Motoring Discussion > Austin (Rover) - Maxi - 250K miles	Miscellaneous
Thread Author: Falkirk Bairn	Replies: 38

New Sun 4 Dec 16 22:09   Austin (Rover) - Maxi - 250K miles - Falkirk Bairn

Interesting story of a camera bought by an enthusiast. Film in the camera was developed & eventually they managed to track down the people in the wedding photos. Amongst the pictures was an Austin Maxi which went on to cover 1/4 million miles! BL Engineering!!! BL did not build many that would achieve 250K miles. www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-38162810 Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 5 Dec 16 01:39   Austin (Rover) - Maxi - 250K miles - Stevek100

I met these two ladies on the Maxi club stand at the NEC. Interesting car with the hatch welded up and a boot in its place. www.necclassicmotorshow.com/austin-maxi-owners-club-rallies-round-heroine-drivers Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 5 Dec 16 08:42   Austin (Rover) - Maxi - 250K miles - martin aston

I know it's a well-worn topic but the names bring the size of modern cars into focus. You can of course still buy a large 5 door "British" car. It's called the MINI. The standard hatch is now not much smaller than the Maxi while the 2017 Countryman will be nearly a foot longer and 8 inches wider. Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 5 Dec 16 09:38   Austin (Rover) - Maxi - 250K miles - The Melting Snowman

Yes it's surprising how cars have grown in size. Yesterday I saw parked up an immaculate L reg (1993) Polo, an old girl got out - probably had it from new. Two parking spaces further along was one of the newer Polos, not sure what version but I think it was a 64 reg. It was huge in comparison. It's all marketing guff of course, as the 'small' cars get bigger, it then opens up a space lower down the range of a new small car. I drove one of the new KAs last week, not bad for a small car and probably at least as big as the old Fiesta ever was. Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 5 Dec 16 10:02   Austin (Rover) - Maxi - 250K miles - Runfer D'Hills

Probably a peripheral reason why so many people use their garages only as sheds now, at least partly anyway, because their cars won't easily fit in them, if at all. Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 5 Dec 16 18:37   Austin (Rover) - Maxi - 250K miles - Ian (Cape Town)

Length: 3395 mm / 133.7 in Width: 1475 mm / 58.1 in Wheelbase: 2360 mm / 92.9 in Daihatsu Cuore/Mira. I can reach all the door locks without stretching. Lovely little car. Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 5 Dec 16 09:27   Austin (Rover) - Maxi - 250K miles - Clk Sec

>> BL did not build many that would achieve 250K miles. Mine managed 108,000. Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 5 Dec 16 09:32   Austin (Rover) - Maxi - 250K miles - The Melting Snowman

>> BL did not build many that would achieve 250K miles. Neither did any other mainstream manufacturer, given some of the foreign rubbish our family ran from that period. Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 5 Dec 16 11:20   Austin (Rover) - Maxi - 250K miles - martin aston

I bought a 1971 Morris 1100 in Aberdeen in 1977. When I later lifted the carpets there were large holes in the floor and the structural members beneath the "new" rivetted sills had corroded away to almost nothing. Still got though a couple of MOTs though without welding. It was scrapped at about 75000 miles and 9 years old when rust and a jumping gear lever saw it off. In contrast a neighbour in Southern England still has a similar vintage 1100 that is still very tidy and used as a daily runner. Differences in climate, care and undersealing I suspect Still wouldnt want to be in a smash in it though. Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 5 Dec 16 11:26   Austin (Rover) - Maxi - 250K miles - Falkirk Bairn

>>Differences in climate, care and undersealing I suspect Aberdeen Sea side = salt in air Snow & ice for months each winter = Salt & Grit on road South of England Coast = palm trees & out door BBQ for much of the year Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 5 Dec 16 11:38   Austin (Rover) - Maxi - 250K miles - Manatee

