Morris Minor Owners Club

Hi all i have recently restored my minor and i put a new steel boot lid on i did remember the hinge gaskets i find in heavy rain the boot lid fills with water.
when i open the lid the water drains out slowly question is should i drill drain holes? if so where?
This something i would like to try and solve as the moggie sit's out as i have no garage cheers Scott

should I drill drain holes?

Wouldn't be a dumb idea but I would think it would be also an idea to try and find where the water is getting in. Even with drain holes it is possible that it could drain to the floor of the boot and there set about rusting it out.

Seems like you have checked the hinges - try also the badges on the boot and the numberplate light. Any of these areas can let water in.

Bets cure would be to stop the water coming in. If you can manage that then get as much waxoil in the bootlid as soon as you can get it dry. It would be a real shame for a new steel bootlid it to rot away, but it won't take long at all.

Also check the boot handle assembly, it is held tight to the lid
by 2 BA screws which are awkward to reach but worth the effort.
I sealed the boot badges and number plate lamp screws with a little
blob of silicone sealant during assembly. If the double skinned boot
lid is filling with water then all that happens when you open it is that
the water runs down to the hinge area and doesn't escape from the
lid. therefore, a couple of holes INSIDE the lid as low down as
possible will help matters except that the water which emerges from
the lid will have nowhere to drain to so will sit on the boot floor and
cause troubles in that area (as well as spreading to the ends of the
rear chassis rails where the rear spring hangars are situated)!! So
take the previous advice and cure the leak as a matter of urgency.
I have no leaks in that area but I have drilled four extra drain holes
in the bottom of the boot floor under the boot lid area to stop any water
build up.

scott75 wrote:Hi all i have recently restored my minor and i put a new steel boot lid on i did remember the hinge gaskets i find in heavy rain the boot lid fills with water.
when i open the lid the water drains out slowly question is should i drill drain holes? if so where?
This something i would like to try and solve as the moggie sit's out as i have no garage cheers Scott

yeah i have also considered drilling very small holes along the bottom of the boot/door, not inside the boot i mean, however, as water sinks to the lowest part, i think i'll have to place them on the very curve of the metal as it curls back up and joins the inside panel...not easy, and would the exiting water drip/stain /rust the lower part of the body behind the rear bumper? it would also look pretty bad when the boot is open. I have drilled a couple of holes in the boot floor. sb