939 replies to this topic

[Viktor]

Hi all,

 

I'm starting this post to show the progress on my mini restoration. I bought the car around a month ago, and since then I have been working on it just a few hours over the weekends. At this pace I guess it might be completed by 2025! ;)

 

So here she is the first day of the project:

All I managed to do the first day was to remove the front grille to repair a couple of loose slats.  The slats are still loose, and the grille is in a box...

The following day I decided to remove the seats to assess the rust situation inside the car. The seats were in bad condition, but I would like to restore the upholstery, as it is quite nice and all original.

The floors are in bad condition (not a surprise) and would need new panels throughout.

After that I moved to the boot and removed the spare tyre and the battery, and surprise, surprise!!!

The floor is also rusted in the wheel arch.

The boot stank of petrol, so I guessed there was a hole on the fuel tank, which I confirmed later on.

That was my first weekend with her, a couple of rust surprises, but with these cars is normal, isn't it?

Edited by Viktor, 12 December 2020 - 07:06 PM.

[Gilles1000]

Great car and it looks like a nice project!

 

Loving the color scheme of it!

 

One can ask itself how the battery still stays in the tray with that amount of rust...

 

What are your plans for it?

[MacGyver]

Nice little find! 😃
Will be watching with interest!

I too have baught a 76 mini, two weeks ago,in a similar state.
It's an Authi tho. 😅

[Viktor]

Great car and it looks like a nice project!

 

Loving the color scheme of it!

 

One can ask itself how the battery still stays in the tray with that amount of rust...

 

What are your plans for it?

Hi Guilles, thanks for your comment. I cannot agree more, the colour scheme in this car is superb. I guess the battery was holding itself with the battery cables, there was no support underneath! When I bought the car, she runs and drives and I drove her for a few miles. I was lucky enough for not losing the battery in the middle of the road!

 

Well my plans are to restore this old lady to its original factory condition, trying to keep as many original parts as I can. New panels would be required here and there, but I would keep it all original. She is a beauty now, so imagine once the project is completed. Programme of works below:

 

1- Bodywork and rust. New floors and other panels. I would give it a try at welding, but only small parts. Floors I guess I will take it to the shop to get it done. Full respray on its original colour, including the broze stripes on the sides.

2- Engine rebuild. What people think about converting it to unleaded fuel? Thoughts please?

3- Convert front brakes to disks. I wonder what people think about this? Will this take away its originality? Just thinking on improving safety when driving the car, food for thought...

4- Interior rebuild. The upholstery is in bad condition, but this is one of the key features of this model, so any ideas about how to restore this interior?

 

Thanks!

[Viktor]

Nice little find!
Will be watching with interest!

I too have baught a 76 mini, two weeks ago,in a similar state.
It's an Authi tho.

Hi MacGyver, thanks for watching. I will be adding more photos of the process every weekend! Congrats on your mini, that is a nice year indeed! 

Apologies for the silly question, but what's an Authi? Cheers

[steeley]

https://www.aronline.co.uk/cars/authi/

[MacGyver]

Hi MacGyver, thanks for watching. I will be adding more photos of the process every weekend! Congrats on your mini, that is a nice year indeed!
Apologies for the silly question, but what's an Authi? Cheers

As said above, it's a Spanish built mini.
I'd never seen one before, mini was sold in Switzerland so never would have expected it to be from there.
Hope you don't mind me posting a picture. 😁  _20201213_095712.JPG   70.86K   21 downloads
 _20201213_100110.JPG   56.77K   17 downloads

[MacGyver]

Oups...

Edited by MacGyver, 13 December 2020 - 09:04 AM.

[Gilles1000]

 

Great car and it looks like a nice project!

 

Loving the color scheme of it!

 

One can ask itself how the battery still stays in the tray with that amount of rust...

 

What are your plans for it?

Hi Guilles, thanks for your comment. I cannot agree more, the colour scheme in this car is superb. I guess the battery was holding itself with the battery cables, there was no support underneath! When I bought the car, she runs and drives and I drove her for a few miles. I was lucky enough for not losing the battery in the middle of the road!

 

Well my plans are to restore this old lady to its original factory condition, trying to keep as many original parts as I can. New panels would be required here and there, but I would keep it all original. She is a beauty now, so imagine once the project is completed. Programme of works below:

 

1- Bodywork and rust. New floors and other panels. I would give it a try at welding, but only small parts. Floors I guess I will take it to the shop to get it done. Full respray on its original colour, including the broze stripes on the sides.

2- Engine rebuild. What people think about converting it to unleaded fuel? Thoughts please?

3- Convert front brakes to disks. I wonder what people think about this? Will this take away its originality? Just thinking on improving safety when driving the car, food for thought...

4- Interior rebuild. The upholstery is in bad condition, but this is one of the key features of this model, so any ideas about how to restore this interior?

 

Thanks!

 

 

Looks great!

My thoughts about your plan:

1) agree. Altough once you remove the floors, there is usually more rust to be found on the surrounds (I am thinkinig of your boot corner...)

