The 205 had galvanised body panels which is good news as it means most panels will not have rotted out! A bad point though is the fact that the panels are flimsy, which means denting and ripples in the panels!

If a full respray is on the cards which it should be if restoring, alot of the panels will need to be removed.

 

This includes Bonnet, Tailgate, Front wings and doors.

The Bonnet is a very cheap part to replace on a 205 gti and if it is rusted out or very dented then it would be more economical to replace it! They are very easy to remove and replace with only two 10mm bolts on either hinge holding the bonnet on. firstly you will have to remove the ancillary components, bonnet catch pin, bonnet release lever, bonnet adjusting rubbers, windscren washer jets, washer hoses and under bonnet pad. The underbonnet pad is usually riveted on, you can leave this off the new bonnet but if you choose not to be carefull drilling the rivets off.

The tailgate is more harder to remove than the bonnet due to the amount of wiring running down through it. if it is beyond economical repair due to rust and very dented then a replacement will be on the cards! if it is only slightly dented then it can be repaired using a good bodyfiller and stopper. It would be best to get the rear screen removed as sometimes rust can hide behind the screen seal, Also remove the tailgate outer trim and badges. You will need to remove the tailgate badges first to get the trim off as clips are behind these, once clips are removed the trim will slide downwards over the clip nipples. The window washer and wiper should also be removed before any filling takes place!

As the front wings are very thin and flimsy they could be very distorted. If they aren't to bad and have minimal or no rust then you may wish to repair them using a good body filler and stopper. Be carefull not to pres to hard when rubbing down the filler as it will push the wing panel in!

The doors unless really bad i would suggest to repair using bodyfillers and stoppers. Normally the worst is around the door handles and locks as it ripples through age! If it is seriously rusted and dented, Replacement door outer skins are available but i would recommend a proffesional bodyshop undertake this job as its not easy! The have alot of components on them and will need to be carefully removed.

With all the panels above check all around them not just on the exterior of them!

 

This includes basically all thats left after removing the bolt on panels!

If any of these panels need replacing then it would be best left to a professional body centre, as they will have the right tools and equipment to do the jobs.

For the floor and underside of the inner arches the car will ideally need to be on a ramp. There may need to be welding done to certain panels which will need the assistance of a competent welder to undertake these jobs!

The largest outer panels that may need repairing are the roof and the rear quarter panels. The roof panel is very hard to repair as it has alot of flex in it but minor dents can be sorted using bodyfillers and stoppers. The rear quarters are easier to repair with bodyfillers and stoppers, unless very rusted. The quarters tend to ripple with age so may have a large repair area.

Outer sill sections are a easy replacement for a proffesional body repair centre and the panels themselves are cheap! if the are only slightly dented and minor rust then a repair is on the cards. The flanges may need rewelding in places.

With chassis sections and other structural body panels rust is the main thing to look for as if it is heavily rusted this will need to be rewelded and properly sealed using a good panel seam sealer. For the front chassis legs the engine will need to be removed to do a thorough job!

Any other body panels look for rust in the seams e.t.c as this will need to be removed and sorted out.

 

This includes original gti bodykit parts, bumpers, window seals, door mirrors e.t.c.

The bodykit parts include front wheel arch spats, rear wheel arch spats and door centre trims. Each part has a coloured band which goes through them. Usually these are in reasonable condition and minor scuffs and fading can be rectified. This is done using a plastic repair kit containing plastic adhesion promoter, plastic primer, texture coat, colour coat. The scuffs will need to be repaired with a good plastic filler. a proffesional body centre will be able to do all the work for you and shouldnt cost to much! to remove the bodykit parts the colourd bands will have to be removed carefully first then the clips behind, along with the clips on the inner side of the arches.

The bumpers and valances unless split can usually be easily sorted. the bumpers itself can go through the same process the bodykit does to retexture and colour. The valances as they are plastic will normally just be stone chip and a fine abrasive on a orbital sander can be used to remove these and can be resprayed.

The seals for various parts can usually be re used if carefully removed from the vehicle, if they are split they will need replacing! good quality rubber and plastic restorers are available to bring the black back to the seals! Check the sunroof handle rubbers as they usually leak! Sunroof trims are expensive to replace so try to save these!

The wing mirrors are cheap to replace if very damaged or if the glass is cracked or corroded!

 

Basically all these component listed are cheap to replace if they are broken! The headlamps unclip very easily. The front indicators can be removed once the headlamps are out the way, using a philips screwdriver to remove the securing screw. The side repeaters twist to be removed. The rear lamps have two philips screw holing the lenses on at the top, to get the unit off, on the inside it is held on by a 10mm nut. The foglamp and reverse lamp (if applicable) in the rear valance can be removed by taking the two clips that hold them on, on the back of the valance off.