21 replies to this topic

[Twincam]

Make sure if you do use it in winter to clean off any road salt.

Cars will rust (my old focus needed sills and that was a 2001 car!) So don't be scared. Just clean it and treat it as best you can.

Cover wise - check out storm force.

[Kuub]

All I can say is: just care for it. Rust is unavoidable, but at least you can prolong the life of your panels by giving them the care they deserve. Clean out road salt and dirt every so often (winter and summer!), give it a good handwash and you're good to go. Before I got my Mini, I was scared from all the horror stories your read online about cars full of rust, until I realized most of them weren't cared for.

A Mini is like a dog, you don't get one "for christmas", you get one because you'll take care of it.

[alittleawkward]

I got a mini myself as a first ever classic car a couple months ago and have started work on it within the last week, so I'm literally only a couple small steps ahead of you.

• Might be an idea to see if you can get some layer of protection on the bottom, spent a large amount of today applying waxoyl to the bottom of mine just as a layer of protection against road salt and to help prevent any water build up against the bottom.
• The spot for my car on my drive is also directly beneath my neighbours tree, so a lot of leaves and general tot gets blown onto my drive/car, so it saves a lot of effort in cleaning all that stuff off by having a cover.
• Completely understand why people feel theres no need for a cover, and I gotta say I wish I bought a better one because a couple time's I've got up to take it off and it's blown into my other neighbours garden or it's flipped up on one side and sort of lost the purpose of its job, but I'm still convinced that it's got some kind of purpose most of the time. I also got crap door seals so it really helps in heavy rain when it could literally seep through my windows & doors. 

 

Theres a lot of elements you got to weigh up for such simple things but getting a decent (fitting!) cover could be an idea, but then again it just might be something silly to buy. 

 

Have fun with your car if you go forth with purchasing it! :)

Edited by alittleawkward, 02 January 2017 - 01:36 AM.

[Steve220]

If you're really worried about it, stick it in storage! Just make sure it's well ventilated to keep the damp at bay.

[Alice Dooper]

Dynax is the stuff.

Good clean, especially get all the salty and stick stuff off. Under the front wings especially - we all know the spots.

It's not the cheapest at about £17 or £18 for a large tin. Takes me 2. They do a more runny one for inside box sections too.

[Mini-Mad-Craig]

 

 

 

 
 
The best thing you can do is just drive the bloody thing. 

 
Sorry but this just isn't true. You would be crazy to drive a classic Mini, especially a restored one through winter if you don't have to. With the quality of a lot of the parts these days they will be rusty come next years summer from our experience! And that's even if you're using decent products like Bilt Hamber to protect them. 

It's a car, designed to be driven.
Even a restored one will rust again one day.
Might as well get out and use them, or sell them to someone who will :)

 

 

Exactly, or other wise al these barn finds would be in immaculate condition.

 

Mine has been parked up on the dive for the last few months, so hasn't seen any salt this year (not that its really been cold enough this year). But the battery is now past a recharge, and there is rust already bubbling up behind the paint along the wing to front panel seams that were replaced 2 years go.

 

 

Ah, so this is why museums keep their cars outside in all weathers and not indoors in a nice warm showroom?

 

I am all for driving them and trust me I drive mine, but what's the point in spending 4 years restoring a car and making every last nut and bolt shiney and protecting it only to drive it on salty roads. For me it makes far more sense to just do the job once and enjoy it in the summer months, enjoy it hard! But just buy a banger for the winter. I totally agree that they're there to be driven and I guess thats where everybody is different. I think that if you've restored a car to concourse condition then you're probably the type of person that enjoys having an immaculate classic to enjoy in the summer months and protect the rest of the time :) but we are all different

 

That's me though, I don't have much money and can't afford to be rebuilding a Mini every 5 years. 

Edited by Mini-Mad-Craig, 02 January 2017 - 05:12 PM.

[cp2708]

Mine lives outside, replaced all seals, given it a good rust proofing with something my dad recommended from his bike called ACF50, miles better than any other rustproof stuff I've ever used. I generally won't use it when salt is thick on the ground which in London is quite rare anyway.

The few small rust issues the car had look no worse now than when I bought it nearly 3 years ago.

Just my experience and she always starts even if I've not run it for a few weeks.