Rust & A-Series engines

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Del The Obscure - 03 Dec 2003 21:54 GMT

Hi,
I'm looking for my first car rebuild project and fancy a Mini (a
proper one, not these BMW things)
So...I read an article which said rust rarely affects modern cars,
because of galvanising etc. Does this include more modern Minis? Say
1990-onwards?
And although I know how a car works, I'm not too au fait with the
internals of an engine (e.g. big ends etc.) or gearbox. Is an A-series
a fairly simple engine to strip & rebuld if necessary? And the same
with a Mini 'box?
I guess what I need is a late-reg Mini with a seized engine...

Del.
--
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The Muffin Man - 03 Dec 2003 22:10 GMT

> Hi,
> I'm looking for my first car rebuild project and fancy a Mini (a
> proper one, not these BMW things)

BMW build quality must have really gone down if you can find a rebuild
project ;)

The Muffin Man

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Graham - 04 Dec 2003 07:27 GMT

> I'm looking for my first car rebuild project and fancy a Mini (a
> proper one, not these BMW things)

Don't buy something which will cost more to get going than a similar
going car would have cost.

> So...I read an article which said rust rarely affects modern cars,
> because of galvanising etc. Does this include more modern Minis? Say
> 1990-onwards?

Nope.
The fundamental body design hasn't changed. Whilst galvanising and
better metallurgy are important aspects of rust resistance in cars, body
design itself has improved as much as you would expect in 40 years,
eliminating rust traps. In fact if comments seen in this group are
anything to go by, the last Minis were even more prone to rust than
earlier ones.

> And although I know how a car works, I'm not too au fait with the
> internals of an engine (e.g. big ends etc.) or gearbox. Is an A-series
> a fairly simple engine to strip & rebuld if necessary? And the same
> with a Mini 'box?

Yes, but...

> I guess what I need is a late-reg Mini with a seized engine...

If you're in the UK, where cars die due to body rust, not mechanical
failure, you may as well get a cheap healthy second hand motor and box
and fit them, rather than stripping and rebuilding a broken one.

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Steve - 04 Dec 2003 16:42 GMT

> Hi,
> I'm looking for my first car rebuild project and fancy a Mini (a
> proper one, not these BMW things)
> So...I read an article which said rust rarely affects modern cars,
> because of galvanising etc. Does this include more modern Minis? Say
> 1990-onwards?

Definately, not. In fact, quite the opposite. The later you go, the worse
the build quality. Most Minis built before, say about, 1986 are better built
than later ones.

Yes. No real problem if you have the right equipment and a bit of common
sense.

> I guess what I need is a late-reg Mini with a seized engine...

No. Just look for the best one you can get for your budget. A seized engine
is pretty rare. The A-series will keep on going in absolutely dreadful
condition. I once had a Minor van with just 80psi on each cylinder and it
consumed more oil than petrol! But it still took me all over the country and
returned nearly 50mpg on a run.

Oh, and expect to pay out more in rebuild costs than the car will be worth
afterwards. There is simply no way to rebuild any car properly and end up in
profit! One of my trade customers builds top spec Minis, but has to sell
them at 15k to make any profit.

Signature

Rgds
Steve
steve@dsnclassics.co.uk
www.dsnclassics.co.uk

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