409 replies to this topic

[1984mini25]

Drivers sill welded all bar dressing of the welds (ran out of usable flap disks)

 

 

[1984mini25]

I have just spent the mooring replacing my 'Cheap' unbranded (unless proved otherwise) knuckle joints widely sold by the mini 'specialists' for Delphi ones bought from a local motorfactors (who don't/won't sell unbranded parts) for £6.55, £13.10 the pair.

 

 

 

And the state of the ones removed that have done less than 1000 miles.

 

 

 

 

And I give the driver side lower quarter panel repair a few skims of filler (even if it did go off a bit quick) and a blow over with some primer.

 

 

 

[1984mini25]

Spent the morning, grinding back the welds (I went through 3, 40 grit flaps disks) sealing and painting the drivers sill.

 

 

 

 

And while that was drying I set about making a mess with one of these filled with paint.

 

 

The idea being to drill a hole in both the front and rear sections of the inner sill and squirt the paint in.

 

 

 

Although, the largest hole I could drill with my step drill before running out of room in the inner sill was 20mm, witch was a bit of a problem as I'd bought 25mm blanking grommets. So, I ended up taking the grinder to the end of my step drill.

 

 

Either way the plan worked as the paint was dripping out of the sill vents.

 

 

[1984mini25]

One mot passed, with no advisories.

[phil hill]

Well done !!

Phil.

[1984mini25]

With the interior back in for the mot (will be coming back out again soon) I didn't fancy refitting the original tatty cardboard rear pocket liners. So I used the old ones as templates and remade them from some left over 3mm hardboard, then covered them in some grey ribbed carpet offcuts.

 

 

[1984mini25]

Stanford hall buys.

 

I didn't get a lot at Stanford hall, but the turn out of minis and traders did seam to be less than previous years. Still at least it wasn't ridiculously hot like Himley back in may.

 

I picked up a replacement later interior light for £2, as I 'borrowed' the one for the green one to put in the top dash rail. The bonus with this one that I quite like, is it has the Austin rover logo on the front. But for some reason it's of a slightly different design (date stamped 92) to the green one from 88, so needed a bit extra modification for the led bulb to still work.

 

 

A pair of genuine (had the hologram rover stickers) headlamp bowls, usable gaskets and chrome retaining rings for a total of £12. As I bought some bits for one trader and the others parts to make up a pair from one of the others.

 

 

The retaining rings of witch I've already fitted. To replace the ones that I rather crudely used a pair of pliers on to securely retain the replacement h4 headlamps. So I've use some adhesive backed neoprene foam tape on the inside of the retaining rings this time round.

 

 

 

 

I also bought another rear valance for £21 from the grumpy sod off the mini door company, so he got paid in lose change.

 

 

I've since tapped out the o/s fog lamp bracket nuts to 1/4" (the supposed m5 threads are non existent) for some spare door regulator bolts. The unneeded/unused n/s holes will be welded up. I have also taken the grinder to my other rear valance without the holes. As with a bit of work I can use it to repair the rear bumper lip, rather than making up or messing around with separate panels and sections.

 

Picked up some as new door weather strips for £2 each.

 

 

A used bonnet trim with the protective plastic edging for £2, to replace my old, heavily scratched and dented original.

 

 

A new drivers door window channel seal for £7, as I could find any decent used ones.

 

A set of new replacement door lock barrels for £20 and another replacement nimbus grey boot handle for £2. I've since stripped the boot handle and the 4 or so spare door handles I have, so all the metal parts can be cleaned and the handles stripped and repainted.

 

An under dash switch bracket (in box full) for £2. Witch I have since used for a template to make up a new alarm switch bracket, from some 1.5mm steel offcuts I picked up at a recent steam rally for a £1 each. With the new bracket test fitted to the green one, ready to be welded to the boot of the 25 when the time comes.

