297 replies to this topic

[Ben Rose]

Not much of an update just more grinding to clean back the boot floot etc.

Heelboard / rear subframe mounting panel is solid. All but here:-

Can I get away with a repair panel from the likes of M Machine. I'm going to give it a go. Unless someone tells me not too!


Rest of the floor is genuinely coming up well. How long can I keep it bare metal in a garage?

Also whats the little piece of steel welded on next to the rear arches? Its on both sides? Top left of the next image.



Middle of this image (next to rear arch):-



Hope I'm cleaning this up right. Underseal is a pain.



M Machine Side Repair Boot Floor going to be ordered to replace the bad side of the boot. The rest looks OK to my untrained eye.   

[rich_959]

Looking good Ben, flying along now!! I applaud you for taking on the bodywork yourself. 

[Ben Rose]

Looking good Ben, flying along now!! I applaud you for taking on the bodywork yourself. 

 

Thanks Rich_959.  I want to learn and what better way I guess  !  The cars never going to be sold so it would be awesome if I could do as much as possible.

[alex-95]

Good work! I would mask off any rust and spray any good bare metal as soon as possible, I think a lot of people recommend epoxy primer as it doesn't let moisture through like normal primer. 

[Harryrothers93]

I second what Alex-95 has said

I use the epoxy primer on the link I sent you bud. Great stuff.
Parts on my mini have been sat for 2 years with no sign of rusting

As for the heel board I patched mine but was a **** job todo. First thing I would do is finish off removing the under seal etc on the whole panel and then make the call, if you have todo both sides it might be more time efficient to cut the whole panel out and replace

No expert just from my experience whole panels work better thean patch panels

[Ben Rose]

I second what Alex-95 has said

I use the epoxy primer on the link I sent you bud. Great stuff.
Parts on my mini have been sat for 2 years with no sign of rusting

As for the heel board I patched mine but was a **** job todo. First thing I would do is finish off removing the under seal etc on the whole panel and then make the call, if you have todo both sides it might be more time efficient to cut the whole panel out and replace

No expert just from my experience whole panels work better thean patch panels

Cheers Harry.  More expert than me! 

 

I've got a couple of cans of Bilthamber Zinc Primer but I am going to check out the stuff you recommended too.  Might do a comparison on it at some point.

 

I plan on getting the whole boot floor and heelboard ground back before ordering panels.  I can make the call then.  It may well be easier to replace it all but I'll see what I have when its all clean.

[Harryrothers93]

I second what Alex-95 has said

I use the epoxy primer on the link I sent you bud. Great stuff.
Parts on my mini have been sat for 2 years with no sign of rusting

As for the heel board I patched mine but was a **** job todo. First thing I would do is finish off removing the under seal etc on the whole panel and then make the call, if you have todo both sides it might be more time efficient to cut the whole panel out and replace

No expert just from my experience whole panels work better thean patch panels

Cheers Harry. More expert than me!

I've got a couple of cans of Bilthamber Zinc Primer but I am going to check out the stuff you recommended too. Might do a comparison on it at some point.

I plan on getting the whole boot floor and heelboard ground back before ordering panels. I can make the call then. It may well be easier to replace it all but I'll see what I have when its all clean.

Looking good though mate, keep it up

[Junior Mini]

Hi Ben, good job so far. 

The two metal plates are a remnant of the older hydrolastic system. they are the bump stop plates and are fitted to all Mk3 onward minis i believe.

I don't think they are functional anymore but people refit them for originality. 

Paul.

[Ben Rose]

Hi Ben, good job so far.
The two metal plates are a remnant of the older hydrolastic system. they are the bump stop plates and are fitted to all Mk3 onward minis i believe.
I don't think they are functional anymore but people refit them for originality.
Paul.

Ahh cool. Seems like a place for rust? so I'm not sure I'd want to put them back. I couldn't see any reason for them.

