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[Nick W]

Before you need to weld on the car, get some lots of practice.


Buy some sheetmetal of the thickness you're going to use, and have it sheared in 150mm squares. Run beads across a couple of them until you're consistently getting tidy looking welds that penetrate, but don't burn through. Then weld various edges together.


If the metal you're welding isn't free of paint/underseal on all four edges, you're going to really struggle. The welding area needs to be clean and shiny fresh off the grinder, it helps if the whole repair is.


Cut as little off as possible until you have the repair fitting well, whether you buy or make it. Templates from thin card are the key to this. Be aware that if you shape around the existing part, your new one will be too big by the thickness of the metal and paint at each bend! That's why I made the door step separately. There's a point where it makes sense to split a big repair into smaller ones, but it's really easy to go too far and end up with lots of welding and grinding of tiny pieces.

[dave the builder]

Thanks for the advice 

I do intend to have a practice ,I've got some old panels ,sheet etc 

I did do TIG, MIG , GAS and stick as part of my engineering diploma years ago 

but not done any FINE bird droppings in a long time ,though I done stick on RSJs etc (got an old heavy transformer snotter for that)

but yes , I'll need plenty of practice and some youtube vids

plus grinding discs and seam sealer 

fortunately nothing on the fleet is too crusty ATM ,

and before you say it .... yes ,I've taken the sill covers off etc and prodded my Omega several times 

I've purchased the mig (chinesium tat) in case i need it in the interim period between now and 2035 ,by which time we'll all be flying ECO solar electric hover cars and using the fantastic new public transport systems 

[Marks DTM Calib]

Currently sorting the sills on a 2004 Ford Explorer.

Can't get the cills in this country so having to use bent tin......we are 3m of this in and rising.

With a repaired propshaft UJ (usual bearing failure) and proper setup of the handbrake (similar setup to Omega.....and its been adjusted using the cable.....) it might get an MOT.

Even then it will still be a pile of old turds 

[Nick W]

Was it not feasible to order them from the States? A quick Google suggests they're <$100, and the dogleg(a part I really wouldn't want to make) about half that. The sheer amount of time and effort that would save would probably have me refusing to do the job without. Making the multiple bends for such long parts isn't fun even with a suitably long brake.


When I rebuilt the front of one work's Transits, a new wheel-arch and sill were non-negotiable even though he didn't want to spend the £70 per side.

[Nick W]

I'll need plenty of practice and some youtube vids

plus grinding discs and seam sealer 

fortunately nothing on the fleet is too crusty ATM ,

and before you say it .... yes ,I've taken the sill covers off etc and prodded my Omega several times 

I would have had a full sill fully attached to the car in less time than making these repair panels. It's much easier work too, as they're plug welded along the lower edge and to where the door seals sit - Omegas are the same. That means you only have to attach them in the arch, under the wing and a few mm in the door shuts. If the outer is bad, the inner is likely to need work too, and it's much easier with the skin out of the way.


This was my Metro, but should give some idea:











If removing a full sill, try and blag a plasma cutter to get most of it out the way. Then grind a 10mm(ish) drill bit to a nearly flat tip and drill out most of the spotwelds, splitting what's left with a sharp chisel - a wood working one you don't care about is ideal. That all saves a considerable amount of time, noise, sparks, cutting discs/dust and trips to A&E

[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

That Metro reminds me of Triggers broom.

None of it is the original forty year old  car.

[Marks DTM Calib]

Was it not feasible to order them from the States? A quick Google suggests they're <$100, and the dogleg(a part I really wouldn't want to make) about half that. The sheer amount of time and effort that would save would probably have me refusing to do the job without. Making the multiple bends for such long parts isn't fun even with a suitably long brake.


When I rebuilt the front of one work's Transits, a new wheel-arch and sill were non-negotiable even though he didn't want to spend the £70 per side.

Sadly not, quotes with shipping and tax were north of £400 and a considerable lead time for those willing to ship (many were not interested)

Have sourced some pre formed steel length which is doing the job pretty well (1m lengths at 2mm thickness), a bit more seam welding needed along the top edge but, the bottom fix is plug welding 

[TheBoy]

My welding is "artistic" and resembles birdshit

[TheBoy]

Actually, I appear to have mislaid my hobbyweld cylinder.  God only knows how I've managed to lose that

[Nick W]

That Metro reminds me of Triggers broom.

None of it is the original forty thirty year old  car.

Most of it was the original car.

[dave the builder]

Actually, I appear to have mislaid my hobbyweld cylinder.  God only knows how I've managed to lose that

"Cylinders" are taken off you for safety reasons 

[countrywoman]

I have a n/s Metro inner sill repair panel left over from when I had a business, didnt think there would be any demand for it now!!

[Nick W]

On to the other side:





It was worse than that, and I made the mistake of just extending the small template from the other side to get this bigger outer patch:





Why was that a mistake? because by the time I'd made the tapered front edge fit, there wasn't enough metal left to fold the arch return. So I had to resort to the unsatisfactory method of welding it on, which takes longer, doesn't fit as well, isn't adjustable and requires lots of grinding on very thin edges. As you can see, the return isn't at 90degrees, and pulled the panel slightly too. It's just good enough to fit with the plastic sill cover, so I moved onto the inner patch - note how much better the folded flange is:





welded in





door step made and adjusted to fit:





Welded in





Outer ready to weld:





Tacked:





Welded:





A load of grinding later:





and in the door shut:







I have to discuss with the owner how far we're going to finish this, as it isn't the first time this area has been repaired; the arch has already been filled(not to the correct shape), and the quarter repainted up to the body line. If the arch was original, this repair would only need a wipe of filler, and a flick of paint.

[Raeturbo]

Fk nice work, there’s a lot done there for just a smallish patch😱

[Nick W]

It would have been quicker to fit a whole sill. But this is going to be sold soon, and we are trying to keep the costs down.


Otherwise the job would have bought both sills and probably the wheel arches, knowing the quarters were going to need to be painted.