Just picked up a P reg 1.4 CL. The drivers side sill is perfect, but the passenger side isn't for some reason. It's got 4 areas of bubbling up with a split in the paint where it's bubbled up. Obviously that needs to be got back to bare metal, but if there happens to be holes, is it easier for them to be welded, or fit a new sill. Can you fit new sills though and can you buy them as a part? Any ideas as to costs?

I'm in north-east Kent if anyone knows of any decent bodyshops?

depends how bad it is? (pics) also what colours the car? may be able to sort something out?

It's Dragon green. Couldn't get any pics yesterday as was raining too much! Anyway, here they are:

looks like its quite a long way along? easiest thing i would do would to to wire wheel the whole lot off including the texture paint and then treat them and prime, spray them up so you would be getting smoother looking sills at the same time. It looks like its just started to rust under the texture and crack it away

It's on 4 different areas along the sill. Like you say, it looks like there's a been chip on the textured area, then the damp has got in and it's started to spread upwards and the stone chip paint has lifted away. I've got a few anti-rust treatments including Eastwood's POR15 etc.

personally i use the hammerite stuff, blue liquid that turns metal blak when its cured then straight over the top with some primer but indeed a grey layer or por 15 would be best then your normal primer and topcoat

How much of a job is it to replace the sills? Mine are gonna need doing, they're both dented :( Sorry if I'm hijacking :)

Once you have grind away all the rust you will be lefted with holes, guaranteed. Only way out of it is to either weld some patches in or replace the sill. Replacing the sill is a much bigger job to do. I would go with welding patches in and fibre glassing.

not sure if you can even buy whole sills but cutting and adding fresh steel would be doable

why did u buy it thats nigh on shot and fairly dangerous structually chap?

tbh its probably nothing more than light surface rust but the whole leaking mess that is showing makes it look loads worse, i imagine its actually good metal underneath after doing a similar repair on 2 different mk4s in the past

why did u buy it thats nigh on shot and fairly dangerous structually chap?

Shouldn't be dangerous structurally as it's just got a new MOT. Annoyed as my Dad went to look at it during daylight as I was at work and said it looked good with nothing wrong with it. Was a tricky situation as when parking it up, my Dad went and reversed into a wall at the front of their housel! Broke the rear light, a small dent underneath it and a scratch on the bumper. They were presuring him into a decision as they had loads of people wanting to look at it. Even it we hadn't have had it, we would have had to give them something fo the damage. I went up later, but of course it was in the dark then and was raining, so didn't notice it. Am kicking myself for not driving to a petrol station etc as I would have seen it during daylight. Also had no mates that know a bit about cars that could go up with me. Don't like looking at cars at night, but it's not like the old days of just waiting for the Autotrader etc coming out at the end of the week and looking at the car on a Saturday, now with internet sites etc, they come out at all days of the week and if you don't go straightaway, then they're sold.

I reckon at least a couple of them will need a section cutting out and new metal welding in. Should be a much simpler job than replacing the whole sill though. Only option is to get a wire wheel on it and see just how bad it is under there.

My sills are worse than that lol. I should really start to treat the rust.

How much of a job is it to replace the sills? Mine are gonna need doing, they're both dented :( Sorry if I'm hijacking :)

One of mine was dented, got a body shop to drill into it, and pull it out. A skim of filler and fresh paint later and it you'd never know anything was ever wrong with it :-D

They're hollow, and they're part of the car so it would take alot of work to replace them, better off just repairing the damage.

Just had the sill + the dent sorted that was done by my Dad. Luckily it was just some damp that that must have got under the stone-chip paint and lifted it. Need to go over the whole car with a clay-bar, the polish & wax it it if I can find a dry day at some point!