MK 2 Sill strip or Stainless covers....?

[mike@thenook]

Another little job I’ve finally got round to tackling is removing the stainless (everyone seems to have them) covers on the sills, first time in 26 years and I have to say I expected to find some serious rust.

A little to my surprise (thank God) apart from some very minor surface rust at either end and about. 1/3 way along on each side there’s no damage at all, sills all sound as a bell, I guess having waxoiled the inner sills most years has been worthwhile.

So I’m just thinking now, should I put the stainless sill covers back as they were having dealt with the rust (I’ll probably stone chip both sides after using Jenolite on the small areas) or should I go back to originality and fit the original thin strips along the raised sill that runs just along the top of the sill?

Only hitch I can see is having to remove the retaining strip for the stainless covers and then fill the holes from where the rivets that attach are plus having to drill new holes along the sill top to fit the original thin strip in its place..

I think I know which way I’m leaning but other views would be good too....

[DJT]

I had the same revelation when I removed the shiny covers on my car’s sills. Rust! After the bodywork was done, we refitted the original style narrow strip below the door line.

[len]

I recently took off my cill covers and luckily the cills were perfect,. They had applied done sealer on the ends which probably saved them from rust. I intend to refit upon completion of the full body repaint. I personally like the look of the cill covers.
Len

[Alacrity]

I have a '73 Mk 1.5 the someone had fitted aluminium covers to the cills (polished), when removed the cills were in a terrible state rust wise, so much so that they had to be replaced although they were basically perfect internally. The car is having a full bare shell resto currently & I believe the cills should be black like the rear panel with no s/steel strip above for this year. Can anyone confirm this is correct please?

[jbuckl]

My car has the thin s/s trim at the top of the sill. It originally had black sills. It’s a late 73. Left the sills body colour after the repaint.

[mike@thenook]

Thanks for this, very helpful;

I think as I've had the stainless covers for a long time and not really got anything other than surface rust I'll put them back but with a couple of extra rivets where I notice the retainer sits a little proud and allows water to get down behind it - this is where the surface rust has appeared below the retainer line, better to use some silicone on the front leading edge of the polished covers to stop water ingress as Len has.

One other thing I've dispensed with is mudflaps as particularly on the rear they created a serious rust problem in the wing lower corners, all now remedied but I think now it looks cleaner without them.

Cheers,

[DJT]

I have a '73 Mk 1.5 the someone had fitted aluminium covers to the cills (polished), when removed the cills were in a terrible state rust wise, so much so that they had to be replaced although they were basically perfect internally. The car is having a full bare shell resto currently & I believe the cills should be black like the rear panel with no s/steel strip above for this year. Can anyone confirm this is correct please?

For originality, yours should have the strip and black sills, but your car, your choice.

A24C16C7-B636-4888-9FC2-71A3164BC253.jpeg

[mike@thenook]

64831DDE-77A1-493A-9D85-97EF8CAE7FFF.jpeg
Hi Dave,
thats how it was before I restored it in 1997..
This photo is as it was when it came back from the paint shop believe it or not that’s carmine but the photo was not good quality!

Having now got the sill covers off and the retaining strips I rather like it ’nude’ this


image_42169.jpg
There’s a little bit of paintwork to do but not enough to worry about.

Think i’ll Do it then make a decision.

This is how it was until today:

77E8DDA3-A884-464A-A61F-644E926D0BBE.jpeg

Decisions, decisions.....

[DJT]

Mike,

You've already got the best colour , so how you finish it off is your preference. I do like the shiny sill covers, but the shock of finding what mine were hiding put me off refitting them. The previous owner told me rather liked them and they were a present from his wife. What he should have told me was that the sills were rotten, he’d paid a farmer a tenner to slap on some patches and under seal, then hidden the lot behind shiny covers

No offence to our farmer members, of course........

[Phil S]

Mike,
you could always give the stainless covers a good coat of grease or similar to keep the water out before fitting

[new to this]

I like the sill covers im going to fit them to mine

[mike@thenook]

Mike,

You've already got the best colour , so how you finish it off is your preference. I do like the shiny sill covers, but the shock of finding what mine were hiding put me off refitting them. The previous owner told me rather liked them and they were a present from his wife. What he should have told me was that the sills were rotten, he’d paid a farmer a tenner to slap on some patches and under seal, then hidden the lot behind shiny covers

No offence to our farmer members, of course........

Oh definitely the best colour Dave, that is beyond doubt - Yellows, Purples and Primers, don’t argue......LOL!

Thanks for the input all, I’ll chew it over for a bit once I’ve reinstated the paintwork.

Cheers

[mike@thenook]

So, paintwork all finished apart for a minor bit of “blending” on the rear quarter panels behind the front doors, still can’t get over what a good match this paint is straight from the tin!

I consulted with the family and they’ve all said they think it gives the car a classier look without the SS covers, have to say I agree..

Looks like I’ll have some SS sills for sale then, this is the way it’s staying now.

30E35A89-69E7-43DA-9D2C-D5EAAF430A0A.jpeg

F856A8AD-329F-425F-ABC2-818A75C9A7EA.jpeg


Cheers!

[SteveD]

I prefer the "nude" look, especially with a white car like mine
Steve.

[flying farmer]

I fitted the cover sills and front and rear mudflaps to mine even though its a mk1, but there is so much loose gravel on the country lanes where I live the paint on the sills has a very short life expectancy without.

There is a reason I have glassfibre front wings on my TR, the stones removed the the top coat, stonechip compound, primer and exposed the bare gel coat in less than 12 months. It is too low to the ground to fit mud flaps. Last time I patched the bottom of the inner sills I used stainless steel sheet, don't want to have to do it again in a few years!