Morris Minor Owners Club

My minor looks pretty tatty around the roof area. The paint is scratched and the guttering is "tidied up" with filler. there is a little rust and paint chipping inside the roof (4 door), I think mainly caused by slamming doors. None of the manuals mentions, but can a roof rust through and are there horrors under the (quite presentable) headlining. Also what happens if I remove the filler, what is the proper finish. I know you'd really need to see the car, but any thoughts appreciated. Basically I am putting together a few thousand pounds and am trying to decide whether to restore my own minor (which drives really well) or buy a better example. i may bore you with the other bodywork problems in another post!

Anything made of steel can turn to rust if it's exposed to the elements but the roof isn't noted for it's propensity to fall apart. However the gap between the guttering and roof is a potential problem area. If the filler was applied when there was no trapped moisture & then painted properly it will protect the metal beneath.

To check, open the doors and look up - if there are rust stains staining the bottom of the gutters you may have a problem.

Yes Chris, little traces of rust around the bottom of the guttering. I'd wondered if it was causing some of the drips which collect on the door tops (leaks in the guttering welds I mean). So what can I do? Expensive?

but can a roof rust through

Yes!

Its happened on our traveller, someone decided to fill over the rust in the gutters and it rotted all the way through! The roof now moves independantly from the rest of the car...

Seconded - see any un-rebuilt van (around the rear guttering) for evidence...

oh dear! ok then a slightly different question. repairable?

Well yes, but tricky. I look forward to others handy hints though...
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Its happened on our traveller, someone decided to fill over the rust in the gutters and it rotted all the way through!

I thought they were aluminium!

I was thinking it was the guttering over the doors, where it's all steel, isn't it?* I think the roof at the rear is steel too, in which case it, too, is DIYable. Isn't it just the side panels that are ally?

*Just remembered I've got a traveller 'cab' roof in the garage, so yes, definitely all steel. Judging by the roof/guttering of the Trav belonging to the guy I just bought an engine from, I'd say the rear roof is too.

The rear roof on a traveller is aluminium, too. The front is steel, because it's principally the same as the front of a 2-door.

Aha - then I guess the rear gutters are steel. it certainly looked like it!

The roof, rear door panels, and side panel are alumimium and I think you will find the side gutters are as well.

all the exterior metalwork behind the b post is ally, before that its steel!

The vans (and by the sound if it travs) do rust around the roof. But I'd say it would take a bit for a saloon (which it seems dermot has) to rust considering the curved shape as opposed to the more level vans and travs.

If its rusting there could one assume to it might have more serious problems elsewhere in the more typical places? Sills, floor, pillars etc.

Check the rust and see how deep it goes - might be mainly surface rust. Also depending on the filler amount, remember that from the factory they had a joint and seam sealent there. With out looking at it, it could be totally original with a little surface rust. If its obviously more serious than that and the guttering has rust holes in it, it might be a bit of an effort to repair. But I know over here they redo the vans by seperating the seams and some one has a pattern for repair panels and then they put it back together again. Most likely a simular method the same could be done for the saloon.

If that's the only rust spots on the vehicle it may be well worth fixing - if it has other problems it might be more worth getting another body. You could get a no obligation quote from a panel beater to get some idea of cost to repair as they will better determine the extent of the damage.

Fwedy, thanks for the reply. Other problems? well, good floorpan wings etc. No problems with mot. But I think it has had the sills repaired with panels at some time and the rear inner wing (wheelarch). As a result the rear passenger side door is badly misaligned and lets in air around the gaps. The drivers door hinge panel also needs repaired as it has been patch welded behinf it. I would say the car needs two new sills, plus a realignment of the body to get the doors to fit and then a respray. I have two good doors for the rear if they are needed, but alignment appears to be the problem. So then what (roughly) does all this cost (charles ware or similar) and would I be better selling and going for a charles ware warrantied minor (probably £3-4000). Opinions gratefully received. (most of my local body men just want ot do enough to get the mot)

So then what (roughly) does all this cost

Unfortunately I can't help much in that area as pricing will be different on this side of the world. Here you can pick up a pretty good 2 or 4dr body for very little, so it is not worth starting on something that needs much work. Those in your corner of the world generally accept a worse body to start with due to the deterioration from the salted roads and easier access to repair panels.

...and harder access to good 2 or 4 door bodies!
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harder access to good 2 or 4 door bodies

lol - Is that why you have pickups? - Do you really have 4 pickups? Factory sides? on road?

3 with factory sides, one (though a real P/UP from the chassis number) with a wooden back - 1 on the road, 1 nearly ( piece about 1' square to be welded to the bulkhead cross member just behind the damper) - and the little matter of re-fitting the engine and fitting some new brakes! Nah - I've got pick ups 'cos I love them. Trouble is, once you find one, the others seem to follow more easily...

It's the same with saloons too you know! **runs and hides after realising he's SERIOUSLY outnumbered and dared to mention the 's' word in the presence of the pickup/ute peeps**