It is a virtual certainty that the ends of the outer rocker panels that
are under the fender doglegs will be rusted out, which is why you see
the bubbling on the surface. They rust from the inside out. The
questions is how bad are the other inner sill components, and you can't
tell unless you remove the front fenders and cut out the lower rear dog
legs. If poking with a screwdriver underneath the sills on the castle
rail doesn't reveal any weakness, you can probably get by with just
replacing the outer sills, and possibly the inner web.
You can either replace everything that is rusted out, or junk it. Open
top cars are not safe in an accident if the sills are compromised.
They, along with the transmission tunnel, are what keep the car from
folding up in a collision. (Remember, I am an all or nothing type of
guy!)
I am a fan of chemical strippers, others prefer sanding. Both have pros
and cons. Chemicals are expensive, toxic and messy, and sanding can
damage fine details and small components like the thin cap piece found
between the fenders and the body on MGBs, and warp large flat panels,
like the doors and hood.
I use an aviation type methylene chloride stripper with a respirator and
with good ventilation, usually outside. Place the vehicle on plastic
sheeting, and remove or cover the tires. Be sure to collect all the
stripped off paint for disposal.
I've often encountered thick layers of Bondo that won't melt without
multiple applications of stripper, but now I use a heat gun (very
carefully) to soften the material and scrape it off. Whenever I
encounter this the area is so badly damaged that I need to cut out the
metal anyway, but I still need to get some of the Bondo off to see what
needs to be done.
It's your choice, dust or toxic fumes! Wear a respirator either way.
--
Stuart MacMillan
Seattle
'84 Vanagon Westfalia w/2.1
'65 MGB (Daily driver since 1969)
'74 MGB GT (Restoring sloooowly)
Assisting on Restoration (and spending OPM):
'72 MGB GT (Daughter's)
'64 MGB (Son's)
Stripped and gone but their parts live on:
'68 MGB, '73 MGB, '67 MGB GT
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