|
|
|
Thought it was time i wrote this up properly! With my dolomite nearly on the road, this will be the winter weld up project. Theres a couple of old threads on this i think, But both written up when i was about 14, which is a very bad thing, and on accounts i created, used once or twice and forgot about (before i was a RR Semi-regular). Anyway, this is a thread on the first car i ever purchased. Hark back to the summer of 2006. I was 12 years old and i had some birthday money saved up. We'd only been living where i do now for about 6 months, on a smallholding, and due to the masses of open space i had available, i was going to put together an off road go kart of some description. Whilst talking about this with my dad, he said "why don't you buy a car, a mini or something..." I never imagined i could have afforded a car, but sooner rather than later i bidded on ebay and won the car I'm writing about for the eye-watering sum of £123. It was a running driving complete car, just an MOT failure. This is what it looked like when it came home: I learned to drive by bombing it round a field and i enjoyed that until the curse word weather drew in and then i shoved it in a barn and set about 'restoring it', like you do at that age. I started dissasembling it, by which point i was 13 so you can imagine how well i organised what i removed. The parts are still strewn in a horse stable bay to this day. Roll on a year or two and it looked like this: Its lucky i did take it apart really. All it theoretically needed for an MOT was some patching on the inner sills and a subframe. After some chopping and poking this is just some of what i found: It doesnt look much different now to be honest. The reason its taken me so long to do is that i was completely and utterly not allowed near powertools until i was an adult. I wasnt allowed a grinder and i didnt learn to weld until i was 18. By 18 i had a mini as a daily, 6 others in the sheds and college/keeping my gold one on the road was taking up all my time. Then i accidentally bought a dolomite which needed more welding than was healthy and as thats just about finished, i think its time i gave this one some attention after 8 years now i have the gear and the skills to do so. As it stands it needs the following bodywork wise: - N/S & O/S A-panels - N/S & O/S Inner sills - N/S & O/S Outer sills - N/S & O/S Doorsteps - O/S Inner arch - O/S Door Post - O/S Crossmember - N/S & O/S Subframe mount panels - Battery Box - Rear valance & valance closing panels Thats just the stuff i can get panels for. It will need patching on the inner wings, floors, and the humongous webasto sunroof hole welding up as well. Once i've done all that, its getting a complete respray, brand new rear subframe, coil spring conversion to replace the rubbish rubber cones, a brand new wiring loom and so forth. I might well use it daily when its done as well. I bought it for cheap enough for it to be worth splashing out on a bit. There will hopefully be some movement on this soon, once the Dolomite has an MOT the space in the barn is free and i'll get some friends round to manhandle the shell in there!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Wow, thats pretty crusty. Still, from seeing you Dolly thread I'm sure you'll get it done.
|
|
|
|
bstardchild
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 14,858
Club RR Member Number: 71
|
|
|
Good luck - having spent nearly 5 years welding up a mini I never want to see another one ever
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Wow, thats pretty crusty. Still, from seeing you Dolly thread I'm sure you'll get it done. This will be a relative breeze because i wont have to make any of the panels myself! Mini panels are cheap enough not to have to worry about that. Good luck - having spent nearly 5 years welding up a mini I never want to see another one ever I know your pain, I sold two of mine because i knew i'd want to kill myself if i did that many. My '77 1000 had inner sills, doorsteps and boot floor as it was and that was the bare minimum for the MOT. If i was going to keep it it would have needed inner wings, scuttle closing panels, outer sills and so forth.
