REAR ARCH REPAIR

1

We think our Golf might have had a rear wing fitted in the past and, as a result, there was some scabby rust just starting on the arch edge. We could have had it gritblasted and the rear quarter repainted, but this would have cost about £350.

2

Instead, we used the rattle-can of Tornado Red from Halfords and attempted a DIY fix. The first job was to take an angle grinder with a wire cup brush to the rusty bits. It’s not rotten, but it would be much harder to fix if it were left to fester.

3

After cleaning the arch edge, we rubbed back the flat section of the arch. There was very little rust and most of it was right on the very edge of the arch lip, so easily dealt with. We’ll be painting up to the edge of the body crease around the arch itself.

4

Here, the paint has been feathered back. We started with 240-grit wetand-dry, finishing off with 800-grit for a smooth surface. Use your fingertips to find any flaws before putting on primer. Bear in mind that it’s easier to mask up a car than to remove overspray!

5

Here, we found some quite heavy rust pitting, a result of the rust being allowed to spread under the paint. High-build two-pack primer would sort this, but we’re going to apply a very thin skim of filler, then rub that down to eliminate any trace – hopefully.

6

Mix the filler as directed and smooth it onto the area; it will need about an hour to fully set. To rub it down, either use wet-and-dry paper starting with 240-grit, or rub it down most of the way with dry paper and finish it off with 400-grit wet-and-dry. It’s not an easy job.