Morris Minor Owners Club

Let me give a word of warning to anyone with a leaking rear screen seal.
Dont keep putting off changing it. GET IT DONE NOW.

I kept putting off changing mine, I had it in the garage for over 12 month. Thinking when I get it resprayed I will change it.
How wrong you can be. I have just spent the last 3 weekends welding new metal and panels in to rear of car. Both rear spring hangers front mounts rusted away, bottom edges of inner box section rusted away, bottom of seat support boxing panel rusted away and the floor inside the seat boxing panel rusted away where panel joins floor.
I put all this down to rear seal,as the water runs down back of seat and collects in the seat support panel where it quitly rusts away unnoticed.

You have been warned.

Has this not happened to anyone else?

Replaced mine a few days ago. One piece of advice on doing so. Don't follow the Haynes manual instructions for refitting the rear screen from the inside using the string method - if your moggy is one of the younger ones (eg 1968 ish) it is far easier to fit from the outside, and contrary to the manual, only requires on person to do it.

Has this not happened to anyone else?

It's fairlywell known - on some cars you can trace a trail of rot right back up the wheel arches up to the rear parcel shelf.

As for fitting the rear screen - I don't know about age changes but on the 71 saloon I did, the screen is slightly larger than the window aperture in the shell, and should be located inside the shell (i.e. has to be done fom inside)

Mines in the post! Along with new suspension and a front one too.

I found water behind the back seat and the shelf was soggy!! Not good..

Replaced mine about a fortnight ago. Absolute pig of a job to do, even with a helper. Maybe its just my stubborn 1970 Minor up to its usual tricks, but fitting the new rear seal was almost impossible! In the end I called in the porfessionals, and even they had trouble - apparently the new seal didn't have enough flex in it. Glad its done now though - no more leaks and looks much better from the outside!

I had professionals fit mine too, both of them. I also made sure they put plenty of sealant between seal and body and seal and glass. After all the welding I have just done I didn't fancy doing it again.

new seal didn't have enough flex in it

I raised this problem on the forum some months ago. After my front screen was fitted by professionals there was a huge gap caused by the hard rubber's unwillingness to 'spring' back to the shape of the roofline.

I spoke to one of the regulars to the forum. He suggested that the best thing to do was use quality items and no sealant. There certainly aren't any gaps and they were easy to fit, but I haven't been out in the rain yet to test them. I will keep an eye on it and report back.