|
|
|
|
bstardchild
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 14,858
Club RR Member Number: 71
|
|
|
Good luck - having spent nearly 5 years welding up a mini I never want to see another one ever I know your pain, I sold two of mine because i knew i'd want to kill myself if i did that many. My '77 1000 had inner sills, doorsteps and boot floor as it was and that was the bare minimum for the MOT. If i was going to keep it it would have needed inner wings, scuttle closing panels, outer sills and so forth. To date the one in my garage has had the following new panels welded in Both front floorpans Both Inner sills Both Outer sills Both door steps Both front wings Scuttle and all associated panels Both rear inner arches Boot floor battery box and read seat base Rear valance Repair sections under both rear lights as well as boot lower aperture Parcel shelf Heel board Plus countless repairs to sections that weren't bad enough to justify new repair sections or new panels And then to top all off as we were getting close to the finish line he decided to replace the roof as he didn't want a sunroof...................... Just a new section of door skin to replace and a couple more minor repairs and it can leave
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I will also never work on a mini again. Panels are plentiful, but some are of questionable quality. You probably already know this, but buy the best ones you can afford. Good luck, ive bookmarked this thread.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I will also never work on a mini again. Panels are plentiful, but some are of questionable quality. You probably already know this, but buy the best ones you can afford. Good luck, ive bookmarked this thread. Oh yes I'm well aware. Ive got a mix of heritage and non heritage. Outer sills and a panels are heritage cos you see them, everything else isnt because i couldnt justify the cost. I don't think i'll be able to match your skill level but i'll give it a go!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Feb 13, 2014 16:43:29 GMT
|
Right, work has begun. Ive managed to trace the head, valves + springs and 6 of the 8 push rods off the engine thats going into this. Ive tracked down the engine and it still turns freely by hand with the head off. The head is currently soaking in petrol so that will be rebuilt and put back on with the head gasket ive just bought. Also discovered said head is unleaded converted, which is a bonus! While all thats happening, today i decided to strip back a front subframe. The brake pipes required angle grinder based removal, other than that, everything else came out pretty easily. Well for a mini anyway. Its going to need just about everything thats made of rubber replacing. I was worried the cones were going to be collapsed like they were on my 1977 gold one, but i measured them and theyve only dropped 10mm, and they're genuine dunlop moulton ones, so I'm at least 90 quid better off for that. I've also discovered ive got a set of acceptable shocks, which is another money saver. Just need to get some degreaser so i can clean this subframe up, get it painted and back together. Watch this space
|
|
|
|
|
|
Feb 14, 2014 14:04:03 GMT
|
replacement body panels required. -mini
|
|
|
|
|
|
Feb 14, 2014 18:30:53 GMT
|
Its curse word with rain, 400mph winds, and the 40% waterproof space where the dolomite was now has a land rover in it Otherwise, i'd be up there doing it!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Feb 18, 2014 18:05:13 GMT
|
Progress! The head is rebuilt. Well, the valves are anyway. Ive cleaned, and reground the valves and valve seats. Head itself is fully cleaned up after sitting outdoors for a few years, cleaned up surprisingly well. It just needs a thermostat, thermostat housing, studs and a heater tap before its ready to go on the engine. Oh and paint of course. Ive also cleaned up the lower arms and shock absorbers and given them a coat of my favourite enamel. After removing them from the petrol they were soaking in it splashed back at me and i got a load of dirty petrol in my eyes - not something i'd recommend! Other than that, ive got a hub soaking now, which is the next in line for treatment. I cant afford the degreaser for the subframe/engine but other than that more to come when ive cleaned and painted some more bits.
|
|
|
|
leaky
Part of things
Posts: 323
|
|
Feb 20, 2014 17:33:53 GMT
|
Looking good Jono. Whats the plan then? Retro looking or going for a standard chelsea look?
|
|
1962 Morris Mini Traveller 1973 Commer Suntor 1979 Mini Clubman Saloon 1983 Austin Mini City e 1988 Austin Metro L 1989 Austin Metro 310
|
|
|
|
Feb 20, 2014 17:40:04 GMT
|
Many bits refurbished. As you can see i've cleaned and painted most of the front suspension components. I've done a good pair of KYB front shocks, the upper and lower arms, and spent today rebuilding the constant velocity joints. A small amount of pitting on those but nothing to write home about. You can see in the background ive started painting the head too. Thats had two coats of 'agricultural enamel' (design for Massey Ferguson tractors!) probably needs two more as its quite thin but it looks the part. I did plan to paint some more bits today. I bashed out the front wheel bearings so i could give one of the front hubs some attention. cleaned and inspected those to discover they're both alright and thankfully, are genuine timken items. Getting the ball joints off proved a fight but after i'd done all that, i found my dad had stolen both the workmates for his engine build so i couldn't clean the hub up. Other hub is soaking now, so that'll be in a similar state by the weekend, still need to go out and get some degreaser but once i've cleaned, painted and reassembled the hubs, and degreased and painted the front subframe, it can start going back together (well the subframe anyway). Looking good Jono. Whats the plan then? Retro looking or going for a standard chelsea look? Standard chelsea for this one, makes my life easier, and you don't see any standard chelsea's around anymore. There are only 83 of these left on the road (out of a 1500 production run). 117 a sorned, of which one is mine. All the proper mods are going to be carried out on my mayfair!
