199 replies to this topic

[AustinLeonardAutomotive]

Pics!  Would love to see an update

[Nino]

Hi Eveyone.
 
sooo, i finally found the energy to update my build thread. - im sorry for keeping you waiting, but the bodyshop/ painter i brought my mini to nearly killed my passion and desire to complet this project.
- and another reason is that uploadning photos to here takes ages for me via photo bucket haha  
 
In december 2014 i deliverd my mini to the painter who ended up with ruining my doors, well almost, they "adjusted" my door window frames som must and in a brutal way, that both my doors cracked the usual places.
i was furious... He also hammered dents in the body where the door hinges bolts on to the body, because they was not satisfied with the work i had done....... i told them to leave it when i delivered the car, because its not a new car, but 70's standards .. they even threw away all the shimes i had adjusted for the doors..
he also showed my what kind of "stone chip" coat they where gonna use, he just forgot the tell me that it was a very thick rubber coat instead. which had so big "holes" in it that event paint couldent close/cover it up.
- then he got mad at me and i was furious at him ... so i picked up my mini and got i home and started the repair my doors and scraping of all the rubber coat, aaaaand that was NOT easy.
after all this was why i lost my desire to finish it, and also of course why i dident update this.
 
but finally i found my energy again around march 2016 and did some of the body shop work my self, and found another painter who was even local an wanted to help me. - and it turned out beautiful - just a minor of faults, the he fixed right away !  - top bloke !
 
suddenly i had to change my colour choise as well, because my dad got a hint that there was an midt 60's mini sitting in a barn, that someone had inherited from a late family member, that turned out to be Smoke grey originally. - so i had to deside for another colour fast for my mk3. i chose to paint it the same colour as my mothers Mini which got stolen many years ago, she pasted away that same year long ago, so it would be in memory of her.
Regarding the  60's mini, at first i told my father, that i dident had interest because of all my other project and cars.
he convinced me to go an check it out and that turned out to be a GOOD idea   - i made a deal with the people who had inherited it and picked it up.... well easier said then done... none of the wheel where able to roll, so it was a bit of a struggle ! but finally after multiple hours we got it on to the trailer. - the car is very rusted and had lots of poor repairs done , it has been used as a rally car in the 70's in England, maybe in denmark as well. 
the car was sold from new in Bristol and a dane who was working at a Austin department in the UK bought it as a second or a third owner, he rallyed it, chrashed it, rebulid it and brought it home to denmark when he moved back.
 
 
AAAAnd i also sold my Nissan 200SX and bought an older one. :)
 
Piccys is coming in the next update, bacause last time i wrote this much it disappeared  :)
 
 
Kind regards Nino - hope you enjoy the update

Edited by Nino, 07 January 2017 - 02:55 PM.

[Nino]

Keep at it,  will be worth it when its finished

Mine has dragged on as I couldn't find someone to paint it for a realistic price.

Hope to have painting finished by Christmas.

 

Thanks NZ Mini

 

i have learned now, that Realistic and paint dosent go well together haha

 did you get it painted then ?

[Nino]

So lets start where i left of.

 

Arches, i saw an idea that was great and dident involve screws that scratched off all the paint when you mounted the arches.

 

When i sits on its wheels... It sooo tiny, even smaller then i remembered.

 

I also desided to cut of my rear arches horizontal at the rear quarter / rear valance seam. just like the late 60's and early 70's :)

 

Soon point of no return

 

 

 

These are getting glued on so the new panels dont get any distortion by welding.

this works, my oncle has done this on his mini 25 years ago. and in this way i can take my arches on and of anytime without any risk of rust ;)

 

 

I dicovered that the wheels might get to close to the wing, so with out making a big massacre, i hammered the arch line up a bit in front of the wheel :)

 

original with straight and turned wheels.

 

after

 

The a friend of mine came by to photograph some other cars, and took one of my mini aswell :) Find him on FB Peter Falk Photofactory :)

 

Edited by Nino, 29 December 2016 - 05:06 PM.

[Jared Mk3]

That last picture is awesome! Glad you're back on this.

