776 replies to this topic

[AndyMiniMad.]

Wooo..... your not doing things by halves are you. Just read this thread all the way through. Nice work!!

[mini93]

just cant be doing with the bodges and plus if im going through the hassle of making my own suspension i dont want a haggard shell... its hardly a big hassle in the end, the stuff thats happened with this car before
as nice as its going to be in the end, theres bugger all left i bought it for really

[mini93]

the fact i havent updated this since mid-april shows how busy work has been must have done nearly 5000 miles including trips to riv run ,scotlands for the Jim Clark rally, numerious trips to engine builder and snetterton... sure theres probably more too.

anyway, means i havent got as much as id have liked done to the mini... iv done a little more last weekend but this weekend halted due to weather...lame!
so its not loads done... but hey, wet sunday i may well do something

spot welds all done, bit of a pain in the arse but its all done now!

almost placed up, just want to spend a touch more time prepping

bit narrow inside isnt it... still... it allows me to work

[george91]

Good work your getting there, any other panels your replacing?

[Bean]

Jesus christ, David!

Nice one!

[new_zealand _minis]

good work seeing you have no room in your shed !

[mini93]

shed SHED ill have you know thats part of the house yes... perfect because mums car doesnt fit but its big enough to just about work on the mini unless you need both doors wide open and iv a nice stainless steel work bench at the back... which is covered in dust as i havent been down there in a while its a bit cramped in there at times, left myself a nice gap on the drivers side but drilling the spot welds on the passenger side was a touch cramped... but! its done and i WONT be doing that again lol untill i stack it and ill have to bend it back and then replace it

considing just having a complete year off this year from the mini shows n such and just nail away with the car... meaning yeah theres more pannels id like to delete/replace

the rear bulkhead need chopping up, with the amount of cage in there erasing that will be all fine and peachy, replace with aluminium and there it be, fuel spill proof enough as it needs to be

and of course, with all the lightening i still want more power anyway
Thanks guys!

Edited by mini93, 14 June 2011 - 04:49 PM.

[mini93]

Not alot happened in a while!


Thats what it looks like at the moment. Both sides are on now, ground down and just a few pin holes and gaps to re-weld.

People might have also noticed, once i got both sides welded on, i chopped out the rear firewall! Oh nooo i hear some cry but look how much rollcage there is in there, the shells not going to need what little extra strength that may have given.
One thing did become apparant when i had the N/S pannel off and also now i have the fire wall out, i need to borrow the porta-power from work as at some point in its rallying career its had a bash (or the trainee made this side of my rollcage )



The rear leg has been pushed back, some bird came and shat weld onto the leg and its not on the mount correctly.
Bit of jigging should see that pushed back and welded into correct place im sure... just to show what it should be like...


and i found a good excuse to fit new perspex windows

It never had a perspex rear window for some reason... i was going to get one anyway as the old windows are past their use by date... The rear window was sat on the roof and me chissling welds away i hear something slide off and BOOM!!!

[kcchan]

I really like this car for some reason. (I don't know if thats a compliment or an insult )

Edited by kcchan, 04 December 2011 - 12:55 PM.

[mini93]

haha im not sure either... thanks, tis nice but to be confused about it errrr

[george91]

Good to see your still working on it, i remember you saying you were going to chop the rear bulkhead, are you planning on putting anything back to separate the tank from the interior? Its looking good so far by the way.

[mini93]

Yep, will be making a 2 piece, 3 angled alluminium bulkhead, will need to be in at least 2 for getting around the rear rollcage bars, so thinking 2 parts, split and joined in the middle and just fill in sections rivited in place around the back side of the C pillers... i can see it in my head anyway!! Ally fuel tank in the book then too, just gotta decide where i want the filler because id still like the boot fairly useable if im going to shows or something

Now i had the 1/4's welded in i feel better about working on it anyway... when that was all i had to look forward to when working on the car i couldnt be bothered to do it. Im not a body work guy by any means. Still a pain tho, the rear seat belt holes and its ajoining strengthening took me bloomin hours to remove as they were seam welded in too rather than just spotted... thats how it is i guess!!

[MGBailey007]

love all the work, its looking good, im going to strip out my engine next winter

[mini93]

Thanks... i was considering re-doing the engine bay yet again but i think iv kinda persponed that along with the idea of getting it shot blastest and competly re-doing the under side. Where its been rallied before its kinda meant the floors a little mashed up in places and not looking as nice as id really like, albeit solid. Especialy the sills which have had stones flung at them and the vents have closed up. problem there being it has holes at the edges for sill stands so lineing those up will be a bit more of a pain but ill be able to check if they have been propperly reinfored like we do at work.
Engine side- the bulkhead will be pushed even further back too as i have loads of room behind the dash and still wiring still wants a bit of TLC, just straightening and wrapping nicly

so yes... thats right, even tho this restoration isnt over with, im already planning the next one... how mentals that!

[mini93]

love reading back and seeing how indecisive i am...


Guess whats happening here?

yep... all coming apart! (its also a damn tip!!!)
Also im rather disapointed, my steel doors have had a load cut out of them and they still feel heavy now iv got round to taking them off the car... good thing im planning fibreglass ones then!

Mostly today iv been having...FUN... with wiring though. When me and a friend built the loom we were in somewhat of a rush, this meant instead of wrapping it nicely behind the dash, its like a snakes orgy back there

as you can see!

so now im going to be spending a heap of time making it spankingly nice and wrapped. More than anything it will make it easier in the future to add/modify and should anything go wrong for any reason, fault find. im thinking some odd wires will need to be lengthened too from where iv previously moved the engine side loom slightly

Updates soon i hope!