35 replies to this topic

[newenglandmini]

I suspect that 1974 may have been near the low point in English auto industry labor/management relations.  Maybe coincidental, but interesting teardown findings:

 

I have one badly rusted area in my '74 Mini sill.  When I looked inside the cavity, I found this rag:

 

 DSCN4751.JPG   69.29K   43 downloads

 

I also disassembled my subframe today, and found this rag stuffed inside one of the tubular frame members:

 

 DSCN4734.JPG   60.17K   29 downloads

 

 

 

 

Edited by newenglandmini, 02 January 2014 - 11:37 PM.

[MaxAndPaddy]

Do they have any messages asking for help written on them?

[newenglandmini]

Good question!  I've discarded them so the sender is out of luck.

[newenglandmini]

Further findings...

 

I removed the rear subframe, which of course had corroded away to a mere skeleton of iron oxide.  I found that the center attaching bolts had never been installed.  I was struggling to find them, and then I realized that there were no holes in the boot floor at the mount location.  I believe that the boot floor is original.

 

I'm in the process of removing the front subframe, and I couldn't find the forward mounting bolts.  I finally realized that there were none.  The front mount bolts were missing, and the front of the body was just suspended in air!  No way to know if they were removed after manufacture, but given my other findings I suspect they were never installed at the factory.

[Dan]

There are no central bolts in rear subframes!

[Marco1972]

Sounds like a Friday afternoon car to me

Edited by Marco1972, 13 January 2014 - 09:25 AM.

[newenglandmini]

There are no central bolts in rear subframes!

 

By central I'm referring to the bolts which should be on each side of the rear subframe, midway along its length.  There should be bolts there, and the scrap subframe has the bolt holes.

[Dan]

Unless this is part of North American spec that I haven't heard of I think you are mistaken. I know they did beef up the rear subframe mounting for 5mph crash worthiness on late Canadian cars but I hadn't heard about extra bolts in the frame. Rear subframes are fixed by trunnions at their four corners. The holes in the middle of the side webs are for aligning the pieces in the welding fixture when it's assembled I think.

[Vipernoir]

I recently found a rolled up bit of sandpaper above the rear side window of a '65 Elf, and a pencil in the sill of an '85 City E.

 

The pencil was long enough that it hadn't been poked up through a sill vent...

[newenglandmini]

OK, my mistake.  Thanks for the correction.

[newenglandmini]

Further findings...

 

I removed the rear subframe, which of course had corroded away to a mere skeleton of iron oxide.  I found that the center attaching bolts had never been installed.  I was struggling to find them, and then I realized that there were no holes in the boot floor at the mount location.  I believe that the boot floor is original.

 

I'm in the process of removing the front subframe, and I couldn't find the forward mounting bolts.  I finally realized that there were none.  The front mount bolts were missing, and the front of the body was just suspended in air!  No way to know if they were removed after manufacture, but given my other findings I suspect they were never installed at the factory.

 

I yesterday opened a box of parts which came with my car.  My suspicions re: the missing front bolts were unfounded.  I found these parts in the box.  Apparentlly someone had removed them and didn't bother to reinstall:

 

 DSCN4824.JPG   56.59K   2 downloads

[A-Cell]

I reckon after 40 years the vast majority of the apparent things wrong with your car are due to previous owners negligence. How do you even know that the rear subframe is original, a bit unlikely given their propensity to rust. The vast majority of workers in Longbridge at the time your car was built were hard working and took a pride in what they did. The poor labour relations only came about around 1978 and even then most people did a good job. Me included!

[jime17]

I found a rolled up piece of paper similar in colour (color to the op) and size inside the drivers door cavity on my 1990. Any ideas if its there for a reason.?

Edited by jime17, 14 January 2014 - 02:00 PM.

[A-Cell]

Congratulations! Shame Rover is no more or you could have gone back and claimed your prize!
Actually I have no idea, sorry.

[jime17]

Oh well. Guess I better get my 6 numbers on tomorrow.