1065 replies to this topic

[jayare]

Light-weight wall art, maybe???

How's the metal front coming along?

JR

[Kam]

Light-weight wall art, maybe???

That other front wouldn't be no feng shui it would be more effed shui! Local tip is still best place for it......

How's the metal front coming along?

Not too bad mate, you really cant knock heritage panels, unless your a bad driver

Still going at a slow pace but getting there, on my todd aswell which never helps trying to line up a pull away front end, but so far got the front end tacked to the wings and seems ok at the scuttles?





Bonnet hinges are in the back of my mind as on the roundnose they taper in along the inner wings and clubbys point straight I think?? But luckily there are pretty much the same width apart so just prised them apart but then they hit the top of the inner wings when lowered



So will need to play with the grinder I think? I dont know how the roundnose to clubby boys do it when they keep a steel bonnet on hinges rather than bonnet pins, so this is all guesswork on my side, hopefully this is the norm?

Would be nice to get this to Southern Mini Days but only doing a bit most days rather than everyday

[davethemini1293]

lol,
its for a project that im doing at the mo,
im not far from bexley heath so i can collect when ever!
thanks man, saves me buying a new one to mess up!

[Kam]

im not far from bexley heath so i can collect when ever!
thanks man, saves me buying a new one to mess up!

I'm just round the corner from you so I can drop it off but seriously mate I cant see where this front would help in any way, I'll PM you nearer the time with some pictures that should hopefully put you off

As for the build, well this is another useless update, apologies in advance as most things below people will know but I've chucked them in to help anyone that doesn't, I've done the topic this way to point out things that seem straightforward but never goes that way

Started off on a blinder

Thought I'd try my new heritage front panel as a line up......problem is heritage panels have some supports and brackets that you dont use as its meant for an A-Series, so compared with a smooth fiberglass front which is flat and bare you may have........



a nice hole in your radiator nice one Kam, idiot No bedtime story for me tonight

Haven't started it up yet so not sure if it leaks, might just get another rad, not good either way

Anyways, picked up a foot long 3/8 threaded bar from a shop in gravesend, got into a chat with the old guy and he said "We used to put Maxi engines into minis....1.8's you know"

Found an old MPI tow eye I had here, luck? Maybe? Its 3/8 aswell which is nice



Again, this is all run-of-the-mill stuff so feel free to skip through, I wont take offence

Chopped the threaded bar in half so now I got my lower support sections sorted for the pull away front, not easy to do on your own



Not easy to line up and do on your own........thats the way the cookie crumbles and all that......wheres my violin?

Managed to prise the roundnose bonnet hinges apart enough and put the clubby bonnet on using the original nuts



I haven't cut the top of the inner wings yet to clear the drop for the newly positioned hinges but they seemed to clear?





Only issue I had was the center of the rear of the bonnet not forming shape properly and leaving a gap that even Moses himself would be proud of!



Pulled the hinges out further and seemed to close a bit better so will keep any eye on it....

Next up was the clubman over/under riders (what ever you want to call them)

Now, I've noticed a few Allspeed builds that use the front bumpers and indicators but no over riders? I thought this is because they are hard to get off at a sensible price? But after I put the threaded bar into place and the front end on you can see how close the over/under rider holes gets in the way just to the right of the threaded bar?



There aint much leeway here and my threaded bar was in the way so took a gamble and just poked some new holes offset on the riders



Sorted



Even had just enough clearance to put the Mpi tow eye on so at least I know if I get stuck in no mans land I can remove the main front bolt and just spin this on



Another 10-4 gamble there

Next up numberplate, straightforward.....or so I thought!



Roundnose plate holes and clubbys differ......enough to now go out and by another plate, cheers

Next up was screwing in the front indicators, now this is easy? Right? No?

Turns out clubby indicators only have one wire for the indicator, the other is for the side light, its earthed through the main body of the assembly then onto the main shell - If your using a fibreglass front you need to find and wire an earth elsewhere, thank god I got a steel front.......



So got my Gillette out and started shaving, front panel got some shaving aswell



Getting there





Ahh so thats what a black rio looks like?

After my lights/indicators let me down for the recent MOT (a bad plumber always blames his plumbs) I temporary hooked everything up to test and see where I stood, wing indicators are on the engine



In good steed then! I needed a pick-me-up as theres been no real motivation to get this done......Apart from TMF 'ring calling in september...

Apologies again for lack of useless update here, but lets face it, my build, my rules, my way

[jayare]

It's looking good Kam - bit of a shame about the rad but it looks like it may just be the fins damaged - they'll straighten up easy enough,

JR

[Kam]

Did I mention its my birthday today?

