Rust - how screwed am I...?

[Icemaster]

Was going to re-glue the door sill rubber that had worked loose over the years and came across this:







I'm 99.9% a PO had a mishap and repaired this side seeing overspray, betting this isn't OEM. Years of occasional water dripping down the pillar from the targa top took it's toll. Other side is OK.

Is this structural or is there a subframe underneath it? If it's not structural I'm tempted to cut it out and weld in a repair, what's the brain trust's thoughts? What would you all do?

[911obgyn]

Only the tip of the iceburg, sorry. There are many threads on this repair.

[rowingone]

In the short term I would cut out the visible rust and access the interior . . treat the internal rust with something like Corroseal and appropriate paint . . have it properly repaired with a patch panel or if you're cheap rivet a new piece of steel in the void that is hidden when you replace the trim.

[Matt at Pelican Parts]

As mentioned above, we do have a few posts on the subject, such as this one here:
https://forums.pelicanparts.com/porsche-911-technical-forum/1122238-1986-carrera-door-sill-bulge-2.html
It should give you a good starting point anyway. To be honest it looks like you ay have to do a bit of inspection to find out how deep the damage goes.

[HarryD]

Yuck. The good news is that https://www.restoration-design.com/store/category/911-CHA has the parts you need to fix this properly. Find a good metal man and get it fixed.

[yelcab1]

Screwed, royally.

[70SWT]

Originally Posted by rowingone

... I would cut out rust and ... have it properly repaired ...

+1..so you fix it. Most older air-cooled 911s I have owned have had cancer somewhere...

[PeteKz]

If it's that bad there, you almost certainly have it in other places, such as the front suspension pan, the joints between the front panel and inner fenders, etc. Give it a THOROUGH inspection, or have a Porsche specialist do that for you. Maybe you got (super) lucky and it's not extensive elsewhere. But before you start pouring money into it, you want to know how extensive and expensive it will eventually be.

[ab1752]

Kidney bowl rust, it's remarkable how these cars hide it. Many shops won't tackle rust so be patient and find the right one. Google "crusty carreras" out of Ireland so you can get an idea of a positive outcome. Might wnat to have peek at the other side too. Good luck.

[PeteKz]

What year is your car?

[Icemaster]

Thanks all,

I'm a bit pissed at myself for not picking this up years ago, I've been over it stem to stern over the past couple years, this is the only spot in this shape. The battery tray is a little flaky but nowhere near this state. Pretty damn certain this isn't an original part given the repair, it'll be interesting to see what I find when I start grinding. Still trying to find my damned scope to get a view inside, misplaced it after moving. It's on the lift now dealing with fuel line replacement so might as well go all in.

Thanks for the links.

[Icemaster]

Originally Posted by petekz

what year is your car?

'85

[Dpmulvan]

Might as well cut it open and have a peak, either way it’s gotta be removed so why not check it out can’t hurt.

[Billthebuilder]

Put some red duct tape over that and a for sale sign in the window

[PeteKz]

Originally Posted by Icemaster

'85

Then it's a galvanized car. Strange that it rusted that badly. Must have been crappy body work. The good news is that the rest of the car should be well protected from rust by the galvanizing, although I have seen some galvanized cars that were pretty rusty because they lived in the "rust belt" and got driven though the winter.

Did the car from the rust belt states?

[RobFrost]

Take the wheel off and peer forwards at the kidney bowl with a good light. Reach in and have a feel about.

Mud allowed to collect in there will hold water in addition to what runs down inside the door, so it can rust from both sides.

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