12 replies to this topic

[Emma]

Hi there

I'm new to this forum and haven't even bought my Mini yet!!

Can you please give me your thoughts about the rust prevention treatments in the link below (scroll to bottom of page)

http://www.classicca...difications.htm

Looks like a bit of a spend but if it's gonna save me money in the long run I'd like to get this done.


The mini I'm looking to buy is a W (2000) Cooper S - has some bubbling under the front headlights and windscreen. Not sure if I'm getting this particular one yet as I'm worried about the fact that the rust has come through already. I know it's not uncommon but I've come across a few that have no rust at all! These have been in garages so could that be because they have patched it up??

Would I be better off looking for a Mini with no rust then getting the rust prevention treatment or could I get the bubbling etc sorted on this one then get the treatment to keep it at bay?

I'd be grateful for any advice because the rust is my main concern when looking for a Mini and I don't understand much about what needs to be done!

Thanks

[minimole]

for treating rust i have used a product called de-ox i forget who makes it now i will check later. it is actually very good and i have used it lots of things. you can get it in a gel or a bath soultion. the gel is for things you could get in the bath solution but i have used the gel on pretty much everything and i am very pleased with the results.

for rust prevention a good zinc primer and few coats of hammerite should do the trick. wax oyl for under the car. there was also a rust prevention wax which you can buy i forget the name lol (it is in practial classics testing jobbie). it is supposed to be good for things like sills etc. but i havent used it yet so i cant really tell you how good it is i will try and dig up the testing jobbie.

[THedooBZ]

waxoyling and stone chip protection can be done at home for a fraction of the price, but obviously it would be easier to get it done properly. i cannot comment on the quality of the work they carry out, but someone here may have had work done by them.
also the later minis all have bad rust problems from not many years after leaving the factory, this is due to rover using cheap metals nearing the end of the production. my 98 cooper is rusting in all the usual spots, but as soon as i saw it i loved it so i bought it anyway.

basically if the panels are rotting the best way to cure is to replace as it is usually too bad to repair, if you are after a mini with no rust you would have to spend a fortune, but on the otherhand if you want one with imperfections like most have you can pick them up for a good price, it all depends on what your after at the end of the day.

[minimole]

the company that make de-ox is called bilt-hamber they also make a cavity wax as well. if you want i can probally scan the rustproofing article

[minislapper]

Regular waxoyling is the way to go and you can save money and do it yourself (although it's a messy job). The later minis are renowned for rotting under the arches on the sportspack models and the build quality in general can be very poor.

Be very wary of cars rusting around the windscreen. This can be an indication of other rust problems elsewhere which will be very costly to have repaired/replaced.

[Emma]

Thanks for your replies!

basically if the panels are rotting the best way to cure is to replace as it is usually too bad to repair, if you are after a mini with no rust you would have to spend a fortune, but on the otherhand if you want one with imperfections like most have you can pick them up for a good price, it all depends on what your after at the end of the day.

What I'm after is one of the last Cooper S's (year 2000/01). It has to have the silver and black leather interior, aluminium dash and the silver roof and bonnet stripes. I've fallen in love with that look! The one I've been thinking of going for is £6,500 which is about right for my budget. I don't mind paying a bit extra if I get one with better bodywork but it's difficult as every one I've come across has been at least a 3 hour drive away.

If it's only bubbled under the paintwork (doesn't look that bad) is there anything I can do to repair it rather than replacing panels?

the company that make de-ox is called bilt-hamber they also make a cavity wax as well. if you want i can probally scan the rustproofing article

Yeah, thanks for that info. I'd like to see the article if it's not too difficult to scan!

Be very wary of cars rusting around the windscreen. This can be an indication of other rust problems elsewhere which will be very costly to have repaired/replaced.

Hmm, it's only bubbling at the moment - it doesn't look too bad to my novice eye but if rust under the windscreen is not a good sign I may have to walk away from this one!




How do you tell if the rust has been touched up? I've seen a few in garages which look like there's no rust at all - even looking closely under the headlights etc there is no rust or touch ups visible! Could these be genuinely rust free? One of them had a drip of paint on the arch so something had obviously been done to it although the dealer made up a silly excuse!

I know that whichever Mini I buy is likely to rust at some point but I'm afraid of parting with £6.5K only to find out that a year down the line I'm going to be spending a fortune on getting bodywork done!! I don't mind the imperfections on this car but I'd like to think that I can get it repaired to stop it getting any worse.

[Mini-Dave]

I havent read all the replys so sorry if this makes no sence

But i would have thought if you are spending 6,5 grand on a mini, it should be damn good cond!, or just good parts, they all rust at some point, depends where there kept, if its kept outside, then its guna rust.

