764 replies to this topic

[Tupers]

The Build Threads mention was cool, it's a brilliant site. 

 

I dropped the ends of the steady bars over to my friendly neighbourhood engineering shop with a rough drawing of what I wanted and got the ends turned down and threaded during lunch. 

 

It all went together properly. 

 

They fit very nicely and should look cool with the turnbuckles chromed. 

 

[blue blood]

very nice work. You know I love the attention to detail stuff :) Keep it up.

 

Regards Blue

[MattMiniS96]

Just read from page 1 to 44, bloody fantastic!!! I know its been said time and time again but your skill is astronomical! 
Keep it up mate :)

[minimaxie]

 

They fit very nicely and should look cool with the turnbuckles chromed. 

 

 

I love that idea! Recycling an old part and machining it to have a new purpose. What a fantastic approach you have to the word "custom"

[Tupers]

I didn't realise it'd been quite so long since I last updated this thread. Unfortunately I haven't actually done anything to the poor thing since my last post but I have been collecting a few parts. 

 

After making to move the a 1275 block I started playing with the idea of using a long stroke crank. I wasn't really taking it seriously until a few inquires lead to the very reasonably priced 84MM stroke crank from MED. As well as being stroked from 81.28MM to 84.3MM it has been wedged, x-drilled and ni-tempered. It should be a very solid heart for my engine.

 

Seen as my new crank uses Cooper S big ends in the offset I was now in need of a set of rods. A few weeks of surveying ebay turned up these very nice lightened balanced and shot peened Cooper S rods.  

 

And the last piece in my collection of parts I wan't expecting to buy for a good few months are these rare (so I'm told) 1970's Paddy Hopkirk Marathon recliners. These were a bit of a random find but I'm really glad to have them. They are a little narrower than a standard Mini seat unlike many similar recliners so shouldn't impede my centre console plans. 

 

Another plus of these seats is that they're very nicely bolstered so they should save me from sliding about during spirited driving. 

 

 

 

So that's all for now, hopefully it wont the 4 months until the next update. 

[domdee]

.

 

this is such an epic build!

 

not one for reading, just a picture man haha so i appologise in advance for asking something thats already been answered.......

 

what are them seat bases out of? or have you made your own? same with the seat back???

 

Your fab skills are second to none!

Edited by domdee, 17 January 2014 - 12:11 PM.

[domdee]

 

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.

That's not a bad idea that although I want to try forming a piece of 6MM lexan to the curves of the back end.

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.

You probably have to add a lot of the strengthening to the inside or it would tear off if you put any weight on it but it'd be doable.



After much deliberation about how to lock the tailgate I've decided to go with a simple squeeze lock that will retract two pins from the door frame. Nice and simple and it'll barely cost me anything to build.


I started out by cutting a hole for the pinch tabs in the centre tailgate.


Then I drilled a hole in each side for the door frame for the pin to go into.


Last week a I cut a couple of thick steel squares and drill a 10MM hole in each to give the pin a little more support at each end. I've also spotted some little nylon top hats and the hardware store that I might insert into them.




The top of the frame was in dire need of strengthening so I made a top cap from 1.5MM steel and welded it on. This was unbelievably hard to bend but it's stiffened the frame up brilliantly.

 

 

 

heres my thoughts for your handle too if your interested lol... a very rought quick diagram

 

 

this way you can lock it too!

Edited by domdee, 17 January 2014 - 09:52 AM.

[Tupers]

 

this is such an epic build!

not one for reading, just a picture man haha so i appologise in advance for asking something thats already been answered.......

 

what are them seat bases out of? or have you made your own? same with the seat back???

 

Your fab skills are second to none!

 

 

Thanks Domdee. The rear seat started as a two piece one from a Metro that I narrowed and turned into one piece.  The base also started as Metro but it mostly custom now. 

[Tupers]

We scrapped an old Rover Metro at work before christmas so I nabbed the seat sliders from it and narrowed them to fit my new seats. 

 

After doing a trial fit with the sliders on I decided the seat was to high on the crossmember so I did away with it and I'll be making separate sided ones from tube.

 

 

With the crossmember out I got the seats sat in. They suit the space very well and should allow plenty of room for a centre console. 

 

 

Rear leg room is looking good as well.

 

 

 

Mirrors have been on my mind for a while and over the last few months I've been looking out for something interesting to use. I think I've narrowed it down to the two types bellow. 

 

I quite like these wing mounted ones but they are quite large and I need to get the car on the ground to check visibility. 

 

 

These ones are quite smart as well, not quite as '70s looking at the others but should be easier to see out of. 

 

 

I also found an old grill that I might use the slats from for this. 

[Nossedout]

austin 1100 grille?

[Nossedout]

also, i like more the black 70's mirrors!, What car did the front seats come out of?

[Tupers]

Yeah I'm pretty sure it's an 1100 grill or at least one of those variant. I'm leaning towards the black mirrors at the moment but I need to get the car on the ground before I make my final choice.

 

The seats were an aftermarket item from the 70's and I've never seen another set. 

[Tupers]

I didn't have much time to work on this evening but I thought I'd give mounting the seat sliders a go. I found some M8 threaded inserts on ebay to weld into the lower frame on the seats.  

 

I had to drill out the original holes in the seats to 12MM and tacked the inserts on. 

 

They all bolted up nicely with four M8 cap head bolts and slid nicely. 

 

They look nice and tidy with the seat the right way up. Now I just need to do the other side. 

[blue blood]

Looks good mate. Love the attention to detail on this build keep it up.

 

Regards Blue

[Tupers]

Thanks Blue, I get a bit of stick at work for taking so long in this but it'll be worth it in the end. 

 

 

 

I got the threaded inserts welded into the other seat this afternoon, no pictures though as it's just the same as the previous one. 

 

 

I need to get the pedal box mounted in the car before I can do the final fit of the seats so I started measuring it up and making patterns. 

 

 

I cut them out of 4MM steel plate but that's all for today.