70 replies to this topic

[Trixy]

Hello,

 

My name is Trixy. I'm a 1988 mini. That's all my Mum & Dad know really as they are a bit clueless and didn't really know what they were doing when they bought me. They bought me from a man who my Dad calls a 'Total and Utter Git' (TAUG) and apparently I'm not a copper, but's that's fine, as while I admire the work that the Police do I don't think I'm cut out to be a Police car, they scare me, they have angry eyes, also I can only do 55mph, if it's down hill.

 

The main reason why my Daddy bought me for my Mummy was because my Mummy had a little red mini toy that she used to play with when she was a little girl and she's always wanted a little red mini. So one night when my Daddy had drunk far to much of something that is called wine he opened up his computer and thought he would see if he could find a nice red mini for my Mummy. I have a nice flag on my head and that apparently 'Sealed the deal', Daddy said if you've got a flag on your head you've got to be ok, yes?

 

Now there's a thing called Ebay apparently, it's where people sell things which aren't actually what they say they are. I mean the things look ok, if you have absolutely no idea what you're buying, like my Daddy. But if you know the merest minuscule thing about a subject, like buying a classic mini, you'll be able to spot that there are some right TAUG's out there, apparently. I don't really know too much about it as I'm a car and can't work a computer as I have no fingers.

 

So my Daddy (who keeps on calling himself 'A Bloody Idiot' - ABI) soon found out when he took me to the Doctors that I wasn't actually very well. A nice man called who did a thing called an MOT told my Daddy that I was very poorly and I needed a rest. The Doctor said I wasn't allowed to go on the road again until a very (very very) long list of problems were fixed. My Daddy couldn't understand it as I was sold to him with a proper MOT, my Daddy is pretty sure that the TAUG was also a 'Lying Toe Rag' - TAUGLTR.

 

So my Mummy and Daddy were pretty fed up and I was worried that they were going to take me to the Scrap man, I don't know what he does but it sounds pretty scary. Then one day my Daddy (who is a Scout Leader) was talking to a very nice man who is a Scout Dad, his name is Uncle Paul. Uncle Paul said he would come and have a look at me as Uncle Paul really likes Mini's and he said he would be able to tell my Mummy and Daddy if I could be fixed. Uncle Paul told my Mummy and Daddy that he is addicted to fixing Mini's, this sounded great to me, but my Mummy and Daddy are worried about about the long term effect that this might have on Uncle Paul's relationship to his girlfriend, Auntie Jayne. Auntie Jayne is super lovely, so long as she doesn't get angry (apparently).

 

I was very nervous when Uncle Paul came round as I liked sleeping on Mummy and Daddy's drive, it's nice and flat and even Daddy's car which is a Volvo XC-90 was happy for me to have it, although he does complain a bit, I just say 'You've got 970 air bags so you can shut up'. He says things back to me back to me but I can't understand him, I think he's foreign. So Uncle Paul had a good look at me and poked and prodded me. I was a bit frightened when some brown flaky metal fell off, that's called 'rust' apparently. Now rust is bad, I've learnt this recently. I thought it was normal but I don't think it is. According to Uncle Pau, 'My entire arse is about to fall out'. This doesn't sound very good and I was a bit frightened as I sat on the drive for ages and no-one came to see me.

 

I was about to get really upset then one day a big brown van with UPS on the side of it stopped outside our house. The man carried three huge boxes out of it and gave them to Daddy. He didn't seem very happy as the big boxes must have cost a lot of money, if someone sent me a huge UPS delivery I'd be happy. The next day I found out why, the UPS delivery was FOR ME. It was my new bottom and lots of other bits. Uncle Paul came round and told Mummy and Daddy what he was going to do me. It sounds very scary apparently, especially a thing called a welder, I have no idea what it is but I think it might hurt a bit.

 

Any way, Uncle Paul starts work on me next weekend and I'm very excited. My Daddy has decided to blog about me, I don't know what a blog is but I think it's a diary thing. He hopes the TAUGLTR watches it as apparently I'm going to be 'Splendid' when i'm finished. 

 

I'm looking forward to being made better, Daddy is very pleased as Uncle Paul works for something that is called 'Tea' and a 'Slap Up Meal'. Mummy is also very pleased as Daddy has stopped swearing.

 

Please check in on me from time to time and please don't be too nasty about my rusty bottom.

