242 replies to this topic

[Langers#56]

I've just bout an 1980 Clubman Estate, just wanted to get it through the MOT as the bloke who owned it before me drove it everyday. Had a guy come weld it for me as I had no idea what I was doing or the time to be honest?... And he said I may as well just scrap the whole thing. I shall include some photos of the bad bits that need "Attention" as there's quite a few

Looks good, but looks like a bit of work needs doing is the underneath solid as this is more related to MOT? so depends how far you want to go, from the photo's looks like new scuttle panel, new A panels and lower rear corners sorting, and depends what is found when remove these things(might not be too bad when cleaned up though with any luck), but looks ok for MOT(depending on underside and mechanical), what is it a driving restoration? That's what I planned to do but got carried away!
 
If your not doing repairs yourself then it could get costly for the garage bills, maybe why he said worth scrapping as in his eyes can't see repairs to the value of the mini, was he an old chap who doesn't know value of mini's and seen so many scrapped in better condition in his days, or was he trying to get it of you cheap! I don't think anyone would ever scrap an old mini now, unless your that old chap who did your welding! lol. So might be worth you getting it through MOT then pricing up the repairs needed and you might find it cheaper, save yourself time and stress to sell it on and buy one in better nick, or get yourself a welder and learn to weld, as it'll be the labour cost more than the parts that'll be the killer.
 
To get more views on this you'd have probably been better posting this as a new post, maybe start a new thread on this keep us updated on progress.

I'm a welder by trade ;) so that'll come in handy, would you recomend buying the parts doing as I go or buy everything at once? Nah he was quite a young bloke

[spike 25]

Top job I'm watching with interest .......

[country clubman]

 

 

I've just bout an 1980 Clubman Estate, just wanted to get it through the MOT as the bloke who owned it before me drove it everyday. Had a guy come weld it for me as I had no idea what I was doing or the time to be honest?... And he said I may as well just scrap the whole thing. I shall include some photos of the bad bits that need "Attention" as there's quite a few

Looks good, but looks like a bit of work needs doing is the underneath solid as this is more related to MOT? so depends how far you want to go, from the photo's looks like new scuttle panel, new A panels and lower rear corners sorting, and depends what is found when remove these things(might not be too bad when cleaned up though with any luck), but looks ok for MOT(depending on underside and mechanical), what is it a driving restoration? That's what I planned to do but got carried away!
 
If your not doing repairs yourself then it could get costly for the garage bills, maybe why he said worth scrapping as in his eyes can't see repairs to the value of the mini, was he an old chap who doesn't know value of mini's and seen so many scrapped in better condition in his days, or was he trying to get it of you cheap! I don't think anyone would ever scrap an old mini now, unless your that old chap who did your welding! lol. So might be worth you getting it through MOT then pricing up the repairs needed and you might find it cheaper, save yourself time and stress to sell it on and buy one in better nick, or get yourself a welder and learn to weld, as it'll be the labour cost more than the parts that'll be the killer.
 
To get more views on this you'd have probably been better posting this as a new post, maybe start a new thread on this keep us updated on progress.

I'm a welder by trade ;) so that'll come in handy, would you recomend buying the parts doing as I go or buy everything at once? Nah he was quite a young bloke

 

That sounds good if your a welder by trade, ideal project for you, mainly finding the time as I'm finding so difficult at the moment. Parts, if you've got the money worth getting all at once as save on postage(don't forget about tmf discount at most mini shops), but that's as long as you know what you need, you sometimes can't start chopping until you've got the panels so you don't chop too much away, then when you do start chopping you might find more panels you need. So a case of get what you can, but you'll always find other stuff as you go anyway.

[country clubman]

Top job I'm watching with interest .......

Cheers for that, hopefully get chance to do more soon.

[country clubman]

Not had much chance to do much lately mainly preparing door hinge panel, photo's below of how I'm tackling the upper flitch.

 

 

 

[Mr Frosty]

Nice fabrication.
There is something to be said for making your own repair panels. I knocked
Up a finch closing panel last week mainly because I lost the one I had.
Keep the pictures coming.

[country clubman]

Nice fabrication.
There is something to be said for making your own repair panels. I knocked
Up a finch closing panel last week mainly because I lost the one I had.
Keep the pictures coming.

Cheers, but if I could have got that panel I probably would have to save time, but it is satisfying to see your own work fitted.
 Managed to weld it in today and clean it up, that circle isn't the straightest but the airvent will go there anyway.

 

 

Pic from other side, I carefully cut corner of scuttle panel out might repair and weld back in as other side of scuttle panel looks good so no point replacing all or get a repair corner and see how good a fit it is.