2) If you are able to do that, I would. On the same time you could cut bigger seats fot the valves and get some extra HP as the original head is not the most efficcient ;) Or get another head that you can modify and keep the original...

3) I am doing that on mine. Main reason is I build a fast road, so brake power is important, and I do not want having to check the brakes every two months... It will also not worsen the originality of the car a it is a common improvement and you can always switch back to original if wanted. But take the 7.5" setup to keep the 10" wheels

4) Clean it in a first step and decide then? It doesn't look that bad beside the rear seat base.

 

Cheers

[some1158]

In terms of the seats, the fabric may clean up, and new foam, diaphragms etc (etc) in the seats should take out the sagginess/creases in the fabric to some extent. If the fabric has come away from the vinyl sides, they can be rejoined (I have done this in my 1989)

 

If you need new fabric, try Newton Commercial though they tend not to have the rarer designs. The same fabric was used in 1970s MGBs (usually in grey but sometimes in orange) so nosing around an MGB forum might help as MG owners tend to take out the stripy deckchair seats and reupholster in leather so someone may be selling/binning a set which you could adapt.

[Viktor]

https://www.aronline.co.uk/cars/authi/

Thanks for the info! I'm originally from Spain and have no idea about that! 

[Viktor]

 

Hi MacGyver, thanks for watching. I will be adding more photos of the process every weekend! Congrats on your mini, that is a nice year indeed!
Apologies for the silly question, but what's an Authi? Cheers

As said above, it's a Spanish built mini.
I'd never seen one before, mini was sold in Switzerland so never would have expected it to be from there.
Hope you don't mind me posting a picture. _20201213_095712.JPG
_20201213_100110.JPG

 

Wow! lovely colour and built in my home country, nice!

[Viktor]

 

 

Great car and it looks like a nice project!

 

Loving the color scheme of it!

 

One can ask itself how the battery still stays in the tray with that amount of rust...

 

What are your plans for it?

Hi Guilles, thanks for your comment. I cannot agree more, the colour scheme in this car is superb. I guess the battery was holding itself with the battery cables, there was no support underneath! When I bought the car, she runs and drives and I drove her for a few miles. I was lucky enough for not losing the battery in the middle of the road!

 

Well my plans are to restore this old lady to its original factory condition, trying to keep as many original parts as I can. New panels would be required here and there, but I would keep it all original. She is a beauty now, so imagine once the project is completed. Programme of works below:

 

1- Bodywork and rust. New floors and other panels. I would give it a try at welding, but only small parts. Floors I guess I will take it to the shop to get it done. Full respray on its original colour, including the broze stripes on the sides.

2- Engine rebuild. What people think about converting it to unleaded fuel? Thoughts please?

3- Convert front brakes to disks. I wonder what people think about this? Will this take away its originality? Just thinking on improving safety when driving the car, food for thought...

4- Interior rebuild. The upholstery is in bad condition, but this is one of the key features of this model, so any ideas about how to restore this interior?

 

Thanks!

 

 

Looks great!

My thoughts about your plan:

1) agree. Altough once you remove the floors, there is usually more rust to be found on the surrounds (I am thinkinig of your boot corner...)

2) If you are able to do that, I would. On the same time you could cut bigger seats fot the valves and get some extra HP as the original head is not the most efficcient ;) Or get another head that you can modify and keep the original...

3) I am doing that on mine. Main reason is I build a fast road, so brake power is important, and I do not want having to check the brakes every two months... It will also not worsen the originality of the car a it is a common improvement and you can always switch back to original if wanted. But take the 7.5" setup to keep the 10" wheels

4) Clean it in a first step and decide then? It doesn't look that bad beside the rear seat base.

 

Cheers

 

Thanks mate, that is helpful. 

1- I have already found more rusted areas, so I might need to do some more pieces other than the floors, unfortunately. But, where's the fun if there's no rust?

2- I have never done an engine, but I'm willing to give it a try! I will get some info and advice, before doing anything to it. Thanks!

3- Definitely something to do to improve the braking power and safety. Thanks for the tip about the 7.5" setup!

4 - I would do that, see how it comes after the clean. The problem is that the vinyl is all broken because of the sun, so that needs replacing anyway!

[Viktor]

In terms of the seats, the fabric may clean up, and new foam, diaphragms etc (etc) in the seats should take out the sagginess/creases in the fabric to some extent. If the fabric has come away from the vinyl sides, they can be rejoined (I have done this in my 1989)

 

If you need new fabric, try Newton Commercial though they tend not to have the rarer designs. The same fabric was used in 1970s MGBs (usually in grey but sometimes in orange) so nosing around an MGB forum might help as MG owners tend to take out the stripy deckchair seats and reupholster in leather so someone may be selling/binning a set which you could adapt.

Hi some1158,

Thanks for your advice, I will keep an eye on the MG sites, to see if something come up that I can use. Are the MG seats the same dimensions as the Mini? Front anrd rear? Thanks.

Cheers

[MacGyver]

This site near you might be useful too. 😊
https://recambiosenriquesanchez.com/