rotten bottom section of sill

[sunnystag]

...Well jacked up my stag and started on the rust, both screen a pillars have suspect bubbles at the base and the rear bottom section of the driver’s side sill looked very weak.



Attached should be some pictures. Now in a dilemma as to whether to take whole sill off and replace or to cut back a bit more and patch.

The bulk of the sill looks good and the inner looks solid (see picture peering in). But the bottom rear of the outer is gone. Have cut back, not yet finished opening it up, what’s worrying me is that when I cut the bottom flat bit of the sill away, that’s the metal facing the ground. I seemed to cut trough not 1 but 3 layers of metal!

At first I was optimistic and thought that as my car was made in dec 71 it might be the sill strengtheners, but I am suspecting a “quick fit" sill overa rotten one. Thing is I don’t have 2 but 3 layers of metal.

Guess next weekend I’ll have to cut more back to see what I find, but thought I‘d post these shots.

From under the tread plate (removed the stainless cover) there are 3 oval holes and the appears to be another layer of metal under them.- see picture. Can anyone help me with this, is this normal? Or do I have some form of strengthener sandwiched in between the inner and outer sill.





Car jacked up in garage for winter works







View of sill from top with tread plate removed, not metal under oval holes – what is this?





Underneath lookin up :



[IMG]http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w69/sunnysprint/triumph%20stag/DSCF1257sill.jpg[/IMG]









[IMG]http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w69/sunnysprint/triumph%20stag/DSCF1259viewtogoodinnersill.jpg[/IMG]







[IMG]http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w69/sunnysprint/triumph%20stag/DSCF1258sill.jpg[/IMG]

[sjm]

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You are lucky, that extra sill part was only fitted to the first few hundred

Steve

[StagnJag]

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I don't know anything about bodywork, but I think I would go for a whole sill. Being a convertible, that is where the main strength is in the body, if the bottom of the sill is gone, I can't imagine that the rest of it is much thicker!

AS Steve says, the middle sill section with the holes in is very early and rare.

Rgds

Dave

[jleyton]

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This is a car that was for sale near me a little while ago.

These pics show the very early middle sill I believe.

Cheers

Julian

[new to this]

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looking at your picturesi would fit a new sill

Dave

[tonypy1]

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Don't forget to brace the door gap.

[Ian B]

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this is how mine looked in 2003, i took the option of a complete replacement sill, this led to the same on the other side, followed by two new floor pans, new wings (two front one rear), new boot flooretc etc, but you get my drift, once you start deep pockets are needed but at least you know the car has been made structurally sound and should not (fingers crossed) need doing again.

Ian

oh and yes as per earlier post make sure you brace those door gaps.

[marcusclive]

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My that looks fun!

I fear this may be what mine will look like under those nice shiney looking sill covers. Still nothing some stiff card and a big pot of filler cant fix.

[sunnystag]

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Thanks for feedback. Investigated a bit more last night.

Although I amdealing with lots of rust. I’m well please not to have a "rust sandwhich", ie an over sill over rotten original. Cut a couple of letter box sized strips into the sill and found what appears to be (when compared to picture jleyton posted) the early spec original sill strengtheners ( inner piece with circular cut outs). This seems to have rusted away at the bottom in the past and when a new outer sill was fitted, someone when to the effort to repair the inner strengthener by welding a strip to the bottom of it and curve it round to join the lip at the bottom where inner meets outer. Shame that the rust proofing was non existent, no sign of any wax and little paint on the inside.



[IMG]http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w69/sunnysprint/DSCF3074reduced.jpg[/IMG]







).