159 replies to this topic

[Chappers]

Not called M machine yet, but Mini Spares did email me to say my shipping would treble from their intital quote! Thats what you get when you move thousands of miles away from any mini specialist I guess!

I got a new 60 gallon compressor as my 26 gallon was constantly running when using die grinders and had overheated a few times. Heres my 3 compressors for size comparison.


I had read about aftercoolers for removing water from the air for sand blasting and painting. So I thought Id have a go at building one.

It has a few ball valves for water vents and then a filter/regulator.



Positioned behind the compressor like so, I can still get at the ball valves and see the gauge.


Also waiting on some rubber isolator pads for the feet, and I can take it off its pallet.

So far its passed the soapy water test and is currently holding 150psi!

Time will tell if it works I guess.

Ive tried out a die grinder on this compressor and its a beast!
Speaking of die grinding, thats tomorrows job..

[Chappers]

Didnt get too much done on the mini this weekend. A bit of die grinding of the plug welds in the cant rails. So not really worthy of a photo.

We had some decent weather and I wanted to spend some time with my kids.
Sunday we took our dirt bikes to my friends house to use his back garden, was a bit muddy, but we didnt mind that.


My sons XR50 wasnt running quite right, it wouldnt idle without using the throttle and any carb adjustment didnt do anything. Very frustrating when he stops and Im following on my bike, Id have to dismount, find something to prop my bike against then get his going again and get mine going again and catch him up.

I did some research and some people recommended adjusting valve clearances. It looked easy enough to do for a 6 year old so I just let him do it and I instructed.



And low and behold, it now runs perfect!

I also received some nice panels from mini spares today, only shipped last Thursday.



The Heritage panels are great, the boot to arch stiffener brackets are so nice.



I got these valance closing plates, and what looks like assemblies with the stiffener plate.


But I already have the stiffener plates installed on my new floor panel.



So I can either double up on the stiffener plates, or remove the plates from the bracket or the floor.
It hurts to start cutting up the Heritage panels.

[Chappers]

I couldnt resist chopping out one of the rear arches tonight. So the first thing I did was make some bracing from the existing cross brace in the boot.



I drilled out the spot welds for the rear bulkhead to arch, but I couldnt even see any spot welds for the arch to rear quarter panel seam. I assume they are roll welded?


But as Im replacing the rear quarter panel anyway I just cut the entire seam off the quarter panel as close as I could so I have some edge to align the new panel to.

Got to clean up this seam, look at that hidden rust.


Offered the new arch in place. This is exciting.


Also ground down the plug welds on the seat base to heel board.

[Chappers]

Yesterday I just tidied up the garage a bit and got some weld primer on the arch mating surfaces.



So today I could bolt it into the frame in the boot and clamp up the edge to be welded.



Then used the spot welder to go along the boot seam


Its flippin awesome, took me seconds and no grinding to do afterwards!

I do still have to do some plug welding though unfortunately, on the rear bulkhead to arch where I drilled out the original spot welds. But only a couple of them to grind down.




The next job will be the rear quarter panel, which Im not looking forward to, Im worried about making a right mess of it. But this is my starting point


So cant get any worse I hope..

And here is the new quarter panel just offered up on top to see what its going to look like


Thats pretty exciting to me.

I had to buy mk3 onwards quarter panels so I will be trimming the B post lip off and seam welding it to the old panel.

[Chappers]

Gulp! This for some reason was a nervous moment for me, cutting the new quarter panel.
As this wasnt a mk1 panel, I had to cut the front lip off.

So that I had a jogged edge that matched the mk1 panel.



Spent a long time making sure the new panel overlaid the old one very well, lining up the swage line and the window aperature and the seams.
Then I transferred the new panel cut edge profile to the old panel.

Then chopped it out!


Now at this point I have great access to the front arch closing panel area to get in there and spot weld.
I dont have new companion bins yet, Im hoping I can still spot weld those in later after doing the quarter panel.

Clamped up the new panel





Im quite happy with the fit, I had to remove it a few times to trim the butt seam here and there, Im aiming for a gap to allow for thermal growth when welding.
Then I removed the whole thing, sanded all the contact areas to remove the e coat, painted some weld thru primer on the surfaces.

Tonight I will start tack welding the panel on for good.

[70K1100]

I really can't wait to see your mini on the road. Seeing what you started with. I'm just really jealous that my mini shell is in so much better shape and I know that you will be enjoying your mini before I will enjoy mine.

[jchomme]

Your build is too good!I hear you on the grinding plug welds front. I was using a cheapo concrete grinding wheel for a while, wasn't too bad. Bought a 7 dollar wheel and it is garbage for mig welds.

I've been saving the flap disks I had, but I decided to buy a bunch and just use those. They are so much easier and nearer, and I figure it's worth it.

The spot welder must be handy.

[Chappers]

I really can't wait to see your mini on the road. Seeing what you started with. I'm just really jealous that my mini shell is in so much better shape and I know that you will be enjoying your mini before I will enjoy mine.

