Replacing 911 sills and Jacking Points

[Robos_911]

Maybe they are all better today.
Have you fitted the jacking tube sill bracing gussets?

I’ve bought Dansk for all the inner panels, inc bracing gusset (kidney bowl) I’ve only bought genuine for the outer sill. I’m also replacing the outer 6” of floor, again Dansk, I’ve not fitted any yet but looks like some fettling required in the floor.

[911hillclimber]

Back then I had to make my own floor edges, those panels are a gift.
The earlier cars have a separate brace for the jack tube, I think I forgot to put some into my car!

[RobFrost]

By the way, I don't use the spot welder for the centre sill web, as I've seen a large number of the factory spot welds that have failed along the top edge here, with the top of the sill almost falling way during stripping . I'm sure this is why some cars feel very soft, where the sill scructure has been compromised by failed factory welds, regardless of rust.

Invaluable for me, the jack, to see how the master does it, thanks Barry. This point above is exactly what I've just discovered on my 1970 911T.

Although the centre sill is in as near to perfect condition as you could wish for, I noticed while stripping the outer sill that the centre sill is loose at the top. The spot welds to the outer sill were good but its original spot welds to the inner sill haven't penetrated.

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[IanM]

.............

[RobFrost]

I'm following this as I may need to re-visit my sills.
I fitted Dansk parts to my 73T in '89 and the fit was awful and took ages to get them close enough to the equally poor Dansk door skins fitted at the same time!
Double trouble at the time.

Maybe they are all better today.
Have you fitted the jacking tube sill bracing gussets?

Hi Graham, you may have seen on my restoration thread but the Dansk sill I'm fitting is about 10mm too short. My original 1970 kidney bowl was pretty much intact - it's possible the sill is meant to fit a later kidney bowl, which may be bigger. So if you replace your kidney bowl with the later type maybe it fits better.

Then for depth, and bear in mind I had it absolutely tight and flush, it still stood about 7-10mm proud of the door along its entire length.

There are two right-angle folds running the length of the sill so by making one of them more acute and the other more obtuse, I was able to reduce the amount it protrudes and get a nice fit. It would have been easier if I had the right dollies. I haven't welded it in yet, but I hope to achieve a bit more fettling once the top lip is welded in.

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[911hillclimber]

That is the very same scenario I faced in 1989!
The bowls were missing on my car, both sides, both all rusted away, but replaced by OEM bowls.
The vertical inner sills were removed as the floor lip had gone in many places, both sides and these were Dansk replacements.
I made my own floor lengths with the same techniques as you, hammers and wood and a length of 25 25 x 3mm wall rolled tube.

The 'new' floor and the old were gas welded in as that was all I had, and an arc welder....
I hired a MIG and Spot welder as needed.

The Dansk outer sill had the same issue, the 'U' formed upper lip to locate to the inner sill was 8mm out and they needed a lot of brutal adjustment to fit.
I had the Dansk door skins to fit up to which were not the best reference shape.

The old sills that came off were from a Mk1 Cortina. Classy car my 911!

Still, you should try fitting a full sill set on an MGB, just as frustrating.

Barry (and others) make all this look simple, good tools, space (I too did mine in a single car garage/drive) and an Everest of skill and experience, but all is possible, just takes some time and thinking out.