Due to popular demand, i finally got up off my keester, and made the prototypes for aluminum door sills. They were alot of work and the price has not yet been determined. These are the unnotched version, (request via 87CIZ) Notched will be more expensive obviously due to more man hours.
Let me know what you think!
Here is the teaser.
One piece made from .050" thick aluminum.





Enjoy!

 

Hmm, I'm into the idea.

Do you have a thirdgen still? If so, is there a chance you could install the prototype in the car so we can see what it looks like in place?

I don't have a stock one in front of me...what is the "notched" vs "un-notched" business?

Mine are cracked and dirty, and I was just going to get some stock replacements. But, maybe yours are the way to go.

 

I think 82-84 had unnotched sills... and up had notched. The difference is that the sills had a small square design cut into them for the seat belt plastic piece to rest against.
I sorta have a thirdgen lol, I will do my best to have pics for you guys but for right now this is what I have, and they are exact to a T to the oem measurments.

 

So, will the un-notched kind work in a car that had notched sills? Was the design change functional, or merely aesthetic?

 

If you have stock seat belts, in an 85 and up thirdgen you will need notched.

 

Dammit!

So, what is 87ciz using for belts that he wants this type of sill?

 

dunno... I dont see the problem though... I can make them notched you know?

 

Oh...well then.

I didn't realize you would be able to offer either kind. I thought that the prototype was the only type you'd be producing i.e. un-notched.

When do you think you'll have a ballpark price?

 

well give me 5 minutes to calculate time, effort, and supplies.

 

Hey man, I don't mean to give the impression that I am rushing you! Sorry if it came off that way.

I'm just curious so that I know whether this is the type of upgrade I can buy right away, or as extra funds allow.

It's pretty cool that there is someone in the hobby willing to make custom parts.

 

id like the unnotched version if its cheap im kinda broke right now but i might be able to get it later on.

i have 4th gen belts so i dont need the notch im guessing thats what 87ciz has as well.

 

I'd like it to be cheap too, but make sure you price it so you make some profit for yourself. I seem to recall that part of the reason you decided not to go ahead with your custom parts business full-force was because of putting in a lot of time and then realizing that you'd barely be making any money.

 

Well, after searching ebay, material cost, etc.. I am thinking $80.00 shipped for lower 48. These door sills are more expensive since they are one piece. Most door sills you see are a single flat metal plate. These are custom pieces.
The metal is expensive, takes alot of time and well I have to custom make alot of boxes. What do you think? too cheap?

 

I may be able to go lower... I have to see. This is a ball park figure.

 

Hey man, if you can do it for $80 shipped and still pocket enough money to be happy, then that sounds awesome. If you're barely going to be making anything, then you have to raise the price. You have to try and find that difficult balance between a happy customer and a happy you.

Do you envision people polishing these as a final finish? How do you think they'd look best in the car?

Oh, and for those of us needing notched, let us know when you figure out how much doing that extra step will add to the cost.

 

well, the notch has a very unique design. It isnt a square, its like an 'L" which I might convert to a square for ease of design. The problem is, where the notch is located it makes it difficult to cut a perfect square so it will take me a while to cut it by hand, since I have no machine that will cut it. Maybe $10 extra for the notch? I do not know forsure the price. I guess I have to buy some material in bulk and make a bunch of sets for people who order. Then change the prices if I start cutting my own throat.
Right now I am only fabricating, Aluminum fan shroud, gauge plates, slave cylinder assemblies, ac delete for firewall, and this. tomorrow I will make templates for the t-top corners and wiper deletes.
I have to finish a custom radiator shroud for Scooter, and a nose plate for 87CIZ. so I have my hands full.

As for the style, I imagine them polished I guess... which will be hard to do. If I polish the flat sheet before I bend it, it will surely scratch. and if I polish it after I bend it, it will take hours. perhaps I may resort to prime then paint.
Not sure. It is really up to my customers. It is going in their car.

Hardware is also included with these sills.

 

that's exactly why i requested the un notched door sills. I got sick and tired of looking for a set of decent 82 door sills so i finally gave up. Than Nelapse here came along and I helped him out and he's helping me out. So finally guys let this guy make some money, and not be cheap asses and say the price is to high. This is a 1 piece design and not super thin metal which in my mind says better durability.

Hey don't forget my fan support too! Also you could offer them painted for a small addition in price i'd rather have mine bare and polish them myself or even paint them when i paint the car.. Since that saves you time and labor.

