Graham,
Thanks for the warning - they certainly are a fair amount cheaper than TRGB
quoted - and
they can do it this week, not in mid-August! Since they are a general repairs
garage I
was concerned that they knew what they were doing and were going to do a good
job, so I
had a long chat with them, and they covered all my concerns without needing any
prompting.
A number of old Mercs, a Morris Traveller and a Mk 1 Escort around the place
did suggest
that Daffy is not the first old car they've worked on. Yes, they are removing
the old sill,
yes, they do know about bracing the door frame (in fact it should improve
matters, as the
drivers door doesn't shut too well at the moment due to sag), yes, they do
understand
exactly how the car fits together, yes, they are going to patch the big hole in
the A-pillar
while they are at it. It is not as pricey as it might be because a)They are
only replacing the outer sill, b) I am sourcing and paying for the parts (20
quid a side
from TRGB for Steelcraft pattern parts, as thick and strong as originals), c)
they are not
painting anything, just putting on underseal, I will deal with paint later.
I realise that doing the outer sills only means that it will be sooner before
the whole lot
needs doing, but I am still reeling from a new gearbox and clutch a couple of
months ago,
and cannot really afford this, let alone any more. Both sides were patched
inside and out
last year, and sealed, so hopefully it will still be a few years before I need
to go there
again.
Thanks for your concern - I hope it proves to be unfounded!
Richard
Hi Richard,
Sorry to hear your plight with the dreaded MOT test. I would be very careful
about that price for the job, it sounds too low for a proper job and way too
much for the cowboy job.
I would specify that you want the original sills removed before the fitment
of the new sills. Are the new ones proper replacement sills or cover sills?
Either way you want the old ones cut away first, but cover sills are not as
strong (thick) as the originals. If you don't cut the original sills off
first the sandwich will just generate rust and you will be redoing the job
sooner than necessary.
Graham.
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