Porsche 944 S2 sill replacement (pic heavy)

[dibs81]

Second project after sorting the rear quarter. Driver side sill was bodged so I decided to replace it with a factory panel.

After a bit of a poke around...

State of intermediate panel

Rot cut out

Patch for intermediate panel

Sill cut off

Started to patch inner wheel arch

Rear quarter repair patch and new sill clamped on

Always look down here into the door vent before buying one of these cars!

Patch welded in

Now ready for the sill to go on

Holes drilled for plug welding

And started to plug weld and grind them down...

That was about 2 months of weekends! More to come...

 

[jackjosh]

I have an 84 model and a later 86 model with an oval dash and great leather. The later car is very similar to from where you started with rust in the same areas and will require at least as much work, where did you get the outer sill from as mine will need both doing and they also look like new inner sills as well? I have just put power into my new workshop and garage and intend to carry out a light (hopefully) restoration on the 84 car which needs paint and interior work plus a few electrical gremlins. The later car will be more of a challenge but something I plan to undertake. Good luck on the rest of the restoration and please keep the updates coming. I will post some pictures of the cars when I am home.

 

[dibs81]

The outer sill panel is a genuine part from Porsche. They only have the driver side at the moment but apparently are working to resolve the supply of the passenger side. The sill repair panels you see on ebay are nothing like the genuine panels.
If you are lucky as I was the rust will be confined to the outer sill and rear quarter, with just a few repairs required to the inner panels.

 

[jackjosh]

Ok, the first photo is an internal shot of the sills on the 84 car, the black is waxoyl and and rust is capable of being rubbed of with wire wool, it is 90 degrees out lol, this picture makes it look bad but it is really good.
The second shot is the 86 car with a bodge it replacement, probably bought off ebay as you say, hence I want to use genuine sills, again 90 degrees out.
The third shot is looking down via the door vent to the wheel arch and jacking point area again on the 86 car. the body on the later car will be a challenge. They are going to be done in my garage as i have moved all of my equipment to my new workshop which is photo number four

 

[jackjosh]

Dibs, not sure if you know about The Independent Porsche Enthusiasts Club (Tipec) forum but they would probably love to have you as a member posting these pics.

 

[dibs81]

The early car looks really very good as you say. The late one has been bodged like so many out there with an ebay panel just welded on top of the existing rust and the whole thing probably covered in filler. I would say factory sills are the way to go if the new car is a keeper. They are expensive but they will give you a discount if you're restoring a car. I am not a TIPEC member although I am a PCGB member and post on their forum (it's a similar crowd!).

 

[CompoSimmonite]

The early car looks really very good as you say. The late one has been bodged like so many out there with an ebay panel just welded on top of the existing rust and the whole thing probably covered in filler. I would say factory sills are the way to go if the new car is a keeper. They are expensive but they will give you a discount if you're restoring a car. I am not a TIPEC member although I am a PCGB member and post on their forum (it's a similar crowd!).

I doubt 944 sills are expensive as those on my old P1800 (Jensen version). I was quoted £960 for inner and outers ! In the end I paid just £200 for outers and intended fabricating inners from scratch as had access to guillotine & folder. The outers are double curvature so pressed is only option for proper profile (some aftermarket available but single profile so door sticks out above sill - worth noting if you ever see a P1800 or the later 1800S (Jensen built are P's whereas Volvo built are S's otherwise the cars are identical) at a show etc.

Paul H

 

[jackjosh]

The early car looks really very good as you say. The late one has been bodged like so many out there with an ebay panel just welded on top of the existing rust and the whole thing probably covered in filler. I would say factory sills are the way to go if the new car is a keeper. They are expensive but they will give you a discount if you're restoring a car. I am not a TIPEC member although I am a PCGB member and post on their forum (it's a similar crowd!).

I will go with factory sills when I do it, I didn't know they were meant to have a drain hole until i bought the earlier car and saw them!!

 

[sebring115]

Just a question about sills, when I started my wifes car 6 months ago only drivers side sills were available and I had to fabricate a passenger side one. Has that changed now??

Cheers

Mark

 

[jackjosh]

Just a question about sills, when I started my wifes car 6 months ago only drivers side sills were available and I had to fabricate a passenger side one. Has that changed now??

Cheers

Mark

Still the same unfortunately

 

[campervan]

nice work thought i might find it on here keep the pics coming tipec and pcgb member i joined here when i had my transit camper

 

[dibs81]

another weekend of welding and grinding (mostly grinding!)