 

I didn't forget your shroud. If you want it bare than I am alllllll about it. However, I need to improve them in my opinion... the sills I mean.. I want to make sure these things blow people away. I think on the bottom plate, where the screws go into I will add a sheet of rubber on the metal underside to keep it tight, squeek free, and less prone to warping. Besides the slave cylinder set up this is the second most expensive thing I sell. And I refuse to have bad feedback.

I will update my website for these things tonight. and some prices.

also I should also tell you, the stuff I am selling isnt forever.. since I do not have a thirdgen anymore this stuff wont be here too much longer. i went over the edge in my bird and since my new engine craped itself I cannot afoord a new car so I may be quitting thirdgens forever. I will do this for as long as i can.

 

I am off to bed, talk tomorrow gents.

 

i really like how that looks. good job

 

I agree that offering them bare and then having the cutomer finish them as desired sounds good.

The rubber strip on the bottom sounds good, too.

And hey, you know the thirdgen bug will bite you again

 

Sending them bare keeps the cost down, and some people are particular about certain finishes.

Do not get me wrong, i love thirdgens. If i didn't i would have made my business. It is just the fact that, i put 5k in my bird and lost at all. 3k is still racked up and needs to be paid off. So..basically, it will be a while till i can save up enough money to find a decent thirdgen. people don't just give them away. lol. I really want a GTA more than anything but they are getting harder and more expensive to find.

 

those look really good! I'd be in for a notched set. Bare. They would take awhile to polish, but they'd look great afterwords!

 

I need a count of how many I need to make and serious inquiries only please. If you are just thinking about it, I can always make yours later.
How many want notched... How many want unnotched.
As of right now Notched is $90 shipped Unnotched is $80 shipped. Lower 48 only.

 

is there any way to get them looking like polished shiny gold? just an idea, as that would look sweet on my car...very interested...

 

Well, if you buy them from him unfinished, you could then look into getting them powdercoated or plated in the color of your choice.

Nelapse, I think I am in, but is there a chance of getting pics of the prototype installed in your car so I can see how it looks and fits before I shell out my cash?

 

Great work! You can put me down for a unnotched pair.

 

Yeah but I have no interior panels, so It wouldnt look right all by itself.
lemme find more the rubber I need and yada yada and i will get you the pics.

 

Sounds good, thanks man.

 

You can put me down for a set of unnotched. I have an 83 so I guess unnotched is what I need.

 

right now I am wait to order some metal. i have only enough sheetmetal to create one more pair. 87CIZ has dibs since it was his idea for me to make them in the first place.
Would anyone be interested instead of the whole door sills, to have just the flat plate that bolts into the plastic piece? I could shape it to fit over the plastic, and have it polished. Make life easier and cheaper by far. Guessing like $20 shipped. Might even be able to get it etched.

 

I will know more about how much cash I have to spend next week, but I think I would be down for a set of the un notched. Ill let you know early next week, all depends if I can get the car back together this weekend and drive it on tuesday.

 

ill take a bare set of notched, for my 88, let me know when its possible for you...90 shipped sounds fine to me....what kind of primer should i use before i paint them? thanks in advance.

 

Self-etching is what I recommend.

 

just out of curiosity how long do you think it will be before you can complete me a set of notched?

 

I would be interested in that. $80 sounds fair for it all but i just cant afford that at this time.

 

Those things look sweet!

 

I'm very interested, But I as well would like to see them in action(Pics). Don't know if I want them notched or not. I'm thinking about doing the 4th gen seatbelt conversion, I just dont know how easy it is to do though.

 

before we get carried away, can someone take pictures of like 83 ish plastic sills... i want to make sure about the notch.

 

 

 

there ya go, dont mind the decor in the background

 

That is very kind of you bro, but I need 83 ish. they aren't notched like your 88's

 

well i guess you know what i need now, hopefully you can make me a set of notched, thanks.

 

I am also going to be putting 4th gen seatbelts in my car so id want no notches. They would just be flat all the way across i assume?

 

working on that answer soon as I can

 

Hey I have an 83 but I dont have the stock door sills. I swapped my interior out from an 84 Z. Want pics of those door sills?

 

Any updates by chance?

 

I know you guys have been looking forward to them, but the fact is that I really just do not have time to do this stuff. i thought I did, but if anyone wants the design, I will give them the measurements to make it on their own. sorry guys!