75 replies to this topic

[buddylove]

A few weeks ago, I checked out a 1961 Austin Mini. Once I got there, we checked it over for rust, it has a little bit in the front floor pans and surface rust in other areas. I know its going to be a bit of a project, but hopefully a good learning experience. When we were checking it out, we got it started a couple times and then the starter failed.

Since it was now a non-running car that needed parts, I offered less for the car and also pointed out that it wasn't actually a Cooper S even though it was badged as one. He denied my offer, but then called me back a week later. He ended up selling it to me for $2200 less then what he was asking for, so I am pretty happy with the selling price.

The Mini was his father's 3rd string race car, and he believes that it doesn't have more then 25k miles on it. What we do know about it, is that it is overbored to bring it to about a 1312cc, he thought the compression ratio was somewhere around 12:1 so that will have to be brought down, and it has a big cam in it. From his fathers notes about motor it says: it has a 648 cam: int & exh 15 degrees hot, time 6 degrees B.T.D.C, and 1275cc plus 40 over flat tops. I believe it also has a Weber 45 on it, but I need to verify that. I know it will need a detune, and a new head gasket, as its currently tuned for race fuel.

As for what came with it, it came with both front seats, though I think I need mounts for the passenger seat and a seat belt. Currently it has all lexan windows except for the front windshield, but has all the glass to put back in it. It also came with a rear heated windscreen, but I think it needs some repair. I will post up more about that after I get it running again.

Hopefully I can pick the brain of some of you as I am planning on making it street drivable. I would also, love to hear some of your ideas on what it will need for a detune to run 92 octane (the highest octane readily available in the US), I have some ideas as well.

Some photos of it:
























Some photos from when it was a race car:







Thanks for reading!

[mkmini81]

Very nice!!

[Bungle]

love the roadhog front end

[arnie]

superb. is that a john smiths beer can in the engine bay.?

[buddylove]

Foster Bitter and Lager beer cans They will be getting removed though.

[mighty mini jack]

Love it, glad you've got yourself back into the scene dude!

[Racer_Pete]

Looks great!

[Mini-Mad-Craig]

Looks amazing. Proper gorgeous Mini! good luck with the project and good to see you about again!

[buddylove]

Thanks for all the comments

I hope to be making some good progress on it in the upcoming weeks.

[Furyof4]

Looks like a great start. What part of the US are you from?

[tedmcedd]

looks like a great base! i look forward to seeing how this progresses!

Ed

[buddylove]

I live in Seattle.


I decided to give the engine area and under carriage a bit of a clean. It is still a bit dirty, but a lot cleaner then it was.

Before with electrics covered.



After:




I also took photos of all the rust damage, I still need to pull the battery and make sure the box is ok.

Passenger side floor pan.






Driver side floor pan.




I am thinking LH and RH front floor pans and then just make patch panels out of them? The rest of the floor seems pretty solid.


Boot:

It all just looks like surface rust, I am thinking por 15 primer and then a repaint.




Access panel on rear firewall.





I was thinking about welding it up, but I might just leave it be for now.


Dent / Rust right below window on driver side, seems like an easy fix.

[chrisj]

Looks like a nice find, good luck with the project

What plans do you have for it?

Chris

[buddylove]

So far my plans are to make it drivable

It already has race suspension on it with hi-lo's and spax shocks, and it sits plenty low for me. I am hoping the shocks are in decent shape, I am guessing the donuts are done. For now though, I am not going to worry about replacing them.

I will be ordering patch panels and a starter by this weekend, and hopefully will be able to get it running in the next couple of weeks so I can take it down to our local Mini mechanic. He owes me a favor, and I really need to find out what compression the motor is at so I can order a new headgasket.

While we figure that out, I am going to get the rust cut out and patch panels in. The driver side of the car has a lot of rock chips in it, so I am thinking a respray might be in order. We will do it ourselves and hopefully it will turn out fine as it is our first time. The paint on it is pretty flat anyways. One of my good friends is a body man, so I know the prep work will be done properly under his supervision. From what I can tell, the Mini has been blue, gold, and red; all at different points in its life. The color I am thinking of respraying it is Tweed Grey, which fits my criteria of being an original Mk1 color.

As for the body, I think I am going to leave it the way it is other than replacing the doors with non - gutted versions. I already have a good passenger side, I just need a good driverside as the replacement one I have now has some rot. I am unsure if I want to put glass back in all around or stay with the lexan. I do know that I want to at least replace the rear window with glass.

After the paint job is done, the whole car needs to re-wire as the old wiring was removed and only the wiring to make the motor run is left. One of the local club members has lots of Mk1 parts, so I am hoping I can piece together a reasonable mk1 interior out of what he has.

It will be a daily driver for me, so I would just like to make it more comfortable, but not overly so.


Sorry, I probably wrote more then what you asked for, but I am also trying to organize my thoughts on the matter as well.

Thank you for reading!

Edited by buddylove, 11 August 2010 - 10:25 PM.

[buddylove]

Inventory of extra parts that came with it:

Mk1 Doors, the blue one seems to have only surface rust. The other one has a little more severe rot, I am wondering if I could use the red door on the Mini as a donor for some of the metal, or if it would just be better to source another door.




Hinges




Glass




Rear Heated Windscreen. The top right seems to be peeling off, is it repairable?




Two 10x6 widened steelies, need refurbing. It would be nice to find 2 more, as I have always wanted widened steelies.




Five more 10x6 Cosmics, bringing the total count to 9.




Key nuts and door nuts.





Passenger seat



Does anyone know what bracket this needs to mount? The ones in the Mini have been removed and a fire extinguisher was put in its place.