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  • Gearheadotaku

    Oct. 7, 2009 1:07 p.m. Gearheadotaku Reader

    Saw a new style mini the other day 03-04 maybe. The back of the body was rusted through under the taillights and there were some big bubbles on the lower areas of the doors. Car seems pretty new to have holes like this, even for Michigan. Anyone else seen this happening?

  • sachilles

    Oct. 7, 2009 1:13 p.m. sachilles Reader

    Not yet, and I'm up in a rust prone area. Wondering if that was poorly repair collision damage.

  • cwh

    Oct. 7, 2009 1:13 p.m. cwh Dork

    The only rusty cars I see have Micigan and Ohio plates. I can't comprehend why such a new car can rust through so quickly. Could it have been wrecked and poorly repaired? Are there ANY new (er) cars that do not have protection from rust? I'm serious.

  • Keith

    Oct. 7, 2009 1:22 p.m. Keith PowerDork

    Maybe it's the heritage from the original Mini finally coming through.

  • andrave

    Oct. 7, 2009 1:25 p.m. andrave HalfDork

    My friend had a 2002 Jeep Liberty and the tailgate was rusting off it. I was very surprised. He had taken very good care of it.

    And my father has a 2000 chevy cavalier that is a total appliance to him and I don't think he has ever washed, waxed, cleaned, buffed, vaccuumed, or wiped any surface on the car, and its just rusted all over the place.

    So it doesn't surprise me that much to hear that the same thing happened to a mini. I haven't seen any like that though.

  • JFX001

    Oct. 7, 2009 1:28 p.m. JFX001 Dork

    I live in Ohio, and haven't seen that....yet.

  • 2002maniac

    Oct. 7, 2009 1:28 p.m. 2002maniac Reader

    I love that my '91 318is has been in Utah it's whole life and has nary a spec of rust.

  • Ian F

    Oct. 7, 2009 2:30 p.m. Ian F HalfDork

    I've been in the MINI world since 2003 and haven't heard much griping about rust issues. Right now, the panic is over a bit of rust on the body seam under the lower door gasket.

    My guess would be poor collision repair.

  • DustoffDave

    Oct. 7, 2009 2:35 p.m. DustoffDave Reader

    2002maniac said:

    I love that my '91 318is has been in Utah it's whole life and has nary a spec of rust.

    I spent the first 25 years of my life living in Salt Lake and drove a CJ-7, 66 Mustang, 89 Toyota P-up, among other old cars, all during the dead of winter (the mustang was fun in 10 inches of snow) and the only one that ever really started to rust out from under me was a 95 Bronco. Amazing that the old ones lasted...

  • FindlaySpeedMan

    Oct. 7, 2009 2:50 p.m. FindlaySpeedMan New Reader

    JFX001 said:

    I live in Ohio, and haven't seen that....yet.

    Me too, and we have a lot of MINIs running around here. Might have to start looking closer at them...

  • kpm

    Oct. 7, 2009 3:19 p.m. kpm New Reader

    Un-fixed bullet holes from The Italian Job.

  • njansenv

    Oct. 7, 2009 5:36 p.m. njansenv Reader

    I'm seeing a lot of 02/03 Proteges with rust through on the fenders.... FWIW.

    Nathan

  • Oct. 7, 2009 6:58 p.m. 1966stang New Reader

    I wonder if flood damage or Katrina has anything to do with it.

    NICE 2002 EXT cab Z71 came through the pick and pull as a cash for clunkers truck. Once the interior was stripped out I noticed that the floors, rockers, back of the cab, cab corners, parts of the firewall, etc. were rusted through.

    THAT IMHO probably had to be a Katrina truck or something.

    I've seen midwestern cars with the A pillars rusting through and all kinds of crazy stuff. I think once in awhile a car must get through with bad galvanizing on the steel or something...but honestly I don't really know, I am only guessing.

    Chris

  • belteshazzar

    Oct. 7, 2009 7:58 p.m. belteshazzar SuperDork

    a great example of why I'll never buy a car from Chicago.

    There are places in this world that just destroy cars.

  • Oct. 7, 2009 8:03 p.m. petegossett Dork

    My '03 Protege was just starting to show hints of rust when I traded it for the (rust free)Miata in '07.

    Our '00 Villager is about to rust through the rockers right where the step is for both front doors. It looks fine underneath though, and we haven't washed it in 3-years.

  • eastsidemav

    Oct. 7, 2009 8:12 p.m. eastsidemav New Reader

    My dad discovered rust near the convertible top on his 2006 MX-5 last week. Of course, he lives right next to the beach on the east coast of Florida.

    Here in Ohio, I haven't seen a new Mini rust like that, though, and it does get bad here.

  • Oct. 7, 2009 8:59 p.m. mndsm New Reader

    I have an 05 Mini, and the wife drives it, doesn't take the best care of it. Been an MN car its whole life, no rust.....

  • Josh

    Oct. 7, 2009 9:48 p.m. Josh HalfDork

    I've seen a few rusty P5s up here too.

  • mad_machine

    Oct. 7, 2009 10:35 p.m. mad_machine UberDork

    has to be poorly repaired accident damage or flood damage. I have seen both destroy new cars in short order. My own Ti has a HUGE hole in the passenger side floor from badly repaired accident damage where they simply welded and never protected it.

    guess what I am doing this winter

  • JohnW

    Oct. 10, 2009 9:36 p.m. JohnW Reader

    2002maniac wrote:

    I love that my '91 318is has been in Utah it's whole life and has nary a spec of rust.

    Same thing with my lifelong North Carolina and Virginia '91 318is--zero rust. My '76 2002, however, is a different story.

  • mad_machine

    Oct. 10, 2009 9:38 p.m. mad_machine UberDork

    like my italian car.. didn't the 2002 come with rust as an option from the factory?

  • doc_speeder

    Oct. 10, 2009 11:29 p.m. doc_speeder New Reader

    I feel bad for you guys. I can't comprehend that kind of rust. I've got a 2000 Siverado and a 2004 Grand Prix, not a single spec of rust anywhere on either of them, and that seems to be the norm here. (Southern Alberta). We have winter, but it gets cold enough that it's not sloppy. Just snowy and icy.

  • gamby

    Oct. 11, 2009 10:01 a.m. gamby UberDork

    Ian F wrote:

    My guess would be poor collision repair.

    Has to be.

 

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