417 replies to this topic

[CLM]

Thanks Minimuk, Happy new year to you as well, and not by a long shot, they are going to get LOTS of money from me! lol.

Chris

[hughJ]

Great photos Chris. You couldn't just 'kill' it off, your heart is in that wee car. Looking forward to seeing it restored. The carriage could be worse but still "ouch"!!

Hugh

[Mini-Mad-Craig]

Amazing project and a nice mini story. You've owned it a while!! And nothing beats a proper Mk1 Mini. :)

[CLM]

You couldn't just 'kill' it off, your heart is in that wee car.

I have thought to sell it on several times when it was languishing away... my parents wouldn't allow that... so it kept languishing. Mind you these were the people who originally told me when I asked opinions that I should not get the car... but I guess that just means it's ok to change your mind! lol

Amazing project and a nice mini story. You've owned it a while!! And nothing beats a proper Mk1 Mini. :)

Or two or three. I'm still envious of people in your neck of the woods that can buy much nicer ones.. and parts for them so cheap! Car would have been done ages ago if that were the case!

Chris

[CLM]

Well I'm beating myself against the wall making my next jig so I can have something to bolt up to my car that I know is square... unlike the front subframe I have that is bare.



The hideously annoying thing is after I get the rear part of that built, locating in the rear mounts and the tower mounts.... I have to make a jig on the front subby so I can use it to give this jig the propper, or as close to it as I can, front mounting position.... >SIGH<



I offered up my bare rear subby to the wagon and it fit rather well, I even was able to bolt it on... in one corner... as the other corners are broken off/rotted away respectfully.. There is however a fair amount of the studs remaining so two of the other mounts while unable to fully be bolted they aren't moving. Definitely going to have to replace the rotted out heelboard end first, then the broken-off-studs heelboard end. And then I have to pull one end of the rear crossmember off so I can get to the mounting bracket there.

Minis are so much FUN aren't they?

Chris

[L. Brown]

funny that old wagon has been around!! I bought it in Salt Lake city. It had sat and last been used in 1983. Weird spec.

It had hydro rear subframe/trailing arms and s brakes!

[CLM]

Yeah it was pretty much a bitsa, bitsa this bitsa that. And if I can get the funds together it's going to be bitsa 'nothing thing.

Just waiting on the floors at the moment

Chris

[L. Brown]

something else that was strange was it was never drilled for visors

[johnsn]

Well I'm beating myself against the wall making my next jig so I can have something to bolt up to my car that I know is square... unlike the front subframe I have that is bare.



The hideously annoying thing is after I get the rear part of that built, locating in the rear mounts and the tower mounts.... I have to make a jig on the front subby so I can use it to give this jig the propper, or as close to it as I can, front mounting position.... >SIGH<

Minis are so much FUN aren't they?

Chris

Oh Boy! More jigs!
I'm going to copy this one. I can use it to weld my bulkhead to my toeboard.
Keep going.
john

[CLM]

Well I'm beating myself against the wall making my next jig so I can have something to bolt up to my car that I know is square... unlike the front subframe I have that is bare.



The hideously annoying thing is after I get the rear part of that built, locating in the rear mounts and the tower mounts.... I have to make a jig on the front subby so I can use it to give this jig the propper, or as close to it as I can, front mounting position.... >SIGH<

Minis are so much FUN aren't they?

Chris

Oh Boy! More jigs!
I'm going to copy this one. I can use it to weld my bulkhead to my toeboard.
Keep going.
john

Well keep going I did, it did several revisions in my head and finally went with making a 1.25 inch long section mounted to the bar bolted in the subby holes, of which I used the absolute largest bolts that could fit in the shell just so it would be snug in the holes. And then cut the top triangle bars with an angle to intersect with the upright bars.



Once I had the upper triangle figured out I needed to make the uprights.. but ran into an issue, the two longest pieces I had were not the same length or shape...



So finding a small offcut, I welded all three pieces end to end, cut the angle flat then cut the remaining bar in half. It fit much better, the excess length will have a use some day, right now it's just excess.



With those welded in I pondered the other two subframe mounts but decided if two line up the other two will line up by default, then I decided to triangulate them and made up some triangular bottoms.



With it all situated acceptiably and welded up good enough, I pulled it off so I could test fit it, and, well, it fit.



After that I pulled the floor out so I could clean up the seam that will need joined and so I can relocate the heater bracket back to where it is supposed to be, a previous owner had drilled the spotwelds and moved it to the left about a half inch, fine for RHD, but not so much for LHD, thankfully.... or worryingly he used self tapping screws instead of welding it on.

This jig is just because I don't have an acceptable subframe to line it up with, that internal bracing along with a decent subframe should get your toeboard on right however John And I will be pulling that internal toe bracing I did and don't think I will be reusing it if you want it when I am done I should be able to extend it up a little to tie into the pedal box mounts as well easy enough.



Chris

[CLM]

something else that was strange was it was never drilled for visors

Hmm, I haven't noticed that, granted that floor has most of my attention... so you likely could have attached hundred dollar bills to the inside of the roof and I wouldn't have noticed

Chris

[johnsn]

This jig is just because I don't have an acceptable subframe to line it up with, that internal bracing along with a decent subframe should get your toeboard on right however John And I will be pulling that internal toe bracing I did and don't think I will be reusing it if you want it when I am done I should be able to extend it up a little to tie into the pedal box mounts as well easy enough.



Chris

I see what you mean. this one would work better.
Thanks.
john

[CLM]

something else that was strange was it was never drilled for visors

I just looked, it is drilled for visors in the same exact fashion my 1980 mk4 van is



Chris

[L. Brown]

Ah didn't look that close. was expecting the large hole in the corner like a 65 would be or in the middle like an early car. Those holes are used from 66>

[CLM]

Not a problem, things like that happen when the shell doesn't match the paperwork :)

I wonder how much of a problem it will be later on to go from this later style to the pivoting middle type if I want something that doesn't just flip up and down..

Chris