Steel channel help needed.

[wildoliver]

Just restoring my old 924 and I have hit a slight roadbump.

It's a rare car with the optional sill trims which are held in place by a steel channel and captive bolts, unfortunately while the car is incredibly solid one front wing for some reason has rotted at the bottom needing repair. The wing itself I can repair fine but the channel which I have removed to facilitate the repair is also a bit crusty and I'd rather repair it than refit it although it would still work.

It's only a simple bit of folded metal and I'm sure I can make it if I have to but I'm also sure it's available from somewhere off the shelf by the metre it's just a case of identifying it!

Does anyone recognise it?

[grumpy52]

That is very similar to the sort of stuff that I used to make at the fabrication company that I used to work for .
It was a trim piece for arcade machines , cnc punched , linished , folded then chromed .

[wildoliver]

That sounds about right, did it hold a sheet of plastic or similar in place? Even if I could find it chromed it would be ok as I can scrub the chrome back off again.

[droopsnoot]

As it's a relatively short piece, I'd think it would be as easy to make it from scratch as to try and repair it, though I can't quite see the extent of the crustiness. B&Q do some sections of shaped steel - I don't recall seeing one like this, but then I was looking for 90-degree angle so might just have not noticed it. They were all quite thick though.

ETA - good thought above though - the kind of thing that might be fixed to a frame and have a Perspex sign slid into the groove? Sign maker or shop fitter maybe?

[v8250]

op, you may like to replace with polished stainless steel - the channel shape of the original is a "J Channel" and are easily formed and can be drilled to suit - take a look here, they're only £12-vat for a 2.5m length https://www.saniclad.co.uk/shop/product/stainless-...

[wildoliver]

J channel! Perfect many thanks just had a quick Google and it's exactly the stuff.

Stainless wouldn't be ideal as it will encourage galvanic corrosion in an area that's already prone to trapping water. But you can get steel channel I've seen albeit the first site being American, at least now I know what I'm looking for.

Thanks guys.