Hi all I'm looking for some advice regarding the bodywork on my 91 mk2f breadvan. I have the dreaded filler neck leak on my car which has highlighted a couple of issues. Now i believe from what I've read that the fuel tank filler neck corroding is a dead cert to happen on all polos of that age ? I have ordered a new tank from germany ( injection one !! ), so that is not an issue. The problem i have is the rear end of the sill adjacent to it. This has been plate patched in the past and needs to be done properly. So whilst i have the tank off i may as well get it done. How much would you say a repair would cost ? I have a replacement sill to go on ( would only need the rear 30 cm done), but what am i to expect in the inner arch ? I have seen a small hole at the base but it was like that 3 years ago and has gone through MOTs since? I want it done properly ie cut out to fresh metal and welding in? Anyone know of a good place in Norwich area ?? Help.

PS can fuel leak inside the car as I can smell fuel when I get in or is it just what has soaked the sill? I will run the car on less than a tenner of fuel for now.

best go round some garages and get quotes and discuss how good you want it

prices will vary massively depending on if its a guy working from home or a pukka restoration shop , i fear it wont be cheap to get done well

silly question I know but is it worth getting done on a £400 car. The rest seems solid it is a good runner and I love it !! Want go keep an old car on the road but have to be practical.

thats up to you

luckily i can do most of my own work , but if i was paying then i fear mine would have gone to scrap years ago

would you consider buying a used welder and having a go at diy?

Not sure if I have the skills or the bottle. I have access to welder but lack confidence. I'm worried someone will bodge it.

yeah thats the problem , unless you are paying serious money alot of the repair jobs wont be any better than an average diy job

Will ask about and see who i trust to have a go. I know a bloke who converts vw campers and has restored a mini or two so he may help. Anyone else in th noorwich area who may want to do the work. Has anyone used a mobile welder. Any good or are they dear?

Norwich area LOL

The issue is as well if you drive the car to the garage to get the repair done they will probably want to remove your fuel tank for safety and access. So you'll probably have a labour charge for that as well as the welding.

Also depends what they find underneath. If you have access to a welder you'd be better off having a go yourself. Get some scrap panels and just give it a go. You might surprise yourself. Also these days with YouTube there is a massive selection of 'how to' videos to help you along.

if you plan on owning old cars for a while then welding is a handy skill to have

you wont want to steam straight in , get on some welding forums and practice with some scrap until you feel confident

I can tell you its a tricky repair from experience. Probably not a great first welding job as the steel used on the inner wings is thin and you can blow holes easily.

Ideally, a fellow member who is local to you may help who has worked around the pipe of doom before. For some pics of what to expect, check out Gaz's mk2 saloon GT build thread.

Cheers guys will look to find someone local who can have a go. I will maybe look to remove the tank myself then get towed to the garage? Maybe I will get some confidence if I discuss the work with someone? Hope it aint going to cost loads as I love the car and I am against scrapping saveable cars !!

What ever you can see it will be a lot worse when you dig deeper. The last one of these I repaired in that area also needed work to the panel that runs up behind the filler neck. What tends to happen is that mud gets trapped in that area keeping moister in which causes the rot to set in, by the time you notice the end of the sill is rotting, the area behind it is at a later stage of rot.

As Vic says it wouldn't be the best kind of repair for a beginner to take on. A body shop will charge a fair amount to sort it out, especially if it has started to rot out behind it. Your best bet is to ask about and try and find a local friendly welder.

I've recently done the repair on mine and my car was probably worth £350-450

Untitled by lukeherbert1, on Flickr

Untitled by lukeherbert1, on Flickr

Edited 4 January, 201610 yr by lukeherbert

any in progress pics?

I really want it done, but well so it will last a while not just a MOT friendly patch and weld. Got a chap who is a hubby of a friend looking at it saturday. Hopefully he wont run for the hills. like the level of care you have taken luke !! the car aint a minter....never will be but its solid everywhere else, runs so sweet and i do not want to give up on it but my mentality is sort it properly. Not worried about paint, i can blow it it just want the sill and arch rock solid.

Hi guys i have a chappie coming to do the work at my house next saturday. He viewed the car and was up for the job. I will drop the fuel tank in readiness for him to cut out the grot and weld up the area putting in a new portion of sill cut from the panel i have. He is fairly local ( travelled half hour to look at the car in the rain !! so good sign i hope ) and seemed positive. What do you guys think. I want it solid and to last, I can do all the cosmetic stuff ie blow in the area in the summer as I have with other areas of the car. He charges £20 per hour plus materials. Thoughts !!!

sounds more than reasonble , is he clear you want it cut and butt welded plates rather than an a patch on top mot repair?

once its done get some decent primer and paint on it asap ..dont drive around with primer on it and let it start again

Take photos of work before and after shots.. Good luck.

I'd recommend using a decent zinc primer on the completed repairs. Normal primer will absorb moisture and might cause the rust to start all over again.

epoxy is even better..

Cheers chaps !!

Right guys i am just reading up on what i need to do to remove the fuel tank. Do i need to undo the 3 mounting bolts that hold on the rear axle bracket ? If so will this give me enough room to move the tank out. Also i have about 3 hours to jack up and remove the tank on wednesday afterrnoon will this be long enough ?? if you guys were me where would you put the axle stands if i eant to raise the car as high as i can ( bearing in mind i cant put it on the axle on the drivers side ?? ). Thanks.

i had the same problem but there's a bit on the sill you can put a long block of wood under the sill where there's a right angle in the floor which is fairly strong and then put an axle stand at the back of the car for safety

Untitled by lukeherbert1, on Flickr

Well guys curiousity got the better of me!! I pulled the rear door card off to look at the pipe of doom. It is rusted big time. It crumbled in my hand and left a big whole on the inner arch. I hope my welder dont run for the hills !! The plan is to cot down the pipe of doom ( the first 2 inches of pipe that comes from under the car seems solid !! ) and then run a new piece of fuel hose through the inner wing. When the welder lets in new metal (as long as he can !! ) I will drill out a whole and put in a rubber grommet with the fuel line inside it. What do you reckon ??? Oh yeah removed the seatbelt and broke that so anyone got a drivers side seatbelt ?? I hate old cars at the moment.

Right guys did some work on the breadie today I got the tank out (cheated and cut the neck off as it was rotten anyway)and the hole behind seems fairly localised so hopefully all will be solid on Saturday (I will get some pictures on). Problem I have is in the rubber boot/mount that goes in the filler flap that hold the neck. The valve type thing that sits oin a cup with a pipe coming off it broke!! What is this bit called and any ideas where I can get a new one ??