68 replies to this topic

[GraemeC]

M-machine are very good, but also very old school. Despite where you are, the telephone is by far your best option.

[Vudu]

Thanks for the tip, GraemeC. In the meantime, I found that some of the panels I had saved to order from MiniSport were M-Machine. Checking the price difference but if its close, I'll give my business to MiniSport.

[Vudu]

Another rainy weekend so my attention has been focused on smaller projects. Today I've been dividing my time between stripping one of the cargo doors, cleaning the engine bay of the '79 and rebuilding it's carb.

 

Seems as though the dipstick on the '79 has been flopping about and I suspect that issue is responsible for more than a little of the oily mess under the bonnet.

IMG_7722 by vudufl, on Flickr

 

In keeping with the rest of the vehicle, the first layer of paint removal from the cargo doors revealed yet another color in it's history. It looks a bit like Java Green, the color on my '79 but I don't dare get it too close to that paint for a comparison.

NIRM7096 by vudufl, on Flickr

[Mini Waco]

Hey Vudu.. Perhaps like yourself, I don't have an international calling plan therefore I have to rely on email to M-Machine as well.  I'm told they are wonderful old school and very good.  With that said, you may try to reach them via WhatsApp as we can call direct overseas..    I have not tried that yet.  However as you have found, you can get M-Machine parts elsewhere..  here is what I have found.

 

Mini Spares:  Part Numbers beginning with:
‘MS’ – indicates mostly aftermarket from Magnum or M-Machine.  There is no way to determine whether Magnum or M-Machine so you must contact them if you want one or the other
‘ALA’ – indicates mostly Heritage, unless ending with ‘MS’ which denotes aftermarket
‘HMP’ – indicates Heritage
‘M’ or ‘MSP’ – indicates Mini Spares own re-engineered panels.  I know nothing at all about these panels…

Mini Sport:  Part Numbers beginning with:
’40-xx’ - indicate Magnum panels
‘MCR’ – usually indicates M-Machine panels
‘14A’ or ‘HMP’ or ‘CZH’ indicates Heritage panels

[Vudu]

Mini Waco - huge thanks for the insight into the retailers’ part numbers. With that new info in mind, I’m going to review my parts list.

[Vudu]

Momentum was slowed by a week long business trip but some progress has been made.

 

I received a set of wheels I purchased through eBay. They're 13x6 GT aluminum wheels made by M.A.G. Industries sometime in the 70s. Condition is really good (no curb rash) but I'm going to refinish them regardless. 

 

IMG_7747 by vudufl, on Flickr

 

IMG_7746 by vudufl, on Flickr

 

The unusual styling of the centers seems to have been influenced by Lamborghini Miura wheels of the late 60s / early 70s. I'm going to bead blast the wheels and paint them with a matte metallic finish, hopefully something that looks a bit like aged magnesium wheels. This treatment combined with some other details will serve my goal of bringing in a touch of outlaw Porsche styling to the van. I'm still working on some Photoshop design studies to sort through all of the ideas but I'm getting excited by the possibilities. It surely won't look like any other Mini van I've ever seen.

[Vudu]

First step; a session in the blasting cabinet. The bead blasting made short work of the paint however there is still some finishing work I’m going to do before spraying them in a matte metallic grey (like aged magnesium wheels).

Untitled by vudufl, on Flickr

Untitled by vudufl, on Flickr

Already they look 100% better.

As previously noted, the design of the wheel centers seems influenced by Lamborghini Miura wheels.
6033188099_d913e93d86_b by vudufl, on Flickr
p40059 by vudufl, on Flickr

I’m looking into designing a 2 or 3 bar faux knock-off in the computer, having a prototype 3D printed and then cast in aluminum with a little machine work to finish it off.

[Vinay-RS]

Those wheels are gorgeous! Keen to see them fitted to the van. The centres will be a neat touch too. I bet you could get someone to mill them out of a billet of aluminium. 

