697 replies to this topic

[Jammy]

Now now hun, you should know thats not your seat. Your seat is the back seat!

[*Raz*]

.... get on with putting the seats in then

Raz xxx

[CharlieBrown]

Family Forum!!!!

[Jammy]

Spoil sport!!

Ok, to bring you guys up to date...

Now I had the Minus on my drive, I'd cleared the water out of the floorpans (which hadn't caused it to rust in any way... ), and had got started on ripping the rear subframe off. When I had gone to view the Minus I had originally planned to keep the rear subby, and just paint it up, but after I realised the radius arms and brakes needed a complete overhaul I decided to swap it with the already built one I happened to have in my garage.

All went well apart from one bolt (there are no captive nuts on the Minus, so the front mountings have bolts that go through the body, and the nut goes on the outside). Anyway, the top bolt on the passenger side had got itself stuck inside the mount, even after lots of heat (had to be careful not to melt the car!!) and mucho banging I went and got my hacksaw. One careful incision later and the old subby was off and new one on!

~~~

[Jammy]

Next thing to do (as with most of my projects) was to start buying things!! I'd heard Bill Richards were braking a mini so one phone call to him and I soon had the first of my goodies. One Steel Utralite flywheel, with balanced Steel backplate, and orange diaphragm, a set of 10x5 Wellers in very good condition, one set of 8.4" KAD 4 pots and a HIF44 carb. I won't make people cry by saying how much I paid, but in total I paid less than what the KADs cost new...

That weekend was Southern Mini Days, I must say I was disappointed at the lack of bargains that were to be had, needless to say I tried to haggle people down on everything I bought! Purchases included a quick rack (later turned out to be a re-conditioned standard rack!), a set of 10x6 Wellers, rear window seals, Mk1 grille and surround, a set of Yoko A032r tyres and a few other bits and bobs. This spending spree having been funded by a lovely £750 bank charge refund I had recieved that Saturday. God knows how I managed to spend most of it that weekend!

Got home and realised I hadn't got a lot of the stuff I actually needed! So a brief discussion with Simon @ Minispares and another order was placed:

~~~

This order saw me gain a Maniflow Stg 2 exhaust manifold, RC40 side exit system, heater and cooling hoses, new CVs, various bushes, a brand new Mk1 wavy grille and surround, 2 new doughnuts, new wipers, a new grease gun, new brake discs, a spacer kit and a few other bits.

[Jammy]

Now I had to actually start doing things!! Baring in mind 'doing things' was pretty new territory for me! I'm used to just buying stuff and looking at it in my garage! Anyway, the first thing I decided to do was change the flywheel on my 1275, to my nice shiny Utralite one, swapping the Verto clutch for a pre-Verto at the same time:

Flywheel and clutch dry assembled and correctly spacered:

Old vs. New

~~~

[Jammy]

Next job was to change the steering rack, and sort out the front suspension. So off I go and spend most of the morning unbolting the subframe, lowering it a few inches and struggling to get the old rack out and the new one in. I finally do it, but its not been easy. Then, after re-attaching the steering column I realise that the rack has 2.7 turns (standard) and not the 2.25 that I originally wanted (quick rack). Never mind I thought, after all that hassle I'll just leave it on.

So now I come to change the front cones, get my compressor tool out, and clear the area on the bulkhead crossmember so I can get the tool in. Alas, it seems on my minus, with its twin bolt subframe, I can't use the tool as it has no third hole through which to put the threaded bar. Off comes the subframe then, and I laugh as I realise how much easier it would now be to change the steering rack!

Anyway, long story short, I get a MK1 rack (2.25 turns) from Minidaves, along with a few other bits and bobs, the subframe is given a good clean whilst its off the car, and new knuckles and top arm bushes and put in place!

The cleaned up subframe minus lower arms and tie-rods goes back in, ready for the engine.

Later that week it mostly rains, so I spent a number of evenings nice and dry in the garage reconditioning a set of disc assemblies I have with new balljoints, discs and CVs. I had major trouble getting the hub nut off one side (myself and my dad pushing down on a breaker bar and scaffold pole didn't budge it!), luckily I had a spare assy for that side!

[8vAlan]

smart! lookin good any idea of the colour yet?

[Jammy]

So, after a loooooooong day, the engine is finally in, ready for the wiring to be looked at the day after and try and get it started!

Actually, I think once the engine was in I then went back to the suspension. See, my last trip over to Bill Richards had seen me rob a mini of a number of goodies, but a couple of things they needed to keep on it (to keep it moveable) were rose jointed tie-rods, and I'd recently purchased the new forged one peice rose jointed lower arms from MS. So now I had both of these things I went about putting the front suspension together. The lower arms and tie-rods went on (the tie-rod bushes confused me) and then the complete hub assemblies.

It was a nervous moment as I bolted on the KAD calipers, put the wheel spacer on, and then the wheel. See I'd spent a fair whack of money hedging my bets on the fact that I could get the 10x6 Wellers over the 8.4" calipers! Well, with a 1" spacer they fit, its tight, but there is a good 7-10mm clearance, so its enough for me to not worry about it. With the offset of the wheel, and the spacer its moved the disc completely outside the wheel, which isn't ideal, but I'll live with it for now.

~~~

Now the front suspension was all bolted up I went to try and get the wheels pointed straight. Now I refer you back to the bit about bolting on a Mk1 rack, which I had been told was exactly the same as a later rack, apart from the turns. Well with the track rods wound out as far as I would like the wheels were VERY much toe-out still. Problem, so I bought the longer Triumph Spitfire track rods, however I still don't blelieve these would be long enough. Now, I've recently learnt that with rose jointed tie-rods you don't use bushes! So, I've now taken the bushes out, and one of my next jobs is to fit the lower track rods and see where I can get the tracking then!

Right, well that brings us up to about a week and a half before BH2N 2007, will I get it ready in time?!? Nobody knows....

Tune in next time for more Mr Hoskins the Hastily put together Minus

[Jammy]

smart! lookin good any idea of the colour yet?

Nah, not sure on colour yet, at the moment I cba to paint it, its not like the paint will protect it much anyway, or that it'll rust without paint!

[alexcrosse]

smart! lookin good any idea of the colour yet?

Nah, not sure on colour yet, at the moment I cba to paint it, its not like the paint will protect it much anyway, or that it'll rust without paint!

im gonna come along with some brown paint and a sponge and put rust on it though mate So i wouldnt bother paying for an expensive jobby.

Do it like those splitty campers that are painted to looks rusty! that would be mad.

[howson02]

Those KAD brakes looking faptalicious!

Keep up the good work!

[8vAlan]

Do it like those splitty campers that are painted to looks rusty! that would be mad.

yeah! that would look spot on!!!

[mini93]

id say leave it as it is paint wise, the flaking paint sets the understated style off and the RUSTed boot....well same goes

[D.Cooper]

Or paint it old english white and the arches in black