6 replies to this topic

[Kartboy]

No its not a flying mini. But i'm been offered a 1275 K reg mini for 350, with all the parts it needs to be totally fine. However apparently it needs new front wings putting on it. Do these just bolt on ? and also they probably wil need paining so what happens there?


Thanks for the advice
Rich

[macfoot]

[quote name='Kartboy' date='Jul 12 2007, 04:14 PM' post='590267']
No its not a flying mini. But i'm been offered a 1275 K reg mini for 350, with all the parts it needs to be totally fine. However apparently it needs new front wings putting on it. Do these just bolt on ? and also they probably wil need paining so what happens there?


Thanks for the advice
Rich

no have to be welded back on

[Guess-Works.com]

If a car needs wings, then it's likely that it also needs other things....

If you can, before you buy it, go round it with a small tap'ometer or centre punch... and look for the rot...

[biggav]

£350 is a snip if it just needs wings.

[Kartboy]

I think il go see it on monday, post some pictures (need to show them to my dad anyway) and probably post them on here. Just hope its alright!

Rich

[The Matt]

Yeah, have a good poke around. Try to look under the wings to see the panel where the door hinges bolt through, look at the sills (the long panel along the side of the car, at the bottom). Look at the panels next to the wings for any signs of rust (the A-panels) and generally, try to pull back the carpets insie, look inside the boot..............

Look EVERYWHERE for signs of rust. Minis like to rust!

[ImagoX]

However apparently it needs new front wings putting on it. Do these just bolt on ? and also they probably wil need paining so what happens there?

The wings have to be welded on, actually - it not just a bolt-on part. Then you'll need to have them primed and painted to match the rest of the car. Even if your car is a standard Mini color, the best thing to do is have the painter use a device to accurately measure the exact color and mix the paint special - that way the wings will match if the paint is faded or discolored. Generally a vertical panel like the door is a better place to take a color reading, as vertical surfaces get less sun (and hence less sun fading/oxidation) - you'll get a truer color reading that way.

Also, I'd be careful to clay bar and polish the entire car's paint BEFORE having them take a color reading - some colors (like red) oxidize really badly if not cared for properly, and will turn a MUCH different shade after proper polishing and waxing. it would be bad to have the wings painted a semi-faded color and then polish the damaged paint, resulting in mismatched wings...

Just to give you an idea of how much paint can change over time, this is what my paint looked like when I bought my car (note the milky sheen on the bonnet and the pinkish tinge to the red color):



And here's what it looks like now, after a careful clay-bar job, a session with the Porter Cable polisher and 2 coats of synthetic wax.- it's a much more vibrant red afterwards, with no pale pinkish tinge:



If I'd taken a color reading before polishing, the paint they would have mixed up would have been paler and more pinkish...