Author Topic: BUYING GUIDE Mk3 Golf Rust  (Read 66330 times)

Offline chiefwhosm

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Re: Mk3 Golf Rust Buyers Guide----Sticky?
« Reply #30 on: 28 April 2011, 22:50 »
One trap which I was recently shown on my own vehicle is the drivers side inner wing (structural MOT failure). What was worse is while there was a small amount of bubbling of the paintwork it didn't actually look too bad (and the underseal was all nice and clean looking), but it had actually rotted through in one area, so that the screwdriver went through with no effort whatsoever. I'm told it's a very common area and the first place that most VW mechanics will poke, the passenger side inner wing rarely gets such bad rot.

Also the bottom corners of my driver doors (think there were drainage points there that got blocked up) have become rusted so much that you can use your finger to happily poke through.

Offline Jack4688

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Re: Mk3 Golf Rust Buyers Guide----Sticky?
« Reply #31 on: 13 May 2011, 12:46 »
I'm having a look at a Mk3 GTI tomorrow, will I need to remove the trim pieces or can I get a good enough look without dismantling someone else's car?

Offline Shady Pioneer

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Re: Mk3 Golf Rust Buyers Guide----Sticky?
« Reply #32 on: 13 May 2011, 12:50 »
I'm having a look at a Mk3 GTI tomorrow, will I need to remove the trim pieces or can I get a good enough look without dismantling someone else's car?

You'll need to take the sill trim off, that's one of the important ones. You saw my pictures.  :shocked:

Offline Jack4688

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Re: Mk3 Golf Rust Buyers Guide----Sticky?
« Reply #33 on: 13 May 2011, 12:51 »
Do they sort of 'pop' off or is it trickier than that?

Offline Shady Pioneer

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Re: Mk3 Golf Rust Buyers Guide----Sticky?
« Reply #34 on: 13 May 2011, 12:52 »
There are about 5 screws to the bottom of the car, really easy to spot, phillip heads. Then literally just pull them off. Simple enough.

Offline Jack4688

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Re: Mk3 Golf Rust Buyers Guide----Sticky?
« Reply #35 on: 13 May 2011, 13:06 »
Ok, and what about the ones round the wheel arches?

Offline Wayne

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Re: Mk3 Golf Rust Buyers Guide----Sticky?
« Reply #36 on: 13 May 2011, 13:30 »
There are about 5 screws to the bottom of the car, really easy to spot, phillip heads. Then literally just pull them off. Simple enough.

Not as simple as that, you need to remove the top main trim as well, that can be tricky to remove and refit.


Ok, and what about the ones round the wheel arches?

No chance they are pop riveted on.

Offline Shady Pioneer

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Re: Mk3 Golf Rust Buyers Guide----Sticky?
« Reply #37 on: 13 May 2011, 14:02 »
There are about 5 screws to the bottom of the car, really easy to spot, phillip heads. Then literally just pull them off. Simple enough.

Not as simple as that, you need to remove the top main trim as well, that can be tricky to remove and refit.


Sorry, it was as simple as that for me.

Offline thai-wronghorse

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Re: Mk3 Golf Rust Buyers Guide----Sticky?
« Reply #38 on: 13 May 2011, 16:00 »
They're riveted from the factory so if yours had screws holding it on then it's been taken off at some point in it's life and not re-fitted correctly. This would explain why yours became so rusty due to the ingress of water through all the poxy screw holes.
« Last Edit: 13 May 2011, 16:01 by thai-wronghorse »

Offline Shady Pioneer

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Re: Mk3 Golf Rust Buyers Guide----Sticky?
« Reply #39 on: 13 May 2011, 16:04 »
They're riveted from the factory so if yours had screws holding it on then it's been taken off at some point in it's life and not re-fitted correctly. This would explain why yours became so rusty due to the ingress of water through all the poxy screw holes.

We are talking about sill trim yes? I didn't think sill trim was riveted on?