Classic Mini Body Repairs & Why Not To Use Over Sills.

[@SuperWestie01]

Hi Dave, Great to see you back in action on another Mini, not that I didn't appreciate your expertise on the E Type. I remember over sills were the way forward in the late 70's and early 80's, how wrong we were! Many thanks for keeping us all updated, really appreciate your videos. David.

[@ClassicCarCave]

David, Thanks, I agree we had to use what there was & on a budget as well! Cheers Dave.

[@BMCWorkshop]

Dave, Great to see you back working on a mini again. You know my feelings with regards to the dreaded cover sills so thanks for highlighting that again and also the mention. Sean

[@DBMiniDIY]

I had a mental picture in my head of Sean standing in the background with a placard reading "Ban Oversills". Wonder how many mini owners out there are watching this video with cover sills in their cars and there head in there hands

[@BMCWorkshop]

DB, I would have been there with my placard but I missed my flight lol

[@ClassicCarCave]

Sean, I think your video shows exactly why they should never be used, They just hide a massive amount of rust and the integrity of the shell is badly compromised, I‘m with you i think they should be banned as they invite bodges! Cheers Dave.

[@ClassicCarCave]

DB, I totally agree with Sean i have always thought they where quick fixes or bodge panels for cowboys, Cheers Dave.

[@TheGentlemensMotorRacingTeam]

great video - back in the 80s i had a mini pickup and someone had fitted over floors :)

[@ClassicCarCave]

Kevin, Thanks, Was the pick up as bad as Sean‘s floor when he took the cover sills off his Mini in his video! Cheers Dave.

[@Xpp.]

I’m looking forward to pulling off the cover sills off of mine , I’ve bought just the outer sill in a hope that what’s underneath might be repairable ? .... another great video Dave ! So much new metal 👍🏻🔧

[@ClassicCarCave]

Paul, Hopefully it will be OK but with your fab skills anything you need to replace will be a doddle! Cheers Dave.

[@markshorrock6645]

Well said about the over sills Dave. Great vid as always pal 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👋🏻👴👋🏻👴👋🏻👴👋🏻👴

[@ClassicCarCave]

Mark, hopefully the video will make viewers buying minis with them on walk away or even better RUN! Cheers Dave.

[@merc313d]

Yeah well described Dave, I’ve also had this discussion with Sean C . He shows in his video the damage over sills do over time. The over sill was a great idea to put your car through an MOT without a lot of expense, they sadly only had a short shelf life on the car of 12 to 18 months then you had serious problems, I have actually seen an extra wide over sill to cover the standard cover sill. A right rust sandwich 🥪 lol 😆 I’m back enjoying your mini videos Dave 👍

[@ClassicCarCave]

Graham, Thanks, Your right the idea was fine at the time but i think we all know now just how much damage they do over time. But i guess it‘s like a lot of things we have moved on now with better ways to do things. Cheers Dave.

[@midgelambert3880]

Hi Again Dave, Thanks very much for your advice on why you don't want to use cover sills. It makes me mad that the business I bought them from (shipped to me) didn't clue me in on which sills to use. I watched Sean C's video on cover sill damage and may use his idea of cutting the ends of the flutes of to allow ventilation. At this point in my resto I don't want to start cutting the new sills out and starting all over again. By the way I live on Vancouver Island British Columbia Canada not the U.S.A. Thanks again Dave. Cheers, Midge

[@ClassicCarCave]

Midge, Sorry i did say Canada but i was not sure! Drilling a few holes at the lowest point would at least allow the void in the sills to breath a bit and allow any condensation to dissipate, Glad we can help hope you will continue to watch in on the videos, Cheers Dave

[@malcolmyoung7866]

I remember my Dad's AA members Yearbook that had a bodywork repair section in the back...The use of chicken wire and body filler was accepted 'back in the day' and 'necessary' as those things we take for granted(like MIG welders) were only every found in Professional shops and fabrication businesses and cost a fortune....How times have changed for the better for the car restorer and yes, I have to admit my VW Type 3 Fastback's inner wheel arches were 'filled' with the stuff mentioned earlier by me...accepted practise remember....(SHUDDERS).......B-S

[@ClassicCarCave]

Malcolm, It is easy to forget how lack of money, time & products made us repair things the best way we could! But today there is no excuse to repair cars badly or unsafely which people still do to make a quick buck, Cheers Dave.