Dave

[THedooBZ]

when i first got mine it was just bubbling under the headlights, so i thought i could just sand it back, rust treat and re-paint.
but when i sanded it back the rust was eating into a large chunk of panelwork compared to the size of where it was bubbling. when i have the money the whole lot will be replaced properly.

i wish now i had left it as it was, as it didnt look as bad as now it been messed with, so my advice would be get the best you can find in your budget and then a few years down the line when you have the money etc.. i would get any work needed done to it, until then just leave it.
i found that if i kept the car clean, the shiney paint detracted the eyes from the little bits of bubbling.

also if you are to buy a sportspack take a look at the bottom of the windscreen rubber for bubbling,under the headlights, the 'a' panels and a general look over.it is mainly the front end which will be starting to rust for obvious reasons, i found a small bit of rust under the rear bumper but its hidden anyway so its not bothering me that much at the moment, but obviously in time it would want looking at.

[minislapper]

If it's only bubbled under the paintwork (doesn't look that bad) is there anything I can do to repair it rather than replacing panels?

No, not really. Ultimately, if rust is there, until it's cut out and replaced with good metal, it will eventually come back. Plus, if you touch it up and cover it with paint you have no idea of what is going on under the surface. Also, once you start investing a small bubble you usually find that it's more extensive than you thought!!!!

Be very wary of cars rusting around the windscreen. This can be an indication of other rust problems elsewhere which will be very costly to have repaired/replaced.

Hmm, it's only bubbling at the moment - it doesn't look too bad to my novice eye but if rust under the windscreen is not a good sign I may have to walk away from this one!

If it's already rusting around the windscreen, this could eventually lead to lots of expensive repair work cutting out the lip where the windscreen rubber sits and replacing it. You are also looking at problems underneath which you can't see from the outside. The scuttle panel could be affected as well as the flitch panels. You are talking a good couple of thousand to have the 'complete' front end replaced and sprayed up well.

How do you tell if the rust has been touched up?

You sometimes can't. If it's been touched up well and sprayed over properly you may never know until the rust just suddenly appears. One of my previous minis had had the front seams under the headlights filled and smoothed. The spray job wasn't that old when I got him and I never realised there was a problem as he looked all clean and shiney....until one rust bubble appeared. I attempted to clean it up only to find that there was no metal left at all. It had rusted through completely from the inside of the panel.

If you are spending £6.5k that is one hell of a lot of money. I could only dream of finding that kind of money for a car of any kind.

How much do you actually know about minis? If you don't have a clue then find someone who knows what they are talking about and take them with you view any potential purchases. If you don't know already, find out where you local club is and see if there is someone there who can offer advice.

Good luck with your search and please don't jump into buying one just because it's there. £6k+ is an awfully expensive shed!!!

[pikey7]

If I'm reading that site right, it's over 400 notes to waxoyl, seamseal, and underseal a car!

Well, you'll need 2 cans of waxoyl, a tin of seam sealer, a tin of underseal and two brushes. Grand total of around £70 (if that) from halfrauds and a weekends worth of getting your hands dirty! The site even lists the places they protect!

But I guess if you want someone to do if for you........

Bear in mid also though, if you already have rust and stick all those gubbins over the top, all you're doing is sealing in the rust and moisture. It won't help stop it.

[stormduck]

To be totally honest, if you don't want to deal with rust, don't buy a mini. It's a very simple but sad fact that you just have to accept. You can by so much with £6.5k that will never rust or breakdown during it's ownership...a mini takes a lot more care and attention than a modern car. You could always buy a cheaper mini, like an early 90s cooper, then spend the rest of your budget on letting a very good mini specialist get their hands on it and totally refurbish it....that way you're guaranteed not to have to worry about rust for a long time.

[THedooBZ]

that would be a good idea stormduck, yeah you buy a older mini have it professionally restored and have it painted etc.. just the way you want. plus itll look good for years if done properly.

[Emma]

That's what my husband thinks I should do!! Do you know of any good specialists who I could get in touch with for a chat? Preferably in the South West area. I probably won't end up going down that road since I'm not the most patient of people but it's worth exploring.

I used to have a 1970's Cooper lookalike that I bought off a mate who rallied it - it had bucket seats, harnesses, roll cage, RC40, Spax and Coney (can't spell it!), and lots of other bits and pieces - it was wicked - shame I never passed my test - it rusted away before I got chance to drive it LOL!! Left me with a bee in my bonnet about Mini's though and there is no other car for me!

It's not so much that I don't want to deal with the rust - I just wanted to make sure that it's not too damaging in the places I found it - after reading minislapper's comments I've decided to wait a bit and look at a few more til I can find a better example for my money!

Thanks guys, this place is great!!

P.S. THedooBZ - what gig are you at in the pic?