Chris, Brent etc.,
Thank you for your input on the sills. My car had the pass. rear outer, and
part of the inner rocker rusted out so as to avail me a picture of what I
was getting into. A 1995 issue of Tiger Tales had a comment that "there were
holes so big you could put your hands in them" in reference to the previous
owner attending a Tiger event. A similar view (without the inner rust
through) was availed me on the driver front side. After cutting away the
rust in the wheel wells I now have a front to back view where I see
internally all the sill area. Fortunately there is a point where the rust
does stop and that the flat, thicker, inner panel (#3 counting from the
outside in) is in very good shape. Especially considering the damage to the
outer sill and the boxed like inner one.
Since the pass. side is the worst I will work there first. I have cut out
the bad portion of the inner sill which would be about 1 1/2" below the
door. I have found a shop and they have fabricated me me 48" panels to
replace the rusted areas ($40 for the first panel, $5 for the second). I had
them fashioned so as to overlap vertically about 2" and made slightly
undersize about .060 at the horizontal area so as to nicely slide under the
good portion of the old sill. I will drill holes in the original sill that
is left, weld the two pieces together through the holes as well as lap
welding them at the seam. I will install as I HOPE is properly illustrated
below.
II
drill holes and weld here II
II
II
lap weld here
I
I____ .060 undersize here
I
I
I
Since the sill damage is mostly towards the rear I will sandblast and POR-15
the front area. Even in its sad current state (with all the metal cut out) I
have no door gap problems. The drivers side has rust too, but first I want
to see what sandblasting and wire brushing will do. It is not rusted through
and depending on how well it cleans up it maybe that that and POR-15 will
save me any further labor. TomWitt B9470101
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