Jump to content


Photo
- - - - -

Flo's Body Resto


  • Please log in to reply
230 replies to this topic

#1 panelbeaterpeter

panelbeaterpeter

    Crazy About Mini's

  • Members
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 5,606 posts
  • Location: Scotland
  • Local Club: n/a

Posted 21 March 2010 - 09:15 PM

Well it's been a while since I've worked on my own mini, mainly because I took Flo off the road last September, and bought this stunning machine as a winter runabout..
Posted Image

Now the time has come to get Flo back on the road. I decided to sort out a few areas had been bugging me, the plan was to fit 2 new outer sills, the N/S door skin, sort out a little area of bubbling on the bonnet, a few little dents, change the wheel arches, and fit a new interior. However things are never as simple as they may first appear.. :(

Somehow I managed to wangle some space in a workshop, so yesterday I went and picked up the mini from it's winter hiding place. Started first time, not bad after 6 months sitting! I drove it into the garage and jacked it up, ready to attack the O/S sill.


Looks pretty innocent..
Posted Image

Nasty sill
Posted Image

So I cut off the sill, to find lots of rust waiting for me inside..
Posted Image
Posted Image
Posted Image
Posted Image


Something tells me I need an inner sill :dontgetit:

At least the rear didn't look too bad..
Posted Image

After a bit of digging, I realised the floor pan needed attention as well..
Posted Image

And the flitch looked suspicious too..
Posted Image

I cleaned up the reverse, and found a big plate.. I'm quite ashamed to admit that I think I did this when I first got the car, and had justed started in a bodywork garage.. although it was so long ago I can't actually remember.
Posted Image

So I cut out the rust on the floor pan
Posted Image

Made and tacked in a plate
Posted Image

And the same with the flitch
Posted Image
Posted Image

Cut out the rusted section of the inner sill
Posted Image

Made a new inner sill and welded it in
Posted Image
Posted Image

#2 panelbeaterpeter

panelbeaterpeter

    Crazy About Mini's

  • Members
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 5,606 posts
  • Location: Scotland
  • Local Club: n/a

Posted 21 March 2010 - 09:16 PM

After a bit of digging at the rear of the sill, I found the hanging bracket and the floor around the rear of the bins was a little corroded..

Posted Image

As was the heel board, and rear subframe mounting point..
Posted Image

Obviously all that had to come out, but I really didn't want to get involved in removing the subframe.. so like the coward I am, I attacked it from behind.

Heel board and subframe mounts cut away
Posted Image

New heel board made and welded in
Posted Image

Floor corrosion cut out
Posted Image

And plated
Posted Image

Rear section of the inner sill made up and welded in
Posted Image

Rear subframe mounting point made, and welded in.
Posted Image

And that was Saturdays work done..

#3 panelbeaterpeter

panelbeaterpeter

    Crazy About Mini's

  • Members
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 5,606 posts
  • Location: Scotland
  • Local Club: n/a

Posted 21 March 2010 - 09:17 PM

Today, I had another rummage, and found more rusty treats lurking in the rear bin..
Posted Image

Cut out
Posted Image
Posted Image

And welded up.. not pretty I know, it's kinds difficult getting into the back of the bin when you're 6 foot 4 and the mini is a few feet in the air.. Excuses? me?
Posted Image

The rear hanger bracket was a bit past it's "rust before date" so just in case there aren't already enough rust traps on my mini, I made up a new one..

Posted Image
Posted Image

And welded it on
Posted Image

I then dressed the welds on the floor, flitch, and inner sill
Posted Image
Posted Image
Posted Image

And found another little hole.
Posted Image

Rust cut out, plate made, welded in and dressed
Posted Image
Posted Image

I then gave the inner sill a coat of etch primer, and a good thick coat of stonechip, just to help protect it from the elements.

