300 replies to this topic

[lawrence]

Good stuff, I'd hate to see your paintwork ruined after your hard work
Lawrence

[spraybeater]

Once again thanks for the views likes and comments, its good to as sometimes I 

think some might get bored with it, and I like to read and look at other peeps on

going restorations    

Anyways back to The Countess ( my wife calls her the other woman HaHa)

 

 

front part of inner sill and floor repaired and  new jacking point fitted to sill all

primed with zinc128 and weld through and given a couple of coats of Damask Red,

 

 

lower flitch and a panel flange repaired,

 

sill clamped up in place ready for welding,

 

a panel clamped on and linked up also shown bit of a repair required to b post seems the door

must have been rubbing on vinyl pilar covering causing it to rust,

 

 

a panel fitted and welds  knocked back door removed for flange folding al ready for lead loading,

 

 

floor repairs all done still needs a bit of the grindstone cowboy on it but another grinder

bit he dust so will need to replace it   was kind of hoping it would last out as not really 

a lot more to do and this is the last resto job!!!!!!!!!!

 

thanks for looking more next week.

[wingnut]

Is this really the last one Frank?

What are you going to do with it once its's done?

Keep it or sell it ?

[spraybeater]

Yep!!! the last one, although I still enjoy working on them, and there is probably still

about 6 months work on this, I am 70yrs old this year and have been doing this since

I was 15yrs old!! professionally for more or less 51 yrs so the time has come 

As for what I will do with it at the moment no real plans apart from wanting to get

it pictured as the brochure at Shibden Hall in Halifax!

[Ben_O]

You say that but.....

 

 

[slidehammer]

Great rebuild thread, I really look forward to the updates on this. Top quality work and an unusual Mini (it has the lot)

[spraybeater]

The comments are appreciated! been a week of mixed fortunes had to purchase a new grinder

on Monday got a bosch one in B&Q for a good price always been a Makita fan in the past but

the last couple have been different makes! got to say its quite light and less vibrations so will

help with the hand/arm vibration syndrome i.e. white finger   then on Tuesday compressor 

belt broke so had to chase about for that, on the + side was at paint suppliers on Monday I

happened to ask him if he knew any Coach trimmers,  huge result!! he gave me the number of

a as turns very good guy so dropped of rear seat back for repair it turns out he is in Halifax and

knew of Oyler, So on with the job,

 

cut the rusted area out of door which I had intended to repair but the lower edge flange was perforated 

and quite crusty, I had picked up a skin from Minispares North last Saturday so the decision was made,

cleaned up frame repaired front lower corner flange,primmed and painted inside,

skin fitted, I remember when I used to get 7hrs from Ins engineers for this door of stripped skinned primed

painted and refitted   can still remember the first one I fitted to a Hillman Hunter Arrow Body when

Thatcham came up with the idea to save fitting complete door shells, in those days knew a couple of

Panel Beaters that would not fit skins,

cleaned up hinges primed and painted frame and refitted hinges more than can be said for BL bare metal

behind as per usual,

cleaned up and a couple of coats of epoxy primmer on rear bulkhead and seat base,

door refitted for the moment just a couple of little repairs to do on rear 1/4 panel and thats the welding

work finished. As said before not a great fan of the de seamed look after reading another thread on the 

forum about de seamed Clubmans  its kind of growing on me and its as the Coachbuilders worksheet 

 

Just a thought after reading about the DB Coachbuilt Mini,

 

 

 $$$$$$$$$  (not a fan by the way) best get the head unit sold before the idea sticks

[mab01uk]

Got to admit the grille is not my favourite am sure it was fitted by Oyler my preference would be

to make it as the one in the brochure!

 

I posted an updated link to this thread on the Mk1 Forum and it received the following comment from a Mk1 member (Costafortune) which may be of interest:-

 

"He's making a superb job of that.The odd grille is from a 1975 Wolseley (Princess)."

http://mk1-forum.net...=14209&start=10

 

Martin

 

 

 

 

 

 

and this page (from the recent book 'Complete Catalogue of the Mini' - page 213 from the 'Coachbuilt Mini' chapter) mentions "Oyler's emblem was a naked women" which matches up with the grille badge on your Contessa Mini.

Edited by mab01uk, 15 April 2017 - 09:32 AM.

[b_sdaddy]

Jeez.

 

My neighbour had one of these in the late 70's - thought it was so ugly.

 

I'd sell my gran for one now!!

 

(must be getting old)

[mab01uk]

Jeez.

 

My neighbour had one of these in the late 70's - thought it was so ugly.

 

I'd sell my gran for one now!!

 

(must be getting old)

 

Do you mean the Wolseley Princess? .......it would have helped if they had been reliable and fitted with a hatchback from launch. By the time BL achieved both requirements with the Ambassador it was too late.

Edited by mab01uk, 15 April 2017 - 09:42 AM.

[spraybeater]

Once again thank you Martin! I did read it on the MK1 forum last night and

would have liked to thank the guy that posted it, but for some reason although

having tried to register on there and having it confirmed can't sign in.

I am surprised that I hadn't recognised the grille as i used to do quite a bit of

work on the wedge shaped Princesses back in the day! hated the bl**dy things

had real problems with one that had light O/S frontal damage, no suspension 

damage evident after a lot of hassle it turned out that the cross member tube

witch carried the front suspension was slightly out . Happy days Not

[spraybeater]

As usual thanks to all that view! and the comments are always appreciated, I suppose 

that I am like most people  sometimes when updating project threads! wondering if its

of any interest.

So on with my story got all of the shell welding done!!!! hopefully unless an unexpected

problem crops up ,

 

 

front wing de-seamed join was first lead loaded and then filled, have decided to lead load scuttle seam

as when its painted to original colour scheme there is a colour change there it should look like

the seam is still there ( this idea can be changed easily with a bit of careful dermal work) we will see,

unfortunately no photos taken of this as camera battery went flat

 

all masked up ready for next stage of filling process, as can be seen quite a bit of filler work 

due to seams having been removed, by coachbuilders,

As a point of interest the filler used was uPol D which has Aluminium filings in it, so doesn't  attract

moisture as much as normal fillers which as we know are a mixture of resin and French Chalk,

very nice stuff to use! and if mixed carefully and applied in thin tight coats doesn't pinhole IMOP

it was then coated with uPol Reface which is a polyester spray filler the sane as was used on it

by coachbuilders  I did purchase a cheapo thro away spray gun to apply this with a 2mm fluid tip

this will be guide coated an sanded with P180 pads on a block,

 

 

O/S with lead loading done, haven't done any of this for about 18yrs so not as good as should be

kind of a bit out of practice, also decided to fill front panel seams with lead( this can also be easily changed)

as shown still needs a bit of work with body file,

 

 

filler applied and ready for sanding back,

 

 

polyester spray filler applied ready for guide coat, and sanding + maybe some more filler work!!!

All for now, more to follow.

[GT Jimmy]

How are you filling the small holes on the rear panel left by the vinyl roof finishing strip? I have em on my GT and was going to fill em with weld, thought I'd ask someone who knows what they're doing haha

[skoughi]

Good job, nothing wrong with a de-seamed Clubman!   Loving the lead loading too, always wanted to give that a go.

[spraybeater]

How are you filling the small holes on the rear panel left by the vinyl roof finishing strip? I have em on my GT and was going to fill em with weld, thought I'd ask someone who knows what they're doing haha

I will hope fully be replacing the strip like for like! just need to find a new alloy strip

the vinyl roof will also be renewed so needs the strip to Finnish the edge.

 

In answer to your question I would weld them up