Edited by Ben Rose, 26 May 2020 - 04:55 PM.

[Ben_O]

Those plates are a rust trap but as has been said are not needed.
If you want to keep them, it's well worth removing them and cleaning back behind as there will be lots of flaky rusty crap behind.
As for the heelboard, I like the suggestion above about cleaning it all back and then making the call. I don't like fitting the repair panels as once you remove the section you want to replace, the area behind will need work and it will draw the job out longer. Fitting a complete new one is reasonably easy and it's a good excuse to split the bottom return of the heelboard from the back edge of the floor all the way across and clean the inevitable rust off before fitting the new panel.

Can I recommend saving your premium zinc spray for going in weld seams when fitting new panels and use a cheap zinc spray for covering all the bare areas during the restoration.
I use the one from screwfix called no nonsense. It's cheap and covers very well. Its more than adequate for keeping surface rust away whilst you are working through the repairs. If you use it, spray it from a good distance in even light coats. A dusting is enough.
Epoxy is a good idea for the finished shell before prep and paint but in my opinion is a waste of money to use at this point. Stick to zinc.

Keep it up!
Ben

[Bdshim]

Good suggestions on a new heal board...
If you look inside the companion bins what's the inner cill like out of interest?

[Ben Rose]

Good suggestions on a new heal board...
If you look inside the companion bins what's the inner cill like out of interest?

Definitely got some holes in drivers side companion bin?can be see in images from my last post.

[Gilles1000]

All the repairs I have done on my car have been made with painted metal where I stripped the paint.

I didn't do any treatment after having welded and ground them as I will acid dip the whole body in the end and have been forbidden to use paint and primers.

 

But to answer you, some of the repairs are now more than 2 or 3 months old in a shed with normal moisture, I have little to no rust on these panels.

Ahh, I work mostly with gloves (don't want to hurt me on each corner, and there are a lot on a Mini). That protects bare metal from finger prints which rust pretty fast.

 

Anyway, if you can protect it, it's the better solution than to deal with surface rust again.

 

 

Concerning the plates, just for general purpose, why did they put them from MK3 only? There already stopped building Hydrolastic by the time...

[Junior Mini]

All the repairs I have done on my car have been made with painted metal where I stripped the paint.

I didn't do any treatment after having welded and ground them as I will acid dip the whole body in the end and have been forbidden to use paint and primers.

 

But to answer you, some of the repairs are now more than 2 or 3 months old in a shed with normal moisture, I have little to no rust on these panels.

Ahh, I work mostly with gloves (don't want to hurt me on each corner, and there are a lot on a Mini). That protects bare metal from finger prints which rust pretty fast.

 

Anyway, if you can protect it, it's the better solution than to deal with surface rust again.

 

 

Concerning the plates, just for general purpose, why did they put them from MK3 only? There already stopped building Hydrolastic by the time...

 

 

Hi Gilles, you are absolutely right, it was only from memory and clearly that has failed me once again. Hydrolastic was fitted from 1963/4 till 1971 which would mean the plates first appeared on the MK2 not MK3 shells. They are definitely the Hydrolastic Bump Stop plates however, but i couldn't remember when Hydrolastic was first fitted, sorry for the error. 

[Ben Rose]

Hi All,
 
I have ordered some of the cheap Zinc primer as recommended by Ben_O which I will give a light dusting to the good areas just to be safe.  This is what I have got if interested.  https://www.screwfix...tails_container

I'll keep the bilthamber zinc primer for in-between weld seams again as Ben_O recommends.

 
Once everything is cleaned back I can decide on the heelboard.  Those hydrolastic bump stop plates are going.
 
Sorry if I am being thick but can anyone tell me which panel this one is below highlighted in green?  Is it the inner sill?  I'm getting prices together to replace or repair.

 

Again thanks in advance for all your help.   
 
Black - Heelboard

Red - Bootfloor

Blue - Outer Arch

Green - ??????