479 replies to this topic

[antidigerati]

Looking good. How could you tell the rust was so bad under that steady bracket? Good catch.

[Avtovaz]

i didnt know i just thought it was... Its a mini after all!

[Avtovaz]

firstly, the mini van i was doing is on the road today! There was a problem with the logbook, logbook had been  stolen in a burglary , and we didnt know the chassis number, i could not see one on the scuttle but it turned out to be there under loads of paint! So Ian has just gone for a drive in it

 

 

 

 

 

 

So back to my car

 

 

Driver post repairs!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Quite hard to get the weld off along the bottom as it was right by a bend in the metal. But its ok now will need a slight skin of filler,,,

 

 

So then i looked at the lip for the a panel, and made a repair panel myself

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

the lip on the panel i made maybe a bit small will wait until my a panel comes this week from m machine...

 

 

Also as the inner wing had some brown spots on it, i thought although the wing wasnt that bad, to make sure the scuttle isnt rotten and to get better access to the inner wing, id cut the wing off

 

 

 

 

 

round the top of the wing at scuttle was a bit grotty, will sort that out this week.

 

 

 

 

rust behind the inner wing to door bit

 

 

 

 

shocker mount off and it looks just crusty!

 

 

 

 

but oh no, its a mini!!!

 

 

 

 

this is the inner wing cleaned up some, lots of rust starting, like the car has been standing under a cover for a while...

 

 

 

 

 

Its getting there slowly!

Edited by Avtovaz, 16 September 2018 - 07:06 PM.

[antidigerati]

I'm just about to check under my shock mounts as well... Fingers crossed.

[Avtovaz]

Good luck!

 

 

i am now thinking if i can take it off the car and it wont cost me too much then ill take it off and get at the rust. Second thinking is the car has a 1275 engine in it, maniflow, side exit, etc, and i do have a 998. Now the car is going to be as standard as i can, tidy as i can, but with the minilite type wheels on it polished up etc. Now, going out in the van yesterday it was really nice fun to drive an underpowered car, just forget about everyone else and do my own thing. I have the bmw rally car for speed, so maybe a rebuilt 998 that will go for ever is the better option?! Its more original and maybe more fun for me. THis car will have the original advantage decals too, everything must look like its right...

 

 

Tomorrow is the last night ill be able to do anything on the car, my sister is over staying, and if im in the garage welding etc, one i dont get to see her and her husband, and also its not much of a holiday for them if im hitting steel about!

 

 

Also, my welder was playing up, not been right since i started doing the car again, and it had a loose connection inside its much better now, was welding tonight with it on some practice steal, and its nice... hmm, must be 20 year old too!!!

[Ben_O]

Keep going!

Looking good

[Avtovaz]

although my sister and husband are still here for a week yet, they where out today so i cracked on with a bit on the mini. Dont want to ruin their holday by banging and grinding etc.

 

 

I thought before i did the floor id do the door step so it would give it a little bit of strength...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I then took a brake and went to my mates for a bit, and looked at his damaged race car! Came back after a good chat and full of tea, and decided to start cutting the floor out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Was not enjoying doing this bit, lying on the floor, not so nice but when its done ill be happy. Found the end of the crossmember wants repairing, also need to look at the rear bins, im thinking of cutting the m machine inner sill half way behind where the bin is and stepping it, and then when the outer sill is fitted and the floor, then taking the bin out and welding them together. Not sure yet, thats just one idea, car wants two rear arches, so part of the bin has to come off anyway.

 

 

Dave has got me a roof too on a car, will collect that when he has cut it off some time this week hopefully.

[Avtovaz]

so sister back in america, im back on normal hours at work, half garage floor repainted, compressor moved into shed, bmw engine nearly done and booked in for RR, so its back on with the mini!!

 

 

Didnt do that much but primed the sill assemblys, and repaired the shock mount area.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

got bits to do on the rally car, and some needed jobs on my road car too, inactive rear suspension e39 fault of doom! So hopefully sort that out and back on with the mini maybe sunday..

