arch covers or no arch covers?

[gtijoey]

I bought a mk2 about a month ago an it looked alright with the g60 arches on but i noticed a small rust bubble at the nsr, deciding to not let it get worse i pulled all the sill covers and arch trims off an was gutted by what i found!
The front wings are scabby
The N/S sill has 3 holes i can get my fingers in!
The N/S/R arch is fooooked.
with my arm being in plaster theres not a fat lot i can do at the mo but some repair panels are on the way.
I fitted some coilovers an sat it on the floor an like the way it looks.
I kinda like it with all the plastics off an the big bumpers on (obviously the holes along the doors an quarters will need welding up!)
Has anyone got any good pics of some euro stylee ones that could persuade me either way?  thanks

[Jay]

Sommat a bit like this?

http://www.modifiedcars.com/cars/Volkswagen/13327_3734.htm

http://www.modifiedcars.com/cars/Volkswagen/13327_3735.htm

[Kent]

I have just found the same problem with my small bumper (F) 5 door. All I had was a small amount of paint bobbling over the n/s/r arch.

When I took the arch cover off I found rust the size of a tennis ball. So I decided to take them all off, every arch had some degree of rust.

I have now taken off the side trim and arch covers and filled all of the holes and I’m now in the process of sanding it all down.

I have managed to get some ¾ spats for the rear arches which will save having to filling the holes around the rear arch.

Personally I think they look smart without the trim on small bumpers but not so sure about big bumpers.

 Let us know how you get on.
 

[MooZ]

IMO Arch covers look much better. with or without the big bumpers they make the car look more expensive and just better all round.

[Kent]

But if your removing the side strips the arch covers look odd.

[bigman_10]

dont bother mate leave em off! especially if you go to all the effort making them nice show off the work! If you do it though make sure you get some spats for the rear arches because it does look wierd if theres nothing there.

[cняis]

i will never take my arch covers off...! never know what i might discover... 

[Jay]

i will never take my arch covers off...! never know what i might discover... 

afraid of a little work are we  I've got to sort out my arches by winter I rekon, they're rusted and need sorting so I'm going to cut them back a bit, loads of antirust treatment, fibre glass, filler sand paint and then get the arches back on. I'm budgeting about half a day per arch with my lacking skillz.

[bigman_10]

afraid of a little work are we.......... I'm going to cut them back a bit, loads of antirust treatment, fibre glass, filler sand paint and then get the arches back on. I'm budgeting about half a day per arch with my lacking skillz.

dude you've seen my project, i know i took the p!ss but half a day per arch would only get you to rust treated stage to fibre glass, filler and fine hole filler, under coat, base coat, laquer your looking at more than a few hours per arch

its waiting for it all to dry properly aswell, especially using kurust or whatever its says 3 hours minimum to dry anyway but its far better overnight!! you may have to recalculate

[Kent]

i also thought that that it would be a few days work  including paint until I started.