Lupo bodywork repair advice

[murphster]

Hope this is the best place to post, please feel free to move if not!

I have a VW Lupo which the insurance want to write off after some largely cosmetic damage but it is worth more to me (new gear box / clutch recently) and I want to keep. I am happy to carry out the repairs myself but want some advice on the light internal damage...

I am thinking the light pod on the driver's side will bend back once the external body work has been replaced? As you can see there are also some small cracks where the front indicator sits. Does this structure need to be replaced from an MOT point of view? If it does I will probably need to scrap the car








The other (undamaged) side for reference:



Any advice appreciated!

[DrDeAtH]

That should pull back into line with some brute force and then weld up the cracks. Other than that, get a corner section cut from another car and have a mobile guy/friend weld it in for you, unless the entire front panel bolts on then I would just bolt a new one in.

Edited by DrDeAtH on Sunday 5th January 11:35

[murphster]

Great thanks for the replay - it is appreciated. I am planning to replace the body panels but the cracks you can see are actually in fibreglass so I not sure I can repair them (or at least it will not be worth repairing?). I was hoping I could just leave them as they are but wanted to know if it will pass an MOT like that?

[Doctor Volt]

You should have no problem with an MOT as fibreglass is not part of the vehicle main structure, also once all your other repairs are complete you could repair the cracked Fibreglass

[paintman]

Once you've put things back into shape, the easiest way to do the cracks in the GRP is to:
1. Scuff the area round the crack with coarse wet&dry
2. Use a small paintbrush - children's paintbrushes are fine - to cover the area with a coat of activated resin & work it into the crack (David's Fastglas from Halfords etc is fine)
3. Cover with a dry piece of woven glassfibre mat.
4. Apply a coat of the resin to wet the mat then leave to dry.

You could apply another layer of mat, but in this case it probably wouldn't be necesary. if you do, then apply immediately after the first. I do a lot of caravan front & rear panel & 'A'-frame cover repairs (professionally) & this works fine.
This type of mat:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/160700132268?hlpht=...

Edited by paintman on Sunday 5th January 17:42

[murphster]

Thanks both. That was what I was hoping to hear. I'll get some fastglas (thanks for the link) and order the other parts I need to get it fixed next weekend. Cheers.

[steveo3002]

prob find another used panel off a forum /ebay for a bit more than the fibre glass would cost to repair it

could consider a pop riveted plate over the cracks too

[paintman]

Use peel rivets on plastic or grp, spreads the loading.
Normal steel shank pop rivets can cause cracking around the holes they're in or crush the material. May manifest itself immediately or later.
If you must use normal rivets then use a rivet washer (IIRC the correct term is a 'rivet burr')on the blind side to spread the load & protect the hole.

Edited by paintman on Wednesday 8th January 17:23