VW Polo Sill repair

This VW Polo arrived with what looked like a contained problem — a hole in the upper part of the sill at the front, one on each side. The sort of thing you'd expect to sort with two localised sections. It didn't work out that way. Once we started cutting, the corrosion kept going. Every time we reached what looked like sound metal, there was more rot behind it: thin, flaky, nothing you could put a weld into. You cannot weld to metal that won't hold a weld, and there's no honest way to bridge that gap and call it a repair. So the job became two full sill replacements. That's not what the customer wanted to hear and it's not the quote we wanted to give, but it's the only version worth paying for. Everything rotten came out and fresh high quality steel went in — we never patch over rust, because a plate welded to corroded metal is a failure waiting to happen, usually just after the next MOT. The lesson is a common one. Sills rot from the inside out. By the time it shows through the outer skin, the inner sill has often been going for years. A hole the size of a 50p is worth investigating early. Steelhawk Welding Co. provides MOT welding, sill replacement, inner and outer sill repair, chassis and floor pan repair, rust repair and classic car restoration across Westbury, Trowbridge, Warminster, Frome, Bath, Shepton Mallet, Wiltshire and Somerset.