45 replies to this topic

[Spannerhead]

So my 10 year old MPi has just failed its MOT with loads of major structural rust on the rear subframe and one sill. This is a 10 year old car, no wonder we don't have a car industry any more, we can't even make cars last 10 years - what a total load of crap - last time I ever buy a British made car. My wifes 15 year old Honda doesn't have a single spot of rust anywhere.

Sorry, I'm having a bit of a rant...... I was getting it MOT'd to sell it, now I have to spend yet more ££££ on it first.

[WILKO - CLUBBY]

Its a shame to hear that your car has got so bad but an MPI is one of the worst for rust

Just wondering if you would be interested in selling the car without doing the repairs or an MoT?

Sam

[RayBoogs]

same happened to me mate rover are, sorry were a joke, it was casue they left them outside befroe painting to get nice and wet before being sprayed! mine is a 1995, on my last MOT it fail on both sills and floor pan cost me 550 quid to get it done, then the front end was basically falling off! so that cost me another 900 quid, but IMHO it was worth it but as im not selling mine its a bit different.

Edited by RayBoogs, 24 August 2010 - 03:41 PM.

[wardyxxx]

Older mini's are made from inferior metal and rust so much worse than older mini's. My mates 1980 mini is spotless compared to what Lulu was like before her resto.

[orcadian]

I sympathise with you - having to have major work done on a 10 year old car - there is no excuse. Rover had a well proven design and yet still managed to make the last MPI's about the worst ever built - OK the technology was inproving, but they were sourcing crap materials and not just for the bodywork either. Many people had gearbox problems at ridiculously low mileages, not to mention sub standard rubber suspension cones which sagged after less than a year.

When I broke a damaged '99 Sportpack to build my Injected Clubman Estate (with a shell that's now over 30 years old with NO welding, other than the damaged screen pillar, which is why the shell was replaced and how I got it) it had only 5000 miles and 1 year under its wheels, I was appalled at the rust on the shell behind mountings and under almost un-painted wings and rear valance.
I have a friend with a '99 Mini 40 which he bought with low mileage at just over a year old and proceded to drench the whole thing in more waxoyl than you could shake a stick at. The door bottoms have been showing bubbles for couple of years now and on investigating, he found that the original waxoyl had 'bridged' across the folded edge and left a water trap. There was no excuse for that kind of poor workmanship either. As you say, Hondas of the same year are still fine - and guess what? Rover were still using some Honda stuff back then, such as switchgear - but not their workmanship! No one can ever be brought to book for this incompetence, so we can only live with what's left and try to get the best out of it.

[miniman24]

Not all newer minis are badly made - my 1991 rover mini is still on all its original panels apart from the outer sills and a third of the drivers front floorpan - and that includes the scuttle and wings which rover minis are apparently very bad for! And theyre all in great condition.

Just a luck game i suppose.

[miniman retford]

I must be the only lucky person with a 2000 mpi, I bought it three years ago & it had only done 7,000 miles owned by a lady from new who never took it out of the garage if it rained, unfortunately i dont have a garage so it has lived outside the last three years & is used nearly every day(and another 23,000 miles), there was a small rust bubble on the scuttle about quarter of an inch long which i had done last year, on taking the screen out the rest of the panel was perfect, after last winter it is now just bubbling under the headlights as they all do but apart from that it's solid & the underneath is like new.

Edited by miniman retford, 24 August 2010 - 04:24 PM.

[wardyxxx]

Not all newer minis are badly made - my 1991 rover mini is still on all its original panels apart from the outer sills and a third of the drivers front floorpan - and that includes the scuttle and wings which rover minis are apparently very bad for! And theyre all in great condition.

Just a luck game i suppose.

I've found that it tends to be about 1990 onwards. There are some alright made ones from the early 90's too, which you have proved!

[Bungle]

a modern car might not rust with in 10 years but they are usually scraped around then due to the cost of parts being more than the value of the car

just think about how little your mini has depreciated in 10 years

i know my 20 year old mini is worth almost as much as i bought it for new

[Spannerhead]

Yes Sam, I would be interested in selling it, but I still want proper money for it after all the money spent on the engine and box which is all running perfectly. It probabaly needs a new rear subframe and one sill, or a patch on it. Everything else is fine. I'm sending it to a Mini friendly garage guy a know to get a quote on the work, if you want to call me about it feel free : 07528 968062.

Cheers
Jasper

And thanks for the response guys, it has made me feel a bit better about it. I wouldn't mind too much, but I can't even drive it anymore because of my bad back.

[l_jonez]

i just broke my 2000 cooper sport because of rust, i could not sell it as a whole car so broke it and actually made more money from the parts than the cars value

[Spannerhead]

What out of interest did you get for all the parts?

[l_jonez]

What out of interest did you get for all the parts?

i started a list of every thing i sold and how much for, the last thing on the list brought the total to £1765 but i have sold a load of little bits since that have not been wrote down so im probably at the £2k mark now

[book]

Add another to the list. My 99 sportspack failed its MOT yesterday on (amongst other things), sills and wheel arches.

Joy.

[minidaves]

well todays task was a 10 yr old w plate alfa welding up the rear floor tray, tommow a 1999 nissan micra with rotten sills.

dave