>> Sea side = salt in air >> Snow & ice for months each winter = Salt & Grit on road A friend has an MX5 that he bought in Arbroath when he lived there. Rust will kill it soon, he predicts. Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 5 Dec 16 12:06   Austin (Rover) - Maxi - 250K miles - Runfer D'Hills

There's always something fishy about deals done in Arbroath. Reply to this message | Report message       1

New Mon 5 Dec 16 12:11   Austin (Rover) - Maxi - 250K miles - CGNorwich

Done in smoke filled rooms? Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 5 Dec 16 14:01   Austin (Rover) - Maxi - 250K miles - Runfer D'Hills

Not worth the risk of being caught, you'd be gutted if you were and they'd hang you out to dry. Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 7 Dec 16 20:39   Austin (Rover) - Maxi - 250K miles - Harleyman

>> Still wouldnt want to be in a smash in it though. >> And that, basically, is why they've grown bigger. Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 7 Dec 16 21:48   Austin (Rover) - Maxi - 250K miles - Old Navy

>> And that, basically, is why they've grown bigger. >> Along with size creep to make room for new small cars. Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 8 Dec 16 11:26   Austin (Rover) - Maxi - 250K miles - devonite

A friend of mine in the 70's always had his new cars Ziebarted (anyone remember this ?) whereby they filled all internal structures with some "gunk" that was supposed to stop it rusting from the inside out. He always changed his cars every 3-4 years so never really knew if it made any difference to life expectancy or was just expensive "Snake-oil".Anyone know if it was worth doing? as they don't appear to do it nowadays. Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 8 Dec 16 11:41   Austin (Rover) - Maxi - 250K miles - commerdriver

Was worth it in my case for the Commer Ziebarted from new in 1974, has been in family since 1976, first underbody welding required during restoration in 2009, 35 years later. Body rust at seams has been a problem over the years, seams & gutters etc but underneath has lasted very well. Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 8 Dec 16 12:49   Austin (Rover) - Maxi - 250K miles - Bromptonaut

My Mother and Uncle both had cars Ziebarted between 1972 and 1978. Mum's were a Mini and Renault 5, Uncle's a Peugeot 304. The Peugeot was rust free when he traded it for a 305 in 1978. Maybe it would have been anyway. He looked after it washing and hosing weekly. The Mini and Renault were less well looked after. Box sections eg the Mini's cills stayed relatively rust free. The Achilles's heel of both was single panels rusting. In the Mini's case the floorpan and upper reaches of front wheelarch, including holes behind the dash. The Renault went badly round it's rear arches. Ziebart was a franchise and like all such businesses the service was only as good as the franchisee. The other thing was the distinctive smell of the 'gunk'. They say smell is a trigger for memory. If I got a whiff of Ziebart now I'd have an image of the 304 with it's Burgundy velour seats and the smell overlaid with Uncle's St Bruno pipe tobacco. Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 8 Dec 16 13:11   Austin (Rover) - Maxi - 250K miles - Dog

Dinitrol was the uvva one, or Waxoyl if yoos DIY'd it. Altea Ego reckons: "modern cars are very well protected" www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=17365 Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 8 Dec 16 13:45   Austin (Rover) - Maxi - 250K miles - CGNorwich

Ziebart rust proofing is still going in the USA Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 8 Dec 16 13:53   Austin (Rover) - Maxi - 250K miles - Dog

>>Ziebart rust proofing is still going in the USA Probably in the rust belt. Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 8 Dec 16 13:52   Austin (Rover) - Maxi - 250K miles - sooty123

I think waxoil is still going as well. Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 9 Dec 16 18:38   Austin (Rover) - Maxi - 250K miles - Slidingpillar

I think waxoil is still going as well. Yup, was quite cheap too, I bought a 1 litre tin to use the tin as a catch tank. Contents decanted to a 1 ltre whisky bottle I just happened to have... Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 8 Dec 16 13:59   Austin (Rover) - Maxi - 250K miles - devonite

