Porsche Enthusiasts Club Forum

Evening all,

So my 944 has failed its MOT for rust which has been starting to bubble through the paint around the sills. I was fairly sure this was going to be the case but thought I would leave the repair until the MOT was due and winter was out the way. Now the question.....the guy is quoting me around £250 to get welding done to get it through the MOT but this is obviously not going to leave the car looking the best. What are the other options??

Does anyone know rough costs of sill replacement? Or other options.....covers etc?

Cheers.

James, been done to death on here if you do a quick search. To do both sides properly is a fair amount of work, the panels are around £160 each, plus the rear wing repair pieces.

Here are the pics of mine if you're not of a nervous disposition!

http://www.pbase.com/tr7v8/porsche_repair_pics

Budget for around £1200/side to get it done professionally/properly. Don't box or fit sill skirts, it's only hiding the problem. Sills are structural.

Ben

If there bad cheaper to buy another 944! Prices there selling for at the moment it's not worth doing it unless DIY. There are still rust free examples around.

If get oem sills there be easyer 2 fit as the weild is seem wielded under the trim were the carpet meets the door. Plus it will give you anoth acess 2 adttend 2 the problem off rust on the inner sill. With the oem sill in place should be Easyer 2 make good off the rear and front wing will ur there. Or u may find someone who can repire it with sheet metal and make a persentAble job.

Got 2 do mine soon. Have a look at my rust pics! Have u taken a pic from the b piller yet? Iv seen a 944 with worse looking rust then mine from the out side, however there was. Hardly any rust inside it was all in the one spot and fairly acsses able with some rust converter, if he treats now he could very well save his sills. Were as mine seem 2 be rudely all the way along.

although, yesterday i decided to start to attack my sills as i had quite a few big bubbles along the rear of the sill and on the bottom of the wing on one side of the car, quite prepared to fabricate some steel and do some welding i scraped of the stonechip to find this! really clean metal underneath and just water in the bubbles. bit of a result really, and i am fitting side skirts which is why i decided to sort it out first.

Don't fit side skirts, they are ugly and spoil the lines IMO

What side skirts are you fitting? Have u stuck a camera inside the sills? See how they fair, mine were good ten month or so ago, hit them felt and sounded soilded, but sense trapeze and removeal off the stone chip paint they started 2 bubble all the way along. If ur fitting cover sills MIT be worth covering the lower inside with waxoil or something incase moister builds up between the sill and covers?


Jim what did you do about your inner sill? Did u fit repaire panels

im fitting box type, i dunno frenchy i think it needs something to widen out the middle. well im doing it now any way i just spent £140 on 2k paint and hardener thinners etc. for that and my bonnet and maybe front bumper.
I reprayed over with waxoil stonechip protection and top coat but i might strip it off again as its not actually stonechip and do it with stonechip, not that anyone will see it but hey.

Just noticed you are in Gravesend! Would be good to see you at a TIPEC SELNK meet in the future?

Details are here:- http://tipec.net/region_southeastlondon.php

yeah i shall pop down thanks, i know the woodman.

James,
Don't suppose you could post a couple of pictures please? Mine is due for MOT on Monday and I'm wondering at what extent it fails as mine shows some very minimum bubbling.
Thanks,
Rik

As has been done before, pop a small camera or camera phone down inside the door vents to see what they are like inside. Here's my very sound 1980 924 sills. Front three quarters shows a recovering of wax. Rear shows the original wax coating prior to the recoat. Happy to have very solid inner and outer sills

James, the RO up in Scotland makes sills and sells them. If you want to see a few 944's with his sills you should pop over to our next meeting. A few of the guys will be able to talk you through what you will need to do to get them done right. I'm on holiday right now, but if you want any more information, PM me your number and I'll phone you the next time I have a phone signal.

If it fails for rust on the sills, it will be internal to beside the rear suspension mount point. A rusty outer sill probably won't fail an MOT unless there are large holes in it or any sharp edges.
I am over in Bonnybridge near to Falkirk if you want to bring the car over for a look on the ramp to see where it is rotten. Will be at the garage tomorrow night if that is of any use. Give me a ring if you want to pop over
Alasdair
07515 899 500
I am currently doing this so you can see what a car looks like with no sills on.