Inner sill weld repairs

elevensies

Zorg Addict
Supporter
British Zeds
Joined
Aug 24, 2024
Points
63
Location
North Lincolnshire
Model of Z
roadster 2.8 widebody
Just asking as the garage has had my car for 4 weeks now for mot repairs

Both sills at jacking points
FNS brake pipe
exhaust blowing


And yesterday he said its about 8 hours work on the sills is this right ?
I have no idea when I'm getting it back and I'm going to refuse to pay for a re test .

Anyone have advice please
 

colb

Zorg Guru (V)
British Zeds
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Nov 25, 2012
Points
178
Location
Newport, South Wales,UK
Model of Z
Z3 M43 1.8 (1999) and Z4 E85 2.5 (2003)
This will involve taking the outer cover sills off if they are doing it correctly so that's going to take considerable time before any welding takes place. 8 hours seems reasonable to me.
 

t-tony

Zorg Expert (II)
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British Zeds
#ZedShed
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Dec 31, 2013
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226
Location
Torksey Lock,Lincoln, England
Model of Z
E89 Z4 23i Auto
If the garage carrying out the repairs is responsible for retesting the car (and the original failed test) they should not charge a retest fee anyway.

Tony.

ps. 8 hours is more than reasonable in my eyes, double that would be more like it tbh.
 

Duncodin

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Sep 8, 2021
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139
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Pontrhydyrun
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Z3 M44
This will involve taking the outer cover sills off if they are doing it correctly so that's going to take considerable time before any welding takes place. 8 hours seems reasonable to me.
I agree with @colb
8 hours. A day's work? Yep. Doing a proper job involves cutting out rusty metal not just tacking a new piece of metal over the rust. Thinking about it. 8 is pretty quick if he's doing both sides.
 

Peter1450

Zorg Legend
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Apr 1, 2018
Points
84
Location
Bristol
Model of Z
Z3 3.0
Just did this to my wife’s although the jacking points were solid under the service rust. Ours had gone on the front inner sill, they seem to rust from the rubber bungs out and inside the arch liner where it collects all the crap off the front wheels.
Think most Z3’s will be suffering the same fate unless there garaged and only used in fine weather, the sills are obviously solid being a convertible but the rust/ corrosion seems to start to mess with the main joins, almost like there delaminating.
The problem quoting for rust repair is that once you find a hole you’ll invariably find more, it’s also horrible work if you don’t have access to a ramp!
 

petecossie

Zorg Guru (IV)
British Zeds
M Power
Joined
Dec 7, 2011
Points
158
Location
Teesside
Model of Z
Z3 M Coupe
Have they actually removed the outer sill covers already? The inner sills cannot be reached to see if the inner sills need repairing unless they have.

My car before outer sills removed
IMG_4905.JPG


After outer sills removed
DSCN5200.JPG


Underside of inner sills, looks bad but its the original underseal that's cracked
DSCN5257.JPG


After removal of underseal and clean up
DSCN5274.JPG


After rust treatment, Hammerite primer and then fished off with a few coats
DSCN5297.JPG


So how far have they got with looking at doing repairs?

They are not confusing outer sill rust with inner sill rust?
 
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