Interesting thread Doggo! - ages since I've been there! Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 8 Dec 16 14:23   Austin (Rover) - Maxi - 250K miles - commerdriver

>> Altea Ego reckons: "modern cars are very well protected" >> Altea Ego - whatever became of him :-) Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 8 Dec 16 14:41   Austin (Rover) - Maxi - 250K miles - Duncan

>> >> Altea Ego reckons: "modern cars are very well protected" >> >> >> Altea Ego - whatever became of him :-) In the end I expect it came to zero. Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 8 Dec 16 15:57   Austin (Rover) - Maxi - 250K miles - Dog

>>Altea Ego - whatever became of him :-) The last I heard he became a knob head. ):¬)) Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 8 Dec 16 17:07   Austin (Rover) - Maxi - 250K miles - Ted

I used to notice many cars which had been Ziebarted, etc, usually rusted round the holes drilled to pump the stuff in and sealed with a plastic plug.. I have a large tub of Waxoil in the workshop. I've only used a cupful in 10 years, painting it with a brush on some fresh welding on the Jowett some years ago. Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 8 Dec 16 17:11   Austin (Rover) - Maxi - 250K miles - bathtub tom

IIRC Ziebart went bust due to warranty claims. Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 8 Dec 16 19:57   Austin (Rover) - Maxi - 250K miles - The Melting Snowman

Or a Grumpy Old Fart Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 8 Dec 16 21:14   Austin (Rover) - Maxi - 250K miles - Lygonos

My old Maxi had been Dinitrolled from new and underneath was completely solid - only rust when it was killed by an Astra at 14yr old was at the front of the wing behind the headlamp which was notorious for collecting mud from the front wheel. Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 8 Dec 16 22:35   Austin (Rover) - Maxi - 250K miles - bathtub tom

The 'eyeball' fresh air vents at either end of the dashboard were fed from the front of the car and were separate from the rest of the heating system. They were effectively 'ram-air'. The pipe leading from the front of the car to the vent was supported on a shelf directly above each front wheel, a perfect repository for all the muck thrown up by the wheels. A perfect poultice condition and guess where most Maxis rotted first? Another result of this arrangement meant the nearside pipe was directly over the radiator, meaning you got a face full of hot air when you opened the vent if the engine had been running for some time. It also resulted in the nearside vent never delivering cool air, particularly if you'd been stationary in traffic for a while. Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 9 Dec 16 17:34   Austin (Rover) - Maxi - 250K miles - Boxsterboy

I love the smell of Waxoyl in the morning! Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 9 Dec 16 17:47   Austin (Rover) - Maxi - 250K miles - Pat

I love the smell of Castrol R Pat Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 9 Dec 16 19:27   Austin (Rover) - Maxi - 250K miles - bathtub tom

>> I love the smell of Castrol R Mixed with Gunk on a hot engine? Reply to this message | Report message       1

New Fri 9 Dec 16 19:32   Austin (Rover) - Maxi - 250K miles - Dog

>>I love the smell of Castrol R A dab behind each ear every morning? Reply to this message | Report message       1

New Fri 9 Dec 16 21:25   Austin (Rover) - Maxi - 250K miles - Roger.

>> I love the smell of Castrol R >> >> Pat >> I used to run my Group1 848cc Mini on Castrol R. (Just to show off the smell and add creds as a boy racer) I used Duckhams Q20/50 in my highly tuned road/race Cooper 970S. Last edited by: Roger. on Fri 9 Dec 16 at 21:25 Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 9 Dec 16 22:46   Austin (Rover) - Maxi - 250K miles - bathtub tom

I confess to using Castrol R40 as a petroil mix in my Villiers 8E powered Panther 10/3. More in hope than than anything else. It did use to smell glorious to anyone behind, especially after I'd 'Gunked' the engine. Reply to this message | Report message       1