1658 replies to this topic

[GreaseMonkey]

I admire your welding, really good work

[Deathrow]

Why thankyou sir . I think it's heading in the right direction.

[Deathrow]

It's that time again! Update time!

Bobbed round the garage a bit earlier today, which didn't really help as I ended up faffing haha.


The trio, all my fault . From left to right: Talula, Hillary, Elliot.


Red oxided the work I did yesterday.


Made a card template for my a-panel front capture tabs (if you can think of a better name, let me know).


Transferred to steel.


Cut out and marked.


Cut, drilled and stripped.


How sexy is this finish? I'd do my whole car like that if I thought it'd last.


Tab clamped in place.


Tack welded to help prevent distortion.


Plug welded up, still got some distortion but it's fine. Good plug weld practice.


Got good penetration.


Welds smoothed off.


Holes drilled for panel fitment.


Offered up, panel gaps checked, tacked in place.


Lip folded over properly and plug welded to a-panel lip.


Front in place to test a-panel fitment and the capture tabmaflobs...and because I like looking at it.


Without the front.


Talula got scared of the surgery going on behind her so she hid behind a bush.

And that was today! I'll be starting work on the rear of the driver side next, so the rust beneath the driver side rear window and the inner sill .

Thanks for looking and comments are welcome as always .

[tedmcedd]

great work!! what welder are you using??

[analogue_radio]

Haha that last photo! really nice work mate, it's inspiring!

[Deathrow]

tedmcedd, it's one of these:

http://www.machinema...sin-mig-welders

Although I'm sure I only paid £200 for it.

Image, I felt I owed Talula a bit of fame, she gets me so many looks and shouts while I'm going to and from the garage. Just yesterday after I'd packed up to come home, went round a corner in town and a guy pointed and screamed "MINI!", I gave a little beep and he screamed "YEAH!", it amused me .

Thanks for the comments guys .

It's forecast for rain today so what I'm tempted to do is go round and finish chipping the sound deading off the floor and rear bench and then make a star on disconnecting all the engine ready for it being lifted out. The sooner thats out the sooner I can get it home and start stripping it down with the aim of collecting the bits and bobs I need to build my 1275 from it .

Edited by Deathrow, 10 April 2009 - 10:50 AM.

[Deathrow]

Let me start this post with an apology because I don't know why but I wasn't on the ball with taking pictures of what I was doing at all. I've got 4 pictures and to be fair, they're pretty rubbish, but here they are anyway.


Finished stripping the sound deadening off the floors and rear bench. A note for anyone taking on this job! Before you start chipping away, go over all the sound deading with a hammer and give it a good firm hit every 3 inches or so. Doing this will loosen it from the floor and make chipping it all off take 20 mins instead of an hour, trust me!


Jacked it up and got ready to drain the oil.


The oil is all out at this point, not that you can tell except I cleaned the sump plug haha.


Everyones favourite job! Lucikly I didn't get petrol in my mouth this time . I also removed the fuel tank and that's now in the shed waiting for Elliot to be ready to run again.

Well thats it now, Elliot won't be moving under her own power again until the 1275 is in . I've started asking around for a decent cylinder head that's not going to break the bank, just something for fast road.

Tomorrow is forecast to be nice so I'll be going round and doing everything I need to do so the engine can come out and I'm going to make a simple thing to aid in lifting it out of the car and in to the back of another car .

Thanks for looking, even if it is a bit of a poor update.

[minivanman]

Top work dude, that front end is coming along nicely! The primer I was on about is called zinkspray perfect, by wurth. If you can find who your local agent is you can get it from them much cheaper than anywhere else.

[Saxo-Fiesta-Mini]

nice work fella to be honest cylinder heads arent to bad to do yourself just take time and use the die grinder slowly and paddle wheel under the valved

[Deathrow]

Top work dude, that front end is coming along nicely! The primer I was on about is called zinkspray perfect, by wurth. If you can find who your local agent is you can get it from them much cheaper than anywhere else.

Thanks chap, I keep sitting here and looking at the pictures and thinking "Could I have done it better?" and thats never good for me haha. Your words are helping me feel good about what I've done.

I'd have no idea how to go about finding out who my local agent is .

nice work fella to be honest cylinder heads arent to bad to do yourself just take time and use the die grinder slowly and paddle wheel under the valved

That's something I definitly don't want to get in to. I believe it's one of those things that are best left to people who know what they're doing. Especially now the head castings are becoming rarer and rarer, I don't want to have to admit I've killed a few. Thanks for the suggestion though.

[Deathrow]

More done today, didn't get home from the garage until 8pm! Hows that for dedication!


Elliot clutches her sick bucket closely and rightly so now I know the colour of the water that was going to come out of her.


Jacked up and bucket put in place. Of course, the bottom hose didn't want to come off so I had to get a bit more personal.


Radiator swinging in the breeze.


Radiator, fan and thermostat removed.


Spent about 20 mins under the car trying to pop this out of the gear linkage, got there in the end.


My magic bracket. Don't worry, I finished the welding off before we used it.


The bracket worked a charm, me and my friend were able to lift the engine straight out of the car.


Closeup of bracket fastening points.


How I left it for the day.

The engine now needs transporting back to my house so that I can pressure wash it in the back garden and start stripping it down and taking the bits I want for refurbing ready for the new engine.

I also got on the phone with Adrian Flux today and they quoted me a lovely £580 TPFT on Elliot with all modifications declared so I'll be able to insure her when she's ready for it .

Thanks for looking.

[analogue_radio]

I got my insurance for a good £60 cheaper than yours

Elliot is coming along really nicely, have you got a deadline or is it just as soon as you can?

[Deathrow]

I got my insurance for a good £60 cheaper than yours

Elliot is coming along really nicely, have you got a deadline or is it just as soon as you can?

You've got a garage and a drive though Image .

It's a case of she's done when she's done, however, I do need her to get me to and from Uni in my second year so I need her on the road and reliable by the end of September .

[dezshearer]

Lookin' good mate, whats the plans for the power plant?

[Deathrow]

Lookin' good mate, whats the plans for the power plant?

Give me a few days and all will be revealed, Mini porn style!



Really sunny out so going to the garage soon.