375 replies to this topic

[pixiegem]

Yay! Congrats on getting him home Now the fun begins.....

[millsminis]

Why have I not noticed this topic before???

What a stonking GT Tommy is!!!!

[Juju]

Wow Juju he is absolutely stunning

Him and Matilda will be the best looking couple!

Good luck with your project

Ta, Honey! Not sure that Matilda approves (yet). She completely ignored him despite only being 3 metres apart....

so are you going to get dirty and get stuck in with the resto ?

Next week the greasiness begins!! I'm working out my last week of notice & then from next choosday morning I'll be all over him like an itchy rash.

Yay! Congrats on getting him home Now the fun begins.....

Wheeee!!! I'm gonna bunk off work early & get to Halfrauds at some point this week...new battery, redex, antifreeze, spark plugs etc...

Why have I not noticed this topic before???

What a stonking GT Tommy is!!!!

Why thank you Mr Mills. He'll be even more stonking soon....(hopefully)......

I'm going to spend most of my last week at work trying to familiarise myself with the contents of an engine bay & useful things like clutches & brakes. There will be many dumb-f*** questions being posted over the next few weeks.....

[Juju]

Had a quick peek inside Tommy's tank <----- yesterday to see how much stale fuel needed to be drained & all I could see was crumbly orange stuff.

So, before I even try to start him, Tommy's tank must be removed & plobly replaced. It might just be the filler neck, but there'll be rust throughout his tank from it.

Going over there to do that now....(in my spangley new laydeez overalls that I was given as a leaving present from work!! )

Will also make a list of what really needs welding to pass an MOT & maybe fit his noo shoes.

[pixiegem]

Oooohhhhh..... good luck with that - and we MUST see photos of said spangley ladeez overalls - I insist!

[Jupitus]

Had a quick peek inside Tommy's tank <----- yesterday to see how much stale fuel needed to be drained & all I could see was crumbly orange stuff.

So, before I even try to start him, Tommy's tank must be removed & plobly replaced. It might just be the filler neck, but there'll be rust throughout his tank from it.

Going over there to do that now....(in my spangley new laydeez overalls that I was given as a leaving present from work!! )

Will also make a list of what really needs welding to pass an MOT & maybe fit his noo shoes.

There is stuff you can get to rinse out the inside of the tank... DKLawson posted about it in the technical section, I think... may be worth considering if you want to keep the original

[Juju]

There is stuff you can get to rinse out the inside of the tank... DKLawson posted about it in the technical section, I think... may be worth considering if you want to keep the original

Tank is beyond "rinsing".
Filler neck looks like this:



I managed to pump out about a litre of reasonably clean-looking (but weird smelling) stuff while the tank was still in situ, and not much dripped out of the fuel line underneath when snapped off disconnected,



but once I'd got it out, there were a few more litres of what I can only describe as bum-gravy in there. Sender unit is completely rotten, so new (secondhand) tank & sender is now needed.



I removed the seats, soundproofing & carpet to see what horrors lie beneath & came to the conclusion that since he'll be stripped down, to save on further work & expense, it would be better to replace the entire floor rather than fa**y around welding in new front pans & 2 new sills. So they're gonna spit-roast my new little man! While he's on the rotisserie, he'll have his inner arches patched up too.





My plan was originally to get him road-worthy & through his MOT, then think about a proper rebuild, but I think it really makes more financial sense to just go straight for the rebuild. It's going to take a lot of replacement bits and pieces to get him trundling again, so while he's in bits, we might as well get it all done.



So, I'll strip him of his not-so-shinies, clean them up while he's having his bodywork & respray, and then we can stick him all back together afterwards. That way I'll cut down on labour charges & also be able to do a lot of the stuff myself.

I really DO NOT like these denovos . They're Frankenstein wheels.



But I'll still try & get 'em refurbished. I'll see if I can sneak them in to washing up, while Him Indoors ain't looking. It worked wiv the wheeltrims.....



Bodywork needed:

Front & Rear valence
N/S & O/S front inner arches
New floor pan
New N/S outer wing? (there's a bit of bubbling there...)
Rub down, rust treatment & respsray

The rest

Suspension
Brakes
Fuel tank, sender unit & new line
Exhaust (his current one appears to be made of cornflakes)

Dismantle engine bay, clean & see what needs replacing...............



Erm................ ....too much to fink about. Well, his new wheels look good, anyway.

