24 replies to this topic

[Lordcroker]

Yes, the MOT history is really helpful. If there was serious rust noted in, say, 2012 but not 2013, was it properly repaired with panels cut out and new metal welded in? Or was it just covered in underseal or patched over? You can go to look at a car forewarned for close investigation.

 

 

Another car that I researched had serious rust leading to an MOT fail in 2010 and then passed without any rust advisories the following day!  Interestingly it failed again for serious structural rust in the same location the following year, was then fine again a few days later for the re-test and failed yet again for the same thing the next year! 

Needless to say, I didn't even bother picking the phone up to enquire about that one!  If you see anything like this in the history, save yourself the time and move on, unless you are looking for a car to restore and it is cheap enough to make it viable.

 

Edited by Lordcroker, 12 July 2016 - 11:53 AM.

[Mini-Mouse]

Yes, the MOT history is really helpful. If there was serious rust noted in, say, 2012 but not 2013, was it properly repaired with panels cut out and new metal welded in? Or was it just covered in underseal or patched over? You can go to look at a car forewarned for close investigation.

 

Minis rust from the inside out, so any rust in the seams below the headlights, on the A panels, etc, has probably started from inside. It's not simply 'surface rust'. Bear in mind however that new panels are cheap - the cost is in getting them welded on and painted if you're not going to do that yourself.

 

Check the sills to make sure that the correct type is fitted. As built (except for 1959 cars!!) they have open flutes / 'vents' under the car which allow water and condensation to drain out. Often these sills have been replaced with 'wide' oversills that have raised squares but no vents. These don't allow the water out with the risk that the floor starts to rot. They also change the structural box section. Sometimes they have been welded straight over the old rusty sill to pass an MOT (hence the name oversill). Watch out for these sills. (see http://www.theminifo...-to-avoid-them/)

 

There are some photos at http://www.itsamini.co.uk/check.htm

 

 

Thanks very much for the information on sills. Something I did not know about and would have missed. By the looks of things that would have been a very costly mistake, so thank you! 

[ryomini]

Hiya

if you want a rustish free mini try importing one from Japan - they seem to do a little better over here

I think we put the salt on our sushi and not on the roads

[miniman86]

I think everyone else here has advised you, but I'm in Essex if you want someone to come view minis with you, had my red one for 15 years now so should know what I'm looking for lol :)

 

Alex

[Mini-Mouse]

I think everyone else here has advised you, but I'm in Essex if you want someone to come view minis with you, had my red one for 15 years now so should know what I'm looking for lol :)

 

Alex

Thanks for the offer, but I think it will be a while yet before I'm ready to view any because I'm currently a full time student and don't yet have the funds! Just trying to do plenty of research for the time being. 15 years!? Very impressive!

[JBW]

"When I went to look at car I now have, I spent over 2 hours looking over it, boot emptied, rear seat out, all carpets up, had it up on ramps to look underneath etc."  I imagine the seller was thrilled 

 

Well worth doing though.

 

Possibly with the exception of the window scuttle on MPI's (thicker windscreen) I'm not entirely convinced by the later cars rust more argument. It's not fair to compare the whole of the late cars with just the survivors from earlier years. Plenty of 70's & 80's models rotted away from the neglect and abuse your average, sane, motorist would call normal use.

 

Virtually all the key rot areas are in the firing line of the tyres, which suggests stone chip protection and washing away moisture holding crud from the underside is important.

 

Surprisingly the seller was impressed, decided to sell & deliver the car 70 odd miles to me, instead of selling to a cash buyer who was local, because he knew I would look after it & that I appreciated what I was buying (his words). The car was advertised on Auto Trader, which is not the normal place I would have looked, but had no luck in the usual places, just rusty bodged cars.

[miniman86]

 

I think everyone else here has advised you, but I'm in Essex if you want someone to come view minis with you, had my red one for 15 years now so should know what I'm looking for lol :)

 

Alex

Thanks for the offer, but I think it will be a while yet before I'm ready to view any because I'm currently a full time student and don't yet have the funds! Just trying to do plenty of research for the time being. 15 years!? Very impressive!

 

ah fair enough haha! where abouts are you in Essex?

[Hiks]

Hiya

if you want a rustish free mini try importing one from Japan - they seem to do a little better over here

I think we put the salt on our sushi and not on the roads

 

This was a jap import, underneath it was pretty good (better than usual) so I'm not disagreeing with the salt on the roads statement but pretty much all Mini's rust. You would need to purchase a recent restoration I think to get one with nothing. I've always found bits of rust on every one that I've purchased but then again I buy them with the intention of restoring.

 

The scuttle actually looked OK with a small amount of bubbling, upon removing the seal and digging we was left with this...

 

[ryomini]

There was a rust free shell on my local auction site for 50 gbp !

[Mini-Mouse]

 

 

I think everyone else here has advised you, but I'm in Essex if you want someone to come view minis with you, had my red one for 15 years now so should know what I'm looking for lol :)

 

Alex

Thanks for the offer, but I think it will be a while yet before I'm ready to view any because I'm currently a full time student and don't yet have the funds! Just trying to do plenty of research for the time being. 15 years!? Very impressive!

 

ah fair enough haha! where abouts are you in Essex?

 

Also near Southend!