[REVVIT]

Exactly the route im going..big fan of rough cast wheels..managed to find a tired set of early rose petals which will receive the same treatment including some interesting centers..   

[Vudu]

Its been a while since I posted an update but things have still been progressing. The '69 Austin Healey Sprite I purchased earlier this Spring has occupied a lot of my free time but I'm not playing favorites (the Sprite just needs some mechanical freshening up for safe summertime motoring...the van is a deep dive project)

 

IMG_7771 by vudufl, on Flickr

 

I picked up the custom subframe built by McGee Custom Minis for the Honda D16 swap. Custom axles, header intake and other goodies were purchased as well.

 

IMG_7989 by vudufl, on Flickr

 

Also finding their way back to my shop were a pair of internal hinge doors and the door jambs...no more external hinges for this little hauler.

 

The doors are one of the features that I think will really differentiate the build from a lot of other vans but I've got some much bigger and much more radical mods planned. I worked up some renderings and now I can't get this plan built fast enough! Going to keep the major features a secret for a bit.

 

One thing that did change from the prior plan involved the rolling stock. The GT alloys looked great after some bead blasting...in fact, they look so nice that I decided to put them on the Sprite now.

 

IMG_7894 by vudufl, on Flickr

 

In their place, the van will now be sporting a racier looking set of shoes.

 

IMG_7986 by vudufl, on Flickr

 

 

In about 2 weeks the van will be taken to the blasters' shop to finish the stripping of the interior, underside and the engine bay. After everything is fresh and clean, it'll be sealed up in epoxy primer before making the trip back to the home shop. At that point the story will be quite repetitive: cut, weld, repeat.

[Vudu]

Overdue update...

 

Cycling and landscaping have been dominate features of this summer however there has been some progress on the van.

 

I purchased a rotisserie for use with the van project, eventually the '91 saloon and the '69 Sprite. Currently, I'm modifying the structure to accommodate some casters. Now it's time to drop the front and rear subframes.

 

IMG_8156 by vudufl, on Flickr

 

I started on the rear but progress was halted by two bolts. One bolt has a completely rounded off head and will have to be drilled out. The second one, one of the four heelboard bolts, is just spinning which leads me to believe that the captive nut has broken loose and the two of them are just twirling away. Fortunately, the lower quarter panels are going to be replaced so I'll be able to cut a hole and gain access to the nut.

 

IMG_8157 by vudufl, on Flickr

 

IMG_8158 by vudufl, on Flickr

Edited by Vudu, 26 August 2019 - 10:12 PM.

[Magneto]

My daughter lives just down the road from you in Hendersonville, I love that part of North Carolina!

 

I'll be over that way early in October for the CMU 60......

[Vudu]

My daughter lives just down the road from you in Hendersonville, I love that part of North Carolina!

 

I'll be over that way early in October for the CMU 60......

I'm just a couple of exits away from Hendersonville. Thinking about taking my '79 Mini to the CMU 60th.

[Magneto]

Cool, see you there!

[Vudu]

One down and one to go...

This weekend found me disassembling 2 internal hinge doors and addressing the rear subframe removal which had been hung up but two problem bolts.

A Craftsman bolt extractor kit made short work of the bolt with the rounded off head while a small hole cut into the quarter panel gave me access to the hidden nut spinning free with the other bolt.

IMG_8177 by vudufl

After clipping out the crusty, old emergency brake cable, everything was free to drop away. Victory.

IMG_8178 by vudufl, on Flickr

The clear view is not so pretty. The heel board is fine but the load deck supports look rather suspect. A more accurate assessment can be made once it gets back from the blasters and is mounted up to the rotisserie.

IMG_8179 by vudufl, on Flickr

IMG_8183 by vudufl, on Flickr

IMG_8181 by vudufl, on Flickr

Edited by Vudu, 02 September 2019 - 11:21 PM.