11 replies to this topic

[mattw13]

Hi I have recently brought a mini with flip paint. All of the external panels appear good- (However there is some bubling to the bottom of the door skins!!!). BUT I have just found a huge rost hole through the inner wing towards the a panel (is his called the fletch panel?). I have also found that the a panel appears to have been attached to a very rusted panel suport with mastic and covered in body filler!!

My question,
Is there any chance of removing the A panel (and anything else necessary) in order to replace the support panel without having to respray?
If not, will it be possible to get a decent blend with a flip paint? I know that the paint was by Standox and called Monte Carlo Magic.

I realise that this is probably wishful thinking but the mini has gone from our perfect dream car to a shattering nightmare in one afternoon!

Please help

Matt


I will get some pictures tommorrow to try and help explain my garbled question!

[In-a-mini]

Hiya you wont be able to do that kind of work without disturbing the paint. This is a common problem when it comes to flip paints you just cant fadout these paints as they lay down differently from the first time they were painted you may get away with painting the complete side without having to do a total. Might be able to give better advice when i see the pics but its more lightly to need more paint.

[panelbeaterpeter]

Yeah it is very difficult to blend flip paint, although it might be possible with that colour as it's quite dark. A good thing with darker flips is that the colour never looks the same on any one panel so you can get away with edge to edge, so long as you use the same colour groundcoat and are lucky enough to guess the right amount of topcoats! That colour looks like this CLICKY

[mattw13]

Well thanks for that guys- maybe some hope then!

I am so pi**ed off with the previous owner- It truly was bodged and he stood and looked me in the eye and said that he knew of no rust to any panels!! I appreciate that people need to sell cars but a bit of honesty goes a long way.

Is it going to be possible to remove the A panel and the front wing without too much damage or am I going to have to buy new panels as well?

Looks like I am going to be pulling a lot of overtime!

Cheers for the reply

Matt

[panelbeaterpeter]

It's difficult to say what would need removing to repair the damage without seeing it, sounds like it's been seriously bodged!

[minorconfusion]

from what you describe id be forgetting about saving any paint, id want to know EXACTLY what else is lurking around the body.

[panelbeaterpeter]

Exactly. Might be an idea to run a magnet around the body.. will show up any filled areas.

[mattw13]

I will try the magnet trick tomorrow. Sorry for the lack of photos- I am seriously hacked off with it and cant face going out to the garage to take them! Really quite worried about what else I might find. Problem is there is no way we could part with her now!

Cheers for the replys guys

[mattw13]

Hi as promised, I have attached some pictures of the panel rust that I have uncovered. Any comments/ suggestions would be gratefully recieved. I took the mini to a local spray paint shop and they have quoted just under£1600 to remove all rust, do any necessary welding and a complete respray. Does this sound reasonable?
I have now found out that the current flip paint is non compliant and has subsequently been discontinued! So even if I could find someone able to blend the panels back in, I cannot source the paint!
[attachment=54222:DSC00059.JPG][attachment=54223:DSC00064.JPG][attachment=54225:
SC00066.JPG]

The pic on the right is off the sill and still shows the filler that had been packed in. If you look along the left hand edge of the other two pictures you can see the mastic that has been used to attach the a panel.

Cheers Matt

[panelbeaterpeter]

Looks nasty! that price seems about right.

[minorconfusion]

make sure the magnet is a verry weak one, i had a magnet stick to the body through 12mm of filler. all out an pulled into shape now but worth remembering.

[mattw13]

Will do. Thanks for all the advice guys- I am going to remove the old sill today (weather permitting) and I guess I will then be given the opportunity to find een more little probs! Cheers Matt