[Avtovaz]

not loads more but some pics of an hour today

 

 

 

 

 

[minimissions]

This is coming along so nicely mate, she will soon be solid. I need to that shock mount repair to.. Such a common spot for rust to sit

[Avtovaz]

was thinking of repairing the mount but just looked on ebay, you can get a new pair for like £22, so ill do that!

 

ive ordered some more parts from M-machine, lady on the phone recognised my voice she said LOL! I think ill be talking to her a few more times yet. Ive decided that although i can make some panels to a certain standard, i am going to buy as much of them as i can. So the door post repair panel i made, not going to use that, its not 100%, Not got much time again atm to do much on the mini, but may get a little done this weekend, BMW is taking up tooooo much of my time, and work too...

[minimissions]

was thinking of repairing the mount but just looked on ebay, you can get a new pair for like £22, so ill do that!

 

ive ordered some more parts from M-machine, lady on the phone recognised my voice she said LOL! I think ill be talking to her a few more times yet. Ive decided that although i can make some panels to a certain standard, i am going to buy as much of them as i can. So the door post repair panel i made, not going to use that, its not 100%, Not got much time again atm to do much on the mini, but may get a little done this weekend, BMW is taking up tooooo much of my time, and work too...

Haha you no its bad when they recognise you on the phone ordering more parts LOL. She is coming along nicely, I wish I could find the time to work on mine at the moment work and lack of light in my garage is putting pay to that. I am sure the BMW will be done soon mate..

[Avtovaz]

long day today, got the bmw 99% there for RR !! woohoo!

 

 

so did some on the mini

 

 

is the key to getting these floors in to forget about anything that itll join to that isnt new and just put the floor in? Ive messed up a bit, but i dont mind, i will tell the faults

 

 

so

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

tacked the new floor to the old, all looking good, then started putting to the sill etc. When i got to the back of the sill, i noticed the quarter was not right, the sill was pulling the quarter in, and i noticed id not put the floor in right! when ive cut the floor , should have done it differently, cut all of the stuff out then gone for fitting to the quarter and kick plate. if ihad left it the quarter would have needed 2-3-4mm filler.  

 

These restorations are headaches.

 

 

So also my mig was good, but i think im going to buy a inverter one, rally design do one for £233 and ive asked about if its any good and people are saying yes... So will have a proper look tomorrow

Edited by Avtovaz, 28 October 2018 - 09:57 AM.

[Avtovaz]

more done today..

 

the bend in the quarter was taken out, it was because the lips of the quarter and sill needed some attention with a hammer and dolly. Sorted that out

 

 

 

 

welded lots of the panel in now.

 

 

 

 

floor had a fair gap to fill but it wasnt as hard as i thought and its cleaned up ok! Now the strength is back in the car i think , ill cut the rear bin out, there is one on its way, and go from there.

 

 

Also, ive been reading about these inverter migs, and well, i was thinking as i was welding the floor in. Whats the difference between my mig and an inverter one? The transformer really. So, with in mind ill be spending £230 on a new mig probably anyway, i took mine apart! I took out the transformer, rectifier, and all that side of it. I have an arc inverter, so i took that apart then too. Basically ive mounted the arc in my mig, and wired it up. Im almost there, but not 100% sure how well itll work yet. It strikes the arc, but ive not got a feed for the wire feed yet sorted. Need also to limit the current to 100 amp too, which wont be too hard.

 

 

 

 

 

here is a pic of the inverter ive taken out, and i need to find out where to put the two smaller wires that are conected to it

 

 

 

 

 

it may not work for long, it may work well i dont know yet. Basically the old mig has a 240v switching board on it, ive connected the output of the relay to the ac power to the inverter. So by pulling the trigger, is switching the whole inverter on and off. DOnt know if that will damage the inverter or if that is the way to do it. Either way, i am expecting still to be spending £230 on the inverter mig, but this may work yet!

[Avtovaz]

well got the welder working but it didnt last long, i think i had the amps too high for the old welder board and it kinda stopped working before i could get it anything like set. Bacically couple of blobs and it stopped LOL!

 

But still, it was a bit of fun, ive learn  about how welders work, and no one died LOL!

 

.. and also today these came from m machine

 

 

 

Ive ordered a new welder from rally design, will put some info about it when i get it and see what all this inverter fuss is about