481 replies to this topic

[Daz1968]

If you bend some round bar to fit in the gutter this will help you to form the shape, I had to do a few gutter repairs and this worked for me. Think I used about 8mm diameter

[Avtovaz]

oh thanks that a brilliant idea! think we have that at work so ill get a little bit!

[Avtovaz]

i know this looks like the same pic as before but i cut the bit out and did it again, i bent it over some wood in teh vice, and got it a bit mroe like

 

 

 

 

 

Looks a bit better, but not perfect. But i did it in 30 mins! Will have another look at it and maybe do it yet again.

[Avtovaz]

took the car out of the garage today, cleaned all the rubbish out of it, brushed it out, and put it back in teh garage.

 

Then i stamped the new scuttle...

 

 

 

Not the best but the number is there, and its all over the shell too now.

 

Started to fit up the front end, will take my time from now on..

 

[Avtovaz]

so a big moment today,, tried the rear screen in and it fitted! Was made up

 

 

 

 

Front end resting on!

 

 

 

Just did that to see how the a panel lined up and the wing to the scuttle and all seemed ok

 

 

 

 

 

 

I cant find the little closing plate for the n/s its in teh garage somewhere but ive looked everywhere !!So will order another one, and also a front screen rubber. I know there is going to be a big order from minisport soon...

[Harryrothers93]

top work bud! I will be doing my front end over the next couple of weeks hopefully. any pointers you have with getting the front end to line up correctly ? or is it just a case of trial fit (swear at it) and trial fit again ?

[Avtovaz]

I have done wings and bits but not the hole job, only advice is bens

 

 

For the front end, bolt on the front panel to the subframe using the teardrop mounts and then clamp on the scuttle (if you are replacing?) and bolt on the bonnet.

get the bonnet centralized to the scuttle and the front panel and then you can't go far wrong.

Then you can try the wings on

 

 

Im just going to take my time, and keep trying it on and off, get some tec screws and tec screw it all together first i think...

 

Good luck ;)

Edited by Avtovaz, 13 April 2019 - 07:20 PM.

[Avtovaz]

did more today, pff! read on! LOL!

 

 

 

First what is this number on the front panel? I will weld it back onto the new front panel...

 

 

 

 

Welded the other side of the scuttle on, welded around the screen, and tidyed the welds up

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Had a mess with the A panel, got the door to fit something like, and started the tec screw front end.

 

 

 

 

Got the bonnet something like, i got the gap right at the back, then put the back corners level with the scuttle. Fits quite well

 

 

 

Need to bend the front of the bonnet a bit, but ill put the lip back on it first and do it then

 

 

 

A pannel

 

 

I was getting excited at this point as the wing seemed to be fitting very well!

 

 

 

This is a magnum front end, i bought it a while ago, i paid £140 for the front panel, and 2 wings. I did think about heritage but how bad can the magnum stuff be? Gap going wider towards the front, not attached properly yet...

 

 

 

 

 

Going a bit strange around the front panel area.

 

 

 

... And then, i saw this.

 

 

Why is the wing so far away from the inner wing? I was looking at it, and trying everything to get it to fit.  Its hard to see in the pics but the wing is about 1/2" away from the inner wing

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I thought it maybe because of the back of the wing wasnt lined up so i made a little plate and screwed it on.. It still wasnt right, so i stopped put the kettle on, made myself some green tea, and had a think. Why would there be such a gap? Car hasnt been in a crash that i can see, everything seems right else where, so why?

 

Has it dawned on you yet? It took me a while...

 

 

 

 

 

Wing is 3 pieces, main wing, little filler part at the bottom of the headlight, and the headlight ring. When they had assembled the wing, and spot welded it together, it could not have been in the jig properly... Once i realised this i was kinda happy actually, ok Mr magnum employee has made this wing probably on a monday morning, probably his mind was on big boobies bouncing away, probably dosnt care about my mini, but it can be fixed, so not the end of the world...

 

so.. I split the wing

 

 

 

 

oh look Mr magnum, its now fits

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So all fits ok now, but what i will do now i have an adjustable wing is get the other side to the same state, take the front panel back off, weld the wing to it along the front, grind the welds up, fit it all back on and then weld it all on.

 

 

Can you buy these plates by the way? May have to repair the worlds thinnest plate if not.

 

Edited by Avtovaz, 14 April 2019 - 05:33 PM.

[jamesquintin]

 

Can you buy these plates by the way? May have to repair the worlds thinnest plate if not.

 

 

 

 

I am working on the tooling to make these. I've done a test run. I'm moving house at the mo so it won't be for a while

 

 

Q

[Avtovaz]

thanks thats interesting!

 

 

 

 

 

did a little bit more today, plan was to move the car over to the other side of the garage, and try teh new wing on. So i did

 

The a panel gap was ok, can be tweeked. more of a door gap that the o/s

 

 

 

Round the top was good

 

 

Not as bad but still not right to the inner wing.

 

 

 

 

 

the other side looks good now, maybe a bit too low as i need to to allow for a bonet gap

 

 

 

If i hadnt had such a bad o/s wing i probably would have just welded the n/s on, but i decided to go for it with the drill again

 

 

 

 

butchered it a bit but it can be sorted,,,

 

 

what ill do now that i know the width of the bonnet gap is ok, ill weld the wings to the front panel, clean the welds up etc, and try it on again, screw everything into place, and make sure it s right, then off again probably for primers, etc, the the big weld on!

[Avtovaz]

i didnt do much on the mini this weekend, i did a fair bit on my road car e39, some rust treatment etc. I kinda banned myself from teh mini except for money.

 

 

I put the front panel in the vice, and started to add the wings. First i was thinking that if i tack it all together, then add it to the car like a flip front style, and see if it fits...

 

 

pics...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With the front end on again, looks like the bonnet gap is small but i had run out of time, it maybe just as it was resting on and not held in any way. WIll keep at it no matter how long it takes now, and how ever much coffee i have to drink even if i have to improvise for a cup after dropping the usual one...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[panky]

Good way to accurately measure the milk/water/coffee ratio

[Avtovaz]

Can someone tell me are the magnum bits usually this bad ? I am thinking of buying some heratage wings but havnt decided yet

[Ben_O]

They aren't brilliant but to be honest, heritage can be hit and miss at times

[mini_in_progress]

Been reading this thread on and off today and read it all now, great write up and epic build. The van was nice too.