Sill Sealing Technique
- Thread starter robwright
- Start date
I'm coming to the conclusion that this is the sensible option for any S2 or turbo owner who drives their car in anything other than brilliant sunshine and wants to protect it against rust. I took mine off a couple of years ago and haven't put them back on.
Same goes for the short black plastic trims that go underneath the front wings. They are a water trap. Best solution? Don't put them on.
Purists will tell me that the car doesn't look complete with all these trims missing, or that it is unstable at a bazillion miles an hour on a circuit. But that's their concern, not mine.
Oli.
peanut
Active member
yes it makes sense to leave them off if you haven't got a heated garage or don't do regular preventive maintenance as I don't .
I'd sooner have some cills and wings in 5 years time than a bit of plastic strip .[
]
The only unstable bits of our cars Oli, are the bits behind the wheel .....[]
I'd sooner have some cills and wings in 5 years time than a bit of plastic strip .[
]The only unstable bits of our cars Oli, are the bits behind the wheel .....[
]
sawood12
New member
I think the under-sill trim is a red herring. The sills corrode from the inside out, not the outside in, and non-turbo/S2's also suffer, so the corrosion can't be due to crud and moisture that collects on these trims - though it can't hurt to clean out any crud every year or so to ensure good ventilation. I think they are a factor with the wings though.
Air at the same temp as the cabin circulates through the door, though the vent you find to the rear of the door, through the sill and out of the drainage slots. This is why my personal theory is that garage queens and cars that are not used much suffer worse - or fare no better. If you just leave the car in a garage then any moisture in the air or condensation will collect and still cause the corrosion (unless of course you have a sealed and temp and humidity controlled garage - and that is just silly unless you've got a rare Ferrari or something like that) . At least if you drive the car regularly the circulatory airflow through the sill dries out the sill. In fact the under sill trims on turbo's and S2's might actually act to deflect direct impingement of water thrown up from the front wheels as they curl round to obscure the holes. I'd be interested to see a photo down the sill immediately after a long drive in the wet - i'd be willing to bet that they remain pretty dry.
I think the corrosion is basically the fact that after 15 - 20yrs or so you are simply running upto this issue - no Steel structure is indefinitely corrosion proof - they all need regular maintenance like fresh applications of Waxoyl/Dinitrol
Air at the same temp as the cabin circulates through the door, though the vent you find to the rear of the door, through the sill and out of the drainage slots. This is why my personal theory is that garage queens and cars that are not used much suffer worse - or fare no better. If you just leave the car in a garage then any moisture in the air or condensation will collect and still cause the corrosion (unless of course you have a sealed and temp and humidity controlled garage - and that is just silly unless you've got a rare Ferrari or something like that) . At least if you drive the car regularly the circulatory airflow through the sill dries out the sill. In fact the under sill trims on turbo's and S2's might actually act to deflect direct impingement of water thrown up from the front wheels as they curl round to obscure the holes. I'd be interested to see a photo down the sill immediately after a long drive in the wet - i'd be willing to bet that they remain pretty dry.
I think the corrosion is basically the fact that after 15 - 20yrs or so you are simply running upto this issue - no Steel structure is indefinitely corrosion proof - they all need regular maintenance like fresh applications of Waxoyl/Dinitrol
I agree to a point. The wing trims are the main culprits, but the sill trims are not friendly to paintwork. They will trap moisture against the metalwork, and they will move against it and rub the paint off in small patches. Neither of them are desirable, and I'm happy to forgo both.
(Have to say tho' Rob, binning them is a bit extreme! I'm keeping mine in the basement for the next owner of the car!)
Oli.
I know my sills had fluff and dust in the bottom of them which given the airflow path isn't suprising this will trap moisture. there is also some trapped between the external plastic and paint which probably means they rust from the outside in along the join as well as the inside out. The cabs have lots more metal in the sills - keep meaning to get a photo and post it.
Tony
Tony
sawood12
New member
ORIGINAL: robwright
Oli mine were truly awful. I wouldn't have refitted them to mine or any other car [
Yes, but these things cost a fortune new so irrespective of the condition someone would have paid silly money on Ebay for them.
George Elliott
New member
Rob,
they were one of the performance features which the 80's salesman used to justify the cost of the 944 turbo. They would have been wind tunnel tested along with the rear valance and smoother new front to reduce drag and enable the 160+mph performance. There would have been some geezer with braces and a big mobile who believed every word of it at the time.
I think they finish the lower edge of the sill neatly as the sill is a bit straight and flat, and I think Scott is right when he says they don't really cause corrosion, especially the rear section. The front wing trim at the front may be more of an issue.
George
944T
they were one of the performance features which the 80's salesman used to justify the cost of the 944 turbo. They would have been wind tunnel tested along with the rear valance and smoother new front to reduce drag and enable the 160+mph performance. There would have been some geezer with braces and a big mobile who believed every word of it at the time.
I think they finish the lower edge of the sill neatly as the sill is a bit straight and flat, and I think Scott is right when he says they don't really cause corrosion, especially the rear section. The front wing trim at the front may be more of an issue.
George
944T
vincematthews
Member
Looks like they made them better in the 'old days'?
This from a 1979 924 . . .[] after nearly 32 years . . . even I'm impressed.
This from a 1979 924 . . .[
] after nearly 32 years . . . even I'm impressed.
George Elliott
New member
Excellent outer sill cavity Vince, Audi made our cars very well. Compare it with a '79 SC, or an 89 3.2 carrera.......
George
George
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