[@drvanhalen1]

This is really interesting. I've just ordered up a load of panels including left and right inner and outer sills. Are these 'outer' sills and 'over' sills the same thing? Should I not bother with the outer sills at all then? Many thanks

[@ClassicCarCave]

The cover sills we are talking about are for the outer sill and it just literally cover over the rusty & holed original, They cause more rust than the originals and that‘s why people don‘t like them! only bodgeres fit them on! Cheers Dave

[@robertthornhill4379]

nice one dave bob uk 10/10

[@robertnehrbass2755]

Could you give the youtube handle for the about the floor pan you mentioned.thunbs up

[@BMCWorkshop]

Robert, here is the link to my channel and specific episode Dave mentioned. Sean kzbin.info/www/bejne/goKYhnWcf8l2qc0

[@steeveedee8478]

Looking for a Mini Clubman Estate at present - just found a nice car ..... but ..... OVERSILLS!...... Avoid cars with them on!!!

[@tonywatkinson3523]

How’s this for a bodge,One mini I had somebody filled the door step cavity’s with expanding foam, god it weren’t half rotten

[@ClassicCarCave]

Tony, Don‘t get me started some of the things i have seen in my MOT garage business & in restoring classics. Cheers Dave.

[@thedjse]

Dave how do you know if you have cover sills or normal sills? Also would you suggest maybe putting box section between the inner and outer will?

[@ClassicCarCave]

Alex, There will be no flute openings & the sill will contact the first rib on the floor. Due to the double metal construction there is no need to add any strength between the inner & outer sills. Cheers Dave.

[@thedjse]

davejaguar66 thanks Dave I was discussing this with a rally guy the other day he was asking if I was gonna put box section inside the sill for more protection I haven't seen it done so thought there must be a reason. Cheers Alex

[@ClassicCarCave]

Alex, Maybe for rally use they need them to attach the roll frame to the box sections Kevin would know better than me as he is in to the race and rally cars. Perhaps he will comment if he sees the comment! Cheers Dave.

[@BMCWorkshop]

Yep, I'll agree with that Dave. No need for extra strength in road cars but possibly extra strength may be a requirement for race cars but then again you could just stiffen up the floor by adding spreader plates to attach the roll cage to?

[@thedjse]

Sean C thanks guys for the replies was an interesting conversation I thought I would share

[@beedalbahgraham2981]

Dave, what sort of paint do they use on the new replacement panels? Do you have to sand them back for priming etc or do you just paint over them?

[@ClassicCarCave]

Graham, The cheap Magnum panels are just a thin transit paint cover. The heritage panels is quality paint but still needs a 3m scotch bright run over to key them before priming. Cheers Dave.

[@Dagowly83]

I take them back to bare metal as there can be rust spider tracks under the paint. Once removed, epoxy primer.

[@ClassicCarCave]

Graham, Once the old sills are cut out the new panels will be scuffed up with a 3M scotch pad just to key the surface for primer. I don‘t know what the paint is on the heritage panels but it is good quality for sure. Cheers Dave.

[@tomthompson7400]

Ah ... the good old .. pop on panels.. repair panel , they were made by a company called pop on , as that was the original idea , at one stage in life you could get away with riveting them over the original rusty sill , how times change . Oh , there were cheaper copies of them too , that just didnt fit at all , you just beat them into shape with a hammer . if you had a good body guy they would braze them ,, ah braze , the good old days , when tings were that bad you couldnt weld them you brazed them instead .

[@steeveedee8478]

This is why metal oil cans didn't make it to the scrapyard, bodgers welded them onto cars as patches. Probably a lot of old cars still say 'Castrol GTX' if you looked on the inside of panels....

[@piperdoug428]

Oooorrrrrr you could spend 2 months building yer own, either or, just saying.....

[@ClassicCarCave]

Doug, At 103 Pounds per side it‘s not worth the effort to make them from the over sills as they are badly stamped out. I will cut them down to the normal width so i can either pass them on to someone or just use the metal. Cheers Dave.

[@piperdoug428]

nah i was meaning the door step, you know because it only took me 47 attempts to get them close, lol. new owner gonna be very happy with your decision on panels, cheers bud.

[@ClassicCarCave]

Doug, The guy who had the car had some repair steps made and the profile was garbage, I forgot about the few practices on your door steps before you got it spot on lol. I will tell him but It has to be right! Cheers Dave.

[@kevinparker5657]

Mini’s are poor cars ! You cant polish a turd