Rear panel repair joint?

[Gary Schulz]

I am still thinking that I will be replacing a large piece of the rear panel on my old Cooper S and was wondering if you guys had strong opinions on where to place the joint between the old original panel and the new repair piece. The left side down around the tail light was all pushed in and I managed to separate it from the rear valence and the boot floor but I am doubting that I can reshape it to make it look good again. The right side has a few dents but I may be able to get it back to presentable condition. Since I am thinking about using an entire replacement rear panel I was wondering where it made the most sense to make the connection between the two? The existing car is good from halfway up the boot opening so I was thinking that maybe I would cutout everything just above the boot opening but below the rear window aperture. It seems like it would be unwise to section things within the boot opening because I am guessing that the boot opening lip would not be identical to a new repair panel?

Have others done a partial repair like this? Where would you cut? I don't want to get into the rear window and gutter since those areas are perfect...

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[minibitz]

If you have a full size panel then best case would be to fit the whole thing. No joints to hide. More work unpicking the old stuff but once that's done fitting the new panel should be a breeze if you have access to a spot welder.

Fitting a partial panel I would join it through the C pillars, maybe 2-3" up from the bottom of the window aperture. This way the areas that would need butt welding together are reasonably short. Cut it any further down and you'll have a very long weld = lots of cleanup and dressing to make it look good.

[Gary Schulz]

2 to 3" up from the bottom of the window aperture on the C pillars makes sense. I do not have a spot welder and I really don't want to try to separate this at the gutter especially since that area is in perfect condition.

[Peter Laidler]

Just looking at it, I think that you've answered your own problem Gary. On the basis that the bad bit is the obvious left hand rear of the rear panel, then why not replace THAT part and replace with part of the new panel you have. In that case, I would cut the old part out DOWN through, between the two left hand boot hinge holes then across, straight through the centre of the LOWEST rear light hole/aperture. Peel away and grind off along the upright joint seam. You have 3 known markers to cut the new panel to but better still, one short length to spot weld (the side seam that's hidden under the clip-on cover) plus two equally short lengths to mig weld (the almost hidden vertical under the boot hinge and the short horizontal across the light plinth). And half that horizontal weld is hidden by the rear light!

[Andrew1967]

I’d agree with Peter.

That’s exactly how I would do it. Absolutely no need to disturb any perfectly sound metal and joints unless really necessary.

The worst bit is making a neat join in the boot seal channel, but it can be done.

[Gary Schulz]

If had a replacement panel it would make things easier. Is there a smaller repair panel that just addresses the lower section around the tail light? It is beginning to look like replacement panels for this project will be hard to come by based on what I read on this forum.

[GraemeC]

Could you weld the boot seal recess areas from the inside, where it may be easier to dress the weld and then finish the outside with a skim of filler?

[Andrew1967]

There is a lower one piece full width rear panel repair section that Heritage do, but it’s really expensive for what it is. Apparently they cut the bottom off a full rear panel pressing.

MiniMachine do an under the rear light repair section I believe.

Occasionally repair panels up to and just beyond the petrol tank aperture come up for sale.

[Gary Schulz]

Could you weld the boot seal recess areas from the inside, where it may be easier to dress the weld and then finish the outside with a skim of filler?

Maybe, I like that idea if I can get my head in there enough to see... I wound up ordering the full rear panel from Mini Mania (Heritage) so once I get it I can ponder where I want to cut things.

There is a lower one piece full width rear panel repair section that Heritage do, but it’s really expensive for what it is. Apparently they cut the bottom off a full rear panel pressing.

I saw this lower repair panel but the price is pretty much the same as the full rear panel. I think you are right that it must be a cutoff from the larger panel. Strange...

[iain1967s]

I wound up ordering the full rear panel from Mini Mania (Heritage) so once I get it I can ponder where I want to cut things.

If you plan to cut above the waist line, e.g. slice through the C pillars, make sure it is the very latest version with the original smaller window aperture. Previous Mk1 heritage rears have the wider Mk2 cutout in the heritage pressing, and need fillets grafted in.

[Gary Schulz]

Yes, I thought about that. I am not sure which version it will be since they are ordering it from the UK. It is not a stocked item but I am betting that they get some priority treatment with vendors over there and it will arrive sooner than if I ordered direct.

We will see...