Forgive me if this has been covered many times already. I'm new to these online forum things, and very new to Minis.

I'm considering buying an '03 Mini CVT for my daughter's 16th birthday, her first car, etc. The one I've zeroed-in on is in amazing condition except for the paint on the area around the hatchback's hinges... that vertical piece of metal that is more or less the "back" of the roof... the one that has the "hinge holes" in it... it looks as if the paint is washing off.... there's what appears to be gray primer beginning to show through.... no rust, no scratches, it really looks like the paint in that area, and only that area, is just wearing off or almost washing off. I can find no tape lines, or any other sign that the car has been repainted, repaired, or manipulated in any other way.

FYI, the roof is white.... as is the paint in question here... I understand that it's painted white after the entire car was painted it's original color, Velvet Red, at the factory.

I've searched this site for similar posts/threads, but all I can find are a few complaints about soft interior paint and thin exterior paint.

The seller of this car is a reputable car dealer who says he's had 3 used Minis in the last couple of years and all 3 had this condition to varying degrees.

Anyone else experienced this? know of this? have any thoughts?

Thanks.

 

Yes i have an 07 where the pait is rubbing in the exact same spot i believe but only on 1 side are u talking about where the rubber stopper lookin things hit the side of the hatch on each side?

 

I have an '02. I have the somewhat unpolished roof color in the inner boot jamb places as you mention near the hinges. All I can say there's no rust or bad spots, just not that nice high polished look. You could always hand rub that out and polish it nicely if it bothers you.

 

my paint wear is in the area between the hinges, not on the hatch, but on the body of the car.... the vertical piece of metal where the "hinge holes" are, and where the electrical wires for the rear-window-defogger go into the roof.

 

Thanks. I have a white roof with a white boot jamb... it's the white paint that seems to be wearing away or washing off.... leaving what looks like gray primer exposed.... it's not a case of "unpolished" white paint, it's more that the white paint isn't there.... as if it's dissolving over time in that area. The rest of the white roof is beautiful and shows no problems, as with the Velvet Red body.

If it's just going to be a cosmetic issue, I can live with it. I was more curious as to whether anyone else had any experience with it becoming something worse.

 

If it really bothers you, just tape it all off really good and get some matching paint in a can and paint it. You'll be the only one to see it. Make sure you lube the hinges now and then. I've heard a few having the hinges freeze up and breaking. Mine are fine.

Short of a good custom paint job or super high-end vehicle, I don't think there's a manufacturer that really paints a vehicle perfectly well. There's always some spot on the car that's painted too lightly, whether on the body, engine bay, underside, etc. After watching the MINI video of how they make a MINI, I wondered if the paint over paint for the roof would be a repeat of the double baked Ford pickups of the 80's. Yeah, I had one. Just one.

 

I had thought of that, and may do it when the weather gets a little warmer... snow showers on Friday here in Memphis.

 

That particular location is difficult to be painted when the roof is done. Most early years have this same problem. There is no worry about the finish as you do have full depth primer, but you could always do as suggested and get it painted over.

 

My 2002 is the exact same. Look like the white has washed away. No rust.

I am going to leave it for now.

Ric

 

There is no clear coat sprayed on the area in discussion. The washed out look is the normal look of the base color coat without clear coat. Buy a rattle can of clear, mask it off and clear coat it if you want it to shine, and continue to shine.

 

Mine is missing much more than a clear coat. I have gray primer showing through over much of the area in question.

 

Identical!!! Mine is mostly gray primer.

I may have to get some paint and paint that.