Anyways, time for some more mini stuff instead, started off with wanting some decent tyres for the original 12" steel wheels, you know, as I'm running a honda vtec and brakes and suspension is normally the normal stuff people upgrade along with bigger and wider rude boy wheels I thought I gotta see what the rover steelies are like for traction!

Thanks to Jayares reply I took my old 12x6 superlights with Yoko 165/60's down to kwick fit and asked them to put them onto some steelies that normally take 145's, the tyres have only seen 1500 miles top, kwick fit refused to put them on! (wont mention which branch) they said they wont fit!

As it was a sunday afternoon I went to another branch and after they finished laughing they changed them over





I could use any usual 145 tyre but unfortunately with speed ratings of either S or T they are no good for me, not just because of the vtec engine but as I'm running a 3.4 watsons final drive the mini is geared to do 163mph! So hopefully it should top out (aerodymanics) at 130ish so on a track the 145's would probably explode!

Then started on finishing off the front end, looks ok but I'll let you judge when you see it in the flesh



Needed some arches to compliment my super fast rover steel wheels! What better than the tried and tested rover black plastic arches



Dont be fooled by the plastic in plastic arches, they are strong, sort of



I've decided to keep the arches intact and not cut them halfway up, trying to keep that standardish look and not draw attention, its not too bad taking the front end off and putting it back on with them so thats a 10-4 then

Next up lights, I thought my sealed headlights were playing up a while ago so popped into minispares and got some of there upgraded halogen ones



Turns out there was nothing wrong with my old headlights but will change over to these anyway, and chuck in some new H4 bulbs, I've used halfords super brilliance H4 lights before and they are, well super brilliant

Needed some wiring malarky as the steel front end is gonna be a pull away front end so got some waterproof block connectors from Vehicle Wiring Products along with some blade fuse boxes



to replace the 6 in-line glass fuses at the bulkhead





And the 4 glass's behind the dash for the headlights





Still needs tidying but make no mistake - I still hate electrics!!!

Waterproof bungs for the front lights/indicators are a bit fiddly to put together but necessary



Also I found out during my rolling road a few weeks back that my clutch was overthrowing as the guys couldn't get all the gears properly? They said its overthrowing so you need to limit the clutch pedal to half its travel?



Thanks to Kris over on 16v mini I lined up and drilled a hole in the footwell for a M-8 bolt and secured in place



Good thing is (part one) it just misses the 'back stem' of the pedal and connects with the flat in the corner so no slipping



and (part two) its adjustable!

Had a bit of time leftover today on my birthday (did I mention that)

So I started on sorting out the wiring in the interior, quite simply a really boring task but if you need to get to anything after its gotta be done



I decided to use my original factory rover stereo holder under the dash on the passenger footwell side to hold.....



no not my rover stereo but my DTA ecu so easy access for them all important real time laptop changes

Cleaned out the interior and decided to keep the (awful to remove) soundproofing in



And chuck some more in!!



Hopefully put the carpets in tomorrow, I figured why go round a track (as and when I do) in a vibrating shell??? Might aswell have some comfort whilst your at it!

Also bought myself a cake (did I mention it was my birthday?)



Ok, its a candle stuck in a Kentucky Fried Cake but its almost right!

Edited by Kam, 19 January 2011 - 10:00 AM.

[GreaseMonkey]

Happy Birthday Kam!!

[Teapot]

Looking forward to seeing you again at Castle Combe (I hope), this time with your great project on all four wheels and raring to go. (And not being carved up by a demo car on track )

Oh yeh, happy birthday!

Edited by Teapot, 13 July 2010 - 07:44 PM.

[HARBER07]

Looks awesome Kam! Getting there now. Hope you had a good day too

[Midas Mk1]

Happy Birthday Kam! Great Project, im loving the stealth additions, should fool a few people lol

[mike174]

Happy Birthday Kam the car looks great cant wait to see it on the bh2nr run

Mike

[mighty mini jack]

Awesome work, Merry birthday Kam!

[Bec]

Happy Birthday Kam and Aggie Hope you're having a great day.

You should call the Rio Aggie you know.

[Bad_Boy_Mini]

Lookin good Kam, keeps me goin on mine when I see others comin together...

Happy Birthday mate...

P.S. Should have stuck to the standard roundnose tho!

[mdickson]

Happy birthday Kam,

Did is say Happy birthday Kam.

Hope you will have Riotec ready for Castle Combe.

Keep up the good work.

Martin.