212 replies to this topic

[Alburglar]

...or actually I may just be able to drill and bolt through what's left of the towers...

[Alburglar]

Started prepping to cut the front off today. I figured out where to cut, then cut only the first 30cm from the bottom. Then grp'd on to the inside of each wing, onto gaffs tape on the bulkhead (so it won't stick) it will need a couple more layers before it's strong enough, but bolt through here into inside the car, just above the floor pan. Then cut the rest and do the same grp work on the inner wing into the engine bay and bolt through there to make a removeable front end

[Alburglar]

Cracked on with the front end modifications today.
I made four of these. 2 for each side of the car.

I Drilled through and fitted the bottom stud.

Then I taped up the rest of the bulkhead in the inner arch and fibreglassed up to just below the top door hinge holes.
Then I added the other stud at the top

...and finished off fibreglassing over the top stud

The studs are now 'captive', they pop through in the bottom corner of the bulkhead and the top one is in the door shut.

If the door shut one is a pain to get off and on with the doors in situ I'll move them inside the car like the bottom ones.

[Alburglar]

I will have to cut out a hole to fit round the bottom door hinge.
I never intend it to be a particularly quick release front end, but Depending on how the top splits part at the bonnet line, I may be able to bolt that bit together just using a bonnet pin at each side.

[Alburglar]

I bought a pair of these as a bit of an unknown entity, but they were supposedly new old stock from ministox race cars and at 240mm between the centre of each bolt hole(on there shortest setting as pictured), I figured they were the same that mini shops sell as the coilovers for lowered mini's 'avo pa 240'. They do indeed measure 240mm, but they look tiny or am I just being a complete mangina?

Edited by Alburglar, 07 January 2014 - 11:59 AM.

[Alburglar]

Front is off:

[Alburglar]

Offered up the coilover brackets but nothing is ever simple with kit cars...they don't fit.

There is a scalloped section on the inner wing, on both sides, which must be a recess for the wiper motor for both right and left hand drive set up.


So it had to go. I'll worry about wiper motor fitment later.

I then grp'd over it, so the panel is flat now. I did it with the front back on so It also made a lip to bolt the removeable bit to.

[Alburglar]

I then cut the access holes for the bottom door hinge nuts.

[Alburglar]

I can bolt through here if needs be too.

[kevinstowmarket]

Good work, really enjoy seeing the progress on this project...

[Alburglar]

Thanks. Plenty more fibreglassing to do:
B-pillar repair.
Tidy up the cut off front end and scuttle and A-panel equivalent area.
Re-inforce the scuttle ends where the used to be bonded to the wings/a-panel.
Re-inforce the front bulkhead cross member. It is currently not joined to inner wings and needs strengthening.
Tidy up minor cosmetic damage to lower bulkhead.
Make rear boot hatch match rear body mouldings.

I'll do these jobs at some point, but for now at least I can start bolting the front subframe and components on and mock up the drive shafts....

[Mini-Mad-Craig]

Great work mate, looking awesome

[Alburglar]

B-pillar repair:
Don't know how good this pic will be, but the fibreglass on the inside of the n/s B-pillar is separating from the shell on both edges, at the door and rear window seams. Pretty much the most common type of restoration work on a fibreglass mini with any age to it, (this one is nearly 20years old).

This is it already sanded back, with a grinder with a sanding pad with coarse paper. This should be your weapon of choice when doing any fibreglass body repairs. It strips off loads of material ( which is necessary when adding nice thick layers of chop strand Matt) and leaves the surface keyed ready to start.

But after laying up, the resin soaked csm started to peel away from the edges, so once tacky (not dry) I needed to tape it round lightly, so that the edges layed against the seams and should make a nice bond...

...but I won't know how well it's worked until it's cured.

Edited by Alburglar, 28 January 2014 - 12:20 AM.

[Alburglar]

These horrible gaps will need filling, which will add some strength to the scuttle also


The body work near where the mini exhaust manifold was is frazzled. I always had a heat shield here on the minus. This one was really bad and really brittle. I stripped it back ready for repair.

And here it is.

This pic also shows where I made a start fibreglassing over the bulk head and inner wing seam, which were not bonded together at all! This will also re-inforce the coilover mounting points. This spot is now almost 1/4 inch thick, but I still think I will probably tie the coilover brackets in to the subframe by welding something to join them.

Edited by Alburglar, 28 January 2014 - 12:45 AM.

[Alburglar]

Bulkhead to inner wing work has gone well

...along with middle bulkhead repair, although it still needs a bit of a tidy up

...and coilover brackets now fit.


B-pillar repair worked great too, but needs a proper tidy before it's pic worthy