1844 replies to this topic

[rally515]

Very nice Pete, so how much will this mini weigh once you,ve filled the A-posts up ?  , good to know for piece of mind that you're coating the inards that arn't seen and can't really be inspected after the build in years to come.

 

Just a quick question you might be able to help me with, with regards to removing the bulkhead panels, how much can i remove without worrying about the shell's "straightne" ? as i want/need to remove the top dash rail, bulkhead whole with the flitches rotted out, think bracing is the way forward if i can get some box section long enough but just wondering what you think the limits are roughly as after looking toady i can see that my top dash rail has completly rotted away on one side

 

All the best,

Cliff

[Petrol]

Hi Cliff,

More to the point, will you be able to hear the paint swilling about in the box section when driving it? to be honest I best 90% of the zinc in the box sections has gone to waste, it's the 10% that counts though.

 

That's a big chunk you want to cut out. If you think of the shell as a box.... and cut one side out, you will lose it's shape. It's not a good idea to rely on the new panels to straighten it up either as the shell could end up twisted. I have taken a lot of time taking measurements before welding in critical panels, like the heelboard to try to get it as straight as possible. Diagonal measurements are good as they check everything is square. If I were you, I would weld some box section across the A posts and the floor. I would also level the shell both ways with a spirit level, something we will be doing when the new roof gets welded on.

 

Bulkhead prepped for dash top rail

 

 

Mika cleaned up the replacement dash top rail, it had white, blue and orange paint on it and took some effort to get it to this. Top job though

 

 

Not much rust left on the shell now

 

Pete

 

 

 

 

[inkyjamesdee]

Just read through the whole log. Brilliant stuff really inspiring, its given me plenty to think about when I'm replacing the panels on my car. Great problem solving solutions and all round top quality work. I salute you Pete your a legend.

Also like to say thanks for checking out my project log and commenting.

[Petrol]

Thanks for the kind words inkyjamesdee, our projects look very similar - down to the shell so I will be keeping an eye on your thread. Bought the spit today though it's not as good as yours

 

 

Rear support went straight in, just need to cut the rear seat upright

 

 

 

Used some stainless screwed rod to bolt it to the arches. I used flanged nuts to spread the load and space the bar from the top of the arch. You can also see some stitch welding I did to strengthen the shock mount

 

 

Need to mod the front support so it aligns with the existing bulkhead hole

 

 

 

Made a start on the NS A pillar with a repair

 

 

 

 

Pete

Edited by Petrol, 08 October 2013 - 09:53 PM.

[rally515]

Hi Again Pete, sorry to be the main poter in your thread but every update i,ve either got a new question or want to praise your attension to detail and for the insperation you,ve given me.

 

With taking the front spit centre point upto the existing hole won't you be altering the centre pivot point making it hard to spin and keep in place ? and are you sure that'll fit through there ?   hha

 

Also do you mind if i post a picture of my test pieces i,ve had outside that are galved ? as its quite a detailed thread of information and i'd be happy to add my little bit

 

Cheers,

Cliff

[Petrol]

Hi Cliff,

Yes, moving the pivot point will result in the shell rotating eccentric. That said, it’s not going to be rotated quickly – or at least I hope so! I’m guessing that the bulk of the weight will be below the pivot point so it will be bottom heavy. The plan is to support it with axle stands / blocks of wood / ropes / wing and a prayer

The hole in the spit is 54mm, the hole in the bulkhead is 60mm so it’s gonna be a bit of a tight do. Just to add, the hole in the bulkhead has a flange on it here



You would be amazed how a little flange like that ads an enormous amount of rigidity to a flat panel so I don’t really want to cut it out. To see how folds and flanges stiffen, you only need to look down the large panels of the shell….



I’d love to see the pics of the galvanised test pieces you have. That’s what forums are for, sharing info and learning
 

 

[Jase]

Why don't you send that rollover jig back and buy one of these?

 

http://www.rolloverjigs.com/

 

Excellent bit of kit and no need to drill any holes in your car. Just bolts into place and you can turn by hand. Look at my thread to see it in use.

 

I made the mistake of not lifting the front high enough initially and so found it quite difficult to turn but this was soon adjusted and working fine.

