Any top tips on sills?

[Giff]

Trying not to butcher the car whilst removing the sills, pictured is the rear of the off side sill which seems to go under the heelboard.
Any top tips on removing it without damaging the heel board?





Also, is this jacking point ready to take the sill (bar a sandblast)?



Cheers.

[IAIN]

The heel board will lift off the old sill if you heat it, and use a wide chisel to ease it up. You will find it easier if you cut along the corner. where you have the saw cuts. Then it will open up and can be closed in the same way once the new sill is in position. Then mig it to fill the cuts.

The jacking point looks ok. Just check the tube part fits into the new sills hole.

It looks like you have brass left on the old sill, that would all have to come off.

[Giff]

Cheers, will there be any spot welds where the heel board flap covers the sill panel?

I keep putting off the tedious job of grinding the roller weld away..

[IAIN]

Yes, but they won't need drilled out.

[Mini4Ever]

If that would be mine, I may very well consider new outer sill, jacking point, inner sill and door step, stiffner panel in the rear companion box and probably even a new subframe mounting panel (perhaps not full length). It all looks rather rusty and 'unweldable' to me (even after blasting).

[Giff]

I think thats more of an issue with flash photography.

[IAIN]

Giff, I tend to agree with mini4ever but it all depends how far or deep you want to go.

If you picked around the inner sill area with a screw driver or pointed hammer that way you will find any thin areas, then it might be a case of small local repairs. If they are thin in places,and you dont check you will regret it in a couple of years.

[Giff]

If that is the case then I fear I'll have to replace the entire floor pan!

[IAIN]

Yes you may as well

Joking aside, the floors can be great and still have dodgy inner sills, they rust first.

[Mini4Ever]

Indeed, that floor might be savable, at least partly. Normally, when I see more than just 'minor' surface rust I prefer to replace it, certainly if it is a panel that contributes to the integral structure of the car (which includes the complete sill structure, subframe mounting panel and companion box stiffner). When I see rust 'bubles' or even 'layers' it definitely means replacing to me as you will never remove such rust by just sandblasting. I spotted quite some of this in the first pictures, which could of course be slightly deceiving. In any way, if you want to enjoy your restoration result for a little longer than just a few years I would replace most of the rusty panels in the pictures. But that's me of course

[814CWE]

all that said,,it still looks like a godamn good shell

[Jack of all trades]

On the subject of sills, did anybody of you also find the Herritage jacking points ill fitting?
Even after reshaping them the fit was terrible an the jack pipe bit wasn't sticking out enough!