 

 

Then to the inner arch, all cleaned and painted and then with the new panel to be welded in clamped in place.

 

[country clubman]

Managed to weld in the inner arch corner and clean up the weld.

 

 

Need to trim down the edge and weld on a lip for the A-panel. Door has been on and off to make sure it all fits still.

 

 

The lip will be held in place with the A-panel (as the correct shape), A-panel offered into place and clamped down, then the lip can be tack welded in place from behind, A-panel taken off and then the lip trimed down and welded in place nicely, well that's the plan hopefully will all go well. Could have just bought the repair section, but I've used 1.4mm thick metal so this will give the door extra strength, plus I'm sure I'd be having to adjust the repair section to make it fit well, if I did buy one.

 

[country clubman]

Well the lip held on with the A-panel idea worked a treat, that way I aligned it up with the door before welding so when put A-panel on it should fit and be aligned with no fuss.

 

 

 

Also managed to finish off the air vent hole, there was a hole needed filling, just need to drill holes so can screw air vent back in.

 

 

This is patch from other side.

 

 

 

 

And today started to strip fixings inside inner wing and started to clean it up, full of surface rust, headlamp panel was rotten(easy repair), some minor holes and wing has some dents need sorting, still deciding if to take the wing off as would help with cleaning the inside the wing, or even to just chop it off and pop a new wing on as dented isn't aligned at the side lights/indicators, looks like new wings been fitted at some point and maybe not genuine ones.

 

[country clubman]

After a bit of deliberation, finally decided to go for a new wing, not the cheapest out there but hopefully will save time sorting the old one out, as the old one was badly fitted this meant it came of in one piece and rather easily. Managed to cut the scuttle panel corner down and get it to fit nicely, offered the panels up nice gap on the scuttle panel to wing, just got to get the front part to fit well now and be ready to weld up.

 

 

 

The old wing as can be seen came off in one piece but rather solid, just needs a bit of work doing to it, so pop on ebay at some point someone might want a wing but not mind a bit of work to get it sorted.

 

[country clubman]

Managed to get a few little things done this week, firstly finished the air vent off rounded holes of better and put captive nuts on other side.

 

 

Then started to align the front off the wing, the indicator hole doesn't seem to line up, anyone know if this is common or is it just mine? as the old wing indicator hole didn't line up properly either.

 

 

Welded on a new lip, to the bottom front panel.

 

 

Then started on the A panel fitting, first time I've fitted one, this is the way I chose to fit it slightly different to the way shown in the technical section but not much, firstly with skin pins on welded the top and bottom part and little bits of weld on the back to hold it in place when take the skin pins off, this was done with door on, the lip I cut slits in, the idea is that it will make it easier to fold and also make it easier to weld it in places.

 

 

After folded back the lip, plug weld the skin pin holes with the door fitted.

 

 

Then took door off again and welded the slits up, then cleaned up all the welds.

 

 

And the inner lip as can be seen when the welded slits cleaned up can't even be seen, but makes it nice and solid.

 

 

I used mole grips and a nice flat metal plate to bend over the lip, the metal plate on the outer side as not to mark the outer panel, but to start it off I used a hammer and dolly, but with the confined space you can only take it so far.

 

Edited by country clubman, 04 December 2015 - 11:12 PM.

[GraemeC]

They always lined up well on the original shells, but if either of those panels are non-genuine then chances are they won't now.

 

I would trial fit your lamp unit now, in case you need to fettle the hole or the mounting holes to get it to sit right.  Last thing you want is to be having to do that after paint!

 

Edited by GraemeC, 04 December 2015 - 07:44 AM.

[country clubman]

They always lined up well on the original shells, but if either of those panels are non-genuine then chances are they won't now.

 

I would trial fit your lamp unit now, in case you need to fettle the hole or the mounting holes to get it to sit right.  Last thing you want is to be having to do that after paint!

 

 

 

The wing is genuine, not sure about the lower front panel, looks like the original one as not badly fitted like the wing and rest of repairs, don't know if the wings are starting to be not made that well, as the wheel arch lip is really small near the A-panel and normal size towards the front! But I have tried the lamp unit and it will need adjustment to the holes and once fitted won't see this miss alignment.

[GraemeC]

I think it must be the quality of the new panels then - the holes on the front panel look central to the flat plinth section, whereas on the wing they look biased towards the top.

[country clubman]

Managed to do the scuttle corner today, but not finish it off, firstly tacked it up then welded and cleaned it up.

 

You can see the original repair panel next to the one fitted, I removed the horrible black stuff Magnum use.

 

As can be seen, couple of bits need patching.

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