664 replies to this topic

[M44K TS]

Cheers mate, glad it's getting positive comments!

I like the look of the Mini badge, i think i'm 90% certain that's what i'm going for. With regards to the wiring, it's not perfect, but the idea was to have it looking as neat and profesional as possible.

Bit of an update, after realising i didn't have the circlips to build the door mechanism's back up, i made quick dash to screwfix (god i love that place, like Argos for blokes!) and bought a pack of all different sizes, you never know when you need things like that!

So set about putting them back together. I've got to say, i wasn't looking forward to doing it as i had forgot how everything came apart, but luckily, it's self explanitary and i had atleast bagged up and marked the different bolts/screws when i had taken them to bits so it made it easier. Like i said previously, the plan was to have the door cards back on, but i still need to drill the doors to fit the remote locking, so to save risking snapping the new door panel clips, i'll leave them off until they're back on the car.

So here we have it, 2 practically brand new doors with functioning mechanisms and locks! (My mother wasn't very happy about doing them in the conservatory on the brand new carpet though!)






I also decide it would be a good idea to fit the new runner to the drivers side window as the old one had rusted and fell off. Not a job for the faint hearted as it involved a hammer and a cloth to get it to go on as it's such a tight fit, at one point, i was expecting to smash the glass trying! (Also, the tints are coming off too)





Tomorrow night's job is to:
a, find the central locking levers from the passenger side door as it's gone walkabouts, and if so...
b, fit the central locking!

[M44K TS]

Tiny update, many thanks to Mark @ LCS for sorting a set of Hertz compnent speakers out for me, hop eot have them fitted by the weekend, so they should sound nice...



They certainly look the part!

[M44K TS]

Tiny update, doors are built back up, new remote locking motors fitted and tested, on the whole, very easy job to do. I had been putting off doing them as i thought they were going to be a total PITA a didn't have any templates to work off of where to drill etc, just a vague memory of how they went in on the old doors, but they were really easy to put togetehr (not that there's much to put in!)

Some pics of the mechanism.

Took more than one attempt to get the position of the actuator in the right place lol

Levers attatched - Job done!




I also fitted the speakers i bought from Mark @ LCS, i've got to say, one of the best sounding speakers i have ever heard, the quality is unreal, and that was without them being ampped and without the crossovers. They sounded good despite no back window being in the car too, so i made a makeshift window using the door card, and they sounded even better. I have nothing but praise for them. I'm on the lookout of some coaxials to sort of match for the fronts.

Tomorrows job is to attatch the doors to the car, then fit the glass, after that, i need to get the dash back out, fit the front speaker pods then move onto extending the headlight wiring for the passenegr side headlight and indicator as they're a little bit too short, then i need to attatch the ew plug onto the indicator wiring so they can be unplugged easy.

[M44K TS]

Got cracking this morning, managed to get the doors on and lined up. Passenger door might need a tiny bit of adjustment, but i'll see if Green & White can do that. (only took pics of the drivers door.)

Also got the glass in, driver side was fine to put in, but for some reason the passenger side is a total *woman of ill repute* to get right, the glass sort of gets stuck half way up, and the regulator doesn't want to line up with the door itself.




Temp. fitted the door cappings too, they should look good when the door is fully built back up.


So, i'm back off over to see if i can get the front speaker pods fitted and the new rear speakers wired up with the crossovers etc.

[M44K TS]

Well, went back over this afternoon to do a couple of more things in the car, but just ended up fitting the new rear speakers.

So, here we have it.


Components on the rear shelf, i know it's an odd place for the tweeters, but the sound stage sounds good. I was gonna split the speaker wiring behind the head unit, run into the crossovers behind the dash, fit the tweeters on the a pillars, then utilise the original speaker cables to the rears for the woofers, but the speakers sounded a bit flat without the tweeters beside them. So spent a while getting the angles of the tweeters right, fit the crossovers to the underside of the rear shelf (PITA to do as i was working upside down with the bootlid in the way!) and now they sound good.....

Or atleast they did! Shortly after i fitted them, the headunit output seems to $have had it. Not getting any output front or rear from the headunit, but i do get a slight pop from the rears when i first switch the headunit on, i've also lost my sidelights! Hopefully, it will be something stupid like a fuse or a bad connection. I think i'll take off the crossovers, basically back track what i did and see if that sorts it.

[M44K TS]

Decided i should get cracking finishing the paint on the engine and calipers, saying as it's going in next week to have the work done, (4 pots, engine, rear brakes, suspension etc).

So, deciding that the satin black looked crap, i invested in some gloss black instead.