 

 

 

 

And finally a replacement black bumper from good old Guesswork for fiver. Although now I've stripped the paint off it with the intentions of having blasted and powdercoat primed and then painted up, same as I had done to the front grill. I've somewhat like the pattern the rust has formed and half tempted to leave as is and lacquer it instead. So for now it's in the corner of the garage covered in wd40.

 

 

Edited by 1984mini25, 15 September 2016 - 08:14 PM.

[bangermadness08]

Yep still in Mk.
 
Spent the last 2 afternoons with the wiring of the electric fan. What with  having to remove the washer bottle for access to the starter solenoid, feeding wirings into the car, wiring up the switch, finding somewhere to mount the relay, neatly running new cables and tidying them up with the loom etc.

Hey there just been looking through you're updates of ur build and spotted u mounting this could I be kind in letting me know what size fuse relay I'll need and where to get the power from? I think the power would come from the starter motor where the positive battery leads bolts onto?

[MrBounce]

Brings back so many memories of my old 25. Had it for 2 1/2 years and wrote a monthly running report for the Anglian Mini Club mag. I really should have looked at other cars before buying it though... Good times though 

[1984mini25]

 

Yep still in Mk.
 
Spent the last 2 afternoons with the wiring of the electric fan. What with  having to remove the washer bottle for access to the starter solenoid, feeding wirings into the car, wiring up the switch, finding somewhere to mount the relay, neatly running new cables and tidying them up with the loom etc.

Hey there just been looking through you're updates of ur build and spotted u mounting this could I be kind in letting me know what size fuse relay I'll need and where to get the power from? I think the power would come from the starter motor where the positive battery leads bolts onto?

 

 

 

I used one of these widely available kits, witch include a 30amp relay and 15amp fuse, but replaced mine with a 10amp fuse.

 

 

Wired up like so.

 

Pin 30, 12v fused feed form the starter solenoid under the washer bottle on the inner wing (or starter motor on the later 88 onwards minis).

Pin 85, earth (relay mounting screw)

Pin 86, switched ignition live from no5 of fuse box (so it can't be left on with the ignition/engine off), wired to a switch inside the car and then to pin 86 of the relay.

Pin 87, runs off to aux fan mounted to the inner wing, fan then earthed to one of the mounting bolts.

[1984mini25]

I've been pondering upon witch order and how I'm going to replace the rear valance. Its not bad, but bad welding, the odd dent, filler and I suspect the insides of the closing panels have had more than long enough to turn brown. It's the last of the major welding jobs before the weather turns.

 

 

Just I'm not sure if I should replace the valance first, or the bumper lip using the chopped down valance as a repair panel.

 

As the only rot to the rear panel is just along the bumper lip, the bits behind the hinges cleaned up ok. So seamed a waste buying 3 separate panels or the expensive full panel when not all of it would be used.

 

 

 

 

 

That's of course assuming I don't find any nasties along the rear of the boot floor.

Edited by 1984mini25, 16 September 2016 - 09:17 PM.

[bangermadness08]

Thank you sir for that very helpful :)

[1984mini25]

Got the closing panels trial fitted and screwed to the rear valance, only took a bit or re bending both sides. Although I'm now also starting to wonder about the condition of the boot floor, typical when I don't have the panel. But it's nothing I can't make up from some steel.

 

Although at least this time round, replacing the rear valance should be a lot simpler than it was the first time round.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[1984mini25]

Finally got round to chopping off the old rear valance, but it now turns out the boot floor is far more rotten than first thought.

 

 

 

 

 

Now, I'd known about these holes.

 

 

But the boot floor looks solid... (the holes were made chiselling off the valance)

 

 

 

But not from underneath it doesn't.

 

 

 

 

 

With a bit of poking the boot floor is now no longer attached to the rear panel. So I set to with the grinder and ended up with a big hole.

 

 

And made this up to fill it (really getting my moneys worth from that scrap door skin)

 

 

[dennismini93]

Looks really good! Wish I could do all this