749 replies to this topic

[lawrence]

thanks jedduh01, i think im finally getting there! yh i do have a cheeky drink sometimes but it makes it harder to concerntrate when welding and grinding haha!
update from yesterday
wasnt feeling like working on the rear 1/4s or waist rails, especially as one of my waist rails has annoyingly warped!
so i stripped the door down that i got as a spare, its a little crusty!

skin off and wire brushed and its about the same as my doors, possibly a bit better!

i also trimmed and test fitted one of my door skins on a repaired frame, fit isnt too bad, just need to get some nuts on bolts to replace the theaded block i had to grind away for the door hinges and then i can fit both skins :)

then i made a start on my interior hinges for my door, welded it all together from 5mm steel

tacked it into the boot

and well it holds the boot on

but im not happy with it at all really! annoying as it took most of my day to make! its way to floppy and i dont think im every going to be able to make it work well enough

thats all for yesterday people, doesnt seem much considering i went in the garage at 9 and came out at 6!

im working today but when i finish at 4 im gunna see if i can get my head round a side opening boot lid, recon that would look pretty cool?
hope you like
Lawrence

[blue blood]

I'm doing a similar boot hinge in my build but have done it in 5 mm aluminium (but I am using a single skin f/g boot lid). I didn't want to use the original boot hinges and saw on rattys build diary a steel version (all my shell is fibreglass so no welding for me)

Regards Blue

[lawrence]

my god ive not updated this in ages, couple of reasons
1. Got assaulted the other week so not been feeling well enough to go in the garage!
and
2. photobuckets been messing me around not letting my upload files

well i tried again to make the single hinge for the boot but i cant manage it, its flexing way too much, i even added reinforcements but it didnt help at all! so im going for two inside hinges instead
so the second hinge base has been made

need to make the rest sometime
ive not felt like much complicated welding recently ive got a problem with my hand, they wont stop shaking, so ive done some cleaning and painting
left of engine bay stripped out

had to do some welding of this hole tho so prepped

partly welded, sorry for the rubbish welding

fully welded and ground dow, a few holes have been filled too

all painted in white rustoloum

well i coulnt exactly put dirty parts back now can i? so cleaned my washer bottle, came out proper well!

painted servo up and cleaned brake fluid resoviour

cleaned and painted brake bias thing

before of clutch cylinder and mounting plate

after, nice and clean and tidy

cleaned and sprayed clutch breather

and dug out my new front to rear brake pipe

and fitted it, hell of a job to do


thats pretty much back up to date, ive got 2 weeks holiday off now and would love to get all the welding and the rear subframe on by my birthday (5th march!)
ive also lost my rachet socket which is bloody annoying
ive also picked up some black rustoloum to roller the roof and bonnet with,lets hope it goes on nice and shiny!

hope you like this little update, more this afternoon so long as photobuck works! feel free to comment!
Lawrence

[lawrence]

so then people, i went into the garage one i had finished that last update and ive done some work :)
rubbed down the shoddy satin black bonnet paintwork

got my stuff all ready for rollering the bonnet in black rustoloum

1st coat rollered on

2nd coat on

3rd coat and placed on car, theres a proper cool affect made from the fibers in the rollers! think i got the wrong type haha

and ive put everything back into the engine bay, its looking alot tidyer now just need a new manifold gasket so i can fit the carb back on (just ordered, hopefully will arrive thursay/friday!)


its a pretty rubbish amount of work really, but ive been trying to find lots of stuff like fixing bolts etc which have all gone missing since stuffs been removed and its taken me absolutely ages!
tommorows work will be more fitting more stuff to the car, possibly gunna fit the wiring loom etc and some of the interior! may attach the rear subframe now the brake pipes been ran along too!
hope you like
Lawrence

Edited by lawrence, 28 February 2012 - 11:24 PM.

[norris2002]

foam rollers are the way forward, or so i have read

[mini_in_progress]

awesome build mate, you've done well with your welding, its come on great!

if your going to roller your paint on id try let it harden then flat it off well see how it looks??

[craig 1010cc]

the type you want are like this
http://www.diy.com/n...s-10pk-10548959
but even with these you will get a bit of orange peel. With black you ideally want to falt it back smooth ervery other coat and build up about 6-8 coats to be able to get it to a mirror finish.

