194 replies to this topic

[Wise Old Elf]

So I thought it was time to start the welding as I bought this Mini in April 2010 and have not had time to get started on it.

I always wanted an RSP as these were in the showroom I used to walk past when I left school. I bought it from Roger over at the RSP Register who rescued it from a guy that took it apart and gave up. So it needed someone that was slightly deranged to try to put it back together and along came me.

The front scuttle, wings, A panels and outer sills were removed by the last guy and the engine and gearbox stripped of most of the nuts and bolts. I don't know if the guy was saving the nuts and bolts for something but they are not with the car. The block has worn cylinder liners and the crank had a shell stuck to one of the journals so needs a grind. The floors have holes, the rear inner wheel arches are toast, the bins have holes, the healboard is rotten, the boot floor is rotten, the back panel is rotten. The roof looks ok.

I like to have something to do so this will keep me busy for at least a few years.

So its easy to see why its called Black Ugly!

I'll keep adding a few pictures as the welding progresses, below are the pics I took when I went to look at the car.

Jason

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[Wise Old Elf]

A few more pics

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[rally515]

Looks like you will have your hands full of rust for a few year there elf,May i ask how as it been stored the past few years as it looks like its been stored in a pond .
Good luck & cant wait for some updates to see how you get on and were to start with so many areas needing work?

Regards
Clifford

EDIT:just seen that your called jason & not elf sorry

Edited by rally515, 27 December 2012 - 09:47 PM.

[Artful Dodger]

Wow good luck 0_o. That there is a project and a half!

[Wise Old Elf]

Looks like you will have your hands full of rust for a few year there elf,May i ask how as it been stored the past few years as it looks like its been stored in a pond .
Good luck & cant wait for some updates to see how you get on and were to start with so many areas needing work?

Regards
Clifford

EDIT:just seen that your called jason & not elf sorry

Yes I say it looks like it was stored in a bog up to the roof if anyone asked what condition it is in. When I went to see it it was stored outside under a tarp but I believe the damage was done many years before.

I spent a few hours today attaching the passenger side flitch panel to what is left of the A post as the previous owner failed to do this. I also found this under the shock mount.

Jason

Attached Files

•  IMG00073-20121227-2048.jpg   78.48K   84 downloads

[Tanya]

Good luck with it! It's always good to see another RSP saved. We're only missing a black one, but we really can't have another Mini, so I will watch your build thread and sort of adopt it

My husband (also another Jason) wanted an RSP (although they weren't called that back then) as soon as he saw them in the showroom. We weren't married then although we were together and I remember telling him that he was nuts to get an RSP and that he should wait for the Mainstream to come out. He was a Rover apprentice at the time and Rover didn't offer an employee discount on the RSP, but they did on the Mainstream. It would have saved us £1500 on the employee discount if he had a Mainstream, but he was adamant that it had to be the RSP! He then set about badgering the poor salesman to make sure he got a red one, and he did. I remember he had finance on it over four years at £184 per month. However, he was right (the one and only time!) and he still has his RSP

Do you have a date (or possible a year) that you hope to have it finished for? I think Rog has big plans for the RSP's 25th in 2015.

[Archived4]

Wow, that shell is as rotten as my shell I'm gonna bin, top effort for saving it. How do you plan about goin on the drivers door post and making sure it is still straight?

Edited by Smiler258, 27 December 2012 - 10:36 PM.

[Wise Old Elf]

Good luck with it! It's always good to see another RSP saved. We're only missing a black one, but we really can't have another Mini, so I will watch your build thread and sort of adopt it

My husband (also another Jason) wanted an RSP (although they weren't called that back then) as soon as he saw them in the showroom. We weren't married then although we were together and I remember telling him that he was nuts to get an RSP and that he should wait for the Mainstream to come out. He was a Rover apprentice at the time and Rover didn't offer an employee discount on the RSP, but they did on the Mainstream. It would have saved us £1500 on the employee discount if he had a Mainstream, but he was adamant that it had to be the RSP! He then set about badgering the poor salesman to make sure he got a red one, and he did. I remember he had finance on it over four years at £184 per month. However, he was right (the one and only time!) and he still has his RSP

Do you have a date (or possible a year) that you hope to have it finished for? I think Rog has big plans for the RSP's 25th in 2015.

I think Rog thought I would have it done by now. I am not working at the moment so am hoping to crack on with it. 2015 sounds good.
See if you can bend Rog's arm; he has a couple of spare engines laying around.

Jason

[Wise Old Elf]

Wow, that shell is as rotten as my shell I'm gonna bin, top effort for saving it. How do you plan about goin on the drivers door post and making sure it is still straight?

The plan is to strip the door so it is as light as possible and bolt it through the A post panels and try to get the gap on the door step before tacking in. We will see how it goes. I did not strip the car and would have braced it before if I had. So will have to build the car around the doors.

Jason

[minidizzy]

Best of luck from another RSP owner. It's good to see another coming back to life.

[Noah]

Don't sneeze, it may fall apart.....

Following it.

[Wise Old Elf]

Don't sneeze, it may fall apart.....

Following it.

LOL you have not got the panels off yours yet; there will be lots of rust hiding underneath. We will see who finishes first.

[Noah]

Don't sneeze, it may fall apart.....

Following it.

LOL you have not got the panels off yours yet; there will be lots of rust hiding underneath. We will see who finishes first.

I know, but mine has an engine, running gear and is technically still a car. Your's is more a sieve

[Wise Old Elf]

Don't sneeze, it may fall apart.....

Following it.

LOL you have not got the panels off yours yet; there will be lots of rust hiding underneath. We will see who finishes first.

I know, but mine has an engine, running gear and is technically still a car. Your's is more a sieve

LOL it will get done one day. I will just get another project when its finished so no rush.

[Tanya]

Don't sneeze, it may fall apart.....

Following it.

LOL you have not got the panels off yours yet; there will be lots of rust hiding underneath. We will see who finishes first.

I know, but mine has an engine, running gear and is technically still a car. Your's is more a sieve

Ah, but it's an RSP, and you can't get better than that!