776 replies to this topic

[TopCatCustom]

What is the point in the extra red bits of your roll cage- apart from a lot of extra weight? That will offset your weight savings and lightweight rear beam, plus add the weight at roof height which is the worst possible place to put weight...

[mini93]

No, thats what I will be removing from the current design, to replace with the coloured lines as shown in the picture... the different colours are there simply for clarification otherwise my most excelent MS paint skills will go to waste when all the lines blend into each other!
That said, the old design was proven to work as I've said earlier in the thread, its been rolled before and still roughly mini shaped

[AndrewMini]

loving this thread, just read the whole thing, took a while but was worth it! i have got so many ideas from this build for mine! hardly any of them will happen though due to costs!

[danny1]

any more progress on this?

[mini93]

Thanks Andrew! I cant say I imagined id be doing much of these things when i 1st bought this mini
And Nope, unfortunatly nothings happened recently
I collected my welder a few weekend back (its just a welder, I actually resisted taking a picture...kinda doesnt need to be seen for its just a tool haha)
So iv also been working unsociable hours to ensure completion of a work project. Hoping to be completed in a weeks time. After that i need to go welding gas hunting and i might be able to crack on.
One good thing about working a f*ck ton means over time pay! so this means i can throw some at the car.

Still need to collect my body work quotes

[mini93]

Got Southam mini and Metro centre popping over later to quote me on the body work list Goooood!

Im going to ask for 2 quotes from them, one being the full list and another quote for doing just the cage parts- the safety critical parts.
Not sure if they will prepair the quote for me on the spot or if it will take a few days

[danny1]

about time we saw some progress on this :)

[mini93]

Thats true! its been 2 and half years since i last drove it now super uber mega lame!

Someone from Southam popped by earlier though. Had a butchers and is going to hopefully have a quote for me by the end of the week... I dont even know a ball part figure so who knows if ill even be able to afford it yet!

[danny1]

ahhh, ive got mine to the stage were im sending it for paint middle of next week now, been told im being sent to dubia for 6 months in june, so pulled my thumb out and got mine done

[mini93]

I havent had a chance over the last month to touch it at all, worked pretty much every day doing over time galore.

So following reciept of the quote ill decide what to do from there. Like i said, iv asked for 2 quotes, one doing the full list and one doing just the rollcage pieces so if I send the shell away just to do the rollcage bits ill start chissling away at the pannel work list myself, just need to get some welding gas!
If i send the shell for the full list iv still got the subframe to crack on with and the engine to start lightening....

But for now... i wait

[mini93]

Pictures, just because i can... Door resting in place as they were sat in my bed-room and i wanted them out of there
I do like the carbony goodness

[mini93]

Quote recieved... oh my golly gosh...
Im going to just carry on myself. Its kinda painted a picture that even if i were to get welding gas tomorrow from BOC, rent a unit so that i no longer get hassled by my annoying neighbour and buy myself a spit to rotate the car on, it will still come out cheaper than the quote i've recieved
One can only assume because its the start of motorsport season and their held in high regard for the finish on the body work is why they have put so much time on it.
But unfortunatly, i cannay afford it so ill just crack on myself.
Hoping that simply by getting the quote its pushed me onto carrying on with the shell. But as before, i need to find time in the week to get some welding gas (they arent open on the weekends annoyingly!)

[Turbo Nick]

http://www.adamsgas....emart&Itemid=54

welding gas delivered with no bottle rental either dude..

[mini93]

Cheers mate, iv come across them before and heard a few speak of them too, seem fairly reasonable.
I think my boss is helping me sort something through, seeing as they already have an account with a company to supply gasses etc would be good to use the work links!

Edited by mini93, 05 April 2013 - 04:52 PM.

[mini93]

So the quote being a bit of a kick up the backside, I jumped at the chance to work on the car while it was sunny... although being kinda irrelivent with the garage door 1/2 closed and full covered up to avoid the grinding sparks!
Set off my removing everything from the garage so that I could flip the shell on its side and crack on removing the sills.


Sorted, wasnt too difficult on my own in the end either, tis fairly light now (although not light enough!)

Following the blasting, the sills were peppered with the odd hole and the vents were damaged from its previous rallying life. I thought it was best i replace them now rather than having it painted and not be happy with it.

So, i was a bit worried about the sill stands as when i bought it the guy said he wasnt sure how well they were attached ( read as "I welded these in and i know its not a very good job" I reitterate, the previous owner was an ass-hat)
Chopped away above the spot welds to remove the bulk of the sills following by marking out where the spot welds were.


Greeted by a lovely bit at the rear sill stand, clearly rust treated well


So carry on as I was, choppedy chop


Turns out the rear sill stand was only welded to the outter sill and not to the inner sill at all Where its been used it has also bent the inner sill where it wasnt supported correctly.
The stand tube sitting on the rear 1/4
Needless to say, this will be done correctly when its done again!
Anyway, carrying on, I cut out all the unneccesary strenghtening and cleaned out where I could get to using the angle grinder

And thats as far as i can get untill i order my load of pannels I have yet to create a list of.
So in the mean time I ground a few more floor welds down and removed the now defunct, standard seat belt mounting points

Bit of a lame picture as i havent cleaned it up propperly yet but you get the idea