18 replies to this topic

[iakona]

So starting the fun project of getting rid of all the rust, started by stripping the mini. 

Noticed that the lip on the side of the panels that runs along the car is a crumbly mess. I'm figuring that this lip is also where the sills weld onto. 

What options do I have here, I'm figuring there's two but any advice appreciated.

Option 1 is to buy a door step and lower panel and reweld that on. Seems a bit of a shame as the rest of the side panel is solid.

Option 2 which i'm unclear about, is it possible to just cut off the old lip and weld on a new one? Not sure too much about this idea but any suggestions greatly appreciated! 

[Ethel]

You'll likely find more rust the more you investigate. Give the sills a hard scraping & prodding, if they go through they'll be best replaced. If so you may as well cut them off & gain a better look at the side panel & door step.

[sonikk4]

What you see will be the tip of the iceberg as mini panels always rust from the inside out. And with it being relatively thin metal it loses its strength quite quickly.

 

If in doubt replace it.

[stuart bowes]

welding on a new lip/flange and getting it to look right can be trickier than replacing a panel anyway.. The new panel spot welds along the seams, instead of having to try and butt weld thin steel or at an angle (where the tidy-up grinding is more tricky as well even if it doesn't warp)

 

plus the other benefit of taking off a whole panel of course is that you can clean up inside more easily where you otherwise can't get to

Edited by stuart bowes, 02 October 2025 - 09:13 AM.

[iakona]

Right so trending more towards Option 1 then, for all the hidden goodness that might be behind. I had planned on replacing the floor pan parts and sills anyway. 

Hearing not so great things about the magnum step and lower panel, so perhaps checking out m - machine might be better? 

 

Note that this wouldn't just be the door step as the entire lip is rusted from front to back, so will require more than just the door panel, which means seam welding onto the actual body panel itself, as well as the door seams. If I understand correctly? 

Edited by iakona, 02 October 2025 - 04:36 PM.

[Ethel]

I'd joggle the old side panel, if it can be cut back to clean metal. There is a panel available that's includes the step & slice of side panel in 1 piece.

[stuart bowes]

Pictures are usually a bit more useful than descriptions so we can actually see where you're cutting back to (I use https://imgbb.com/)

[iakona]

Yep, sorry, forgot that pictures are worth a thousand words. See attached!
 

[iakona]

Decided to bite the bullet and just replace the entire door step / back part with the new panel. A little worried as this was a first go project, so not sure the results will be fantastic but hopefully the paint shop can correct any fettling I have. 

One minor question about sill removal. Does the outer sill tuck in behind the rear heel board lip? 

[sonikk4]

Decided to bite the bullet and just replace the entire door step / back part with the new panel. A little worried as this was a first go project, so not sure the results will be fantastic but hopefully the paint shop can correct any fettling I have. 

One minor question about sill removal. Does the outer sill tuck in behind the rear heel board lip? 

 

Yes is the answer it is supposed to and then spot weld / plug welded. However do no not depair if you cannot achieve this, you can instead butt weld up to the edge of the return on the heelboard. If however you are going down the concourse route you will need to tuck it behind.

[iakona]

 

Decided to bite the bullet and just replace the entire door step / back part with the new panel. A little worried as this was a first go project, so not sure the results will be fantastic but hopefully the paint shop can correct any fettling I have. 

One minor question about sill removal. Does the outer sill tuck in behind the rear heel board lip? 

 

Yes is the answer it is supposed to and then spot weld / plug welded. However do no not depair if you cannot achieve this, you can instead butt weld up to the edge of the return on the heelboard. If however you are going down the concourse route you will need to tuck it behind.

 

Ah thank goodness, not going for the concourse look as my welding would never pass scrutiny. 

[iakona]

So I went ahead and replaced the lip and a bit of the door step using a panel similar to this (https://www.minispar...panel-mk3on-r-h), but I am worried now that I have slightly goofed up. The part that goes towards the rear arch panel has a noticeable convex bow after tacking it in a few places, whereas the other side has a more normal inwards / concave bow. 

I am wondering if it's a case of also needing to clamp and weld the panel to the rear wheel arch, as well as the eventual new sills I will put on that will give it a more natural inwards bow, and possibly a little filler once the body shop starts the paint....or have I completely screwed up. The panel can definitely be pushed in which gives it a bit more of a natural bow, but a bit unclear if I've maybe added a bit too much heat to the panel and warped it already, or something else I have messed up on. 

[Ethel]

Do you mean along the top edge where it connects to the side panel? It won't be warped exactly, but heat expansion will affect alter how the two parts align as you add welds.  How have you joined them are they butted, or is there some overlap?

[iakona]

Yep, where it connects to the side panel. I have just tacked them in at the moment, but they will be butt welded, no overlap. Dont have a picture handy but if you imagine looking down the side profile of the mini from the front, you can see it visibly stick out, whereas on the other side it curves inwards. 

I am thinking that it sort of makes sense, and when connecting that panel to the wheel arch, and then the sills to the floor will give it more of a natural curve, but that might be wishful thinking. 

[Ethel]

Difficult to visualise, but you'd ideally want the butt joint as flat as if it was one panel. I wouldn't weld anything up, unless it'll become in accessible, as everything else is fitted up & tacked. The trick is to get both sides of the butt identical in length. If they're not, the longer part will have to bow to lose the extra. You'll likely be best working from the B post: it's got more to align with, not least the door gaps. If necessary, unpick some of the original side panel from the wheel arch so you can get it nicely butted up in to one panel again, as it will have been when it was attached to wheel arch. You're right it'll be easier to spring  a wheel arch, that curves every which way than the very obvious body side.