Rusty sills (rockers)

[blackbirdxx]

I've decided now is the time to replace the outer sills (rockers) on my 1987 E24. I've had a poke around with a screwdriver and identified a few rusty areas and think that patching will be false economy. The car only passed the MOT about 4 months ago and the sills didn't appear badly rusted before I started poking around.
I have the new sills ready, but how much should I expect to pay to have them fitted?
How many hours per side is likely to be required, assuming the inner sills are solid?
I live in Croydon in south London, can anyone recommend someone who can do this type of work. Obviously, I'm willing to travel if required. It seems that most garages these days want to avoid this type of work.
Anyway, any assistance gratefully received along with any useful comments re issues I should be aware of.

[olympia57]

" How long is a piece of string ..."

You don't say what area of the sill is rotten but replacing the sills on an E24 is an impossible task to quantify . If you have visible and easily identifiable rot on the external outer sill the inner and central membrane will almost certainly be compromised too .
These three components ,along with the jacking support , all come together at the very base of the structure and are pinch welded together.
This pinch weld area is essential for the fitting of any new parts and if there is any rot there the string just gets longer and longer .
In simple terms the extent of repair work in that area will not be gauged until open heart surgery has been commenced .......
You MUST apply due diligence so I'd suggest you speak to other local classic car owners and get some recommendations of garages that are known to be able and willing to take on this type of work then try and track down some customers that actually have had work done by said garage(s).
You have time to do this as your MOT has some months to run but be acutely aware it will be expensive if done correctly .
Once done flood that area with rust preventative of your choice and fit new rear window seals from SYD635 on here to stop water ingress along the side rear windows which causes the rear end corrosion .
This photo shows the three parts of the sill /body and the result of the leaking window seals onto factory rust prevention .
I hope yours is in a better condition internally but as I said you won't know until .......
Good luck and let me know if you wish further gruesome photos .

IMGP0008.JPG (2.69 MiB) Viewed 1774 times

[blackbirdxx]

Thanks for the prompt reply...

Appreciate I was asking you an impossible question as you cannot be sure of the extent of rust until you start removing the sills.

The car sills have been pumped with Waxoil over the years and the car gets parked in the garage over winter months. I'm hoping that rust wont be too extensive behind the outer sills but it may be just wishful thinking.
I have discovered that few garages want to entertain this type of work on old cars but I have been recommended one of that still does. It's looking to be in the ballpark of £1K per side with further rust to the inner sills being extra. Its a fair bit of money, I know, but the rest of the car is in very good rust free condition. Not sure of costs that others here have been quoted??

Anyway, I have the full prefabricated outer sills ready to carry out this work should I go with it.

Thanks for the help

[GRNSHRK]

Hey fellas, I'm gonna move this thread to the "Exterior" forum, where you may get more responses

[olympia57]

I'd say that , done properly by a "caring " garage , £1K per side inc. textured finish and paint would not be unreasonable.
I know how long it took me to properly rebuild both sides of mine .
Many people lambast Waxoyl but after decades of use I have confidence in it's attributes so it's possible that your corrosion will be , at least , limited .
I'd try and establish a rapport with the garage to try and let them know what you hope for and expect , that will also let you see how interested they are in your car and classics as a whole .
Good luck and let us know how it proceeds .
Don

[blackbirdxx]

Thanks,
Was going to remove the carpet and side trims in advance of this work, may save myself £10..May also identify any other nasties because currently the floor is plastered in underseal.

[Pod]

Don is absolutely correct. A ‘rotten’ job. I think it’s a good idea to remove all the carpets, trims and scrape off the underseal so you can see exactly what needs doing. From my experience, you’ll find bad rot at the rear ends, running into the wheel arches, fronts (and probably front floors) and all along the bottom seams, running up into the interior sill sections. You should remove the rear seats and look at the base of the panel which runs across the car at the back end of the seats.
I’m sorry to say you need to expect the worst.
Good luck- and post us some before and after pics please.

[wattsmonkey]

All the above, plus the fun of burning Waxoyl!

I'm sure your garage will have their own ways of doing things, but I found that cutting out the seat mounting rails and part of the rear seat mount allowed very easy access to the straight run of the inner sill/floorpan edge.

It also allowed me to cut 10mm off the driver's side seat mounts to allow me enough room to fit without having to "drive ghetto" or stick my head in the sunroof apperture!

Like Ron says, "they're always rustier than you thought", but it's all do-able.

Good luck and post us some pictures, please,

Rob

[Pod]

It also allowed me to cut 10mm off the driver's side seat mounts to allow me enough room to fit without having to "drive ghetto" or stick my head in the sunroof aperture!

Well, Rob, we’ve never met in person, but from what you say, I’d imagine you must be very tall! Wouldn’t it have been easier just to cut the roof off and just use the car on dry, sunny days ?

I recall Edd China (Wheeler Dealers) driving a small convertible wearing a leather helmet and flying goggles as his head was higher than the top of the windscreen

[wattsmonkey]

Not unusually tall, but long body and short legs, a bit like the Lego Yoda, seen holding a very rusty sill in the picture!

lego yoda.JPG (23.76 KiB) Viewed 1224 times