I found a MK1 that was going to be scrapped and managed to cut out some body panels. My car needed new rear quarter panels on both the passenger and driver sides due to rust and an old repair. I used my angle grinder to remove both the outer and inner fender from the donor car, cutting out more metal than needed. The used fender required some repairs but was in better shape than mine. Looking back, buying a replacement aftermarket panel might have been easier, but the donor piece included the inner fender, which is important. Fixing a fender with lots of rust with another fender that also has rust may not have been the easy way of doing it but in the end it all works out.
Before fixing the arch, I repaired some hidden inner structural pieces behind the rear valance and inner fenders. After that, I worked on the donor fender, cutting and shaping metal pieces with tape templates, then tacked them into place. I cut off the damaged part of my car, leaving extra metal to overlap the new piece.
I clamped the arch on the car, ensuring all corners and body lines matched, and made a new cut for a good fit. Spot welding the pieces, I monitored for any warping while finishing the welds. After more patches on the rear, I moved on to grinding down the welds. Progress is being made, and soon I can begin stripping, priming, and applying body filler.
Robot Rabbit 