764 replies to this topic

[grahama]

Loved the work on the rear boot bins. Such a shame you have to change it but knowing your work it will be great.

Graham

[Tupers]

Yeah it's a shame, I really liked how they came out but sadly there wasn't much foresight going on when I made them.

I've been playing around on Mini Selecta this evening, the estate could look pretty awesome in Black Tulip.

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[Tupers]

Back onto chopping large chunks of steel from my car. I realised the rear floor was just going to end up looking like patch work quilt so it's all coming out and I going to start afresh.


I got most of the floor out from behind the subframe and tomorrow I should be able to pull the rest out and start making patterns for the new floor.

I thought I should probably add a bit of structure before I go too far so I got the window frame/seat mounts welded in. It's amazing how much the stiffen the back end up.




The new rear step sill arrived from M-Machine in record time. It's a very nice pressing so I'm sure it should go in without too much trouble.

[CLM]

Oh excellent! Doreen was supposed to send me a pic of one of those, that step looks nice!

Chris

[Tupers]

Oh excellent! Doreen was supposed to send me a pic of one of those, that step looks nice!

Chris

It really is. The whole thing the leaser cut and the stamping it really crisp, another lovely M-Machine panel.


After chopping out the majority of the boot floor I was still left with the corner sections to remove.




A bit of tactical drilling and dring saw then gone ready to for new ones to be made.




There was a little section of the lower C post that need some attention so I tackled this before moving any further.




With the C pillar sorted I was able to move along with the step sill. It took a couple attempts to get it centred but the fit is really nice.




I replaced the panel clamps with a few self tappers on each side until I'm ready to weld the sill in.


Now that the sill was in I moved back to the corner section of the floor/sill.







And finally my brothers MG metro race car that he finished off last night to race at Silverstone on sunday.

Edited by Tupers, 23 June 2012 - 02:30 PM.

[Tupers]

I got bored of watching the F1 after about 5 laps this morning so I thought I'd go down to work and finish up the rear sill.

Before I put the sill on I added a small tag to each side that would slip into the door frame and get plug welded in place to add a little more strength.


It all went together fairly painlessly bar the moment where I burt my self while plug welding upside down.






Once I get round to body work I'm going to braze this joint as it'd be a pain in the arse to try and MIG it up and then grind smooth.


I also had some shinny bits arrive, namely 3 jetex tight 90 bends for the exhaust and a thermostat housing from a 1275 MG Midget.


The stat housing will point backward and feed into a swirl pot (illustrated by the Rock Star can) which will have an exit at the bottom feeding into the top of the radiator.


This is my first thought for the exhaust system. The first two bends will be cut so they're closer to 70 degrees and I may replace the last on with a mandrel bent piece.

[grahama]

Nice as ever, but what is a swirl pot ???

Graham

[Tupers]

A pot that water swirls around in!

The system should look something like this but a little more oem.

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[yeti21586]

What advantage Is there in having a swirl pot?

[benjy_18]

Easier access as an expansion tank and it raises the coolant capacity slightly.

Chris how easily does the metro rad your using fit? I'm trying to plan ahead so I wont have to change radiators when I got BMW k head

Ben

[Tupers]

Chris how easily does the metro rad your using fit? I'm trying to plan ahead so I wont have to change radiators when I got BMW k head

I'm not entirely sure at the moment as I haven't found one to buy. I'll be using an early MG Metro rad with both pipes going in on end rather than the latter rad which as the pipes going in at each end. From what I've been able to measure off of Matts race Metro it should be a good fit in the Clubman front though.



I did a bit of work on cleaning up the rather grubby rear cross member this afternoon. A few minutes with a knotted wire wheel on the grinder and a lick of zinc primer saw it turn from this:




To this:




I also added a small closing plate at each end of the cross member to keep the subframe fixing plates shielded from any grime that works its way in.

[mini danny]

bloody hell mate keep ithow much was that rear step sill bit mines full of holes i was gonna repair as i didn't know you could buy a replacement

Danny

[Tupers]

Thanks Danny. The sill was about £28 inc P&P from M-Machine, not bad considering it would have taken me a day to make it myself.

[jonny f]

Some nice work there!

[Tupers]

Some nice work there!

Thanks Danny.


Well the whole boot floor's out now.




The turret tops came off as well to sort out some rust that was hiding underneath them.


While I was at it I made up a profile template for the centre section of the new floor. The new tank should take somewhere in the region of 6 imperial gallons.