Finally got the z jacked up so could have a proper look underneath, all looks pretty solid apart from what I think is the rear inner sill (if not what do I call this area). I'm sure there's loads of people on here who have tackled something like this before so my questions are:

 

How bad is it.

 

How would I go about tackling this, it this a common place that rots and is there a replacement panel I would weld in or would it be a case of making my own panel. Cheers all

Pretty bad when you start cutting away

 

Beest send it to Jeff's body shop...... Guy in Tamworth

 

If you are inetested in that I can PM his number to you

Hmm was worried that would be the reply I got. Heard about him an if I had the funds and the means to get the car to him I would but it's going to have to be done by me. ughh here we go lol

You can't really know for certain until you start cutting away really.

Right. Anyone know what the best tool is to cut away the rust? Dremel ?

you would be better off using a grinder it will destroy all the weak rusty metal but at least you'll know when you have solid material you can weld too.

Going to sand the outer sills back tonight if it's all good then I can take the minimum off. I take it the outer sill has to come off to get to the inner sill

Don't be too hasty cutting metal away, make sure you make notes of important reference points.

It's so easy to cut everything away and then go, Oh, what did that bit look like again.

 

Have a read through my exploits, may help.

 

http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/threads/thanks-everyone.15465/

Had a flick trough and wow, good job pal I'm praying I'm not going to have to go to that extent I'm hoping it's just the very rear. Has anybody made there own sills ? What's the oem thickness ?

Pattern parts are available through Zcentre. That's the best way to go if you have the dosh, ensures a perfect fit. I made my own pieces but it was a bit of a faff. Matching the stone chip is a nightmare as well.

Would rather make my own as its a learning curve. Our work makes titanium parts for aircraft so I have a factory full of knowledgeable people and loads of tools and machines, on the stone chip matter it will be having a full re-spray and fitted with skirts anyway so shouldn't be to hard

Would rather make my own as its a learning curve. Our work makes titanium parts for aircraft so I have a factory full of knowledgeable people and loads of tools and machines, on the stone chip matter it will be having a full re-spray and fitted with skirts anyway so shouldn't be to hard

 

With proper tools you will be fine.

With proper tools you will be fine.

 

Just need to learn how to use them haha.. I'll have guidance, nothing will be happening until I get off my honeymoon anyway. Would like to make a sort of step by step with loads of pics may be usefull to others

Would rather make my own as its a learning curve. Our work makes titanium parts for aircraft so I have a factory full of knowledgeable people and loads of tools and machines, on the stone chip matter it will be having a full re-spray and fitted with skirts anyway so shouldn't be to hard

 

If your fitting skirts you may as well fibre fill them,youll be doing them again in a few years,all skirts do is trap moisture,99% of all cars i see with them have rot behind.

If your fitting skirts you may as well fibre fill them,youll be doing them again in a few years,all skirts do is trap moisture,99% of all cars i see with them have rot behind.

 

I seem to remember you affectionately calling them "shit catchers".

I seem to remember you affectionately calling them "shit catchers".

 

Yup thats all they do matey,quite literally !!

Yup thats all they do matey,quite literally !!

 

+1

So your saying whatever car no matter how protected regardless of style of sideskirt will trap shot/moister and rot ?

So your saying whatever car no matter how protected regardless of style of sideskirt will trap

shot/moister and rot ?

Shit * moisture *

So your saying whatever car no matter how protected regardless of style of sideskirt will trap shot/moister and rot ?

Well these cars are 25 years old, so if you have any sort of moisture for that duration of course it will cause some rust.

But what I'm saying and said in the previous post is I'm getting rid off all the rust and protecting it the best it can, of core I could just fill the rust holes with filler then yes the side skirts would collect 'shit' and rot but that had nothing to do with my comment about side skirts as plenty of oem cars have them with no issue, of corse it all depends on design and application of said skirt but there should be no reason why 'said car' would rot/rust more with or without a sideskirt

I could just fill the rust holes with filler

:no:

 

 

but there should be no reason why 'said car' would rot/rust more with or without a sideskirt

As jimmer said skirts trap moisture, so water and condensation will be sitting with the sills and cause them to rust eventually (more than with no skirts)

 

Of course rust from the outside is only half the blame. Often the targa drains come detached and ditch water straight into the sills to sit which rots them from the inside, which would cause rust skirts or not.

 

 

 

 

plenty of oem cars have them with no issue

not according to Jimmer

99% of all cars i see with them have rot behind.

 

 

 

I'm not dissuading you from fitting them, if you eliminate rust completely you may never get rust the duration you have the car... but skirt skirts will increase the likelihood to get rust.

I'm not dissuading you from fitting them, if you eliminate rust completely you may never get rust the duration you have the car... but skirt skirts will increase the likelihood to get rust.

Not if care is taken and there fitted and sealed correctly to good metal. If anything if done 'properly' any surface behind the skirt should be water/moister proof. I'm not saying 99.5% of skirts fitted to cars using a bit of tiger seal wouldn't cause rust issues sooner than non skirted cars would but I'm talking about thought trough application not just the 'stick em on' attitude