589 replies to this topic

[Ben_O]

At least the top of the bulkhead is intact I suppose.

They often go in a quite monumental way there!

[GT Jimmy]

I saw a late cooper a few days ago near us parked up. I thought it didn't look too bad till I saw the scuttle, there was rust bubbling all along the bottom of the screen rubber, God knows what it was like in the seal. I reckon I could've poked my finger right through. My 1980 clubman was almost mint there when I took the screen out

It'll be better than factory once you've sorted it mate

[jamesquintin]

people always seem to blame the later wider seal for scuttle rust, but I think its just down to poor overall protection the later models had. Not this time though!

Q
 

[jamesquintin]

Well this was fun. Not:

 

 

 

One little plate to weld at the end, then in with the dash rail. Hopefully tomorrow

 

Q

[jamesquintin]

Well thats the dash rail welded in!

 

 

I had to use a jack to push the left hand edge up into position though:

 

Then I whacked the dash back into check it all fits, luckily it does!

 

Then I cracked on with some tidy up jobs underneath:

 

Added a bit of weld under the wing to stop it moving slightly and squeaking

 

 

 

That'll do for today!

Q

[CAU998]

Builds coming on great! I think I’m going to have the same struggle trying to put right various bodges. I’m sure the threads going to be great for reference when I finally get around to tackling mine. Do you mind if I ask what size rivnuts/nutserts you used for fitting the grille, I was thinking of using the same idea to get rid of the horrible self tapper causing rust and working loose problem...

Cheers

[jamesquintin]

Builds coming on great! I think I’m going to have the same struggle trying to put right various bodges. I’m sure the threads going to be great for reference when I finally get around to tackling mine. Do you mind if I ask what size rivnuts/nutserts you used for fitting the grille, I was thinking of using the same idea to get rid of the horrible self tapper causing rust and working loose problem...

Cheers

Hey, 

 

No worries. It was these:

 

https://www.ebay.co....=item2a63e8fde6

 

 

I 'think' they were M4's. Annoyingly if there is a multiple choice on an ebay purchase, the saved order doesn't actually tell you which drop down you picked...

Q
 

[CAU998]

Great cheers, I’ll look into that... it’s got to be a far better idea and I’m not a fan of grille buttons sticking out, so seems a logical route to take.

[Steve220]

I used m4 on my grill.

Great work there Q! It's coming along nicely!

[jamesquintin]

Decided to get on with some engine work. I've got a job working in F1 covering the race weekends in Biggin Hill and there is a aqua blasters nearby who's going to clean the case.

So on with the stripdown. As the engine stands:

 

 

 

BANG!

 

 

 

 

 

Clutch lever is pretty buggered:

 

 

 

 

 

Thats as far as I've got. Need to get some quotes for checking the block over.

I did manage to get some of the brightwork sorted at a local platers. Unfortunately they didn't polish half the stuff, so most of it is dull and rough. I've taken it back and they are going to re-do it for me:

 

More stripping down this week!

Q
 

 

[jamesquintin]

Not much to report except that i finally pulled my finger out and went over to get myself a rollover jig from the guys at rolloverjigs.com

Looks pretty well built to me! Will get mine put together next week and see how the car looks upside down...

 

[GT Jimmy]

Not much to report except that i finally pulled my finger out and went over to get myself a rollover jig from the guys at rolloverjigs.com

Looks pretty well built to me! Will get mine put together next week and see how the car looks upside down...
 

Good choice. I know I rolled mine over but often wished I had a spit

[Junior Mini]

I have bought one of these and am just building it. Will be watching with great interest to see how you get on. Did they tell you how to balance it as i have no idea?

[jamesquintin]

I bought the self balancing kit...

 

The instructions are a little vague so far. About 1,000 washers in the pack but no idea where they all go! 

[Ben_O]

The self balancing kit is rubbish. I cut mine up to use the metal elsewhere. The biggest problem I found with them is that it doesn't allow you to mount frames in the car inline with the rotating bar on the A frames so throws the balance out and makes it difficult to turn the shell to a certain point and then beyond that point it is difficult to stop it spinning the other way.

 

Once you have the frames assembled and bolted into the car, then you either need help lifting it up onto the A frames or somehow jack the shell up.

I use a high lift pallet truck.

 

The trick with balancing it is to bolt the arms of the rotating frames in line with the arms of the frames in the car

 

 

You do need to get the shell quite high though

 

 

Perhaps you could use a stack of tyres or something to lift the shell onto