Thanks. However, It may be a while before its road worthy!

Im just hoping to get it off the rotisserie some time this year.

Im running out of money for this project, so progress will slow until I save up again.

[Chappers]

Your build is too good!I hear you on the grinding plug welds front. I was using a cheapo concrete grinding wheel for a while, wasn't too bad. Bought a 7 dollar wheel and it is garbage for mig welds.

I've been saving the flap disks I had, but I decided to buy a bunch and just use those. They are so much easier and nearer, and I figure it's worth it.

The spot welder must be handy.

Thanks buddy. Its great to have someone else going through the exact same build at the same time to bounce ideas off!

I found those flap discs would thin the panel material around the weld if I wasnt careful, as they are slightly pliable and the weld is harder than the panel.

When I have a seam to dress down I used a 1mm cutting disc perpendicular to the surface to grind the weld. Then roloc disc in a die grinder to smooth it.

Ive had better luck using a carbide burr in a die grinder to precisely grind the weld down and then roloc disc to smooth.

[Chappers]

The spot welder was only $160 from Harbor Freight and its already paid for itself.

I made a start getting the quarter panel on.

Before that I had access to spot weld the closing panel on.



Couldnt get the spot welder in everywhere, so a couple of plug welds and ground them down.


Then lined up the panel with a million clamps until I was happy, then tack welded the front edge. And spot welded all the seams.








Then Ill leave the welds to cool, and tack weld again, over and over until its fully seam welded.

[Chappers]

Welded the front edge of the quarter panel and dressed the weld down.
There a few spots that ended up not perfectly smooth. But Ill end up skimming it lightly with filler.







This upper b post area turned out better than I hoped it would.

Wile I was waiting for welds to cool and the compressor to keep up, I turned my attention to this valance closing plate assembly. The bracket I want is spot welded to a stiffener plate that already came welded on my boot floor from M machine.


So I drilled out the spot welds


They dont put rust protection between their panels like Im trying to do with the zinc primer.

I wonder how long these panels would last like that?
As long as seam sealer is used I guess quite a while, but as Im doing it, and I have the time, Ill just go ahead and slap some primer in there.

[jchomme]

Great work on the Quarters! I have some rear quarters I might need to put in, but very intimidated.  Haw difficult was it looking back?  Mine are rust free, but I need to do some panel beating, stretching and shrinking to get them straightened out and I'm not a panel beater. 

 

Are you still thinking of going bike engine or race engine?  Your shell is going to be a pristine 1960 example.

Edited by jchomme, 06 March 2018 - 04:00 PM.

[Chappers]

Great work on the Quarters! I have some rear quarters I might need to put in, but very intimidated.  Haw difficult was it looking back?  Mine are rust free, but I need to do some panel beating, stretching and shrinking to get them straightened out and I'm not a panel beater. 
 
Are you still thinking of going bike engine or race engine?  Your shell is going to be a pristine 1960 example.

Mine were not too rusty, the bottom edge was bad and a I tried at first to repair, but it warped on me and it was going to be a mess. So I thought to hell with original parts, Ill just replace.
I wish I had taken more time on the butt joint as the gap was a little too wide in the end and I had difficulty with it.
A little bit of body filler will be ok.

I also wish I had put some more panels in while the quarter panel was removed as I would have great access to get the spot welder in there. Like the companion bin, the arch to boot floor bracket and possibly the rear valance closing panel.

I have always got the other side to get things right.

By looks of your work so far, I think you shouldnt worry about the quarter panel, it will go great.

Maybe if you stretch to it, get a spot welder from Harbor Freight. It will save you hours of plug welding.

My plan is still to run a bike engine, sorry everyone.
But I didnt have an engine with it, and the conversion can always be reversed if I want to later on.

[Chappers]

Can anyone provide the front seatbelt mounting point dimensions. I want to add a anchor point in the exhaust tunnel. How far back from the cross member are the seatbelts anchored?

[Chappers]

Got the arch to boot floor stiffener bracket welded on tonight.

Yesterday I bolted it on to the floor with M10 bolts to align it.


But the flanges didnt sit on the arch, they were about 1/4 away.


So I improvised with my long jaw clamps and a bit of square section tubing and managed to clamp it up tighter.



Marked up where the bracket now sits, sanded the e coat off and coated the area with weld thru primer.
Drilled some holes for plug welding and painted the bracket with weld thru primer too.


Left it to dry over night and tonight I clamped it up.


And plug welded it on.


I need to grind down the welds tomorrow.

Today I also placed another order with Mini spares for both inner wings/flitch panels, mk1 companion bins and the scuttle repair ends.

That will hopefully mean I have all the panels I need to be able to get the floor all welded up, seam sealed, stone chipped and painted and then off the rotisserie.

Ive ran out of money to spend on parts for the project for now, but Ive got plenty to do with what Ive got.

Ive set myself an initial target of mid May to get it off the rotisserie, so well see.