23 replies to this topic

[tomgale]

Hi all, my mini was my first car, bought back in 2009 and totally rebuilt. Since then it's been my daily driver for 5 years on and off, has been up to uni and back more times than I can count. It was even our wedding car back in October:

 

 

 

Since it's rebuild I've had very little trouble with reliability, just usual mini things, but the nearly standard 998 is a little lacking sometimes.  

 

Last MOT, it failed on a bad steering rack and a nasty crack on the front subframe (not rust, just metal fatigue), so I figured I'd take the plunge and do something I've been fancying for a while while also sorting out a few bits that I didn't do perfectly first time out.

 

So I stole a pallet from work, stuck a few castors on it.

 

Then I've started to strip down the car up on it's new home.

 

Then I spent 300 quid on a very yellow new addition:

 

I was surprisingly impressed with the micra, it felt really nippy, the engine should make a great addition! after a few hours of stripping the micra looks like this now:

 

Hopefully I should have both engines out soon and then I can start measuring up for the subframe modifications, hoping to avoid any body modifications if possible.

 

original project: http://www.theminifo...ni/?hl= tomgale

 

Thanks for reading,

Tom.

 

 

 

 

[lawrence]

I shall be keeping an eye on this one :)

home built frame or allspeed?

[McMini 22]

Good to see another one getting started! Plenty info on here and 16v Mini Forum. Best advice I can give -
1. read lots of others diaries before you make a decision. It's all been done before.
2. Nice steady pace is best (don't want you finishing before me!)
3. Enjoy it and keep us up to date with lots of photos.

[benm]

Join the Nissan powered mini Facebook page, so much helpful information and support on there

[tomgale]

Thanks for the comments all, plan is to diy a bent steel frame and try to avoid any modification of the inner wings. Out of interest when removing the micra engine, do people leave the inlet manifold on? looks to me like it can stay on? dont want to scrabble around the back of the engine bay if I can strip it after I've taken it out.

[micraminiman]

Thanks for the comments all, plan is to diy a bent steel frame and try to avoid any modification of the inner wings. Out of interest when removing the micra engine, do people leave the inlet manifold on? looks to me like it can stay on? dont want to scrabble around the back of the engine bay if I can strip it after I've taken it out.

Leave the inlet in place. Much easier when its out the car!

[McMini 22]

Thanks for the comments all, plan is to diy a bent steel frame and try to avoid any modification of the inner wings. Out of interest when removing the micra engine, do people leave the inlet manifold on? looks to me like it can stay on? dont want to scrabble around the back of the engine bay if I can strip it after I've taken it out.

Lol. That long ago I can't even remember 😆

[fuzzy-hair-man]

Easy to get out with the inlet manifold on, the engine once in the mini not so much as I'll have to drop the engine and frame out the bottom.
Mine keeps the inner wings just about unmodified, but it does make it tight and in my case so the engine and frame need to come out, no chance of changing a clutch or removing a gearbox with the engine in there, not that I've had to yet thankfully.

Edited by fuzzy-hair-man, 18 August 2017 - 09:12 PM.

[McMini 22]

I put the engine in through the top with the subframe in place.
I got quite good at it, knowing exactly which angle everything should be at.
In hindsight I wish I had left a bit more clearance between the engine and subframe.
Another bit of advice would be to dry build completely. Then strip it for painting. Don't be tempted to think 'that will be ok'. I had to modify my frame after painting to give more clearance for the left CV joint.
It's unlikely you will get away with no mods to the inner wings.
Looking forward to seeing your progress!

[tomgale]

Cheers guys, that saves me a lot of grief! still working on getting everything out of the micra, think I will have to admit defeat and buy a metric spanner set. Struggling to get the driveshafts out as the strut nuts are rusted solid, is it possible to just drag the engine out from above and pull the pot joints out of the diff? (that's what I do on  the mini). Also in terms of separating the loom, it looks like it runs into the passenger compartment with no plugs anywhere, is there a safe place to cut it without losing anything I need or do I need to strip the dash completely? I'm doing a bit of it to get the ignition barrel etc.

 

Thanks for all the help!

[lawrence]

Cut the shafts with a grinder as close to the outer cvs as you can :) that's worked for me but I'm using cut and shut shafts :) very satisfying I must say also!

[McMini 22]

Spanners are an essential tool. Can't believe you don't have a set!
I've found that access to a lot of nuts and bolts is limited. This is a particular problem when you keep the inner wings. I bought a set of crow foot spanners and they have been pretty handy. Get tooled up!

[benm]

strip the dash and get the whole loom out in one piece makes life easier on the wiring side

[tomgale]

I think cutting the shafts is the way to go, I'd have to do it anyway! I've got about four sets of imperial spanners, just never needed metric before! Shall attack the dash this week

[micraminiman]

Lift the engine up once its all disconnected and swing it either way to pop the pot joints out just like you would on the mini. No need to pull the shafts or hubs beforehand.