1498 replies to this topic

[Ben_O]

You need it on a spit mate

Yeah i know! I do know a bloke in sittingbourne that has one though so it will be on one soon. 

 

Can't put it on one yet though until i get the inner wing fitted.

 

Ben

[Ben_O]

Had a bit of time in the garage today but not really to work on the mini.

My rubbish work bench that i knocked up a few months back started to fall apart so i decided to build a new better one.

Besides that i had a clear up and a sort out in the garage ready for work to re-commence.

 

This is the new bench knocked up form old scrap i had lying about. It's solid as a rock unlike my other one which used to shake about all over the place when you were trying to work at it.

 

 

An overall shot if the tidy garage

 

 

And while going through boxes  i came across some of the parts that i had previously refurbished.

 

This is what flood water does to your painstaking restorations

 

 

 

so it's had to come apart again and be re-done

 

 

so i know what i'm going to be doing for the next few days 

 

Oh well, onwards and upwards

 

Ben

[Marco1972]

That garage won't stay tidy for long mate

[Ben_O]

God i hate metal polishing.....

 

had a go on the distributor housing but its slow going.

 

Desperately trying to remove the scratches left behind from removing the casting marks and roughness from the casting.

 

2 Hours later we have this

 

 

 

Loads more to do. Just hope i have the patience for it.

 

Ben

[rally515]

Wow nice going Ben!!, thats something i've never thought of doing actualy, i mean, i've seen the horrid casting lines running down the side but never thought to file and polish the thing.

 

You've inspired more work for myself Hahha

 

What else are you polishing up ?

[Carlos W]

That looks superb mate

[Ben_O]

Cheers Cliff and Carlos.

 

Cliff, I have polished the carb which is pictured a few pages back but not polished anything else yet. I do plan on doing the gearbox and diff casings and probably the flywheel housing but the thing is i don't really want a mirror shine so i'm going to have to think of what to do.

I will also do the gearbox remote and might re-do the wiper motor housing as it doesn't look right painted but it these will all be very fiddly to do and i don't think i have the patience!!

 

I didn't plan to polish the distributer as it wasn't polished from new but it had big gouges out of it and was pretty rough so it was the only way forward really.

 

I have decided against painting bits like that now as after seeing how the paint went on the distributer and the gearbox remote i did previously. it's put me right off. I don't want a flaky engine bay down the line!

 

I have given up on it today now as i just can't be bothered after 3 hours of it.

It is looking a bit better now, just slloooooowwwwwww going.

 

Ben

[rally515]

Ahh i don't blame you mate, i couldn't polish things up for 3 hours haha.

 

Doing the clutch housing and gearbox will take you a while im guessing ? , maybe get some beverages down you before starting that one  , will definatly be stunning though, one thing i've always hated is casting marks and the crackle finish the block and gearbox has

[Ben_O]

Don't know yet if i will be polishing anything else yet.

Might look into other ways of cleaning the bits up without having to polish and leave the look of it when it was new no matter how shoddy BL did it!

 

Just dug out a pic of the casting from when i stripped it the first time.

 

 

 

I'm up to here now

 

 

Still a long way to go but no turning back now.

 

Ben

[Ben_O]

had another go at the distributer today and have gone as far as i am going with it now. I might re-visit it again down the line if i feel like it but to be honest, it's a million times better than it was and i'm being super fussy.

 

Anyway some pictures of the progress.

 

 

 

So being relatively happy with the polishing and after finding a way to not give it such a chrome like shine, i decided to start cleaning up some of the components ready for paint and re-assembly

 

so this is where i am now. I will be re-using the cap and rotor arm as they were fitted before it came of the road and are in perfect condition. Just need to wait for the primer to fully cure then i can add the black top coat to the components and finish the bugger off and move onto something else.

 

 

 

Thanks for looking

 

Ben

[rooney123]

looking good as usual pal.............andy

[Ben_O]

Cheers Andy.

 

Much appreciated.

 

Ben

[Carlos W]

A change of scenery is sometimes really good for you, and all these jobs need done

[Ben_O]

I know what you mean mate.

 

I actually quite enjoyed doing the distributer.

Looking at it again this afternoon, it does need a bit more work but that can wait probably just before i fit it to the car. I can't be arsed to do any more to it at the moment.

 

Just gotta wait for black paint to dry on the vacuum thing and the cap clips then it will be done bar a new contact breaker which i will buy when i am ready to fit it.

 

Ben

[MrBounce]

Great job Ben - keep it up