Just been through this on my MK1 pre-facelift with the plastic sill covers.

Mine is 1999 TDDI Ghia 5 door. All the below is on the passenger side, strangely the drivers side seems ok but I need to have a better look knowing what I now know about the passenger side!

Rear of passenger sill with sill partly cut away.


Look from back towards the front of the car, again passenger side, sill part cut away.


What greeted me when I took the plastic sill cover off.