Rockers & Sills

[Bill Robinson]

Well, I started in on my59 Restoration with the removal of the right side rocker that looked like Swiss cheese! The inner sill ass'y looks pretty good so I will sand blast it and coat it with POR 15 before welding on a new sill.

Question: How should I go about preserving the inner part of the sill Ass'y? Should I open up holes and try to coat it? Or maybe drill and fill with Waxoil? Please advice!

Thanks, Bill

[stuart]

Well, I started in on my59 Restoration with the removal of the right side rocker that looked like Swiss cheese! The inner sill ass'y looks pretty good so I will sand blast it and coat it with POR 15 before welding on a new sill.

Question: How should I go about preserving the inner part of the sill Ass'y? Should I open up holes and try to coat it? Or maybe drill and fill with Waxoil? Please advice!

Thanks, Bill

Bill I usually mask off the weldable edges and then paint the inner section of the outer sill with a good red primer and then spray the weld edges with weld through primer before fitting, then after painting fill with waxoyl via the drain holes.

It is also an idea to drill holes in the ends of the inner sill to allow you to waxoyl inside that as well. You may want to check the inner sill very carefully around the "A" post area as they can look good everywhere else but have rot behind the bottom couple of inches of the "A" post return.

Stuart.

Edited January 16, 2008 by stuart

[Don Elliott]

You will need to remove the front fenders (wings) to change the outer sills. Be careful with the repro sills. At the front, with the door on its hinges again, swing the door open and see if the bottom corner of the door jams on the cut-out on the front end of the sill. I had to modify this on both sills for both the TR3As that I restored. There wasn't enough clearance. Also I had to take a large rubber mallet to the inside of the sills to give them the proper curve to follow the curve of the door. All the sills were too short at the B post and I had to MIG weld in pieces of sheetmetal about 5/8" by 3" to close the gaps.

 

Once the outer sills are all done, you can spray Wax-Oyl into the sill interior via the opening at the front. I did this very easily on both cars with the front wings off.

 

As for the inner sills, you can drill holes in the sill wall along the sill to the rear of the B post, up front of the A post and maybe two holes below the door opening. These are inside the car. Close the holes with rubber or plastic plugs. The two extreme holes get covered with the interior trim panel and the carpet and the holes below the doors will be covered by the aluminium strip that is secured to the inside of the inner sill below the door.