11
Chapter 11
Bodywork and fittings
Bodywork, paint and exterior trim check . . . . . . . . . . . .See Chapter 1
Bodywork seam trim strips - general information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Bonnet - removal and refitting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Bonnet lock - removal and refitting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Bonnet lock release cable - removal and refitting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Boot lid - removal and refitting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Boot lid lock - removal and refitting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Centre console - removal and refitting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Door, boot and bonnet check and lubrication . . . . . . . . .See Chapter 1
Door hinge - removal and refitting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Doors - removal and refitting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Facia top rail cover - removal and refitting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Front and rear bumpers - removal and refitting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Front door exterior handle (Saloon and Estate models) - removal and
refitting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Front door glass - removal and refitting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Front door interior trim panel (Saloon and Estate models) - removal
and refitting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Front door lock assembly - removal and refitting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Front door striker plate - removal and refitting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Front grille - removal and refitting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
General information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Maintenance - bodywork and underframe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Maintenance - upholstery and carpets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Major structural damage or corrosion - general information . . . . . . . 5
Minor body damage - repair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Rear door lock (Estate and Van models) - removal and refitting . . . . 19
Rear doors (Estate and Van models) - removal and refitting . . . . . . . 18
Rear door window (Estate and Van models) - removal and refitting . 23
Rear quarterlight glass (Saloon models) - removal and refitting . . . . 24
Rear side screen window (Estate models) - removal and refitting . . 25
Rear window (Saloon and Pick-up models) - removal and refitting . 22
Sunroof components - general information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Tailgate (Pick-up models) - removal and refitting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Windscreen - removal and refitting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Wooden facia - removal and refitting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
11•1
Contents
Easy, suitable for
novice with little
experience
Fairly easy, suitable
for beginner with
some experience
Fairly difficult,
suitable for competent
DIY mechanic
Difficult, suitable for
experienced DIY
mechanic
Very difficult,
suitable for expert DIY
or professional
Degrees of difficulty
5
4
3
2
1
1 General information
Although the Mini has been produced in
many forms since its introduction, the
principle of construction has remained the
same. The body and floor pan are of a
monocoque all-steel, welded construction
creating a very strong and torsionally rigid
shell. The front and rear suspension
assemblies are mounted on subframes,
bolted to the underside of the bodyshell. The
front subframe also provides mounting points
for the engine/transmission.
Although the Mini bodyshell is extremely
strong, it is likely to have suffered to some
degree, particularly on older models, from the
effects of rust and corrosion. Common
problem areas are the front wings, body side
sills and the rear subframe. Particular
attention should be paid to the rear subframe
and areas around its mountings, as well as the
side sills, as these are load bearing areas;
corrosion here, if left unchecked, could
seriously affect the roadworthiness of the
vehicle. The subframes are covered in detail in
Chapter 10 and full information regarding the
treatment of rust and corrosion and body
repairs will be found in subsequent Sections
of this Chapter.
2 Maintenance - bodywork and
underframe
1
The general condition of a vehicle’s
bodywork is the one thing that significantly
affects its value. Maintenance is easy but
needs to be regular. Neglect, particularly after
minor damage, can lead quickly to further
deterioration and costly repair bills. It is
important also to keep watch on those parts of
the vehicle not immediately visible, for instance
the underside, inside all the wheel arches and
the lower part of the engine compartment.
The basic maintenance routine for the
bodywork is washing preferably with a lot of
water, from a hose. This will remove all the
loose solids which may have stuck to the
vehicle. It is important to flush these off in
such a way as to prevent grit from scratching
the finish. The wheel arches and underframe
need washing in the same way to remove any
accumulated mud which will retain moisture
and tend to encourage rust. Oddly enough,
the best time to clean the underframe and
wheel arches is in wet weather when the mud
is thoroughly wet and soft. In very wet
weather the underframe is usually cleaned of
large accumulations automatically and this is
a good time for inspection.
Periodically, except on vehicles with a wax-
based underbody protective coating, it is a
good idea to have the whole of the
underframe of the vehicle steam cleaned,
engine compartment included, so that a
thorough inspection can be carried out to see
what minor repairs and renovations are
necessary. Steam cleaning is available at
many garages and is necessary for removal of
the accumulation of oily grime which
sometimes is allowed to become thick in
certain areas. If steam cleaning facilities are
not available, there are one or two excellent
grease solvents available which can be brush
applied; the dirt can then be simply hosed off.
Note that these methods should not be used
on vehicles with wax-based underbody
protective coating or the coating will be
removed. Such vehicles should be inspected
annually, preferably just prior to winter, when
the underbody should be washed down and
any damage to the wax coating repaired using
underseal. Ideally, a completely fresh coat
should be applied. It would also be worth
considering the use of such wax-based
protection for injection into door panels, sills,
box sections, etc, as an additional safeguard
against rust damage where such protection is
not provided by the vehicle manufacturer.
After washing paintwork, wipe off with a
chamois leather to give an unspotted clear
finish. A coat of clear protective wax polish
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