Gonna do my Sills

Chamber66

Regular Member
British Zeds
Joined
Oct 4, 2023
Points
19
Location
Swansea
Model of Z
Z3 2.8
This is the weekend Im. Going to do some preventative maintenance on my sills. My plans to take the outers off re.ove a y rust with a grinder and rust treatment paint and top off with Waxoil.
Question is what paint to put on the inner sills?
 

Duncodin

Zorg Guru (III)
Supporter
Joined
Sep 8, 2021
Points
139
Location
Pontrhydyrun
Model of Z
Z3 M44
Don't grind too much. Rust isn't always a nice, thin, even layer that you can take off. If you grind too much trying to take it all off you'll end up with nice shiny steel that is too thin.

Some people use acids and rust removers, rust converters etc and put on a nice coat of paint such a hamerite 'direct onto rust' or whatever it's called. I'm planning on giving that a go to see how it goes but not on inner sills where I can't keep an eye on it.

But, on bits I won't see again for many many years - especially if they're not bombarded by dust and grit - then I like a good wire brush attachment to take off all the loose stuff and then waxoyl. Brush that in well. I don't paint inner sill at all. Just waxoyl and lots of it.

I'm sure others will disagree and have their own methods. We're a bit like gardeners. We all grow our tomatoes differently and have our own methods. On a string, on a pole, feed, don't feed, pee in the compost (no i don't). But I bet my toms taste better than yours.
 
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DrWong

Zorg Guru (III)
Joined
May 8, 2017
Points
125
Model of Z
3.0i
Duncodin is right, if the rust is pitted and you try and grind to the bottom of the pits, there's a fair chance of thinning the metal.

It's possible to dissolve the rust pits completely and just leave the good metal behind, but that takes a lot of time and effort. It's what I did for my inner sills and it took about two months (thread here: Chassis sill refresh (or lessons in optimism bias..) | BMW Z1 Z4 Z8 Z3 Forum and Technical Database - ZRoadster.org). I painted mine with epoxy primer, but epoxy generally needs clean, bright steel, i.e. it doesn't like going on top of rust. Did mine five years ago and they're holding up fine, rust hasn't come back etc.
 

Duncodin

Zorg Guru (III)
Supporter
Joined
Sep 8, 2021
Points
139
Location
Pontrhydyrun
Model of Z
Z3 M44
I'm stripping my Z down ready to fit a body kit so today was right hand wings and sill into the scrap.

Don't know if waxoyl has a use-by date? When was a can of this £16.99?

Screenshot 2023-10-27 at 18.43.24.jpg



This is all I scrub off. Used a wire brush attached to a drill. You won't see this part of your car unless you take the rear wing off.

Screenshot 2023-10-27 at 18.44.29.jpg

I just take off all the loose paint and loose rust stuff and then I'll plaster Waxoyl on it as thick as it'll go.

Lots of surface rust inside around the jacking points. Can't get a wire brush in there so pile as much waxoyl in there as I can around the jacking point. See the yellow stuff pooling around the jacking point.

Screenshot 2023-10-27 at 18.42.50.jpg


On this side of the car the only through-rust was at the front. Was quite a small hole. Just managed to poke a screwdriver through. But I don't want to see this again once the body kit is fitted so cut right back to good metal and welded a patch in then plastered the waxoyl on.

Screenshot 2023-10-27 at 18.41.54.jpg
 
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petecossie

Zorg Guru (IV)
British Zeds
M Power
Joined
Dec 7, 2011
Points
158
Location
Teesside
Model of Z
Z3 M Coupe
The abrasive honeycomb discs from Toolstation/ Screwfix I found to be brilliant for rust removal on inner sills. These don’t actually remove any metal.
If you do search you’ll find my project on replacing outer covers and treating inner sills.
I based it on a similar project carried out by DrWong if you also do a search on his project. Loads of info and photos on both projects.
Good preparation is the main thing.
:thumbsup:
 

Chamber66

Regular Member
British Zeds
Joined
Oct 4, 2023
Points
19
Location
Swansea
Model of Z
Z3 2.8
Decided to replace the sills in the end with new BMW ones. Coated up the interior of them with stonegaurd and will Waxoil
£362 delivered


 

TriumphZ3

Dedicated Member
Joined
Aug 2, 2023
Points
39
Don't know if waxoyl has a use-by date? When was a can of this £16.99?
No idea, but I had a 5 litre can of the stuff I mistakenly bought in black rather than clear back in the 1990s, it sat in my garage ever since until a certain Z3 came along last year that suited a black underbody. It worked very well!
 
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