18 replies to this topic

[nicklouse]

They don't really do anything do they.

There is nothing in their shape that gives strength. Or do anything special.

You may ask why? Well the original "short" sills have seen better days and need to come off and I an thinking about the cost of getting original or even patten ones when I could just get some sheet bent up.

Mmmm but there is a slight cure to the sill.

The sills will not be seen as the will be "skirts" flattening it all off.

Thoughts.

Buy or make?

[Down&Out]

Read my thread about oversills in the bodywork section and you will change your mind....

 

http://www.theminifo...-to-avoid-them/

 

Plus, non genuine correct narrow sill panels are less than 20 quid a side, do not give yourself or anyone else the horror of replacing inner sills, doorsteps, flitch panels, sections of heelboard etc a year or two down the line because a bit of sheet metal was cheaper.

Edited by Down&Out, 12 October 2014 - 11:44 PM.

[nicklouse]

Not a road car. Lives inside. Goes racing.

And over sills never.

Edited by nicklouse, 12 October 2014 - 11:49 PM.

[Down&Out]

Not a road car. Lives inside. Goes racing.

 

Outer sills are still a structural section, Sonikk4 explains in that thread:

 

 

Ultimately over sills ARE NOT the correct panel to use. They do not form the correct cross section when welded on for strength. The car was never designed with these panels so not part of the structural design process. 

 

 

 

Fitting closed sheet sills would be essentially the same as oversills. No venting = rot.

Mild steel sheet is hardly cheap nowadays anyway, is it really worth such a minute difference in cost and all the effort of making them?

Just fit real sills, its going to be easier in the long run.

Edited by Down&Out, 12 October 2014 - 11:55 PM.

[nicklouse]

And as I edited above over sills never.

So imagine short sills without the bumps then squared off with a cover.

As in second pic.

http://www.theminifo...e-race-car-out/

[Down&Out]

Yes i know what you mean but as is detailed in the thread i linked to, the outer sills are vented. Theyre vented for a reason, to let moisture out, no venting = eventual rot, much quicker than you otherwise would have had. Granted it wont be quite as quick as oversill rot if its attached further up, but all the same, whats the point. You should also take into account that the vent pressings on a proper panel are going to add strength.

It sounds to me like you're trying to justify it to yourself, by all means do what you want but thats my opinion on the matter, there doesnt appear to be any benefits aside from a potential cost saving, which will be tiny if there is indeed one, and all the same, how much do you value the time you'd take making them. DSN classics non genuine panels are £16 a side including VAT,  factor in postage and thats the panels sorted for 40 quid. Then take buying steel, which at a guess, an 8x4 sheet is probably between £20 - £40, then you have all the faff of cutting accurately to size, bending it accurately, not messing it up and so forth, by which time you could have done the entire car properly and be indoors with a cup of tea!

As i said, do what you want, but you asked for advice, so there it is.

Edited by Down&Out, 13 October 2014 - 12:18 AM.

[nicklouse]

Postage will be a lot more than that. You presume I am in the UK.

Again breathing is not an issue.

The drainage pressing strength will be minimal but yes I give you that. But rolling a few stages in it will do the same thing.

Thanks for the input anyway it has me thinking.

Need to see how things go with rolling the arches as the results of that might need a rethink on the sills.

Just noticed that I now have predictive text on here. Still does not help with my spelling or autocorrections that are wrong.

[The Matt]

It depends what you value your time as being worth, really?  The time of sourcing the sheet/patterning the sill panels/forming them vs buying ready made/shipping costs.

I can't see it being a massive amount of money to get the sills shipped to Germany anyway?

 

 

And no, the flutes/vents aren't "structural", but venting the sill is a good idea anyway.  Condensation will still build up, whether you drive it on the road or just on a track.

[Pairaminis]

Okay, time for a newbe question,

 

While it is easy to see that the inner sills rust if the outer sill is not vented, where does all the moisture come from?  Why did the original design include vented outer sills?  I don't recall ever seeing this on another car.

 

Jack

[nicklouse]

Ok at the time any box section was made by spot welding.

 

now most of these box sections are not fully enclosed. you could find a path from B pillar seat belt mount area to the ground quite easily. like wise down the A pillar to the sill area etc.

 

so any condensation in the car will end up in the sills.

[nicklouse]

It depends what you value your time as being worth, really?  The time of sourcing the sheet/patterning the sill panels/forming them vs buying ready made/shipping costs.

I can't see it being a massive amount of money to get the sills shipped to Germany anyway?

 

 

And no, the flutes/vents aren't "structural", but venting the sill is a good idea anyway.  Condensation will still build up, whether you drive it on the road or just on a track.

right now we have covered the water side.

 

back to what it actually does structurally.

 

closes of the gap between inner sill and side panel and door step outer. keeps those two in the correct place.

 

considering the condition of some minis I have seen running about the outer sills don't do much else.

 

SO I could fab some brackets to do that, ie. hold things in the right place. and then just skin in alloy. and build in some jacking points. as those of you with low Minis will know what fun that can  be. More so as I plan on flat bottoming it.

[nicklouse]

Right got some OE pattern sills.

Who does what to the inner surface before fitting?

[Carlos W]

I seam sealed between the inner sill and door step.

 

I then painted the inner sill with lots of paint and used weld through primer where I was going to weld

[sonikk4]

The inner side i strip to bare metal, etch prime, prime then paint. The areas where i weld i use Zinc rich primer but no paint then after the welding is completed i force in some extra paint followed by a waxoyl based product of your choice. Dintrol works well for me.

[nicklouse]

The inner side i strip to bare metal, etch prime, prime then paint. The areas where i weld i use Zinc rich primer but no paint then after the welding is completed i force in some extra paint followed by a waxoyl based product of your choice. Dintrol works well for me.

Mmm Zinc rich primer. Do you have an example as I find it easier to use examples out here.

Some Zinc paints seem more like exhaust paint.