outer sill covers

[Paul02]

Just stripping down a few bits to see what lurks beneath and the outer sill covers seem to be made of a zinc or aluminium type metal. They are too damaged and scuffed to want to use again but they are not rusty (obviously). Are these factory or home made.

Did these outer sill covers come in aluminium or any other metal or should they be steel and painted the same colour as the car.

Did they ever come polished(not painted) like the ones on a triumph stag UK 70s car.

Cheers Paul

 

[bert35csi]

Interesting questions! According to the orange CS parts book, there appears to be one set for the CS/CSi and another set for the CSL. Online Bmw parts catalogs do not reveal these different parts.

My coupe, when I bought it 6 years ago came with various CSL parts, such as the aluminum hood, trunk lid. Interesting enough, when I checked the outer rocker panels, one side was steel and the other side was aluminum. Needless to say, the aluminum unit is too easily dented so I actually prefer the steel version. Regardless of the metal type, all these panels were painted wrinkle black over bare metal (no primer).

Now, the earlier 2000 CS came with chromed plated steel rocker panels. Don't know whether these will fit into the later CS coupes but I don't see why not. Personal observation though, I can see why Bmw went with the later painted panels as they made the coupes' sides look more slimmer, less 'slab' sided. It's kind of amazing how a simple color change to a trim panel can affect a car's visual impact. I had these outer sill panels off the coupe once and the car look rather odd with the body colored inner rocker panels exposed.

Bert
72 3.5 CSi
88 M6

 

[Bill Riblett]

All of the US E9 cars that I have had came with steel covers coated with a lumpy finish applied directly on the bare metal. Any place where the bond between metal and coating is broken, rust starts and spreads under the coating.

The 2000CSs I have had or seen had 2-part polished stainless steel covers.

I don't know about CSLs.

 

[blumax]

outer rocker covers

Based on the BLUMAX and many other E-9's--the factory original outer rocker covers were mild steel--and the original factory installed covers were given the black rubber like coating often called "rock guard"--the same material that was/is applied to rear valance, front air dam/plenum chamber and the lower section part of rear fenders below bumpers.

Later factory replacement outer rockers were mild steel with a simple protective coat of black paint--so coating with "rock guard" was left to the owner.

 

[Paul02]

Thanks guys
I can get alloy or steel here ,either way seems they were nearly all black coated with the protective paint you mention.
Paul

 

[cpeavey]

I am cleaning up the covers on my car now, too. I took one off to reattach the trim strip. Mine have the textured black coating, and they look really mangy up close, with big splotches of whitish discoloration that may be old wax. If I wipe them with paint thinner to get the white off, some of the black starts to come off too, so they don't seem to be sealed.

Can this stuff be safely painted with something like Eastwood's Chassis Black paint? I would like to get it to a uniform black appearance that can be kept that way.

Charlie P.

 

[cpeavey]

sorry for the extra post - site was acting weird...

 

[blumax]

Cleaning outer rocker covers

Step 1--generally wouldn't use paint thinner on the part--too agressive
Step 2--use bio-degradable cleaner with mild scrubber 2 wash of dirt
Step 3--use mineral spirits to prep for paint--mask off the trim part
Step 4--suggest using SEM trim black for refreshing the outer cosmetic appearance--would look stock and easy to freshen if needed in the future