202 replies to this topic

[apbellamy]

Had an unexpected half day, so I thought I'd crack on and get something done.

I started of by hacking of some of the repairs I'd already done:

 boot6.jpg   163.94K   67 downloads

Then I joggled the edge of the rear panel section and cleaned up the bottom of right hand side of the back panel ready to take it:

 boot8.jpg   100.7K   71 downloads

With a bit of fettling the panel fitted up quite well:

 boot9.jpg   136.67K   101 downloads

All it needs is tacking in place, some 'adjustment' with the tapping stick and welding up. That said, I need to fettle the other side, and fit the floor and valance first.

And no comments about my gap in the boot shut... I'll do something creative with that!

[Paul TVR]

Glad you are getting on with the project, can't wait to see what it looks like once you've finished although thinking I will be rather gutted that I didn't get around to doing it myself. Hope you don't find any other surprises although as you say it was a bit of a bargain so can spend a few hours making it just right. To be honest you are probably making a better job than I ever would as you heard about me setting fire to the last project

[apbellamy]

To be honest you are probably making a better job than I ever would as you heard about me setting fire to the last project

I've had a few small bonfires myself I saw your picks and decided to strip everything out before I started welding!

[Paul TVR]

Should have got you to stay down here over night and finish off my welding while you were here

[apbellamy]

Should have got you to stay down here over night and finish off my welding while you were here

I prefer to call it melting rather than welding! I'm getting quite good at filling in melt holes!

I think the welder will be on the lowest setting when I start to weld in the new boot floor tomorrow, the old one is waffer thin in places.

[Retro_10s]

ooh another person running cosmics is always good, plenty of people running them on TMF, lovely lovely wheels.

Praise the lord for repair panels

[apbellamy]

I've been having a busy couple of days. Got a lot done and most importantly, the back of the car actually looks a bit like a mini again!

I started yesterday of by fettling the back panel and getting that looking something like:

 boot14.jpg   137.91K   96 downloads

Then I got my grinder out and removed the rotten bit of the boot floor:

 boot15.jpg   132.36K   74 downloads

The next job was to remove the tank bracket from the old floor... thought it might be usefull...

 boot16.jpg   135.91K   30 downloads

Looks like the filler wasn't just saved for the back panel...

 boot17.jpg   104.56K   34 downloads

Then put in a patch in it's place

 boot18.jpg   154.01K   33 downloads

Prepping the boot floor for welding was next

 boot19.jpg   185.4K   31 downloads

Followed by a lot of trial fitting of panels

 boot11.jpg   146.67K   56 downloads

All looking pretty good and mini shaped

 boot10.jpg   105.48K   35 downloads

Then the scary bit, my first time welding panels to a car....

 boot12.jpg   146.77K   93 downloads
 boot13.jpg   137.72K   88 downloads

Which went well. I now have a solid boot floor. Which is nice!

Very pleased with my progress so far, hopefully another day of welding will have it all stuck back together properly

[Paul TVR]

Good work there mate, looks like you are getting through the work very quickly.

[clubby]

wa waaa... coming nice mini next !

keeping good

[mini_kel]

Coming along nicely

[apbellamy]

Well.. January's been a busy month, unfortunatly not with the mini. I have managed to squeeze a few bits and pieces in between a holiday, moving house and the girlfiend wanting to go out for the day almost every weekend.

I decided that having the car on axle stands was OK, but made moving the car around a bit difficult. So I got an old pallette, strengthened it and put some casters on the bottom. With a few old tyres thrown in to save the floor, he's mobile again.

 trolley.jpg   132.86K   30 downloads

Then I stripped out most of the front and engine bay ready for repairs, upgrades and paint.

I've managed to find time to get my wheels into the shop for blasting. They've come up quite well. Should be able to paint them at college in the booth and bake them, so the paint should last well.

 blasted_wheels.jpg   171.59K   18 downloads

I picked up a few bits and pieces at Bingley, including a very expensive boot lid at £4.

Saterday was spent getting greasy. My engine is now stripped down to block, box and flywheel etc. The engine is an old 1275 that has been overboard to 73.5mm. It looks to have been balanced at some point so should be OK untill funds allow something more fun (with a supercharger!! ). It had a remote change box on it so that is being swapped for a rod change box. The head looked to be pretty standard but had been skimmed within an inch of it's life. So today I picked up a nice low mileage unmolested MG Metro head.

I'm looking forward to finding a weekend where I can get the back end put back together and then crack on with the front.

[mk1leg]

Hi..!..Thats a nice project you are doing keep us posted ...........................

[backstreetclassics]

i just realised this is the clubby i was thinking of buyin good luck

[apbellamy]

Yesterday I learnt not to touch the bits of metal that you've just welded! Generally, it hurts! <HOMER>DOH!</HOMER>

I had quite a productive day. I started of by re-doing a 'few' of the pool welds that didn't quite work accros the rear lip then cleaned it up and put some primer on to keep the tin worms at bay.

Then I cleaned the back up and filled in the gaps where I had been optomistic with my measuring.

 back2.jpg   161.56K   56 downloads  back1.jpg   148.05K   66 downloads

Then the back subframe came off. I only managed to snap one of the bolts into the heal board, I thought they where all going to snap.

With the subframe on the junk pile, I did my least favourite welding job - a seem all the way accross the underside of the boot whilst layed on my back getting showered with sparks.

The next job was the rear valance. I was going to try and get it fitted, but the cheepo pattern parts weren't such a good fit. Both corner pieces needed 'adjustmnent' to make them fit properly (so out came the big hammer!). I think I must have trial fitted it a dozen times before I actually got to weld them to the valance. Then I gave the back of the panel and the bits you can't get to once it's fitted a nice thick coat of POR15. I don't wan't to have to do it all again in a few years!

 valance1.jpg   199.31K   86 downloads

All being well, this time next week the back end will be mini shaped again. I'm sure I said that to myself in December... and January...

Don't think I'm going to make this years London to Brighton So I'll have to aim for the Thong Run instead http://www.thongrun.co.uk/ Except... It's at the end of May not in July like last year!

[Bungle]

yes hot molten metal is hot