So, gave the engine a quick coat, it needs a 2nd for the bits i've missed, (not that you'll see them when it's in the car)


The rocker cover, coil, water pump and thermostat housing will get replaced soon, so not bothered what they look like for now.

Also the calipers, only pics i have haven't came out that good, they actually look alot better thanin the pics, (doesn't help i took pics half way through painting them, when they're dry, i'll get some better ones)




I think i'll do the AP logo's solver too, again, not that you'll see them.

I also found the safety catch off the bonnet, and the spike with the spring, just need to fit those, then find somwhere that sells the bonnet catch that bolts to the slam panel as Mini spares seem to be out of stock of what i need!

[M44K TS]

Had yet another delivery today (i'd hate to think how much i've spent so far!)

My front speakers.

Hertz Coaxials DCX 165



Also, some better pics of the 4 pots now they've had 2 coats






Quite happy how they turned out. I'm off over tonight to see if i can get the sidelights working again, and going to try and sort why the headunit sound output has stopped working Might even fit the speaker pods and new speakers too.

[M44K TS]

Yay!!! My speakers work!

Turns out that when i slotted the speakers into the shelf, the terminals ended up shorting onto the exposed metal, so lined the speaker cutouts with clot tape to insulate them, quite an easy fix, i was relieved!

Took the oppourtunity to replace the battery earth strap too as the original was starting to split due to being on and off the battery so many times.

Still haven't looked into sorting the sidelights though, i'll do that Saturday when i can pull the car out of the garage and check all the fuses etc. Just seems strange that the headlights still work, but the sidelights/dash lights etc don't.

[bamby]

from memory the sidelights and the dash lights are on the smae circuit, however the headlights are on a different curcuit.. so that might explain it, when its gone on mine its usually been one of the inline fuses.

Still hope you get it sorted. The mini is really starting to come together and looks really nice, i do like your rear headrests how have you secured them in the rear parcle shelf.? thanks

[Saxo-Fiesta-Mini]

lookin good great work

[M44K TS]

Cheers Saxo, i've been meaning to have a butchers at your project thread... *heads off for a nosey about*

Bamby - I have already repaired one fault on the factory sidelight wiring termination where the 4 wires connect (dash, tail, front sidelights and feed for the rear fog light) in the main loom on the o/s inner wing. I'll check the inline fuses though, sounds blatantly obvious now you've mentioned it

The headrests, well, i still need to find a way of securing them as at the minute, they're just slotted through the rear shelf, they're quite a tight fit, but i'm thinking a couple of small jubilee clips on the underside to hold them a bit tighter or even some of the plastic inserts that go into the front seats on most Rovers that the headrests slot into might work too. Just a case of finding 4 of them from a breakers and enlarging the holes to suit.

[M44K TS]

Managed to extend the n/s headlight wiring as it as about 8 inches too short for some bizarre reason, also, fitted the other half of the plug for the n/s front indicator so they're all wired up and working like they should.

Also looked into why i had no sidelights, after testing through the wiring a few times, stripping the wiring joint i made a few weeks ago, i found that the permenant live that runs from the starter solenoid up to the fusebox had came off the terminal at the fusebox, plugged it back in, and everything worked again!

Such a satisfying sight!


Also, i fitted the chrome bezles to the air vents on the dash. I have another pair for the center console once i modify the front of the heater so the vents fit.

[M44K TS]

Sneaky vid, my mate couldn't find reverse though



Exhaust will be changed to a side exit at some point, but what would be the best for a 1275 with a bit livlier cam?

[M44K TS]

Made friends with a router today, the speaker pods were too small for the new speakers, so had a play with the router to get them to fit. Took ages to get the vinyl off the pods, but they're all ready to go in the car now...



So, that's one less thing to do. This list is getting smaller!

[M44K TS]

Tommorow is D-Day! The car goes in to get the remaining 'big jobs' sorted....

Which are:

Engine swap for the 1275 with a bit livlier cam if i can.
4 pots
Hi-Lo's - will determin if i need to chop the front arches.
New rear brakes as they're semi-seized, the handbrake still hold the car ok, but it drags quite a bit, hopefully a full overhaul will sort that
Arches will be getting fitted after the Hi-Lo's go on
Front and rear screens will be going in too. I could have fitted them myself, but don't want to risk smasing them.

So tonight's job will be to tidy out anything that doesn't need to be in the car, fit the rear 1/4 glass and make sure everything i need to take with the car, is in the car so i don't forget anything!

So hopefully, the car should be back with me, either the end of this week, or next, then it's a few small jobs to do then HOPEFULLY, should be ready for an MOT.