A year later and the restoration continues (from September), health issues meant an enforced 6-month break so obviously the Mini 60th wasn't possible.
The amount of time and effort that went into the Elf by Messrs Bodge-It & Scarper still manages to amaze me, each footwell was a jigsaw of irregular patches, with several weld runs to create a “join” even if the welds didn’t actually meet; plate sections attached over previous rusty pieces with some plate to plate welds resembling the mask worn by Anthony Hopkins in “The Silence of the Lambs”.
Some progress - the engine was lifted out and been treated to a duplex timing chain and clutch followed by a fresh coat of MOWOG Green, the engine bay has been cleaned and repainted, also the roof, wings, boot-lid and bonnet sanded and primed; the passenger footwell has been replaced as has the footboard section of the wheel arch;
intention was then to move on to the driver’s side, but when the multi-layer bodging became apparent, along with the overcill hiding serious rot in the original cill, it was decided to remove the overcill along it’s length to get a better view of the driver’s side - holes in the floor adjacent to and in the heelboard as well as a springy boot floor with yet more poultices in the corners and next to the wheel arches, the next train of thought was to lower the rear subframe to allow better access.
A motorcycle scissor-jack (well worth £95)with a large pad was placed under the subframe, then the trunnion bolts were removed. (They had been treated to copious amounts of wd-40 beforehand and came out fairly easily.) Once the springs were disconnected, the subframe was lowered on the scissor-jack.
The hydrolastic system is still connected and pressurised, so the pipework was eased out of the retaining channel and clips beforehand. The subframe itself appears to be fairly sound though it will be given a serious going over with a wire brush to reveal its true condition.
The battery box has also been removed, the final location for the battery has yet to be confirmed, but it won’t be underneath!
