374 replies to this topic

[rally515]

Well this is the most expensive mini build i,ve ever come across,
Just out of intrest roughly how much has been spent in parts ?

Cliff

[Joe250]

Well this is the most expensive mini build i,ve ever come across,
Just out of intrest roughly how much has been spent in parts ?

Cliff

Are we including the parts I bought but never used, couldn't use, somehow ruined, or changed my mind about? Either way, the answer is way too much. But forget parts. Even at the low price of $50/hour, the labor is just ridiculous. This project has been quite an expensive learning experience. I hope others learn from my many mistakes.

[Minuki]

Amazing. Just read from the start, just an exceptional build. Really, really nice. I think the exhaust is my favorite part, so neat!

[ba-tat]

I know a lot of people will love this project for the incredible fabrication skills, the attention to detail and the awesome power potential of this car. There is also the time taken to document it all with excellent photography and stage by stage explanation.

I love it for it's honesty.

(Where did you learn the phrase "chuffed"??? Isn't that a particular Northern England expression?)

[Willy_sa]

Hey Joe

I agree with you that it is a learnign curve and price shouldn't matter. But one thing I can promise you is that it will be worth it in the end.

[F1L8EY]

Hi, great build and fabrication to boot!!! i love the amount of work that has gone into this!! best of luck getting it finished. ill be watching

[tedmcedd]

I just love seeing your updates! Its been so long! but its time well spent! I can't wait to see it all finished! all the parts coming together so well!

Just, brilliant. As always.

Ed

[Joe250]

I just love seeing your updates! Its been so long! but its time well spent! I can't wait to see it all finished! all the parts coming together so well!

Just, brilliant. As always.

Ed

Ed - Good to hear from you.

Just wanted to thank you and all the recent posters for the kind words. I should have another update soon. Final assembly is moving along pretty nicely now. Might even have the engine back in the car for good in the next day or two.

[Joe250]

Last week it was finally time for the engine to go back into the car. Since everything is painted or powdercoated I needed to be especially careful. I also didn't want to have to pull the engine again anytime soon so I took a few extra days to check for anything that needed to be done now while there is still access to the engine and the engine bay. Once reinstalled there just won't be much room to go back and do anything.


The first step was carefully installing the engine into the subframe. Actually, it was the reverse. I suspended the engine from the hoist, then raised the subframe up to the engine. It involves some twisting the subframe around so it is easier this way.



After much thought I decided to try something new. I placed 6 steel rods on the ground parallel with the car. I then placed a board over them and lowered the subframe onto the board. I then rolled the frame and engine underneath the car. At the level the car is at, the engine just barely cleared the bottom edge of the inner fenders.



Now I could pull the engine and subframe updwards into the engine bay.



I had to stop here and route the battery cable and fuel lines. Planning paid off here.



In retrospect I think I should have used straps tied to the subframe instead of the engine. Since the engine is bolted to flexible mounts, attempting to rotate the engine backwards or forwards was not possible. The subframe underneath pulled it straight down. If I had pulled upwards on the subframe, the engine would have moved around with relatively little effort. Just something for me to think about the next time I have to go through this.



Here are the passenger floor plates mounted. These were powdercoated in order to match their color. I'm hoping the powdercoating will prove tough. You'll notice I drilled holes large enough in the upper plate to allow sockets to pass through to access the steering rack bolts as well as the front subframe retaining bolt.

One other note I should have made earlier when I had to trim these OMP floor plates to fit in the car. If you have some relatively thin aluminum sheets like this that need trimming or shaping, try the Norton Rapid Strip discs, or an equivalent, mounted to an angle grinder (see below for photos of what they look like). I don't know what name they are sold under in the UK but they work well.  I think I've used about 60 so far on this project. I sketched out the shape directly on the floor plate with a magic marker and solidly clamped the plate to my workbench. The discs cut through the aluminum like butter. Even better, it leaves a nice clean finish that requires little to no clean-up. Highly recommended.



The rear brake pressure limiter valve has been mounted to the heelboard reinforcement. This is its third different home, hopefully its last. I have almost finished installing brake line retaining clips along the side of the car as well.



The rear subframe bolts have been installed. The fuel lines are hooked up for good. The battery cable routing looks ok for now. You can also see the exhaust tunnel heat shield and several rivnuts underneath the car. These are mostly for the floor plates.



Time to start installing the remaining components into the engine bay.



The first item was the engine steady plate and (just visible) the fuel line to fuel rail connections.



