764 replies to this topic

[Tupers]

So here's one of the curved sections I made for the closing panels instead of trying to do the tucked edge.


I got them all welded up and did a test fit with the captive channel and hinge.




Everything's held in with Cleco's, now they just need welding.

[yeti21586]

saw this and made me think of you

http://www.flickr.co...uff/4648988296/

[Tupers]

saw this and made me think of you

http://www.flickr.co...uff/4648988296/

I can't help but feel insulted.


I haven't been able to work on this recently but I managed to get down today and knock off a couple little jobs.

I started out by finally welding the captive channels and closing plates in then linished the welds down and sprayed some primer.




Something that's been bugging me about moving the subframe up in the car was that it made the towing eyes sit out of centre in the front panel. Even though it's hard to see with the car on the ground I decided to do something about it.


I made up two rectangles and swaged a 25MM holes in the centres then cut out a hole in the front panel and welded them in.




It's doesn't make a huge difference visually but I like it.

[Jossen]

Love it!

It's all these little touches that are really going to make this a very special Mini when it's finished!

[Tupers]

Love it!

It's all these little touches that are really going to make this a very special Mini when it's finished!

Thanks Jossen, I do like doing the odd little pieces that will make people look twice once it's done.


I had been thinking about making a whole new frame for the tailgate on this but after talking with my brother about various options I decided to have a crack at making at Mini pickup frame work.
I grabbed an old tailgate that he'd started chopping up and stripped it with a massive wire brush on the grinder.




When I fitted the hinges I used the same spacing as a pickup, this meant that the frame went straight on.






Now for the modification I'll need to make.
The pickup tailgate stands vertically and the frames are parallel where as the estate is angled and the frame is pinched towards the top. It wont be too much work to make fit but just enough for me to pull my hair out over.




I also tried on a set of pickup check straps, these will be getting lengthened to work correctly.




One saving grace with this tailgate is that the only rust that needed repairing was two holes in the bottom so I got to cutting and welding.








I use a lot of 3M Roloc discs so I decided to make an nice divider to sit them in one of the drawlers on my rollcab.


It's also my 22nd this weekend and my parents bought me a new Dewalt 18V drill driver.

[skoughi]

Did you have all these mods in your head when you started this project or has it kinda, snowballed?! I thought my clubman has turned into something a lot bigger than what I thought it would be but yours is a whole new level! Fantastic work with some great ideas. I allways enjoy reading through your thread.

[grahama]

Lovely imaginative work as usual. Even time for storage for bits, nice one.

Graham

[Tupers]

Did you have all these mods in your head when you started this project or has it kinda, snowballed?! I thought my clubman has turned into something a lot bigger than what I thought it would be but yours is a whole new level! Fantastic work with some great ideas. I allways enjoy reading through your thread.

A lot of what I've done is things I've been wanting to try for a long time but didn't have the skills for.
I always wanted to do the tailgate but wasn't sure how and the centre console was always going to happen but the boot floor, tubbing the arches and making the new N/S inner wing were just thing that snowballed.

The great thing about trying this stuff is that it's given me a load more ideas for the next few cars I want to do.

Lovely imaginative work as usual. Even time for storage for bits, nice one.

Graham

Thanks Graham, I'm a firm believer that you've gotta have your tools well organised if you want to turn out good work.


I've bought a set of MK3 Cosmic wheels that should be with me on Wednesday.


They've been blasted and are in raw aluminium at them moment but this is what they'll look like when painted.

[sonikk4]

Neat idea Tupers with the tail gate, liking that and also the little touch with the subframe towing eye holes. Picky but i like that train of thought its what finishes things off neatly.

[Tupers]

Neat idea Tupers with the tail gate, liking that and also the little touch with the subframe towing eye holes. Picky but i like that train of thought its what finishes things off neatly.

Thanks Sonikk. I got a bit of a ribbing in the work shop for the towing eye holes but as you point out it's the little pieces that make an big difference in the end.


I started a bit late today but got straight onto cutting the original skin lip off each side of the tailgate.


Once that was all cleaned up I folded two 90 degree sections that would become the new skin lips.


After running them trough the shrinker and a lot of trimming I had two of these.


A bit of Celco action to make use they fit properly and then it was on to welding.






They still need a little finishing on the outside but soon you wont be able to tell it's not an original part.


I also got some shinny stainless steel front subframe and door shims for the final build.

[Tupers]

My new wheels turned up this morning. One needs a bit of repair work and one needs a new insert but for the price I paid I can't complain.


I think the face depth of these is really cool.

[Jossen]

Are these the ones that were on eBay a couple of weeks ago? I thought about picking them up for a later project! With some work they'll look awesome.

[Tupers]

Are these the ones that were on eBay a couple of weeks ago? I thought about picking them up for a later project! With some work they'll look awesome.

They are indeed, I've got a bit obsessed with buying unusual 10" wheels.


I spent ages getting the centre that was cut out of the tailgate lined up and then tacked in last night.




And even more time welding it up as there was a 4MM gap all the way around, I hate thick cutting discs.




I did a little linishing on the ends of the frame and flicked some zinc over them.


Should look good when it's got glass up top.

[ukshadow]

im loving the tailgate idea it makes me think about pinching my dads old pickup tailgate he has in his garage but i was thing what to do about the top half and it thought about using the top half of a fibreglass one peice.

[YoungUn]

Absolutely love this project. Top work mate... Although you've nicked my idea of a split tailgate lol (not really haha...ive never told anyone just had it in my head for years lol) altho i was going to make it out of a one peice fibrglass and cut it in the middle and fibreglass the cuts up.