Sill Removal

Hi, total newbie to restoration projects but have a '73 midget I love. Car was very neglected and will need new floor, sills, and more (see my journal under jcraven.

How do you get the old sills, or what is left of them out. Chip away, cut away?
Any help is appreciated

Jim

I am new here but have done some of this on other cars.
I great tool to get body panels apart is the spot rivet cutter sold by Eastwood and others. It is kind of like a hollow drill bit with a spring loaded center. It will make a circular cut around a spot rivet allowing the panels to separate nicely.
If you have bad rust, I would suggest getting the replacement panels in hand first so you can see where to work on the dissection at.
Good luck!

The rocker panel is attached with a bunch of dot-like welds called "spot welds"; figure about every inch or so. You will see them as a slight depresion in the panels. You need to cut through these with someting that has a diameter as big as the "spot" leaving the bottom sheet of metal intact.

I like to use a sheet metal drill bit. If you are handy with the bench grinder and sharpening your own bits, you can make your own. No need to grind the fancy little point in the tip, I use a 1/8" pilot hole on all spot welds that I drill out.

Shore everythink up with wood wedged between all of the pillars
that you'll leave on before you start cutting!!! Take accurate
measurements too...It will definately sag when you start messing
around with the rockers. It's the car's frame...

James, I hope you know what you are getting in to, it's a big, long job!

I second the spot weld drill bits and an angle grinder suggestions.

Hi Jim, We're total newbies to Spridgets as well. The only idea that I can offer, that I found somewhere on the net, is the use of a turnbuckle to brace your door frames during sill removal/replacement. I saw a pic where somebody welded short pieces to the A & B posts and installed a turnbuckle in the middle. I'm assuming this would allow him to pull the downward sag out of the car if needed and allow for slight adjustments. It seems like a solid idea to me, **BUT** as I said before we're new to these cars, so who knows. Somebody please feel free to comment on this method if it's not a good idea. Good luck and stay with it. She'll be a beauty when she's done. Jeff

That would be me with the turnbuckle idea and it worked for me. However, I was working with a car that was two separate pieces!

If your doors swing properly now, the best thing is to protect the cap you have. Weld some solid braces across the door openings. If you can do so in a manner that allows the doors to remain in place even better.

You look to have quite the project on your hands. I hope that a project is what you want.

Jim, I've never done that kind of work, but my car has had it done. Perhaps you can get some ideas from my prior owners photos? On Picasaweb. Good luck to you.

Here are some pics of my project too.

http://picasaweb.google.com/BigB362

G'day from Oz Bryan

I was very impressed with your Picasaweb photos, but was really intrigued by the way you installed your windscreen. I have my windscreen off while I'm doing a "strip resto" and I'm now "shaking in my boots" about what drama I'm going to find when it comes to refitting my windscreen.

Is this is a standard problem with refitting? Would you mind outlining the problems I'm going to face ;)

Cheers
Wazza

[color=#0000CC]Please accept my apologies people. I was just sifting through the forum when I came upon these pics, and then on the next page I found a whole topic on Bryan's windscreen fit.
So now I'm OK with it.[/color]

I have a book called Guide to purchase & D.I.Y. restoration MG Midget & Austin-Healey Sprite by Lindsay Porter ISBN 0 85429 336 1 this book goes in to great detail about history photos of restoration replacing sils quarter panels even advice on buying a midget what to look for where they rot there is even a mechinal section that would be a good place to start it shows pictures of what you need to do as far as cutting spot welds KD makes a tool called a roto broch spot weld cutter the cutters screw on it they are two sided when one breakes just flip it over and you can buy new cutters if i remember about $ 20.00 and if you had a 4 ton porta power mabey $ 130.00 real handy doing this work
jim

jim looking at your car do you know what your getting in to i did mine because it was a 59 bugeye
but a 73 midget you might find a better car for less than what your going to spend repairing yours
there is a 79 midget up hear you can drive for less than $ 3000.00

Thank you all for you suggestions. It is a big job and I've never done something like this before, but I'm sure having fun figuring it out. I'll keep you all posted.
Jim
jcraven

clock's ticking Jim, you better be ready for British by the Sea 2011 !!!

I can't wait to watch more of your progress. That car is going to be great when you are finished. Saving that car is going to make the world one Midget better than if it went to scrap.

Joe,
I'll do my best and try and challenge that first place of yours.

Jim

I have no idea what I've got myself into, but then "Ignorance is bliss"

Good idea. I just bought a MIG welder, but had not of trying a turnbuckle system, as well.

I might find a better deal, and likely would. But this was a gift from my son who found it in a field, and what better gift could I have than a challenge. Keep watching and see how it looks as time goes by.
Jim