[rally515]

Ahh just enouh room on for the spit tubing then jeeze! haha

"wing and a prayer" why does that feel O so familiar ?  

 

Well here are my test pieces:

 

They have been outside for 9 months now in snow and ice (picture in my project thread) and i,ve left one open to the element (Left) and the other submerged in whatever treatment i can think of that might make it give a litle sooner, i,ve been putting salf, vineger, scraping rust off a surfac with the piece, you name it!   but still i havn't got any rut once wiped down by hand

 

One thing i do suggest when getting subframes if not anything galvanised is were possible splitting the seams, much like how Pete's doing to force zinc rich primer in to get 100% coverage were possible.

Reason for doing the above is that the heat of the molten zinc vat (600degrees C + !!!) will flex the subframe in one form or another (Think of it as i flame to a crisp packet) so every surface need to have contact with the zinc to maximize protection, i made the mistake of not splitting the seams were i could and when a got them back home they were still popping and cracking in the seams with muck Ooosing out of the seams still despite having multiple passes in an automated shot blaster.

 

For Anyone willing to do this its around £200 for both subframes but some might be more, some less depending on there weight classes.

 

Cheers,

Cliff

[Petrol]

Why don't you send that rollover jig back and buy one of these?

 

http://www.rolloverjigs.com/

 

Excellent bit of kit and no need to drill any holes in your car. Just bolts into place and you can turn by hand. Look at my thread to see it in use.

 

I made the mistake of not lifting the front high enough initially and so found it quite difficult to turn but this was soon adjusted and working fine.

It's down to budget I'm afraid, my personal circumstances have changed and I don’t have the wonga to throw at this build anymore

[inkyjamesdee]

 

Why don't you send that rollover jig back and buy one of these?

 

http://www.rolloverjigs.com/

 

Excellent bit of kit and no need to drill any holes in your car. Just bolts into place and you can turn by hand. Look at my thread to see it in use.

 

I made the mistake of not lifting the front high enough initially and so found it quite difficult to turn but this was soon adjusted and working fine.

It's down to budget I'm afraid, my personal circumstances have changed and I don’t have the wonga to throw at this build anymore

 

 

I got the handling solutions jig and it threw me firmly into my over draft. While I think it a good bit of kit the jig you have is a lot better value. Handling Solutions have made a few disappointing changes that they don't tell you about like removing the brass bushes and replacing them with thicker walled tube. I called about that and was told it they were getting squashed in the post. While that's a decent enough reason I can't help thinking it must pull production cost down on something that is pretty expensive I basically got a big bag of cut and drilled box section and a load of nuts and bolts.

 

I still haven't paid for my actual mini either Hope work stays busy!

 

I'd be interested to see the car turning on the jig when its all up and hear your thoughts on how well it works.

[Petrol]

Cliff, galv is great and lasts for years. Good job   The best thing to promote corrosion is road grit, it's massively more aggressive than table salt if you want to try that.

I also have a test piece outside with dynax box section wax on it, it's been out there about 12 months but I haven't poured road grit on it yet.

 

As far as the jig goes, I need to have a think about it but at the end of the day the shell is bottom heavy, even if I cut the bulkhead out and had the right pivot points it wouldn't spin very easily.

 

Trial fitted the NS rear 1/4 panel and I also need to have a think about this gap where the arch meets

 

 

 

No doubt it's the first of many panel fit problems but it will get sorted. It's nice to see some panels ready to fit though

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[domdee]

just a quick question, now youve painted all your panels, what will you do when you come to weld them up? isnt it just goint to all burn off?

[Ben_O]

Don't mean to answer this question for Pete but i think i remember him saying that he expects it to burn off in places but any remaining paint is a sight better than nothing, also i think he masked and zinc primed all the edges for welding.

Correct me if i got this wrong though.

 

Cheers

Ben

[myredmini]

All of the paint wont burn off, almost all of the paint near the welded seams will stay intact. Painting the panels off the car like that allows ultimate paint coverage and protection to areas which cannot be painted when the panel is in place.

[Noah]

Pete there is a rubber seal that fits between the sportspack arch and the panel, DFP100400, that would take up some of the room.