[Nino]

in the meantime i was at Nürburgring for a weekend. Absolutly awesome place and atmosphere. ! :)

 

 

From this summer, took my fathers car for a few drives, because he didnet do it much him self this summer :)

 

nice couple id say :)

 

in august 2014 i sold my Nissan and got another one instead, because the car taxes in DK are insane on cars newer then 35 years ...

Imported from Japan. a Genuine Nissan Fairlady Z

 

 

 

 

ok ok ,, ill stop with all the draging out and show the other mini i picked up, the 60's mini that my father got tipped about in the meantime as well - turned out to be a good buy, and im getting rid of the of the green clubby to the benefit if this one ... but not as said earlier, church wall, rallying, facelift in the 70's and on..... grrrrr

 

 

alot of things catched my eye, when we went to have a look at it. here is jsut 2 things

 

 

and a lot of old spare parts that was abit of special as well

so i rang British heritage and got them the confirm or not to me.. they sent me this .......

 

[Nino]

That last picture is awesome! Glad you're back on this.

Thank you Jared ! .

 

if im honest, then i must say that im sooo glad my self. :)

[Nino]

Here is a little flashback.

 

[AustinLeonardAutomotive]

What an amazing find my friend!  And I love the fitment of the wheels with the arches, I've always believed a Mini looks best with 10's.  Cant wait for the next update!  

 

-Austin

[Nino]

I got a good friend of mine, who was willing to help me out, with his lead loading handcraft.

 

 

I also wanted to delete these drain canals in the new door steps, because only later models had them :)

 

 

We tried to brass load the wing seams instead of sealing them, so that paint would crack.

 

but next time i might wonna try silver instead, because it takes less heat. sadly the scuttle panel got a bit of distortion by the heat. but gave it a bit of lead to even it, instead of filling it with filler/bondo. :)

 

 

cleaned it of and looked smooth ! :)

 

[Nino]

What an amazing find my friend!  And I love the fitment of the wheels with the arches, I've always believed a Mini looks best with 10's.  Cant wait for the next update!  

 

-Austin

 

Thank you Austin.

 

i really quite cant believe it my self :) . but many things are missing / changed :)

 

- alot of pictures is coming tonight :) stay tuned

[Nino]

Then i prepared most of the interior for paint roughly :)

 

 

Now ready to got to the new paint guy ! :)

just need to get the subbys of and on the rotisseri again, so they can paint the under body. - later it will get the rotisseri out again and go on to the new stand so the rest can be painted . :)

 

 

I know it might be a bit over the top... but remember, no carpets and rear seat :)

Edited by Nino, 29 December 2016 - 05:25 PM.

[Nino]

I have started on refurbing a lot if parts as well :)

 

 

I had a bit of a challange with my gearlinkae house. the metal bushes was so worn out, there was too much play, so i tried to get some new bushes. but that was not possible at all..

so i got some made in brass. i hope it lasts ..

 

 

at first i got it Dry ice blasted, which dident work that well, so finally got it glass blasted :)

 

 

 

I actually bought new numberplate light lenses, but the new one didnet read Lucas on them, so i went thru all of my old parts and found some dirty ones in nice condition, so i took them home and washed them up, no cracks :)

 

 

arrrh lovely... powder coat and chemical nickel.

 

 

[Nino]

a little assymbly and parts :)

 

I finally came across these two parts in NOS !!!!!

 

Brand ned Ignition for '74 and '75 MK3 !!!

 

And a Original MK3 bootlid badge !!

 

How lucky am i !?    

 

and i finally found a set of lucas front blinker glass in SAME colour,,,,

 

 

I ordered af few part from mini spares on black Friday and got a big discount   - note, the Cactus was not included lol

 

 

Big valves from GS Valves

 

[Nino]

sooooo, i guess there is time to show some body shop work ???    

 

allright then ..

 

 

 

Already looks soooo cool just in primer !

 

 

The bloke at the shop agreed to let me seal the whole car, because i wanted that old 70's factory look.

so i went to see another mini and take photos of all the original seals, so i could redo them.

 

yes i know some one might think its a shame, but for me it all about the old look, so i did it with a brush.

 

 

he also let me apply the stone chip coat.  

 

 

 

Paint is Just around the corner !