301 replies to this topic

[Jet_black]

Did you prepare the paint by wet sanding or dry sanding before you started roller painting?

Looks good.

[1984mini25]

Just need some bolts to hold the engine together now then! (oops!)

Looking good mate. on the road for SMD next weekend?

It’s got all of but 2 of the ones I snapped holding it together

I’ve still got to bolt the clutch/flywheel on, but don’t see that being too hard with the flip front.

And being on the road for SMD, unlikely, although at the mo I’m still undecided as to weather or not I’m keeping this mini.

Did you prepare the paint by wet sanding or dry sanding before you started roller painting?

Looks good.

And I wet sanded it before rollering it with some black/grey ish foam sanding blocks for the local pound shop, have no idea what grit they were but it seams to be fine enough.

[project mini chris]

looks great mate, where abouts in MK are you? im just down the road in dunstable

[1984mini25]

The other side of Mk near J14

[project mini chris]

The other side of Mk near J14

ahh cool, near willen lake?

[1984mini25]

Close, over in Newport Pagnell.

[project mini chris]

ohh not that far at all then really

[1984mini25]

Not done much other than paint up some more of the engine bits, took the thermostat and water pump back off and painted those up, the alternator is all done bar the cooling fan/pulley And the dizzy and coil bracket also got the silver hammerite treatment.

And while that lot was drying and to stop me from waking into them suspend from the beams in the garage. I dug out a spare bottom hose, yellow fan and some new jubilee clips. Cleaned them up, refitted the water pump, the fan and radiator fitted with the bottom hose. The only problem I’ve found is the only bottom hoses I have, all have ½” take offs, were as the heater pipe work on this particular mini is nearer to 15mm, so I’ll need a special connector, but not biggie.

And then I just basically had a bit of a play with the front wiring loom, connecting it up to the starter and alternator. And basically seeing how neat I could get it to run, were I’ll be need to drill holes for clips to tie it down and the front brake pipe before I go taping it all up.

The only other thing I need to work out is were I’m putting the horn, which I don’t have as the 25’s borrowed it. I have got some twin air horns spare, but not entirely sure if you can use them as a main horn??? If so I’ll probably end up fitting those instead.

[1984mini25]

Well thats all the engine bay wiring all done bar the two wires for the coil and maybe one for the horn.

[Deathrow]

Looks bloomin' excellent Karlos!

In fact, I think I'll have to spend a bit more time making my engine look presentable before it goes back in now I've seen yours.

[1984mini25]

Thanks, the thing is… because I’ve deliberately chose to flip front this mini, everything in the engine bay is on show.

Plus I didn’t want it to look like just another mini that’s had the front chopped off, the various solid mounts, brace bars and front end fitted left as. To me thats just unfinished.

Although it's in no way anything thing to do with my ocd on this sort of stuff.

Like all hoses have to be the correct length, not too long, but not too short and all the hose clips have to line up. All bolts in one item have to be all of the same type. All wiring has to be neat, with all the correct connectors, taped up neatly, run correctly and clipped/cabled tied at regular evenly spaced intervals.

It just bugs the hell out of me otherwise.

Edited by 1984mini25, 02 August 2010 - 08:47 PM.

[Deathrow]

I know exactly what you mean, I can't stand that sort of stuff either. Even though mine is solid front again I shall be putting alot of time and effort in to getting all the cable runs looking good!

[1984mini25]

I was exactly the same when i first did the 25; even the wiring behind the dash is just as neat.

[Deathrow]

If a job is worth doing, it's worth doing properly.

After finding a rats nest of wiring behind my friends dashboard, I'll be keeping mine nice and neat so no one has to suffer that horror with my car, haha.

[1984mini25]

Done a bit more.

Made up a template for a radiator bracket in card, as I can’t seam to find the correct one I need.



Tried to sort out the heater pipe work, just need a few more clips and some proper hose joiners. Then find some suitable grommet and drill the plate and bolt that back in place and poke the hose through.



And then thought I would see about an alternator belt.

This is a Halfords one that’s supposed to be for this set up with the smaller water pump pulley, only with the alternator fully adjusted, It’s still a little on the baggy side.


After a quick dig round the garage I did find this one, bit old and crusty, might even be the original one for this engine. It’s better, but still too slack with the alternator full adjusted.


So ideally I need a shorter one, but the one I have thats the closest to fitting is so old all the numbers have worn off.