I decided to take a little break from the engine bay and focus on the front suspension. Here is everything laid out for the left front. You'll note the stainless steel top arm plates. I'm not sure what compelled me to purchase those. Must be the rust aversion complex I've developed. I bought them from Smiffy Bits in England and they are nice.



Here is everything just about installed on the righthand side, including the front anti-roll bar. I later replaced the lower coilover bolt with a shorter one.



I mounted hooks on either side of the battery box. The cover and strap work just fine.



I've also gotten my spare tire clamp to work. Just had to flip the clamp over on the bolt. Not ideal but it will more than handle the task. Doing it the other way meant the bolt wasn't long enough to reach down and actually make contact with the threads in the floor plate. Nothing is easy.



And while on that subject we have this example. While installing the Mondo Sport steering arms all hell broke loose. For some reason Minisport decided to install Helicoil thread inserts into nearly every hole on these hubs. Everything seemed to be working fine until the middle bolt tightened up while being removed. When the bolt did come out the Helicoil came with it in the form of a long bent wire. Once cleaned up, the tapped hole in the aluminum still looked fine so I purchased and installed another Helicoil insert, two to be exact. They only make one length and for the depth hole I had, Helicoil recommends to just double up, one above the other. It took far longer than I would have liked but it actually worked. Slowly installing the three steering arm bolts resulted in the first bolt locking up this time! Worse, the bolt head snapped off when I tried to force the bolt's removal.

That was that. I will clean these hubs up, repair them and sell them. I'm not going to deal with these Helicoils anymore. KAD to the rescue. After speaking to them a bit I found that there are some small details I like a lot more on their design plus KAD offers a lower control arm spacer - perfect to correct the front suspension geometry after lowering the Mini. More on the hubs when they arrive in the next week or two.



Here are the driveshafts all cleaned, greased and clamped up. I can't tell you how nice it is to do this work off the car, rather than from underneath.



You wouldn't think these quarter windows would be terribly difficult to work with but they were. After spending a small fortune to have the frames re-chromed, I ordered some 1/16" cork/rubber glass setting tape and used this guide to install the Lexan windows. Despite a lot of hard work I just could not get the frame tight enough around the glass to allow the connector piece to be screwed in. Finally I did what I should have done months ago - I compared the Lexan window to the original glass again and noticed a slight but important difference I missed before. The glass has three inward curves cut into the sides where the frame mounting screws are. There's one at the latch and two at the piano hinge/connector piece. I placed some tape on the Lexan, set the original glass on top and traced out the required shape. I then used my angle grinder and another one of these discs to trim the Lexan. It did a great job.






It was still a tight fit but I was finally able to install the Lexan window along with the glass setting tape and screw the frame together. Finished! What a pain.



And the boot is finally complete. Clearly the swiveling plate holder was not designed with US-spec license plates in mind. Nick makes an adapter to move the license plate light down far enough to make room for the US plate. Apparently it is a reproduction of the originals from back in the '60's when Mini's were still being imported.


Next up? Installing the steering column, seats, brake lines and front hubs.

Edited by Joe250, 29 April 2013 - 07:02 PM.

[carboy001]

Lovely work Joe, a pleasure to read as always. A bit disappointing that you've had so many hurdles to overcome even with 'high' quality parts, just part of the journey I guess.

 

Cheers,

Chris

[mad mk1]

Mate you will find that the Out side cv clamps hit the Hubs so you will have to swap them with lock wire. As i had this last week.

 

simon.

[Joe250]

Mate you will find that the Out side cv clamps hit the Hubs so you will have to swap them with lock wire. As i had this last week.

 

simon.

 

Simon,

 

I wondered about that.  Thanks for the heads-up.  Time to pull out the old safety wire pliers I guess.

[mad mk1]

Have a look here mate, if you have 5mins  > 

http://www.turbomini...=294168&fr=1225

 

I called minisport but they was not much help.

 

simon.

[Joe250]

Have a look here mate, if you have 5mins  > 

http://www.turbomini...=294168&fr=1225

 

I called minisport but they was not much help.

 

simon.

Oh. You're 'that' Simon!  I really like your car.  I remember when it was featured in MiniWorld (or was it Mini Mag?).  I read your build from start to what was then current last year.  I loved the quote 'When you go turbo, you go nowhere."!

 

Reading your latest posts I see I'm not the only big fan of MiniSport's alloy hubs.  I'll see if things aren't better with the KAD hubs and report back.

[mad mk1]

Thanks mate, what you mean "That simon" ? lol

 

yes i have not been posting much over here anymore , I know someone who had tests done on the kad and Ms and the Ms hubs was best so i went for them..