19 replies to this topic

[Alexxx]

I have an 81 std mini and a 1998 mpi cooper, both are projects, neither been welded but with typical rust.

Both cars were stored outside under tarps same number of years.

I am surprised at the funny way the mpi has rusted, some parts have totally corroded to almost nothing, like the window glass retaining channels...dissolved. the seat mountings rotted out, under the dash has some crazy rust and the outside of the scuttle has been eaten away. It has typical front floor and sill rot but the rest of the car is very good,

The rust seems concentrated in a few places but is very bad where it has occured. The 81 is not as bad, I would have thought it would have been the worst.

I was thinking that rust prevention must have improved by these late models, it seems worse.

All fixable though.

Edited by Alexxx, 21 April 2021 - 09:14 PM.

[Ben_O]

Its all to do with the lack of any rustproofing on the later cars.

Towards the end of production they cut corners everywhere and unfortunately paint was one of them.

 

I've restored a few late cars and there are so many vulnerable areas that are bare unpainted metal or just a very thin coat of primer and nothing else.

 

I've also found the sealing up to be far worse than earlier cars with gaps and missing sealer to allow water in.

 

The wider screen seal combined with the above is why the bulkhead, scuttle and dash rail rot so badly as the screen seal holds onto water.

[Alexxx]

Thanks Ben,

Think you are right, the little paint that was on seat brackets was micro thin, around the windscreen is a disaster area :) likely no paint there.

I really thought they would have done better. I put the 81 on the rotisserie first as I thought it would be the worst to do..hah!

Not sure there will be much left of the 98 as it will have to wait outside another year.

I have removed all the carpets, dash and engine bay foam sponges and hammered and cleaned up the flaky rust then covered the floor and scuttle area with dinotrol.

Just trying to stop the spread so there will be a car there next summer :) I can't believe they didn't make any advance in rust protection since 1959 :)

[surfblue]

Sad but true, we had a 98 sportspack cooper which was fastidiously maintained, despite this at just 3 years old the door skins began bubbling with rust, very depressing. Remove also the foam inside the windscreen pillars which is another rot prone area.

Edited by surfblue, 22 April 2021 - 01:17 PM.

[mab01uk]

In 1996 Rover were going to stop production of the classic Mini due to new Euro safety and emission laws but BMW wanted production to continue until at least 2000 up to the introduction of the New R50 MINI. BMW financed the 1997 MPi Mini upgrades to meet the new regs and Rover increased the selling price as a result but there was no allowance for an upgrade in rust protection for what was now an expensive to build small car (no production robots) and a late 1950's design with many rust traps compared to modern cars. As would be expected few early 2000 R50 MINI's go to the scrap yard due to rust even today 20 years later....

Edited by mab01uk, 22 April 2021 - 11:34 AM.

[Gilles1000]

I heard when they invested for developping the Injection models (in 1995-1996 as per mab01uk says) they had to cut the expenses somewhere else which was the rustproofing.

 

Even today, driving a car in winter with salty roads and wet weather is not the best idea to keep rust away

[roblightbody]

It just wasn't painted well enough underneath, it's as simple as that. The awful windscreen seal just made matters worse.

My mpi started rusting when it was less than two years old, but it was purely down to lack of any decent paint underneath. My 95 sprite was actually rusty on delivery due to areas that were completely missing any paint at all.

Later experience with restored cars show that with simply thorough Paint underneath they last miles longer.

[Maccmike8]

I opted for a pre injection car for this sole reason.

[pete l]

But didn't they go down the same paint lines as all the other cars in longbridge ?

[Tones61]

Nope,not all,
Mines near mint
Gen 44k

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Edited by Tones61, 22 April 2021 - 03:32 PM.

[Maccmike8]

Credit where its due, thats bloody lovely.

 

Nope,not all,
Mines near mint
Gen 44k

[G'Racy]

Tones61, that’s a small battery?

[mab01uk]

But didn't they go down the same paint lines as all the other cars in longbridge ?

 

Most of the other Longbridge cars were much more modern designs with plastic wheel arch shields and a higher level of rust proofing and did not share the 'handbuilt' parts of the Mini production lines. Remember the Mini was too old a design to be built by modern robot production methods and because it was old and expensive to build in later years, there was no margin to apply additional time and material costs applying modern wax injection, plastic undershields, etc without pushing the selling price for a profit margin even higher than it became with the MPi. As it was the last production Minis were slow to sell before the launch of the new R50 MINI and many completed Minis stood in outside storage areas for many months rusting slowly from within while waiting for buyers.....

Edited by mab01uk, 22 April 2021 - 05:43 PM.

[mab01uk]

I heard when they invested for developping the Injection models (in 1995-1996 as per mab01uk says) they had to cut the expenses somewhere else which was the rustproofing.

 

Even today, driving a car in winter with salty roads and wet weather is not the best idea to keep rust away

 

The Mini never really had any proper rust proofing (but the early Minis were fully dipped in a bath on a rotating spit) but it does seem from the MPi era the painting was skimped in places that were not visible which has not helped. The metallic finishes seem to fare worse for rust and the more expensive paint options offered on the MPi range may be another reason for cost cutting by not painting the underside and non-visible areas properly with top coat....

Edited by mab01uk, 22 April 2021 - 05:52 PM.

[MikeRotherham]

Tones61, that’s a small battery?

What type of battery is it and has it sufficient capacity compares the standard?