 

Love Trixy xxx

 

ps Here's a photo of me and Mummy the day after Daddy bought me, little did they know...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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•  Trix1.jpg   94.07K   63 downloads

[Trixy]

ps Daddy says sorry about the typo's but he's had something called Cider tonight and he can't work out how to change them. Daddy is very silly...

[Rapidmini59]

Hi trixy.
Im a1977 clubman cabrio but i dont have a proper name yet.
I have just read your sad little tale, i do hope you get better soon.
I think you may see a lot more of the nice ups man, as daddy may want to put lots of new clever parts on you and make you look realy pretty.
He may even allow you to go a little bit faster so you can really enjoy yourself.
Uncle paul sounds like a very clever man.
Yes unfortunately the welder will hurt a bit, but its mr grinder that is the very scary one, he makes lots of loud shouting and fireworks,so you will need some safety glasses and some earplugs.

My daddy had to do very large amount of work to me, he had to replace lots of panels, lots of pipe work, even a rebuilt engine.
I needed a fresh coat of paint as i was a mix of different colours but mainly rust and its taken a very very long time, im still not quite finished but more new parts are on their way and i will soon be able to see the open road again.
I have lots of new clever bits like coil over shocks, poly bushes, nice seats, a roll cage and harnesses to keep daddy safe, extra lights so daddy can be seen easier, new wheels and tyres so i can hold the road better and much bigger brakes.
I use to live in a warehouse covered up but now i live with a german car, a VW polo he is quite kind to me though as he is always going out with daddy to buy new parts for me.
Daddy said he has finally ordered some new front wings as mine have been hurt over the years and i have some holes around my front light which is not very good, when he first got me he was reluctant to buy new ones as he thought they were ok to repair, but has now decided that as a treat i can have new ones.
Mr grinder and mr welder are friends now as i have got use to all the noise and mess they create.
Daddy has met a new friend on here and has discussed with him about having a slight change to my colour as i dont realy like the traffic purple i am at the moment its a bit girly, he says i am going to be a nicer purple like that well known chocolate bar.

Once the scary bits are all done, daddy and uncle paul can give you some nice underseal to stop the rust in the future and some new paint to make you look like new.
Once you have been to the doctors and got a new bill of health, youll be able to go out and make lots of new friends.
As for the volvo, he is swedish so youll have to learn a new language if you want to understand him, he might be bigger than you but at least has welcomed you into his family.
Im very glad mummy went for a red one as red are the best and the two of you can have lots of fun making new freinds.
Mummy and daddy are very lucky to have found you and saved you from the scrap man.
Look forward to hearing about the blog.
Regards
Rapidmini59

Edited by Rapidmini59, 30 April 2017 - 07:36 AM.

[lawrence]

I'll be impressed if you can keep the third person dialogue going the whole project! :) try photobucket for uploads to here, the photos will be bigger and clearer. Good luck with the journey.

I think if I narrated mine my car would hate me, she would say I've taken her heart out and stuffed another one in then left her to lurk on the drive for months at a time!
Lawrence

[Trixy]

Thank for replying to my post. You are both very nice. I hope we can be friends as I only have one friend and he is the Volvo. I had a tent out over me today. It's nice as it keeps my head dry. Also Daddy got to swear a lot at it when he put it up. It took him a long time even though he is 'a bloody scout leader and this should be simple'. I think something is happening soon. Love Trix x

Edited by Trixy, 01 May 2017 - 02:19 AM.

[Trixy]

Oh my gosh. I think Uncle Paul is starting work on me tomorrow morning! I'm so excited that I can't sleep. Daddy is very excited too as he gets to try out his new welders mask (whatever that is). Mummy said it made Daddy look like a deformed Iron Man, Daddy thinks it makes him look butch. I think Mummy is right.

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Edited by Trixy, 01 May 2017 - 02:20 AM.

[GT Jimmy]

Tell Mummy and Daddy to give you some calpol because this may hurt a little. Also ask Mummy to open a photobucket account so we can see your shiny new bits clearer, our headlamps are getting on a bit and we need big pictures....