[lawrence]

thanks for the comment guys,
norris2002: well i think the finish that ive seen on some car is good enough for me, im gunna still be working on her once shes back on the road so if im rollering its gunna let me repaint her easier!
#156 mini_in_progress; thanks for the comment on the welding, i know its come along, my only probelm is i want to redo stuff from early in the restoration! :) and yes that was the plan with the rollering, all trial and error pretty much!
craig 1010cc thanks for that link crag, i had bought some fluffy ones which i though would be best, really didnt think about it at the time! ill get some closed cell foam onesor whatever they are next time i can!

so then theres not been an update in a while, but i have been working, my horrible cold is slowing me down a bit tho
ive finally finished painting the rear subframe

nearly forgot to do the end bracketsbut ive done them now!

and ive finally rebuilt the thing up, forgot how heavy it was! im proper glad that i got the second frame to strip down, between them ive not had to buy a single new part for it accept a knuckle joint!


ive also finished off the engine bay pretty much
fitted the new manifold gasket

fitted the shiny carb


ive also made a start on the rear quarter
cheeky panel fabricated up

lovely snug fit

had to finish some welding off tho before i could fit it
welded up the end of the sill

ground back

slopped paint on

and some more paint

bit more

and i was loving the before and after of these pics
before

after


now i had to let the paint dry
so ive donesome modding
relocated and welded up

prepped the place for the patch

nicely welded, patch welding is bloody easy! no wonder garages do it!

finished article


now ive got a hole in the body
patch made

stitch welded in

patch viewed from the inside

and a skim of filler

i only stitch welded it so if i or someone else changes their mind about the fuel tank its easier to rectify

hope you like this little update, its a mini day again today so im gunna try and get the boot hinges sorted out and possible weld in the panel i made depending on if the paints dry! :)
rolling soon
feel free to comment
Lawrence

[lawrence]

so then people, this mornings update
first agenda of today is cracking the boot lid problem
hinges fabricated

tacked onto the boot floor

removed again to improve the design

refitted and tacked on to check the fit

taken off and then fully welded

refitted


theres a nice even gap along the bottom by the valance, but ive had to add a strengthener to the hinge and the boot doesnt open quite so far as standard, but i can get a crate of beer in still (24can box has been tested haha) so theres no problem there!

lunch break now so a new update this evening
feel free to comment
Lawrence

[lawrence]

<sub>so then this afternoons update

i wasnt happy with this gap i had on the drivers side rear waist rail area, i didnt want the window not to fit haha
so i sectioned it

and re welded

much better fit now

and ive mostly welded in the repair panel that i made


but now my welders swan neck has brokenas i kinda made it overheat by mistake
so breakages stop play, think ive done enough for today anyways
feel free to comment
Lawrence</sub>

Edited by lawrence, 04 March 2012 - 05:51 PM.

[lawrence]

so then, been in the garage this morning for a few hours after work and got some stuff done

part arrived for my welder the other day

so welded in the rest of the rear 1/4 and ground it down

skimage of filler

painted on the inside

tacked in the missing part of the rear bin


fully welded

ground down

more painting


hope you like this mornings update
more possibly this afternoon but not sure, if not more tommorow! :)
feel free to comment
Lawrence

[lawrence]

its been another mini day for me then
todays update, not many pictures but enough work haha
assesed the last piece of major work to do

and decieded to ignore it for today haha

so ive finished painting under the boot floor and undersealed it all again
then popped the rear subfame on, for the last time theoretically!

right bugger of a job to do! still got to drill one of the boot holes bigger to fit the bolt in but the heelboard ones went in fine and they were what i was worrying about the most due to having alligned the holes using my old frame

and ive removed the rear boot as it needs a few holes filling
before

after


i then spent at least and hour to convince my dad to let me have the mini at the front of the garage! took a few pictures after i had wheeled her out and given her a bit of a wipe down.




thats all the work today, im gunna roll her out again tommorow for some filler work, also decided that when i eventually reskin the doors ill paint them black, thats all for today folks
feel free to comment
Lawrence

[minimuk]

nice one, good to give him a bit of air, and show his presence.....

[lawrence]

thanks minimuk its nice to work outside, theres so much more space haha,
more work has been going on recently
finished the prototype of my spotlamp bar


helped a mate break up his mazda so got a free battery thats not very old so saved money there, fitted it with my shiny powdercoated battery bar

done more filling work and sanding by hand , need to get myself a DA sander though to make work easier!



and ive fitted alot of the interior back in to make space in the garage, had some help with it too :)


popped on my light converter things too

also won some wood and picket copy style arches from ebay the other day,
rear wheels will need some spacing out to fill the arches better

fronts fill the arches nicely tho


hope you like this work, not much is going to be happening for the rest of the week untill friday (pay day)
feel free to comment

[lawrence]

So then, i havent made an update in a while, i have been working tho, ive nearly finished off the wiring accept the ignition circuits. i have also nearly finished the welding off too :)
doors reskinned


good gaps on both doors

seam sealed the doors

gave them both a few coats of rustoloumn


popped the doors on a for a picture :)

Edited by lawrence, 19 April 2012 - 08:43 PM.