding replacement panels 

 

 

Underside- the point where the rear axle attaches to the body has rotted too - so faced with an expensive weldathon, I have made the decision that any right minded person would ............

         

 

        .................                 yeah I reconditioned the alternator  

 

 

 

 

 

..

[Lord Sterling]

Grundig, I can't believe how I've not commented on how nice your car was, it was so tasty when I saw it, I could've eat it!

 

So I'll say it now - Both of your cars are well TASTY. Well done on getying them to how they should be. Please keep us updated with the work. Hopefully at whatever summer meet they may be, I won't be too socially inept to talk to you

[Grundig]

UPD8's  innit 

 

Quotes to have the welding work carried out on the saloon came in at a lot more than I was willing to spend - so using some man maths, I thought cut out the rot, make up new patches, get a mig welder & do it myself (thus making the repairs for free) The most MOT worrying bit is where the rear axle pivot mounts to the body on both sides, this needed the axle to be removed to gain access   

 

 

with this out of the way, the rust can be cut out

 

 

new metal welded in - (after a bit of practice, pigeon shit, cutting out & doing it again )  

 

 

The rear axle got a refurb whilst it was off the car - a wire brushing & lick of paint 

The pivot bushes were knackered & fell apart 

New ones installed using the Grundig (pat pending) bush installation tool

Brake back plate & stub axle ready to be re fitted 

 

I seem to have lost some pics, anyway this is a repair to the inner rear arch

 

rot cut out

 

template made (cornflake box)

 

welded in & seam sealed

 

 

 

 

 

[sierraman]

Nice work there.

[mercrocker]

Yep good to see something else kept out of the slow boat to China....

[twosmoke300]

Nice work .

[Pillock]

Great skills, must be very satisfying!

 

I had a welder once, lost it. Someone somewhere on a forum is bragging about how they bought a cheap repo house and it had a 150W mig in the downstairs loo.

[Grundig]

Did some more fettling on the saloon, cutting out rust & patching up -  where the fuel neck/filler pipe attaches to the rear inner arch creates a rust trap (an effective one too) the support bracket had rotted away & munched its way through the inner arch. I had been putting this repair off as access is difficult & an awkward shape (it's also next to the rear seatbelt inertia reel mount & as I unbolted this the captive nut sheared off) So working from inside the boot welded new metal in

 

Removed the filler pipe (which is plastic) to stop it being melted & to make a new support bracket, I cleaned up the metal bayonet bit on the end as this was rusting, painted it & the bracket with this brown paint that "stops rust dead" apparently  

 

Where the filler pipe joins the fuel tank, a short rubber braided hose is used as a coupler - naturally this split when I removed the pipe

 

 

With the welding done in this area I primmed & undersealed the inner arch, then refitted it all back in - job done........

...... another step nearer to getting an MOT 

[vulgalour]

Excellent work, as always.  I'm happy I'm not the only one that's been welding horribly awkward bits of car just lately now.

[Grundig]

To keep Mr V & Samba company on the rust fighting front, I've been plodding on with this - I thought it would just need a small patch on the inner cill & a slightly larger one on the outer, but tin worm had eaten more than that - the rot had gone deep into the seam, so it had to be cut out

 

 

All the rust cut away 

 

The floor pan bends down  90°, the inner cill meets it to form a sort of 'Y' shape & the outer cill curves under & all three are then spot welded together

 

 

Marked up cuts & folds on the new metal from a cardboard template

 

 

 

..... & welded it in place 

 

The lot was given a spray of weld thru primmer & the outer cill was patched to finish off, but can't find the last photo