1844 replies to this topic

[Petrol]

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

 

Spot on

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.

 

Exactly, not easy to paint behind here when it's fitted

 

 

This is behind the original scuttle, not much protection at the ends

 

 

 

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

 

Noah, they didn't look up to much when I took them off so am trying to think of an alternative method. Thanks though

 

OS arch fits perfectly

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Welded the panel on

 

 

 

Just need to get the NS to fit as good

 

Thanks for looking

Pete
 

[Jared Mk3]

really taking shape there   I really enjoy this build, it's one of the ones I always look for when I log in. Just a pity that guys this side throw a shell away with 90% less rust than this . . .

[Petrol]

Glad you are enjoying the build Jared Mk3. British weather plays havoc on cars here, which is why I’m going the extra mile to try to make it last with all the work inside of the seams. Once the shell is sprayed, the second line of defence will be a good dose of Dynax box section wax but that’s another story.

Managed to get the NS arch to fit properly - Slotted the holes in the rear 1/4, filed the lip on the arch itself, used a heat gun to re-shape the arch a bit and rolled the rear ¼ ever so slightly
 

 

I now have the scaffold pole to get the car on the spit, this will be done when the NS rear ¼ is on. It’s gonna be a bit of a tight do as it's pretty close to the scuttle….

 

 

As I mentioned earlier I want to fit it through the existing hole in the bulkhead but it’s pretty close to the scuttle. Just to make things a bit more tricky, the fit of the scaffold pole in the support is a bit sloppy
 
Progress is slow at the mo but that’s how these builds go

 

Pete
 

Edited by Petrol, 30 September 2014 - 07:03 PM.

[pothole]

Just started to read this thread (on P11 at the moment) as I am repairing the rear rusty boot of an Italian Job and I have to say Pete this is a great read, not only for the photos, equipment, consumables but for the knowledge and tips you have given too.

 

And all done outside on the front drive, even during the winter months, this will be a great mini when finished.

[Petrol]

Thanks pothole, if you continue reading the thread, it's now inside the garage. It makes life a whole lot easier.

 

Sprayed the underside of the scuttle

 

 

Same with the dash top rail. These areas would be really difficult to get some paint on when fitted

 

 

Back of NS ¼ panel sprayed and flatted. You can see the masked areas for welding

 

 

This is how I am going to mod the spit

 

 

Adding the box section underneath and offsetting the support is easier and means the spit can be later used on a pre MPI Mini.

 

Pete

Edited by Petrol, 15 October 2013 - 10:48 PM.

[Petrol]

Modded the spit like this

 

 

To reduce the clearance between the scaffold pole and support I made this sleeve

 

 

Cut some box section in half to spread the load under the front X member. Might be worth a mention, the threaded bar I am using is stainless steel which has a higher tensile strength than mild steel.

 

 

Cut the minimum out of the back seat upright to get the pole through

 

 

 

Progress will be slow for the next few days as I'm working double shifts. Should be an extra few quid to spend on the Min though

 

Pete

 

[Petrol]

Got it on the spit

 

 

 

Mods worked OK and it's not fouling the hole in the bulkhead

 

 

Sleeve was the answer to be honest, it removed the bulk of the play

 

 

Also got the NS rear ¼ panel on

 

 

 

Pete

 

 

 

 

[Petrol]

Decided to fit fixed rear windows for a number of reasons, one of which being the hinges can sag and chip the paint on the rear ¼…..



First job was to remove the frame



After a trial fit with fixed window seals there was a problem

 

It turns out that the fixed window glass is every so slightly larger than the opening type. Since you can’t get fixed windows with the green tint I had to mod the shell.

I applied a wedge of filler to the rear ¼ and up the B post

 

This tightened the seal where it runs along the glass

 

 

Next job was to close the aperture around the curves with filler.

 

 

The seal now fits tight to both the glass and the shell though it was a bewildering amount of work to get them to fit. By the time the shell is painted and the glass is filled with sealant, it should be waterproof.

Then I cut the roof off


 

 

[Jase]

Love it, "then I cut the roof off" :) Just like that.

 

Fantastic build, I enjoy every update.

[Marco1972]

Hi Pete

This is one of my favourite builds on here excellent descriptions and details

Your braver than me chopping the roof off

Watching closely..

[Jared Mk3]

Love it, "then I cut the roof off" :) Just like that.

 

Fantastic build, I enjoy every update.

 

 

I had the same thought 

[Petrol]

Thanks guys, to be honest chopping the roof off is no big deal. The shell is strong enough without it....

 

 

It's only a case of spot welding the replacement on.

 

I got fed up of cutting, grinding and welding so decided to start on bodywork prep.

 

 

 

 

Seam sealer on the rear ¼ to back panel seam

 

 

 

A bit off topic but Mika has bought this

 

 

Not a bad upgrade from an 8V Clio. I'm a big fan of the S2K and having joined their forum some time ago, have been on a few meets over the years. Vtec and redline at 9 is oh so cool

 

 

Pete

 

 

 

 

 

[Petrol]

Seams sorted and a skim of filler over the welds, then primed

 

 

 

Flatted back and sprayed blue.

 

 

 

Put it on the spit to try this for size

 

 

Liking the blue tips

 

Pete

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Archived4]

Haha, love the exhaust ;)


Incredible work as usual

[Petrol]

Thanks, the exhaust is for the S2K, bit OTT for the Mini but thought it would be fun to try if for size. The strange thing is, I bet it would fit with a few mods. It’s an Invidia and they are mental loud, not something I am really looking for on this car.

It needs 2 people to spin the car on the spit but it’s great to be able to get Zinc inside of the seams



I went a bit mad and filled every seam



Also decided to get rid of all these pipe supports. Most of them are not needed on an MPI



Only the front to rear brake pipe needs fastening to the floor pan so I bought these stainless clips



These will be bolted through the floor with button head hex bolts. Button head bolts have a lower profile than conventional allen bolts so won’t protrude much.

I have also decided not to fit the original 13” wheels. Having spoke to a couple of owners, such a big rim / low profile tyre makes for a tramlining / bumpsteer drive. At the end of the day, a car is all about the driving experience. The last thing I want is tramlining / bumpsteer so maybe it’s 12” or even 10” wheels.

I would welcome any comments on this.

Thanks for looking and I look forwards to your feedback

Pete