No offence taken but thanks for the apology. The forum is meant for discussion and debate like this otherwise it would be a dull world. There are always differing views.


It may help to keep the door cards dry but that's not the purpose intended by BMC, as this part of the technical bulleting shown above describes - "to prevent water and dust entry". The window winder and door opening mechanisms can be adversely affected by water and dirt. Door cards are more likely to get wet when the door is open and it's raining.

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ex-NSW Police 1970 MK II Cooper S
VMCI #43

Seriously Jaybee. I just asked the members on this forum if they could share information in regards to the original factory finish and sealing behind the door cards on the Australian mini doors.

With the information and photo's that people have shared helps with our projects if we would like to maintain the factory original - as possible finish.

Please just understand the original request and let the Information be documented - I'm trying to maintain a standard in my project like winbbey is also trying to complete.

I wasn't looking for someone to have a go about what you see or don't see - thank you.

I wasn’t having a go, and the apology I posted was to you. I understood your request well, and was merely suggesting a more up to date method that will achieve a better result at less cost than tape which will inevitably peel off and fail. It’s like swapping to to breakerless ignition, modern plug leads, decent headlight globes, or a Dynalight, all reversible, invisible and all make the car more reliable.
I can see this is not the forum for me as I find all this keep it totally original obsession pointless, museums have plenty of “how they left the factory examples”. The fact is unless a Mini was purchased new for a Grandad or Mum it was being modified in many ways within months of delivery, so big stock is not in anyway representative of what was driving around back then. My first brand new Mini was in 1975 and in the 2 1/2 years I owned it I made a dozen changes that I can still remember. And that applies to Holdens and Fords etc too.
Nevertheless it’s your car to do with as you wish, and I wish you all success with it.

jaybee - This forum is not aimed at those seeking originality. In fact I reckon those Ausmini members who are trying to keep their car original are in the vast minority. The guy who asked the original question in this thread and I are a couple who try to use original parts where possible. That's our choice. Of course parts wear and some are no longer available new so there will always be variations and common sense prevails.

You got lots of positive comments from members about the van you acquired and then showed in the Members Mini Gallery, including from me. One of the attractions of the Mini is the ways you can modify and present them as you have done. I enjoy seeing how others have customised their car, including some with radical modifications and paint jobs.

I hope one bit of criticism from one member isn't sufficient for you to leave, but that's your choice of course.

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ex-NSW Police 1970 MK II Cooper S
VMCI #43

Hi winabbey, sorry just me getting wound up over nothing. Been fairly ill for a few months now and it makes me irritable. I do enjoy the forum, and seeing what others are doing, it gives me ideas for my own car, and the way some members tackle corrosion problems that would simply stop me in my tracks, is truely amazing. It’s great to know people with these skills are still out there.

The tape on my doors is paper, not cloth or PVC. I don’t have a description or specification of material SS00037 as mentioned on the engineering drawing.

It’s possible earlier cars when the wind-up window doors were introduced and later Leyland Clubman doors used different material. The technical bulletin mentions 3M brand tape type 250 and others have seen cream/bone paper tape on some doors. Maybe this is the 3M type.

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ex-NSW Police 1970 MK II Cooper S
VMCI #43

Winabby thanks for the up date on the product type.

Paper is interesting. Would that stand a small amount of condensation? Dust and dirt would be fine I would think.

I'm not a hundred percent sure but thought the product I removed a number of years ago was more like a tape.

When you look a ausdino's photo's - it would appear to look like a type of paper.

Interesting

ausdino - What do you think? I see you called it paper tape in your post.

You can see the paper tape still intact after 50 years on a couple of my door apertures so I think it will be OK.

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ex-NSW Police 1970 MK II Cooper S
VMCI #43

If it looks like paper, tears like paper, its most likely to be paper. You can see the texture on both sides of it and on one side you can see the glue/adhesive around the perimeter. It could possibly be coated ?, looks the same both sides. I kept most of the complete pieces for posterity (could only find this one tonight), but will probably use a more modern method to seal (probably that car builders product).

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1970 Mk2 Cooper S under restoration

You can see from the picture of the other door, the paper has been torn over the years. (Also the poor colour match when they repainted it at some stage. Should be connaugh green, more like GTO green ?)

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1970 Mk2 Cooper S under restoration

Thank you ausdino for the detailed information and photo's

It would seem that this is a paper product and only the outer edge has been glued down to the outer edge of the opening service area's on the door.

I'm going to go with a black paper or thin cardboard type product and glue down the outer edge. The paper may well have had a wax coating on one side.

Will post some photo's when I've got it sorted.

Maybe it's tar paper (paper impregnated with tar to make it waterproof).

I know that stuff was around back then as my dad lined his shed with it.

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Cheers,
Rod.
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'63 Morris 850 (Old Secondhand CAR)

Yes know what your saying or like a building paper.

Have been looking at building papers and it seems to look very similar at this stage - will keep you posted

The engineering drawing and the technical bulletin call it “adhesive tape” and “packaging tape”, and that’s what the stuff on my doors appears to be. It’s not paper that’s simply been glued around the edges. That’s why I acquired the black paper sticky tape roll mentioned earlier as the closest equivalent.

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ex-NSW Police 1970 MK II Cooper S
VMCI #43

Hi Doug, maybe it was a combination of both. I would expect some glue residue underneath the protected areas like in the two pictures where the square pieces covered the three screw holes (both doors, for completeness). Just a thought. Really doesn't worry me either way , just trying to help firefirey get an informed decision. My car is 3/70, maybe they changed supplier. I don't seem to have the white residue around the holes where the tape/paper was on your doors. Was the square piece covering the three hole section (per my top two pics) the same ? It doesn't look to be the same material as your other pieces.

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1970 Mk2 Cooper S under restoration