64 replies to this topic

[Daz1968]

My early 1962 mini needed very little welding but it has not been on salty roads and been in dry storage for over 20 years. Looking on here though the later minis seem to be much worse,

[chrisxr2]

I have to say i think the reason that the newer minis have more rust is simply the fact that with injection etc they start on the button and therefore get used more often, who has had a carbed mini run well in the cold without some re fettling, or even not start due to frozen carbs or something.??? Used more often equals more exposure to the elements equals more likely hood of rust.

[jaydee]

You clearly have never stripped an MPI mini..

 

 

In your ideal world my 997 which was at the elements for 20 odds years had no rust because it wasnt being used apperently.

No the reason is the lack of preparation and the use of cheap materials that made later minis less durable than early models.

Edited by jaydee, 20 September 2013 - 07:58 PM.

[alicetheauto]

I have to say i think the reason that the newer minis have more rust is simply the fact that with injection etc they start on the button and therefore get used more often, who has had a carbed mini run well in the cold without some re fettling, or even not start due to frozen carbs or something.??? Used more often equals more exposure to the elements equals more likely hood of rust.

I use my 998 carb mini all year round. Scraping ice off the inside of the windscreen. Never adjust anything, whereas my Fiesta had a hissy fit last year in the snow and refused to cold start due to a dodgy auto choke. The Mini has some rust, but nothing on an MPI. I spoke to someone at a classic show that had to reshell a '99 mini as this was the most economic repair. This was in '06!!!! A 7 year old car with terminal corrosion! It's not even 'old car', let alone classic age.

[chrisxr2]

In the process of starting a rolling restoration on a 1999 mpi cooper s works 5 speed, so hoping the one owner it has had from new has kept on top of things. certainly the first mot it has had anything rust related mentioned which is unusual, some scabs but new front is three years old, battery tray and boot is very sound, inner wings being done for mot, as for the rest, will no doubt see over the coming months and weeks. Also, just saying as a rule injection models tend to be more reliable in the winter, so as a general rule are used more in winter, i have had four minis now, and only my spi, was winter reliable, will find out with my new mpi

You clearly have never stripped an MPI mini..

 

 

In your ideal world my 997 which was at the elements for 20 odds years had no rust because it wasnt being used apperently.

No the reason is the lack of preparation and the use of cheap materials that made later minis less durable than early models.

Edited by chrisxr2, 20 September 2013 - 08:38 PM.

[puggered]

I have to say i think the reason that the newer minis have more rust is simply the fact that with injection etc they start on the button and therefore get used more often, who has had a carbed mini run well in the cold without some re fettling, or even not start due to frozen carbs or something.??? Used more often equals more exposure to the elements equals more likely hood of rust.

We have some cold winters up here in Scotland and my carb mini works in the coldest of winters without any problems and its a daily driver :)

[chrisxr2]

Aye having spent seven months last year living on the outskirts of aberdeen, and with colleagues as far away as elgin they dont grit the roads either so scottish minis are almost salt free. ;)

[Carlos W]

There was never any paint applied before putting the front top shocker mount on my 83 Mayfair! I've seen a few minis needing repairs there!

On the other hand, the scuttle on mine is original and apart from a couple of places in the lip where the bonnet sits its perfect

[mab01uk]

Very early 1959 Mini's had there (flat) sills foam filled at the Dealerships to try to stop the water leaks under the carpet caused by the sills/floorpan joints being lapped the wrong way round.......later 1959/60/61  Mini's had factory foam filled sills still with no external drain holes (ie. flat outer sills). These inner/outer sills have often survived for years amazingly intact but when welding is eventually required many years later for restoration, the foam has to be carefully removed before any welding!

[zinzan]

My '93 spi has rust all over the place, and in weird places - roof edges, the parcel shelf in the back (rear window leak?)...that sort of thing.  It came from Milton Keynes and then Hull.  Not sure if that's wet n' cruddy areas but the car sure looks like it's been buried in a salt pit for extended periods.

 

Over this way, at least in Ontario, many of the Canadian Minis rusted away with the salt on the winter roads.  Same goes for pretty much everything else, actually. The newer zinc-dipping processes seem to have the car bodies lasting far longer, but you don't see a lot of older (>15 years) metal on the roads up this way.

[a_woolhouse]

They also have a lot of places which just hold moisture and water

 

As Iain says, they tend to hold a lot of water in places a new car wouldnt be expected to, I was surprised how rusty mine was when we'd stripped it down, apparently it had already had new panels but no proof of paperwork or photo's were found when we bought it 

[surfblue]

Bought a Cooper Sportspack MPI new in 1998, used as a daily driver for a few years and cleaned / polished fastidiously, at 4 years old it was rusting around wing and headlight seams and starting to bubble on door skins. It was really heart breaking and I dread to think what it was like under those arches!

 

I bought an old copy of Motor magazine for display in my '63 Mk1 at shows, reading some of the old articles on second hand cars back then, Ie 2-3 year old Vauxhall 

Cresta, it's amazing to read that it seemed acceptable to buy a car at only a couple of years old with significant rust starting.

 

I well remember my dad buying a 3 year old Marina estate and it needing a full respray before he picked it up and a few years after that he had an SD1 Rover at three years old with rusty scabs on the sills and inner wheel arches (although that car was Opaline green metallic and all Austin Rover cars painted in that colour seemed really susceptible to rust for some reason).

 

Compared to modern cars, I have a 10 year old VW Golf which looks as fresh as the day it was new, if only Minis then had the same rust proofing as modern cars!!

Edited by surfblue, 21 September 2013 - 09:00 AM.

[JustSteve]

Does anyone know if specific models were better than others? I drive a Sidewalk, and it's stood up really well over the years. Other Sidewalk owners I spoken to have said the same. Mine has been stored outside most of its life, and is doing pretty well on the rust front...

Mini 30s seem as bad if not worse than MPis. Every one I see is either rotten or restored.

Not mine ;) and it's my daily...

[charie t]

Because they're ****

[MiniGrin]

Because they're ****

Hahaha, yep they are, and for some unknown reason us mugs love em! XD