Anyone familiar with the weak points of Big Healey construction knows about door sills, especially if you are from a part of the world where salt is used for de-icing on the highways in the winter. Unlike the main frame rails and outriggers, the sills are made from two thinnish spot-welded pieces of sheet metal, and can be particularly susceptible to rot from within. Once that occurs the car will sag on the sides, assuming a banana shape that flexes going down the road. My first Healey, a northern Virginia BJ7, was so far gone in the sill department that the doors would fly open any time drove over railroad tracks. By this point in time most of the viable cars out there have undergone some sort of restoration, the first step of which is usually to deal with any fundamental rot, and generally involving replacement of the door sills unless you are lucky enough to start with a rust-free core. For the most part, when new sills are fitted they are replaced as original, with nothing additional done for strengthening. This article is for those who would like to go a little further. I first started doing this at the Rat Factory in the mid-70s, after observing an attempt at Hemphill's that didn't quite pan out, and it is used in all my sill repairs as well as by Bruce at Healey Surgeons. It is most easily done in the course of a full underbody restoration, but can be done to a finished car as well, with some extra effort.

Basically, the reinforcement is accomplished by the insertion of two lengths of ¾" square steel tubing inside the sill, with one piece running against the top and the other riding on the lower horizontal surface of the inner sill. The two lengths are just over five feet long, and are welded in place regular fashion or plug welded, depending upon access

One advantage of this approach is that it provides additional material to attach to, so if your sill is only partially gone you can cut out the nasty bits, insert the tubing, and have a good substantial working surface for welding patches. If the majority of the old sill is still there this can be the most cost-effective approach, since a lot of relocating and re- aligning is then avoided. Of course, whether or not you reinforce the sills, any sag must be removed before sill renovation. Most Healeys can be "drooped straight" by positioning jack stands closer together between the front and the rear of the car, although I've seen one or two that were so clapped out the front and rear of the chassis had to be chained down and the center "X" member jacked in order for the sag to be eliminated. All fundamental welding is best done with the drive train and front suspension on the car.

If your sills are already restored they can still be reinforced with box channel, but it is somewhat more difficult. On a finished car it is necessary to work from the back, slitting the folded lip at the bottom front of the rear wheel well and bending the sheet metal back to access the inside of the sill. At this point you can clean out any nasties inside the sill and paint the interior for additional rust-proofing. The insertion and welding is most easily done with the fenders, rear brakes, and rear hubs removed. In this situation the tubing would be plug welded in place by drilling through the top, upper and lower sides, and bottom of the sill at 1" – 2" intervals, then welding through the holes. The upper length is fitted first, tapped forward from the rear wheel well and seated up into the top of the sill with a long punch driving up through some of the bottom holes. With the upper length welded in, the lower one is tapped intro place from the rear and seated by punching down through two holes drilled through the upper length, one down through the top front of the sill and one down through the top middle. Once all the welding is done the punch holes can be welded shut or just plugged with RTV sealer, and before closing them up you can use a funnel to pour more paint inside the sill if you really want to eliminate any chances of future rust. The ¾" square steel tubing can be found at welding supply centers or at an ornamental iron shop that does porch railings and the like. Best of all, this modification is completely invisible when finished, so you won't lose any concours points. It's like wetting your pants in a dark suit – you get a warm feeling, but not many people notice.