776 replies to this topic

[mini93]

So, the new replacement heelboard panel is sh*te... went to bolt it upto my mini spares beam and the holes didnt line up! fantastic eh!

So thinking in the week the best way round it would be a simple chop down the middle and weld back together.

 

Looks a long way out, but thats with the cutting disk thickness aswell.

It was easily bridged using some brass behind it

 

I also added a bit more weld behind the captive nuts, last thing I want are for them to come free/spin

 

After that, a bit of fettling and I got the repair panel in place

 

Just double checking that they stil alined and bolted up, thankfully they did!! (mostly. it was a bit tighter than I would have liked but thats sorted at least. Just need to dress the weld on the outter heelboard when I get access to a compressor and die grinder.

 

After that I moved onto sorting the o/s sill stands. much the same as I did before

 

 

Managed to control my shakey jake hand for the majoiry of this strenthening plate, still had a little bit of a dress afterwards

 

Rear done

 

So all welded in there, just a case of hole-sawing the outter sills up and fitting them on.

 

Iv still to finish off the inner wing, still to do a few patches, fit the scuttle gusset and few small odds n sods and thats this side completed, then it can go back onto its wheely trolley again.

 

[Archived4]

Masterful work! Its never gonna bend thats for sure! lol

[mini93]

Thanks. I sure hope nothing bends otherwise i give up with the car haha!

[Archived4]

Haha, with the beefy cage and turrets, I'd think not. And if it did, There's no hope for standard minis

Edited by Smiler258, 17 June 2013 - 05:40 PM.

[mini93]

Got a chunk more done.

Thought I saw the begining of the end of the body work. But its still a while away it appears

 

Anywho, pictures. Got the inner wing finished off

Bit of an ackward panel to patch up, bends in 3 direction even just slightly

 

Got that welded up and also patched the hole where the fresh air vent used to be. I also welded in the scuttle closing panel.

 

Next I moved onto the new sill.

Welded onto the parent sill

 

All welded up. Strengthening plates welded onto the sill and around the sill stands.

Again i really need to get myself a compressor so i can use a die grinder to get into the hard to reach areas. just more money I could be spending on brum brum stuff.

 

So with the new heel board repair section, sill, sill stand tubes, inner wing and scuttle closing panel finished on the near side and the o/s completed previously I wanted to see how the car sat on the new sill stands. The floor isnt really finished off yet. I think I would be best having the car on the side to finish off the exhaust tunel replacment, but i havent got hte steel at the moment and I was too nosey to see how high the car sat up on the stands

 

Its high alright! Deffinatly going to need to get myself a decent jack now!

 

As I said before, the floor isnt finished yet untill the exhaust tunnel is welded up. I just need to remember to get some delivered to work.

In the mean time I still need to dress the inner wing repair welds from the inside. ensure there are no pin holes. These will still get a coat of seam sealer just in case.

 

Anywho, thats all for now...

 

[mini93]

Finally done a bit more on this.

Enthusiasm is drying up at the moment so knowing it will never get done if i dont do anything, i forced myself to the garage for a few small hours.

 

Been cracking on at the floor, getting the final puzzle piece done which is the big hole i cut in there to removed the patch work quilt which was called a exhaust tunnel.

 

I didnt take any before pictures from the correct side up as I thought I had done previously... alas no, so the below picture should give some kinda idea how large the hole was. Almost 1000mm long, not including the small section forward of the main hole.

 

Can kinda see why i removed it here. patched all over and previously been widened for whatever reason they might have had.

 

I decided to go back to standard width tunnel and without wanting to buy a floor section to chop about and make "fit" I bought some sheet steel. So its not going to be exactly like the original tunnel was... but who cares

 

One problem I had when going back to normal width tunnel was that I had to replace the section of floor that was previously butchered away, so had to do some "blendining" without a bender ( ) I had to bend a section to form part of the floor back

 

In a very much "good enough" kinda way, it worked. the fold isnt crisp but neither is the original, its also ever so slightly in the wrong place, but should be able to manipulate it when welding it in fully.

 

So after hand bending the exhaust tunnel shape, I started to tack it in.

 

A lot of the fettling and shaping will be done whilst welding it in. Just looking forward to having a less holy floor!

 

And thats it for now.

 

[afrance94]

good work, like the idea of the sill stands

[Shifty]

Dave, is now a good time to tell you that I've got a few tunnel sections from old panels kicking around!!

[mini93]

Ah jolly good... haha well I guess ill let you keep them now... Just a bit of fettling and this should be good as!

[myredmini]

Looking good, love the sill time-lapse! 

[mini93]

What a slacker!

 

All I've managed to do in the last month was to squeeze 1 single hour last night where I managed to weld a bit more of the floor. Still requiring a few more hours till thats complete.

Will be easier when its back on its side, so hopfully I will be able to get on that this weekend

[mini93]

Glad to say, the floor really is nearing completion.

 

Earlier in the week i got the majority of the exhaust tunnel welded, on the inside of the car.

Today, I flipped the car back on its side... AGAIN! and did all the welding on the under side.

So... pics...

 

The inside mostly welded. You can see gaps where apparently I cant make the correct shape (im just going with the fact its difficult for such a large panel)

 

From the underside, all panel joins welded from both sides, ground back and flapped smooth.

Feeling a little better now the floors looking more complete.

 

Just from another angle.

 

I also decided to seam weld the turbo box in place. The spot welded seams looked a little rough and unfinnished, so ill flat the welds down and should look a little more fitting and be stronger.

 

Thanks for looking.

[matthew25]

love this build looks very similar at the moment. great work

[mini93]

Thanks!

 

Got a small amount done. Managed to start dressing the welds around the bulkhead box and also patched a few small holes and closed in the end of the turbo bulkhead to cross-member.

 

 

Again, still needs the welds dressing.

[mike174]

not scrapped it yet then Dave?