Side sill removal?

[1994viper]

I am thinking of painting the side sills on my Gen I. I took the car to a couple of shops today to get a quote. They tried to charge me an arm and a leg for the job, as none of them had any Idea on how to remove the rocker panels off, and assumed high labour costs. And one guy refused to even quote me. Now I have an option to paint them for 800$ and let them deal with the removing and putting the sides back on. Which I think is just ridiculous. Or removing them myself, and get them painted for about 300$. So the question is how to remove those? It looks like a straightforward and easy job, but I am not sure if there is anything I should know in advance. Are there any inaccessible screws that hold the panel? One paint guy told me that there might be a screw under the rear quarter panel, and he might need to take the wheel well cover to access it.

 

[Glen97]

I think it is the same as a gen 2. 4 bolts under the car and I think 7 small screws on top. 2 under the hood and 5 you can see when you open the door. Remove 5 plastic plugs then remove the 5/16 screw. Nothing to it.

 

[eucharistos]

if they are the same as a gen 2, more caution putting them back on than taking them off, - easy off (and on)

the aluminum is thin so put them back on gently, don't over tighten them. i use a dab of silicon on the threads and head to keep them in

if you have the black caps, there is a good chance you will break 1 of the tabs until you can see how they grab - they sell them at my local lowes home improvement center

lets see some before and after paint pics

 

[95Viper]

Insert 2 credit cards under the round plastic plugs on the top side of the sill. Squeeze together and the plug will pop off. screws are exposed. flatten thin metal around hole with various tools. add dab of rust remover. Other screws are visible from underneath. Screws might likely be trashed. dab silicone as mentioned and anything more than finger tightening with two fingers is too tight and will just strip hole. With the sill off, try installing a screw while being able to watch it from the side and see what I mean.

Sill just pulls off and on. Ensure to have them stripped to bare aluminum so you can see if any corrosion exists and it can be properly welded and repaired. Do not just let them cover it up. Consider skipping the rivits to hold in the insulation if you are going this far.

 

[02 Graphite GTS]

There is a good write up on how to remove the side sills in the Illustrated upgrade section

http://forums.viperclub.org/illustrated-upgrades/549199-side-sill-modification-jerry-scott.html

 

[Mopar Boy]

Does the riviets on the end of the side sill infront of the rear tire need to be drilled out? Was also looking at this as I want to install hi flows.

 

[Olddudesrule]

Does the riviets on the end of the side sill infront of the rear tire need to be drilled out? Was also looking at this as I want to install hi flows.

Absolutely not! Just remove the visible screws both under the sill, and on top of the sill under the black plastic buttons once you open the door. I've done it twice in three months already, and it's a breeze. Good advice above on not overtightening the screws on the install. Helps to have a second person on the install.

 

[Mopar Boy]

Thanks! That makes me much happier!

Guess the Zero Altitude Flight side sill covers have to be pulled to get at the black plastic plugs. Those are the ones you are referring to right?

 

[1994viper]

Thank you all for the feedback. Got them off in about 25 Minutes. Dropped them off at the shop today and they should be ready and painted tomorrow. Putting them back on might be a challenge though.

 

[Bluvenm97]

When I reinstalled mine, I noticed the small screws underneath had been screwed in crooked and the holes stripped. The factory screws are pretty tiny, and not very rugged..

I bought some new screws that were a bit larger at the hardware store, to bite the metal and fill the holes in the frame again. You don't want loose screws falling out underneath and getting into your rear tires. Depends how many times your sidesills have been off.. Apparently my baby got around a bit before she met me

 

[1994viper]

Thanks you all, saved me some $$$. It was an easy job. I like the way it came out.

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[Dom426h]

Paint over the black "heatsink" portion I dont like that at all.

Let me guess, the bodyshop convinced you to do it since it would be easier for them to not mask off?

 

[1994viper]

Paint over the black "heatsink" portion I dont like that at all.

Let me guess, the bodyshop convinced you to do it since it would be easier for them to not mask off?

Actualy, it was one of the reasons why I got them painted is to have them in the same colour of the car. I didn't like the black too much, made the car look too retro.

 

[chnco]

Is there special paint that needs to be used as this part of the car is extremely hot? Or regular paint work well?

 

[PittsburghRT]

Paint over the black "heatsink" portion I dont like that at all.

Let me guess, the bodyshop convinced you to do it since it would be easier for them to not mask off?

I was thinking the same thing.

 

[Jance GTS]

What are the torque specs when putting on the side sills? Thanks!

 

[Glen97]

What are the torque specs when putting on the side sills? Thanks!

The bottom one's I put on tight to the feel and the top one's snug as can over tighten very easy.