Edited by Juju, 13 March 2008 - 08:34 AM.

[GraemeC]

R1mini has a brand new tank for sale here:
http://www.theminifo...showtopic=75055

[Juju]

HE'S ALIVE!!!!

Cleaned the carb yesterday (there was a sticky orange leaf in it? ), new points, new condensor, Mike plopped some petrol straight into the carb & he roared back to life!!! A rumbling purr & the exhaust didn't blow.....yet....

Today will be brakes & clutch day. See what's needed. Then maybe take him to mini-friendly MOT man to find out what else needs to doing to make him safe before he's prettyfied. No point having a gorgeous shell when it can't go anywhere.

Took the nudgebars off yesterday. I think I can actually refurbish them. Bumpers & underriders are off too. I reckon I'll have them rechromed at some point.

R1mini has a brand new tank for sale here:
http://www.theminifo...showtopic=75055

Cheers GraemeC. There may be one knocking about the workshop, but if not, I'll chase them up.

(A word of advice to the small-handed people of the miniverse...if you're going to take a car apart to rebuild it, make sure it's a nice new car, with nicely greased up nuts & bolts. My little lily-whites are red, raw & scabby from trying to get Tommy's rusted bits undone . )

[pixiegem]

For bringing your little man back to life!

For sore handies doing so!

Good luck for today's work

And where are the piccies of the laydeez overalls??? huh???

[Juju]

For bringing your little man back to life!

For sore handies doing so!

Good luck for today's work

Fankoos Honeypie!!

And where are the piccies of the laydeez overalls??? huh???

Erm.............. ..........I'll see what I can err..do...um.

[69Cooper]

What can I say but flipping lovely, you must be as pleased as punch with Tommy.

Did a quick look on the net and I think your right about getting in touch with Mr Dunlop, found this info on their site:

Marketing Department
Dunlop Tyres Ltd.
Tyre Fort
88-98 Wingfoot Way
Birmingham
B24 9HY

Tel: +44 (0) 121 306 6000
Fax: +44 (0) 121 306 6437

email: [email protected]

Or alternatively if you have any queries as to which tyres are suitable for vehicles, please contact Vintage Tyre Supplies, sole distributors of the Dunlop Classic Range.

Vintage Tyre Supplies
Beaulieu
Brockenhurst
Hampshire SO42 7ZN
Tel: 01590 612261
Fax: 01590 612722

www.vintagetyres.com
email: [email protected]

But even if you can't get the excat tyre I'm sure there must be somthing out there that's the right size.

Anyway good luck

[Ethel]

If you can find a set Benobo booties for anything it'll be a Mini

Tank looks salvageable, but a new 'en may be a lot less hassle.

[Juju]

Thank you 69cooper. That's exactly the info I was after!

Effel - you are quite welcome to pick out & scrub the icky out of Tommy' tank if you want . I'm not sure what will be left of it afterwards, though. I've found another original one now, anyhoo. I'll let you guys know about Mr Dunlop.

Yesterday's progress:

1. Can't get the clutch unseized. I managed to get the lever to budge a bit with a lot of encouragement from a crowbar, but I think all the WD40 & the heaviest person in the world stamping on the pedal probably won't rescue the slave. Will find a 2nd hand replacement & bung it on.

2. Front brakes appear to be fine. Apart from all the rust on the discs, they're in better shape than Matilda's calipers appear to be working fine & there's plenty of wear on the pads to go, so that's summink to cross off the list.

3. Rear brakes aren't too bad either. Took the drums and shoes off, cleaned the lot up, and fitted new cylinders. I'm effing glad I paid someone else to do this for Matilda at her last MOT . Not a good job. If I ever meet the "person" who invented those circlips to hold the cylinders to the back plate, I shall break his nose. (I imagine it's a he. A woman wouldn't have designed those.... > ). Brake lines seem fine, didn't need to bleed them or anything.

4. Steering gaiters are completely perished, but I didn't have time to put the new ones on yesterday. I lost my ball-joint splitter virginity, though.......painful, but actually quite fun....

So, monday or tuesday - tank, gaiters & hunt for a slave......


(It's a bl**dy steep learning curve, all of this.....my brain is hurty )

[Amy]

Juju.... I must have had my head stuck somewhere recently.... as I had totally missed this thread!!


Tommy is going to be so gorgeous, good luck with all the work, us laydeees do a better job anyway *runs away before Simon sees*....... hehehehe