I didn't bother refitting a jacking point, useless rust traps in my opinion, and anyway, who ever uses theirs? I'd always be scared of the jack going straight through the floor. Not that that's ever happened to me before or anything.. :( So anyway I blanked off the jacking point hole
Posted Image

And painted the inside of the sill with weld through zinc primer.
Posted Image

And clamped it on the car ready for welding. Please note, you can NEVER have too many pairs of mole grips.
Posted Image

And welded it on
Posted Image

Then I etch primed the new sill and the floor, and stone chipped the floor.
Posted Image

I also applied new sound deadening to the floor, where I removed the old stuff to prevent a pyrotechnic display when I was welding.
Posted Image
Posted Image

It is at that point, that I decided to go home.

Hopefully I'll be doing more next week.

#4 Shifty

Shifty

    Sponsored by Fosters (tm)

  • Admin
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 13,135 posts
  • Name: Sean
  • Location: Shropshire(sunny)
  • Local Club: TMF

Posted 21 March 2010 - 09:18 PM

So, have you finished it yet??

#5 shorty

shorty

    Short Guy

  • Members
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 3,606 posts

Posted 21 March 2010 - 09:21 PM

is it costing alot less in making your own panels and stuff then rather than buying pre made pannels.

its coming along nicely though :(

#6 mighty mini jack

mighty mini jack

    Mighty Before a Pint

  • Members
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 5,095 posts

Posted 21 March 2010 - 09:24 PM

Nice work Pete, thanks for the picture of the gaping hole earlier.

#7 panelbeaterpeter

panelbeaterpeter

    Crazy About Mini's

  • Members
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 5,606 posts
  • Location: Scotland
  • Local Club: n/a

Posted 21 March 2010 - 09:30 PM

is it costing alot less in making your own panels and stuff then rather than buying pre made pannels.

its coming along nicely though :(


Well, all that cost me nothing apart from the outer sill. I would have bought the inner and the subframe mount etc if I knew they were gonna be like that, but I couldn't be bothered waiting a week for the bits to arrive! Just impatient I guess :dontgetit:

#8 bert998

bert998

    Up Into Fourth

  • Members
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 2,558 posts

Posted 21 March 2010 - 09:31 PM

Showoff.

#9 Scallywag630

Scallywag630

    Up Into Fourth

  • Banned
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 2,850 posts

Posted 21 March 2010 - 09:32 PM

Its a comforting thought that the more rust you find, the better the car will be when finished. Looking good, keep up the good work.

#10 panelbeaterpeter

panelbeaterpeter

    Crazy About Mini's

  • Members
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 5,606 posts
  • Location: Scotland
  • Local Club: n/a

Posted 21 March 2010 - 09:32 PM

So, have you finished it yet??


Trust you..

#11 GreaseMonkey

GreaseMonkey

    Has Ratchet, Will Make Noises

  • Members
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 3,663 posts

Posted 21 March 2010 - 09:34 PM

Showoff.


x2

Hehehe

#12 panelbeaterpeter

panelbeaterpeter

    Crazy About Mini's

  • Members
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 5,606 posts
  • Location: Scotland
  • Local Club: n/a

Posted 21 March 2010 - 09:35 PM

Its a comforting thought that the more rust you find, the better the car will be when finished. Looking good, keep up the good work.


Yeah, and also quite alarming that a car can be that rusty, and you don't know about it!

#13 panelbeaterpeter

panelbeaterpeter

    Crazy About Mini's

  • Members
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 5,606 posts
  • Location: Scotland
  • Local Club: n/a

Posted 21 March 2010 - 09:35 PM

Showoff.


x2

Hehehe



Haha shut it you two.

#14 bert998

bert998

    Up Into Fourth

  • Members
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 2,558 posts

Posted 21 March 2010 - 09:43 PM

im shocked to see what its like under the surface, it looked mint last summer.

#15 Nick '91

Nick '91

    Super Mini Mad

  • Members
  • PipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 631 posts
  • Location: Caterham

Posted 21 March 2010 - 09:57 PM

Where did you store it over the winter? In a stream?

Admiring your ability (with green eyes) to make up replacement parts.

Flo's looking great.




1 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 1 guests, 0 anonymous users