16 replies to this topic

[Alex_B]

Its about flipping time! Been surfing the forum for a couple of years now, and recently purchased the beast that is my 25 special edition.

Here she is just before I laced the previous owner with some pennys, :

Looking a bit sorry for herself, nothing really bolted down just taped on for photographs, and she is lacking some colour around the front.

My aim at the moment is to get her back on the road for easter when I will have passed my test, and have a lovely summer of motoring about in the sun!
She has been off the road for 3 years now sitting in a lovely garage shared by 3 mini 25 special editions and a mint early metro, been looked after but not driven at all so rubber bits are showing some age (fuel pipe splitting and creating a puddle) but I am working through a list of bits that need doing, So far i have:
Fixed some electrical demons, sat in here A LOT, and started buying things i dont really need but really want

Plan is to take more pictures! bleed brakes and anything else needed for the MOT, refurb the super oscar spotlamps i bought off ebay last week (shotblast and paint white at college) prep and paint the front end and any other little bits of paintwork needed at college again, then its Mk2 rear lights, reversing lamp, bonnet numberplate, 12x6 revolutions and group 2 arches, corbeau alpine seats and half a works rally dash (passenger side with a couple of stop watches, map light, aircraft clock and the all important pen holder) and enjoy it all summer! I'm planning to have it ready by Goodwood Revival.

Thanks for reading and will update this as and when things get done! more pictures to come soon as i know we all love a good project thread full of interesting pictures!

Thanks Alex

Edited by Alex_B, 22 June 2012 - 10:30 PM.

[Alex_B]

Right, time to post some pictures with updates for anyone interested :)

Since the last post I have gotten her on the road, passed MOT with flying colours no advisories which was a relief! and then passed my driving test just over a week ago and done about 100 miles since only broken down a few times but I have checked over everything and since then touch wood she has behaved.

She is called Dixie by the way,

Right, last couple of days at college I have been working on her front end, when i purchased her she was covered in primer, and also as it turns out some holes that had been fillered over, tut tut! so those had to go and put in some fresh metal, areas around the head lights were a bit pitted so have Kurusted them and will be putting a skim of filler over those just to smooth it out (once i know the rust has gone).

Pictures!


Can just see the hole in the front panel,

This was the other side, hole seems like a perfect edge, and wasnt rusty, very curious!



Well theres your problem! area chopped out, i hate patches as you can see it from the back and looks carp!



Other side welded, partially ground off looking better! excuse all the edges, i was filling the area with weld as it would have been a lot of filler otherwise.

This was my drivers side shock and how i found it when i took my wheel off to get to the back of the front panel, how I, the MOT inspector and the previous owner missed this i dont know! but glad i found it when i did! now torque d up correctly and all safe! and the washer on the inside replaced as it was missing for some odd reason,

And as a thank you for reading this essay, heres a nice picture of the front of mine and the colleges Mini-mini project, its a shorty with a fugly body kit,

[Alex_B]

UPDATES! even no-one is watching it seems, but its good for records ect

Right as of weds this week, Dixie has been at my college, stripped and starting the long process of prepping, found a few nasty areas on the front panel but sorted all that, managed to crack my windscreen in the process of stripping so I have a new one coming with new front and rear rubbers, and in the next few months as and when I can afford it door and side window rubbers.

planning to get her primed tomorrow and then prepped for paint the following weds as I am working monday and tues

PICTURE TAIMEE!


Mid strip

And again


Rust!

The friendly dashboard Lego man is enjoying the fun!


And last but not least, as a task we have to remove and refit a door skin, so one of my class mates after he did said task decided to paint his mini door in the general lee paint job, and well it would be rude not to try it for fit ;)

hopefully this time next week I will be updating with freshly painted pictures!

[Alex_B]

UPDATES!

must be the fastest I have worked in a while! Well today got Dixie in primer, took a bit longer than planned as one of my class mates were hogging the booth with his wheels and corsa bits, in the end it took him twice as long to prime a bumper, 4 wheels, and 2 wing mirrors. I have seen grass grow faster!

anyway latest pictures!



In the booth ready to de grease and spray


As if by magic!






Cue a nice set of freshly painted pictures next week!

[joezone2001]

Good to see another LE getting done up! Looks like you're doing a cracking job mate. Keep up the good work! Keep the pictures coming! Lol
Joe

[Alex_B]

WOW someone is reading my progress YAY!

and yeah it is going back to standard, but with black bumpers, and outside trim details, I really want a modified mini but i am saving that for the next mini which will be a clubman!

[coopdog]

awwwwwwww you *******,
i need my car to be that rust free

is it gonna go back to the horrible grey? :L

[Alex_B]

It is pretty much rust free, the front end was a bit thin under the bumper at the edges but all fixed now, and no she is going ford moondust silver as I prefer it to silver leaf metallic,

and I am gunna do a 1/16 scale model for my parcel shelf, also in moondust silver ;) with a mini on its parcel shelf if I can find one that small!

[joezone2001]

It is pretty much rust free, the front end was a bit thin under the bumper at the edges but all fixed now, and no she is going ford moondust silver as I prefer it to silver leaf metallic,

and I am gunna do a 1/16 scale model for my parcel shelf, also in moondust silver ;) with a mini on its parcel shelf if I can find one that small!

That sounds cool! We have. Focus in moondust silver. The colour looks great when its polished. I have a mini 30 in cherry red.. I also wish my car was as rust free as yours! Haha.

[adam davies]

Top work mate. That shell looks 100% free of the rust virus. It's nice to see another LE being restored to original condition. Sadly I didn't restore my jet black to its orginal state I've promised the old girl that if I ever get a new car or god forbid, she goes to a new home, that I'll restore her to her original condition

[minimininut]

Only just noticed this thread, I like your mini and your plans for friendly lego men and mini minis.

Dixie is looking fabulously rust free, look forward to more pics!

[Carlos W]

I wish I had access to a spray booth, still toying with the idea of painting her in my garage!

You've done a cracking job!

[Alex_B]

DodaladodaDADOOOOOOOO (read that as a little trumpet making a cheerful tune)

UPDATE!

I had totally forgotten to update my progress on my little beast, so here it is better late than never,

I did get it painted in time, sadly the college who were providing lacquer managed to run out, so my roof is a little more matte than shiny, but the rest of the car is nice, slightly satin effect actually.
ended up getting it painted two days before goodwood festival of speed, built up completely the day before, and got there on time

Pictures!


Freshly built with my mums Bini in the background



Right and yesterday, it was her Birthday, 28 years since being registered so I treated her to a new chrome grill and some new wheels courtesy of James94





Thats all up to date now, and currently saving for a stage one kit, and a bit of fine fettling here and there

Thanks for looking :)

Alex

[gaaldonat]

nice job! :)

[slidehammer]

Looking good, I think I like the standard steels and wheel trim better though, it keeps it a bit different.
Not every Mini can wear 25 Anniversary wheel trims with pride!