288 replies to this topic

[JXC Mini GT]

Great work as always Ben, the arches look really good and really suit the GT , what size are the GKN wheels that the owner is going to fit to the car.

Edited by JXC Mini GT, 12 April 2018 - 06:21 PM.

[Ben_O]

Great work as always Ben, the arches look really good and really suit the GT , what size are the GKN wheels that the owner is going to fit to the car.

Cheers John.

I didn't actually ask him the wheel size but I expect they will be 12" as we are fitting grooved  8.4" discs which he has supplied.

 

Cheers

 

Ben

[GraemeC]

I think the steel backing strip should go under the arch lip, then it would’ve been the right width. Don’t think it makes much difference though. I actually made my backing strips from ally and pop-riveted them on.
I didn’t bother with the tabs, just butted the arch to the body - did sikaflex it to the backing strip though. That meant I didn’t need to use body clips, just the moulding.

[Ben_O]

I think the steel backing strip should go under the arch lip, then it would’ve been the right width. Don’t think it makes much difference though. I actually made my backing strips from ally and pop-riveted them on.
I didn’t bother with the tabs, just butted the arch to the body - did sikaflex it to the backing strip though. That meant I didn’t need to use body clips, just the moulding.

Cheers for that.

The owner of this Mini sent me some photographs of an original GTS with the arch trims removed and the steel backing strip was fitted on top of the arch lip which is why I did that.

Oh well, everything fits snugly now and I can't see there being any need to stick anything now after all..

 

I think ill add a small pop rivet at each end of the chrome finisher to stop it peeling off but it's quite a tight grippy fit, especially around the radius of the arches where it's now quite thick.

 

I'll seal the steel strips to the body to stop any dirt and wet getting in but I can't decide on whether to stick the plastic arch to the body. I don't think it needs it.

 

Ben

[GraemeC]

I wouldn’t stick the moulding - it should hold fine and the ability to remove it every couple of years and load it with dinitrol is useful

[miniireland]

Fabulous work as normal Ben

 

if that finishing strip is going id gladly give a few quid for it

[GraemeC]

Just looked back at my pics - because I pop rivetted the backing strips on, I made them up as an assembly with the arch bonded to them, painted them and then fitted them as an assembled piece.

This was so the wing was well painted before the arch was fitted and I could (if I'd wanted) go archless later with not work to do (maybe a cut and polish of the wing).

 

Once on, the arch was a good fit to the body and didn't move.

 

 

Interesting to look back at this and see that only the rear arches have cut outs in the wing-to-arch flange (I assume where they were to hook over the brackets). 

Edited by GraemeC, 13 April 2018 - 09:57 AM.

[Ben_O]

Fabulous work as normal Ben

 

if that finishing strip is going id gladly give a few quid for it

Cheers.

 

If the finishing strip was mine, i would gladly donate it although postage would be a bit of a problem.

However, I can't sell any left over parts even if the customer doesn't want them back.

[Ben_O]

Right, the arches are now sorted.

Here is the other side finished

 

 

 

And I sorted out the gap at the front of the door too

 

 

It sits slightly low to the A panel at the top but it's a huge improvement over what it was without major surgery and the other door is exactly the same. Actually so are the doors on my highly original Sportspack cooper..

 

Anyway, doors off and a good clean out. I must have removed half a bucket of sand even now!

 

 

 

 

 

 

The plan next was to get thew car onto the spit so the pink one had to come off and this one went on

 

 

Now I can get my first proper look underneath

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pretty good. I thought I would just sort out the minor repair to the flitch and then get on with the prep

 

 

However I didn't notice this before

 

 

Or this

 

 

Only one thing to do with this

 

 

 

 

 

It seems to have been caused by the front edge of the sill taking a thump at some point ( the step and sill were pushed up at the front) which seems to have opened up the flitch/sill join and let water in and spread.

The other side is perfect.

 

Balls

[KTS]

what's the bracket for inside the sill - did GT's have extra jacking points ?

[Ben_O]

what's the bracket for inside the sill - did GT's have extra jacking points ?

Its a reinforcement bracket.

I believe they were also used in the factory to attach straps to for lifting and moving the shell hence the captive nut

Cheers

 

Ben

[miniireland]

Right, the arches are now sorted.

Here is the other side finished

 

 

 

And I sorted out the gap at the front of the door too

 

 

It sits slightly low to the A panel at the top but it's a huge improvement over what it was without major surgery and the other door is exactly the same. Actually so are the doors on my highly original Sportspack cooper..

 

Anyway, doors off and a good clean out. I must have removed half a bucket of sand even now!

 

 

 

 

 

 

The plan next was to get thew car onto the spit so the pink one had to come off and this one went on

 

 

Now I can get my first proper look underneath

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pretty good. I thought I would just sort out the minor repair to the flitch and then get on with the prep

 

 

However I didn't notice this before

 

 

Or this

 

 

Only one thing to do with this

 

 

 

 

 

It seems to have been caused by the front edge of the sill taking a thump at some point ( the step and sill were pushed up at the front) which seems to have opened up the flitch/sill join and let water in and spread.

The other side is perfect.

 

Balls

is that a date stamped into the front corner

[Ben_O]

is that a date stamped into the front corner

 

 

 

I believe it is.

[Ben_O]

I have ordered a few bits to repair this with so whilst i waited, I trimmed back the repair area and removed the rest of the sill.

There was a small repair to do at the back of the inner sill under the fold of the heel board but other than that, everything was really nicely coated in a waxy coating which once washed off, left nice clean metal.

 

 

 

 

I have almost finished the prep work on the inside of the shell. Mostly sanding the etch primer back smooth and scotchbriteing the fiddly areas.

 

Ill pop up some pics tomorrow once it's finished.

 

Cheers

 

Ben

[johnR]

A masterclass as always!