Hi guys,
I'm an 18 year old lad who passed my test just over a month ago, and it's been my dream to own a classic mini. I found the right one at the right price... BUT it has some rust under the front headlight.
My question is, how can I get rid of this little problem? Without spending loads of money as I'm only 18 and still at school.
Thanks James
Rust Under The Front Light
Started by
iJames
, Oct 03 2011 11:48 AM
6 replies to this topic
#2
sonikk4
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Posted 03 October 2011 - 12:00 PM
It depends on how bad the rust is. Has it rusted through?? if so then you have a couple of options.
1: Cut out the damage and insert a new section of metal.
2: Replace the wing.
Not really for you at the moment.
If its surface rust then as a temporary measure it needs to be sanded back then treated with something like Krust or another similar product. The a skim of filler if needed followed by primer and paint.
If the rust is starting under one of the many seams then the only real way to remove it is by replacement or insertion of new metal. Its virtually impossible to remove all of the rust around the seams as it normally starts between the two layers of metal.
Its a common fault with Mini front panels i'm afraid.
1: Cut out the damage and insert a new section of metal.
2: Replace the wing.
Not really for you at the moment.
If its surface rust then as a temporary measure it needs to be sanded back then treated with something like Krust or another similar product. The a skim of filler if needed followed by primer and paint.
If the rust is starting under one of the many seams then the only real way to remove it is by replacement or insertion of new metal. Its virtually impossible to remove all of the rust around the seams as it normally starts between the two layers of metal.
Its a common fault with Mini front panels i'm afraid.
#3
iJames
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Posted 03 October 2011 - 12:19 PM
Thank you for replying 
I've managed to get a picture of it, although it's not the best quality picture it can give some idea. It's not rusted all the way through, so i do think the panels would need replacing?
Mini rust.JPG 8K
46 downloads
Would you be able to give a rough estimate of how much that would cost? Because I'm sure if I begged my dad enough he'd give in
I've managed to get a picture of it, although it's not the best quality picture it can give some idea. It's not rusted all the way through, so i do think the panels would need replacing?
Mini rust.JPG 8K
46 downloadsWould you be able to give a rough estimate of how much that would cost? Because I'm sure if I begged my dad enough he'd give in
Edited by iJames, 03 October 2011 - 12:20 PM.
#4
benjy_18
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Posted 03 October 2011 - 12:24 PM
if you get it replaced buy a body shop it would easily be £600 with a basic paint job.
if you havent bought the car yet, then keep looking for one with a solid shell, as its much easier and cheaper to fix mechanicals than the shell
if you havent bought the car yet, then keep looking for one with a solid shell, as its much easier and cheaper to fix mechanicals than the shell
#5
iJames
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Posted 03 October 2011 - 12:32 PM
Okay thanks
My maximum budget is around £2500 but i'd prefer to spend a lot less than that. It seems to be all the minis i do like sell before I get a chance to have a look at them or are 150 odd miles away. This one was near by and looked stunning other than that little problem. I'll keep the search going hopefully i'll find one
My maximum budget is around £2500 but i'd prefer to spend a lot less than that. It seems to be all the minis i do like sell before I get a chance to have a look at them or are 150 odd miles away. This one was near by and looked stunning other than that little problem. I'll keep the search going hopefully i'll find one
#6
benjy_18
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Posted 03 October 2011 - 01:53 PM
if it was me, ignore how far away the car is. if its a good car then travel to view it!
doesnt cost much to hire a trailer for the day and get it back and its better to waste fuel to go view a lemon and not buy it, than to buy a lemon without viewing it and waste time tying to fix/flog it
doesnt cost much to hire a trailer for the day and get it back and its better to waste fuel to go view a lemon and not buy it, than to buy a lemon without viewing it and waste time tying to fix/flog it
#7
sonikk4
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Posted 03 October 2011 - 06:20 PM
I'm afraid benjy_18 is right judging by your picture its in the seams and that to be honest is the end of the wing and front panel. It will need replacing to ensure it does not rear its ugly head again.
£2.5k is a nice budget for a Mini and you should be able to get a nice clean solid one for that. Try to get one that is unmolested as then what you see is what you get.
I paid £2k for my Clubman and apart from issues which he told me about was pretty much as he left the factory. Yes he had oversills and the odd rubbish panel fit but nothing was plated over. For me its all in how solid the car is.
DO have a really good look all around the car. Try and lift the carpets, have a good look up into the rear corners of the front wheel wells (take a decent torch.) Have a good look at the scuttle, if there is any rust or signs of filler walk away.
Big wheel arches can hide rust in the arches so be wary. Have a real good look in the boot, look around the subframe mounts although the l/h side will be covered by the fuel tank but shine a torch into the corners to see if there is rust. Again if there is it can be fixed but if you cannot weld then it will cost.
If there is rust at the bottom of the A panel there will be rust behind it which means a new A panel and localised repairs will need to be carried out (have a look at the Project Paddy link as this is what i have just been doing although my problem was not a rusty A panel but somebody did not do a repair before fitting the new panel)
If you can see filler in a panel then ask why and if you don't get a good answer then walk away. There are a lot of bodge monsters out there so be very careful.
If you see a car that you like then take some pictures and post them on here and we can help you out. I would recommend setting up a Photobucket account (its free) then when you load pictures on it hover over the picture, a drop down will appear and then click on the IMG CODE, this will automatically copy the picture then you can paste it on here.
£2.5k is a nice budget for a Mini and you should be able to get a nice clean solid one for that. Try to get one that is unmolested as then what you see is what you get.
I paid £2k for my Clubman and apart from issues which he told me about was pretty much as he left the factory. Yes he had oversills and the odd rubbish panel fit but nothing was plated over. For me its all in how solid the car is.
DO have a really good look all around the car. Try and lift the carpets, have a good look up into the rear corners of the front wheel wells (take a decent torch.) Have a good look at the scuttle, if there is any rust or signs of filler walk away.
Big wheel arches can hide rust in the arches so be wary. Have a real good look in the boot, look around the subframe mounts although the l/h side will be covered by the fuel tank but shine a torch into the corners to see if there is rust. Again if there is it can be fixed but if you cannot weld then it will cost.
If there is rust at the bottom of the A panel there will be rust behind it which means a new A panel and localised repairs will need to be carried out (have a look at the Project Paddy link as this is what i have just been doing although my problem was not a rusty A panel but somebody did not do a repair before fitting the new panel)
If you can see filler in a panel then ask why and if you don't get a good answer then walk away. There are a lot of bodge monsters out there so be very careful.
If you see a car that you like then take some pictures and post them on here and we can help you out. I would recommend setting up a Photobucket account (its free) then when you load pictures on it hover over the picture, a drop down will appear and then click on the IMG CODE, this will automatically copy the picture then you can paste it on here.
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