90 replies to this topic

[superted87]

yeah me too you b***strds all in your nice warm english houses while i am patrolling the south atlantic looking for naughty fishermen and protecting the coldest little islands in the world. Lo and behold when i return from the flaklands at xmas i will be back in full swing with getting my RWD project together again. Need really to finish my first one to get my dad off my back then i can get a third.

Keep up the good mwork mate. If this budget option works then you could have a vast selection of lookalikes being built mate.

[superted87]

Ola. el superted here from the falklands. andy, how did your exams go buddy. my bro just finished his politics degree so i assume you have a nice long summer to get cracking and then sell me this car.

hope all is well and you have not given up. if you do give up, first dibs on your project as it stands.

[bigandy]

Well its been over a year since I made any real progress on the car. What with my final year of uni (I got a 2:1), renovating the girlfriends house all through the summer, starting a new job and buying a house I haven't had much time for the mini.

I managed to get a colleague to move it to my new house during the christmas break



I've been talked in to fitting a metro front subframe to the mini in order to keep the track the same front and rear so I recently managed to buy a mgf front subframe with brakes steering and suspension for £50 and collected that a few days ago.

So last night I stripped the subframe of everything I don't need, removed the A series subframe and offered up the metro subframe. Doesn't look like its going to take alot of work to get it in.





Its lovely having a big garage again. More space than I know what to do with! Theres another 6ft infront of the mini too.

So next jobs, cut a new hole for the steering column in the heelboard, buy a metro UJ and bodge it on to the mini steering column, make some side mounting plates, cut off the front of the subframe so that it fits inside the current brace bars and get all four hubs redrilled to fit mini PCD ( I think I've decided on Sportspack wheels). Once I've done that I'll strip it all off, prep and paint the bulkhead and underside and clean and paint the subframe.

[superted87]

nice to see you to see you nice!!

hows tricks big man??

are you gonna use a long flip front then???

looks wicked though dude.

Ted

[bigandy]

are you gonna use a long flip front then???

It has a removable, bolt on front. I'm going to try and combine the old frame with the new frame so it will all bolt together as it used to. I'm spending a bit of time cleaning the frame and tidying up the bulkhead in preparation for fitting properly. I'm trying not to use the grinder where possible because I don't want to go peeing off the new neighbours!

Edited by bigandy, 01 February 2008 - 10:05 AM.

[parma]

hey, your project is truly amazing and its beyond words and i'd love to do the exact same cin as ive just bort a 78 mini and the bk end is shagged ive been reading through, but theres alot to read! lol i cnt make out what engine your using, what gearbox and i take it is a automatic? many thanks for reading

Edited by parma, 02 February 2008 - 05:56 PM.

[bigandy]

hey, your project is truly amazing and its beyond words and i'd love to do the exact same cin as ive just bort a 78 mini and the bk end is shagged ive been reading through, but theres alot to read! lol i cnt make out what engine your using, what gearbox and i take it is a automatic? many thanks for reading

Thanks for the kind words!! The engine is a Rover K series, it has VHPD (Lotus Exige) Throttle bodies, cams and ecu and a big valve ported and polished head. The gearbox is a manual PG1 gearbox from an MGF/Lotus elise. No progress worth photographing at the moment but I think I've managed to talk the gdf out of a weekend away so there may be some progress in the near future...

[bigandy]

Right then guys, recent changes to my personal situation mean that I've got to make a decision on this car...

I will most probably be moving at of my house in about 6 months as I will hopefully be moving job. The area that I'd be moving to is quite expensive so I wouldn't be able to afford a garage. That means I've got to either sell the car as it is, orrr make a real push to get it finished or somewhere close.

This build diary shows all the info on the car and the amount of work thats gone in to it. If someone was to make me a sensible offer on it I will sell it. As I said, I've got 6 months to sell it so I'm not in any rush, but some money in my pocket could make the decision a bit easier. Meanwhile, I will probably carry on working on it and see what happens.

Parts that would be included are -
Modified Shell,
1800 K series and loom
PG1 Box
VHPD TB's
MGF Front subframe (modified for rear mounting)
MGF Front subframe and rack (for fitting in the front of the mini)
Lotus elise back box and Janspeed manifold (modified to fit)
Pair of metro gti Spi alloys,
Set of 4 10" Mini Special alloys with good tyres
Pair of carbon doors - never used, broken window frame on one door
Carbon bumpers
Carbon Bonnet
Removable steel front end
Cobra Imola 2 buscket seats and mounts (used for about 1k miles)
Pair of Harnesses
Rover 600 Big Radiater
Ally Fuel Cell
Vauxhall Calibra Turbo Fuel Pump,
MGF Front and Rear brake discs, pads, callipers etc
MGTF rear coilover dampers (non-adjustable)
MK3 wavy grille
Perspex windows (been in storage for a few years so a little scratched)
Also got original glass
Original Mini front subframe
And probably a hundred other bits that I've forgotten about...

I've got most bits to be able to finish the car (except time) It still needs the front subframe mounted/steering column adapted, finish engine wiring, fit fuel tank, radiater, battery, fit driveshafts, buy/fit master cylinder and brake lines, fabricate a bulkhead, buy wheels and suspension and external respray. (This isn't an exhaustive list but gives you an idea of the amount of work required.)


So, make me an offer for the car.... by PM. Don't be offended if I don't accept it though, I've had this car for 8 years, and spent well over £10k on it, so I won't let it go for silly money, not yet anyway!

[*franky*]

make a go at it mate looks like a good project. you will regret it if you sell. good luck

[parma]

few questions if you dont mind, cin u seem to be getting on with it realy well. did your subframe have the liquid suspention on before? and if yeh what did you get the struts off? i picked up my 1.4 k series complete subframe and everything and i cant see how you manage to do the gear linkage so that it slots in to all 6 gears just through 2 cables?? mnay thanks if you can help, mat

[bigandy]

its an mgf gearbox - it uses cables as standard, as do lots of modern cars. It effectively has one cable controlled by the side to side movement and the other cable controlled by the front to back movement of gearstick.

It was an mgtf frame which uses coilover suspension as standard. Its the mgf's and metros that uses the hydrolastic suspension

[bigandy]

OK guys, I'm needing to get this sold now so I'll put a resonable price for it... I reckon I could get £3k plus if I were to strip it, so I'm looking for around £2.5k for the complete car with all the parts I have to finish it (i.e. it doesn't include things I don't have...like wheels etc)

Cheers

[bigandy]

Well, after a disappointing response to the ebay advert I've decided to plod on with it. Despite lots of interest and questions I didn't have one serious enquiry or viewing. So I've sold off all the fancy bits:carbon, seats, throttle bodies etc and also had a bit of a general clear out which will help pay for the last bits of fabrication and hopefully getting the engine running etc.

I've just bought a standard manifold and throttle body which will hopefully help me get the engine going. Other jobs are to get the front subframe cut down and fitted and the underneath and bulkhead painted. Once this is done I'll have another go at selling as it will just be needing an external respray and then whoever buys it can choose their own seats, grille, wheels etc.

[Sam Walters]

unfortunatly this is thw wrong time for me andy, i did want to buy this however i have just aquired a little black beast and the insurance is 2300 on it.

ill pop and give ya a hand one day instead? hows that

[bigandy]

Car is on ebay again tonight - £500!

CLICK ME!

It might not work yet as it doesn't start till 7pm. Item number is 270257931665

Cheers
Andy