Rocker panel and dogleg repair

[Promethium144]

Hi peoples

Im looking for a bit of help, i have been working on repairing the rocker panel and dogleg area in the 260 and I'm a bit stuck when it comes to getting the shapes and levels back in place. Unfortunately the previous owner of the car had already removed these sections, on both sides, and discarded them so i have no reference or old panels to work from. Essentially what i need is for a kind hearted sole out there to put a ruler across the overlap between the rocker panel and the dogleg panel and take a couple of photos for me (see photos of what i have below) so i can get an idea about what should be in line with what. Also i have the dogleg repair panels, i believe from Rare Spares, came with the car, that are not the most amazing panels in the world, if anyone knows of some better quality ones that would also be appreciated.

 

 

Edited October 1, 2020 by Promethium144

[gilltech]

Maybe I can help, I have an early RS30, long ownership, unrestored, although I did finally repaint just the sills a couple of years ago to replace tired original paint with decades-old stone damage and scuffing on the sills. Sills and doglegs are originals.

Looking at your top photo, the top and adjoining side face of your sill/B-pillar junction is typical - the sill panel slips inside the B-pillar panel, a few spot welds, some seam sealer, painted and that was factory. No fancy flushing/blending of the joint to conceal it. Of course the top and adjoining side face is covered by the aluminium sill trim panel. But the rest of the joint and downwards to the seam is just a slight concave finish under the paint warts and all.

On my car the RH side is a nice neat fit and better done than the LH side, annoying, but no doubt was factory tolerance.

The sill and dogleg section are pretty much dead in line, except the sill runs inwards ever so slightly (the thickness of the steel) for about the last 150-200mm so it can tuck inside the B-pillar section, if that makes sense. Your dogleg section should be flat along your straightedge, not slightly bulging as it is.

Basically any work you do to improve that joint can only be an improvement on the factory effort. Some restored Zeds I've seen still had the seam evident under the paint, whereas on others the seam has been concealed.

Anyway, I hope that long ramble helps some. I can send you a photo tomorrow once it's daylight.

[Promethium144]

gilltech 

Yes thank you that does help, i can see from what is left how it is put together and is as you described. with the rocker panel having a depression to accommodate the dogleg panel. it's the alignment between the sill and the dogleg i am most concerned with, and as i suspected should be nicely in line as you say. looks to be a bit of persuasion necessary. 

Thanks very much for your reply it confirms what i suspected and i can now go hit it with a hammer until it agrees with me 

Paul

[gilltech]

Factory tolerances back then were not what we expect today. But then my '70s Zed is a good step forward better in that respect than my '60s Mustang.

So maybe I'm being over-critical when I say that my Zed sill/B-pillar slip joint tolerance was a touch generous to start with.

The RH side on mine fits well on the curved face, but the horizontal face not covered by the aluminium sill trim has a lip where the B-pillar section overlaps and doesn't finish level with the sill.

Whereas on the LH side the opposite is the case.

So any swaged depression formed at the end of the sill panel to enable it to better slip inside the B-pillar panel is then partly negated by a sloppy fit. Add to that the complex shape.

So I'm sure what you are doing will be a marked improvement over the factory effort so long as you can reshape the dogleg piece to exactly follow the curve of the sill.

Good luck with your work.

 

Edited October 1, 2020 by gilltech

[Promethium144]

Thanks for the info, lol tolerances, i have found quite a few factory "uniquenesses". yes i can imagine that this panel area could suffer from some variances. i'm not too worried as long as it looks right. i have had a bit of a play today and got it pretty close. a bit more and i will be happy. its just handy to know where the end result should be before your start. 

 

Thanks

Paul