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Porsche 997: How to Repair Damaged Door Sill Trim

The door sill plate, a decorative interior trim piece, often gets years of abuse due to scuffing during ingress and egress. Often times, these pieces can be repaired and don't need to be replaced. Learn how to here.

By Brett Foote - May 6, 2015

This article applies to the Porsche 997 (2005-2012).

Let's face it – door sill plates are an oft-abused, largely ignored part of the Porsche 997's interior. The problem is that daily abuse eventually adds up to some serious wear and a beaten-down appearance. Whether your door sills are textured plastic, polished aluminum, or carbon fiber, refinishing them will go a long way in making your interior look good again. Keep reading to learn how to execute this DIY repair job. Of course, the materials needed vary depending on which type of door sills are in the vehicle.

Materials Needed

  • Cleaner
  • Flat black laquer spray paint
  • Block of wood and piece of plastic
  • Sandpaper (150, 220 grit)
  • Buffing and polishing kit
  • Fiberglass resin
  • Painter's tape
  • Utility knife
  • Compressed air
  • Acetone
  • Paint brush
  • Rag

Repairing Plastic Textured Door Sills

If your 997 has good old plastic door sills, replacing them will cost you $200. Instead, you can save a ton of money by refinishing them yourself. Remove the sill and scrub it with a cleaner of your choice to remove any oil or other dirt. A flat black laquer spray paint is a perfect match for the factory finish, and it dries quickly. Place the sill on a block of wood with plastic underneath to protect from overspray, and make a few light passes. Allow the paint to dry slightly between coats and take your time, making broad strokes. Let it dry for an hour or so before reinstalling.

Figure 1. A freshly-painted plastic door sill.

Repairing Stainless Steel Door Sills

Stainless steel door sills have a tendency to scratch badly. These can be removed by wet sanding with 150-grit sandpaper to remove the deep scratches, followed by more wet sanding with 220-grit sandpaper. Once the scratches are mostly removed, use a buffing and polishing kit and a variable speed drill to buff and polish the surface, starting with a good amount of pressure and lightening it with each pass. Make two passes with medium pressure, followed by four passes with lighter pressure. The result is a high-gloss, mirror-like finish.

Figure 2. Before and after results of sanding and polishing a stainless steel door sill.

Repairing Carbon Fiber Door Sills

The resin covering carbon fiber door sills tends to crack and rise over time. This can be repaired with a bit of fiberglass resin for around $20 and two and a half hours of time. Tape off the area you want to fix and remove all of the cracked/lifted resin using a utility knife. Cut all the way through the coating until you get to the carbon fiber itself. Sand the area around the area to be repaired with 220-grit sandpaper and clean it up with compressed air and acetone. Mix up the fiberglass resin and apply using a paint brush. Remove any excess resin with a rag. Add additional coats as needed, allowing the resin to dry five minutes in between coats. Once complete, wet-sand the area using 220-grit sandpaper and gradually move to a finer grit (2000), then polish using a drill and a polish kit.

Figure 3. Repaired section of a carbon fiber door sill.

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