Good luck with the build

[Rapidmini59]

Hi trixy.
This is me in my tent.
Having spent the last 2 years in a nice dry garage daddy has brought me back out to add more exciting things to me, it ok in the tent as it has windows and i can see the sunshine but when it rains im worried i will start to go rusty.
Hes taken my wheel flares off and painted them a new colour.
He has added a new pair of road legal day/Night lights and Wired them in, he fitted the brackets for the lights and i found the drill vibration tickled.
I am playing a practicle joke on daddy at the moment. i have stopped my hazards and indicators from working so daddy has got to spend yet more time with me instead of adding new bits.
I also have a new horn, it has three silver trumpet thingys and is very loud.
Hope uncle paul doesn't scare you too much with the grinder, at least once the grinding is all done you'll be much better.
Daddy still cant think of a suitable name for me, i think caddy is quite a nice name but im not american.
Hope all goes well

[Rapidmini59]

Hi trixy.
This is me in my tent.
Having spent the last 2 years in a nice dry garage daddy has brought me back out to add more exciting things to me, it ok in the tent as it has windows and i can see the sunshine but when it rains im worried i will start to go rusty.
Hes taken my wheel flares off and painted them a new colour.
He has added a new pair of road legal day/Night lights and Wired them in, he fitted the brackets for the lights and i found the drill vibration tickled.
I am playing a practicle joke on daddy at the moment. i have stopped my hazards and indicators from working so daddy has got to spend yet more time with me instead of adding new bits.
I also have a new horn, it has three silver trumpet thingys and is very loud.
Hope uncle paul doesn't scare you too much with the grinder, at least once the grinding is all done you'll be much better.
Daddy still cant think of a suitable name for me, i think caddy is quite a nice name but im not american.
Hope all goes well

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•  image.jpeg   82.26K   17 downloads

[Junior Mini]

Hi folks, so now we are all acquainted with Trixy, it's time i dosed her up on Calpol and put her to sleep.

 

This is what i was greeted with on a lovely sunny day, Not too bad we think, but as we know Mini can be deceptive rust traps at the best of time and this one is im afraid no exception. 

 

 

 

It's been a while since i did this so if the image doesn't work i'll try something else as Imgur is all new too me. 

 

After a little investigation and a failure sheet to hand it was clear that this little love is going to need more than a T-cut and a new air freshener. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So without further ado we decided the best thing to do to was to strip Trixy down and drag her off to my garage for a little bit of fettling.

Trixy's dad and myself did this over this last weekend and now she is safely tucked away in a dry garage.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was agreed that Trixy will get complete new boot and main floor assemblies including inner and outer sills, new rear panel with Mk1 tail light conversion, new quarter panels, door skins, repairs to the frames and a posts as required, new inner and outer wings, new bonnet without a lip, new front panel and a full scuttle. 

 

The brief is to try and get it looking something like the car below??

 

 

 

So if you haven't tuned out by now keep watching for the next exciting episode of Uncle Paul meets Trixy 

 

(I know i must be mad to be doing this for tea, but i just love em  )

 

[Junior Mini]

So over the last month, i have finish stripping the shell and bought all the panels required for the repairs up to the front bulkhead/toeboard. As you can see the floors are a little worse than i first thought.

 

 

 

 

I was also asked by Trixy's mum if i could look into why the drivers door was so hard to close. Well after stripping the doors off, i think i may have found the problem 

 

 

 

This was the lower hinge mounting (Well what's left of it!)

 

So i guess that's enough proding and poking, time for a bit of work. 

So over the last couple of weekends, i have pulled the rear arches and the boot floor and have now first fitted the replacement panel. 

Hopefully next weekend i'll get the chance for a final fettle and get it welded in with the new rear arch tubs etc...

Anyway here's the pictures (Because we all only really look at the pictures  ) Also the keen of you may spot how the rear seat upright has been (Modified) by the previous owner. No idea why???

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hopefully more updates next weekend folks.

Edited by Junior Mini, 04 June 2018 - 04:32 AM.

[minimissions]

This looks a nice little project.

 

Nice work so far that new boot floor panel will certainly sort the rust at the back.

[jamesquintin]

Don't forget to take the front stiffener from the front of the old boot floor as well as the nut cage for the battery...

Q

[Junior Mini]

This looks a nice little project.

 

Nice work so far that new boot floor panel will certainly sort the rust at the back.

 

Thank you.

[Junior Mini]

Don't forget to take the front stiffener from the front of the old boot floor as well as the nut cage for the battery...

Q

 

Err, yeah forgot that and now I've thrown the old panel away