409 replies to this topic

[1984mini25]

A short walk into town and £2 for a tube of black all purpose sealant, plus about half an hour once back sealing the window seal to the body aswell as the glass and now the back of the mini is water tight again.

[Ben_O]

Excellent news. Glad you have it sorted.

 

Ben

[Archived4]

+1

 

What do you need to finish the rear brakes etc?

[1984mini25]

The brakes are all sorted now, the side with the new rear cylinder is slightly better than the other dispute both drums being cleaned up, recent new shoes and adjusted up the same. Hopefully it will sort itself out as under normal braking its fine. It was only on a short trip out the other day with it lashing it down that I came very close to rear ending some idiot in an 09 polo. That had cut both me and the car behind on a roundabout only to cut in front of me and stop dead for the stationary traffic ahead. Probably was only doing less than 30mph, but a greasy, wet road and skinny 145's falkens probably didn't help when the o/s rear wheel (closely followed by both fronts) locked up and I was sliding sideways while braking. Witch probably gave the idiot in the polo more of a shock than it did me.

[1984mini25]

The rear seats and trim are all back in now they have dried out. Also cat litter (the clay sort) filled tights do quite a good job of soaking up and drying out the puddles, damp and smells from the leaks. Plus they can be reused once dried back out on a radiator.

[Ben_O]

Im going to nick the tights and cat litter idea for my Peugeot!

Hmmmmm...........................Never thought i would ever say a sentence like that!!!

[1984mini25]

Slight bit of leakage from last nights rain, but then it's nowhere near as bad as it was. I could of covered the mini over with a tarp, but with the wind it might have not have stayed on the mini for long.  

[1984mini25]

Im going to nick the tights and cat litter idea for my Peugeot!

Hmmmmm...........................Never thought i would ever say a sentence like that!!!

you can imagine how 'weird' I looked a few years back buying just a bag of cat litter and a pack of cheap kids tights, only to then cut the legs off, fill with the cat littler and tie them. But then at the end of the day its a cheap way of keeping the inside of the mini drier, from growing mould and not smelling

[1984mini25]

To save having to mess around, as even though I've done my best at sealing the front a rear screens (the rear being the worst) even though the seals look ok, they are still a good few years old and have shrunk. I've covered over the top half of the mini with a tarp to keep it water tight. although in doing so I've noticed quite a few areas of rust starting to take hold and bubbling up along the front panel (witch is original) and drivers wing. So what I'm tempted on doing is swapping the minis back over and replace the panels on the 25 over winter with the small amount of money I got for my birthday a week ago. Only problem being is a neighbour a few doors down had his garage broken into/forced open and quite a bit of stuff taken last evening, plus I'm sure I seen the van/2 occupants driving around recently. So I'm now stuck thinking do I carry on with my plans or pay out for extra security for the garage first.

[Ben_O]

Personally i believe security comes first, especially if you have seen suspects casing the area.

 

Hope they don't try but best to be safe than sorry!!

 

Good luck.

 

Ben

[1984mini25]

The thing is I already have a bolt/padlock up each side already, along with a modern car parked in front 90% of the time. But I don't think the bolts would do much good going by the way my neighbours was forced and bent up with something from one of the corners. I could be worrying about nothing, but then would and extra bolt etc on the door just attract more unwanted attention. I know what I'd love to do and thats putting a side door in and locking the garage door from the inside.

[Ben_O]

Good point about the extra attention thing. If i was going to add extra security, i would get one of those alarms with the contacts that go on the door and frame with a nice loud siren. |They are cheap to buy, easy to fit and if anyone opens the door at least you would be alerted and or the theif would be scared away.

Worrying though. 

[Daz1968]

Put a security post right in front of the garage door if its an up and over type, you can get them from about £20 if you shop around.

Edited by Daz1968, 31 October 2013 - 06:41 AM.

[1984mini25]

The other big problem is the lack of power to the garage and with it being at the end of the garden. As not only would it be handy for working and saves running extension leads etc. but I'd then have power for an alarm etc.
What I've chosen to do for now though is tidy up, keep all tools locked away and chain up some of the larger items. I'm also watching a filing cabinet on Ebay that's local and would fit perfectly under the workbench I made for some of the larger items that won't fit in the toolbox.

[1984mini25]

Haven't done much, but I did buy a small filing cabinet off eBay for a tenner to keep all the tools and stuff that doesn't fit in the tool box safe, so at least it's all locked away. It wasn't until I went to collect it (in the mini with the passenger seat removed) and brought it home that I'd realised although it fitted perfectly in the space under the workbench, the draws were just that bit too small for the items I'd bought it for to fit.  So instead I've had to completely rearrange the bottom half of my toolbox to make room for the items that were intended for the new cabinet and the stuff from the toolbox moved to the cabinet instead.

 

For the last 2 weeks or so the mini hasn't really moved other than to collect the filing cabinet and has spent the rest of the time under a tarp, witch so far is doing a pretty good job of keeping the insides dry. Although I'm glad I bought 2 spare boot handles at mitp, as whoever has been forcing the boot handle open has had another go recently and now the handle doesn't doing anything in the way of opening the boot.

 

Also with money still being a pretty big issue, I've rounded up all the various mini spares that have grown over that last 8 or so years and put it all up for sale as a job lot.

Edited by 1984mini25, 14 November 2013 - 10:49 PM.