457 replies to this topic

[Ben_O]

Every time I click on a build from you I no it's going to be such clean and tidy work, nice one mate it looks great

Thanks!

[minimissions]

When you had the frame sat in the door aperture, once lined up nice did you use sealant between the two panels? and did tack the top of the door once you where happy with gaps etc?

[Ben_O]

When you had the frame sat in the door aperture, once lined up nice did you use sealant between the two panels? and did tack the top of the door once you where happy with gaps etc?

I laid the frame into the skin off of the car, folded the bottom corners of the skin over and clamped the top of the skin to the window frame either end.

Then on went the door to check the gaps, at this point you can move the frame in the skin on the car to even everything out.

Once happy, i took the door back off and fully folded the skin over.

back on the car again, you can twist the door if needs be, When twisting the frame, the skin twists the other way which is ideal for tweaking. This can only be done before welding. Once happy that the door was flush, i tacked along the bottom of the folded edge of the skin with the door on the car which then takes the twist out basically locking the skin in place.

 

Hope that helps

 

Ben

[minimissions]

Thanks for that, I have already done a skin but using a rubbish pattern part that i was given and the shape of the door is so poor, so have some hertiage ones now, so going to give it all a go again. Thanks for the information will put it into mine

[Ben_O]

We were short staffed at the garage today so i didn't get much done on the Mini

 

Jobs needed to go out so i have been on the spanners most of the day.

 

I did however get some bits and bobs done in between but just not as much as i had hoped.

 

I finished cleaning up the welds on the reinforcing plates for the roll cage and then welded back in the pieces of companion bin that i removed

 

 

I needed to do something about the lower dash rail. Darren and Jack don't want the padded rail back in and clearly, the original switch setup wasn't going to work

 

 

So with it stripped back out and cleaned up, i welded in a simple flat plate to accommodate the switches, heater control and choke.

 

 

 

At this point the welding gas ran out.. I can't get a new one until tomorrow so i have had to leave it unfinished. Tomorrow, ill finish the welding and then dress the rail around the switches and get it nice and flat. It's nothing glamorous but functional and will look smart once painted and the switches reinstalled.

 

As i had no gas, i thought i would mock up the front subframe and front panel ready for welding.

 

 

prepped the front panel and bolted on the teardrops

 

 

And then clamped on

 

 

The heritage panel is a MUCH better fit than the other one and fitted in place pretty much right away with no fettling

 

 

 

A little tweak here and there prior to welding and it will fit a treat!

 

I laid the bonnet on just to get an idea of how it would gap up

 

 

 

 

I couldn't bolt it on because one of the hinges needs repairing, that's why the back of the bonnet is sitting high and uneven.

 

Here is the broken hinge which i will repair in the morning

 

 

Cheers

 

Ben

[Carlos W]

Loving the switch panel

[Ben_O]

Loving the switch panel

cheers

 

Wasn't too sure what to do with it. I think it's quite effective

[JDImini]

 

Loving the switch panel

cheers

 

Wasn't too sure what to do with it. I think it's quite effective

 

Jack and I agree with Carlos the switch panel looks good now so when it's painted it'll be great

[Ben_O]

 

 

Loving the switch panel

cheers

 

Wasn't too sure what to do with it. I think it's quite effective

 

Jack and I agree with Carlos the switch panel looks good now so when it's painted it'll be great

 

Glad you like it

[Ben_O]

Been beavering away with the Mini again today.

 

I haven't many photos today as there was nothing much worth photographing. Just endless prep as we are pretty much ready to start the painting process.

 

Here is what i have.

 

First thing was to repair the broken hinge

 

 

 

Then i could get the bonnet bolted on to check gaps etc

 

 

 

It fits really nicely.

 

with that all sorted, i could finally weld on the front panel.

 

I want to do the welding on the back of the seams once the car is back on the spit but need to have the front panel securely welded in place first so i can remove the subframe so i used an old trick i used to use when i was in the accident repair trade for lining up and keeping flush the vertical seams on van side panels

 

 

A series of tack welds on the front of the seam. This way, i can easily line up the seams flush and tack as i go holding everything in place nicely.

Then it's just a case of cutting the heads off of the welds.

 

 

Once the sealer goes into the seam, the welds won't be visible.

I also reinstated the seam welds either end of the slam panel.

 

 

I finished the prep on the doors

 

 

They will be going into primer tomorrow along with the bootlid and bonnet

 

Also now finished is the welding on the switch panel

 

 

More on Monday

 

Cheers

 

Ben

[mattmiglia]

Looking really good. Quality of work is brilliant

[Cookiez]

Really like your work Ben

 

Darren & Jack will have a great shell back when your done with it.

 

I do hope to meet you one day for a chat.

[Ben_O]

Really like your work Ben

 

Darren & Jack will have a great shell back when your done with it.

 

I do hope to meet you one day for a chat.

cheers mate.

 

It would be great to meet you too

 

Ben

[yeti21586]

Your attention to detail is awesome!!!

[Ben_O]

No photo updates today i'm afraid.

 

There would have been nothing interesting for me to photograph that would have made an update worth reading.

 

Just endless prep work.

 

Ill do an update tomorrow and show what we have been up to.

 

Cheers

 

Ben