|
|
|
|
leaky
Part of things
Posts: 323
|
|
Feb 20, 2014 18:01:00 GMT
|
Fair enough man! If I had known that you could have had my chelsea alloys as some spares. They were just sat in my garden of ages until some kid knocked on my door asking if I had any old wheels for sale for his mini stock. I said he could have them for £20 and they spent the rest of there life of the oval haha.
|
|
1962 Morris Mini Traveller 1973 Commer Suntor 1979 Mini Clubman Saloon 1983 Austin Mini City e 1988 Austin Metro L 1989 Austin Metro 310
|
|
|
|
Feb 20, 2014 19:26:55 GMT
|
Fair enough man! If I had known that you could have had my chelsea alloys as some spares. They were just sat in my garden of ages until some kid knocked on my door asking if I had any old wheels for sale for his mini stock. I said he could have them for £20 and they spent the rest of there life of the oval haha. A bit of sods law that one! Its alright though, my chelsea alloys will refurb alright. If all else fails ive got two sets of 12" minilites anyway. This is the final look (pinched from Mini Magazine, had to photoshop two pages together so apologies for the quality).
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Managed to get further on the painting caper. Hubs are nearly ready to fit with new ball joints, oil seals etc. The bearings are genuine Timken and have been found to be alright, which has saved me 40 quid a side! Cones havent collapsed, the pot joints i rebuilt were found not to match up (must have been stored wrong), luckily, ive got several spares, so i rebuilt another set and once ive got new boots i can build up the driveshafts. Which as it happens, are all painted up and ready to go. I also spent today doing this: It was a bit of a pointless exercise really. I spent hours with brushes, degreaser, a spraygun with degreaser in it and a pressure washer. By the time i'd finished it i discovered it was covered in waxoyl so i might as well have gone in hard with petrol in the first place. I'll probably dismantle one of my other subframes and paint that because at this point in time i really don't fancy messing about trying to get the waxoyl off. I might even recoat it in waxoyl, build it up and sell it. Not sure yet. Other than that, the head is also painted up. Just waiting on heater tap studs. Also need to find the heater tap itself. Then its just a case of cleaning up the engine and plonking it in the subframe (once ive painted and assembled it. Its a long journey, but i'll get there. Theres some tactical restructuring of vehicles and car bits at the moment so i can hopefully get the shell into somewhere dry (ish).
|
|
|
|
|
|
Feb 27, 2014 18:13:13 GMT
|
Just done the ball joints. I originally bought these to do my old one but never bothered. In the process i purchased four extra packets of shims and i'm highly glad I did. The bottom ones were easy. They’ve got a spring behind them, you pop the wear cup on top and put the required shims in and adjust as necessary. The top ones have no spring, and when I put the wear cup in, assembled with no shims it was flopping all over the place. curse word. I managed to find two washers that sat perfectly in the indent, it meant using a tonne more shims to get it to the correct stiffness (vicar) but I’ve done it now. Needs lubricating, but all the grease guns are empty so it'll have to wait. In the mean time I’ve fitted the steering arms and painted them, which will have to do for now!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Feb 27, 2014 19:24:55 GMT
|
looking like a good little project, seems like the sky is the limit for mini builds, and it's nice to see one being done to look original
|
|
|
|
|
|
Feb 27, 2014 23:28:50 GMT
|
looking like a good little project, seems like the sky is the limit for mini builds, and it's nice to see one being done to look original Yes it is a bit, they made so many and there's so many aftermarket parts that you can have just about any combination you want! Cheers for the kind words, when the welding starts things will come together a bit more quickly.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Right, ive been shifting cars and parts around today. Soon i'm going to be performing a welding marathon on one of my friends minis, as a result i needed a semi dry space to work on it, therefore as the land rover that was sold still hasn't been picked up, my p6 had to shift. We moved it to a open space next to the barn it was in and tarped over the cover it has on it, so it should stay dry and shouldnt be out there for too long. With that space cleared, it meant i could get the rest of the engine out! My dad also sold another vehicle, so that gave me room to wheel out the series 2a chassis, and get the Chelsea shell back into where i stripped it down in the first place. Its 95% waterproof, mostly dry and windproof, much nicer than the draughty barn, which is where the other mini is going. Once it was shimmied in, gave the sill a session with a screwdriver and managed to break all the oversill welds free. Turns out there was no original sill under there so i can only assume that it was a garage that did the repair and bought the wrong panel. Hasn't helped though, it was still full of water after all these years and you can see the damage its done: By mini standards this isn't that bad though, i can patch most of it, you can also still buy the jacking points which is a bonus. Just a case of chopping bits out and welding bits back in, like i did with the Dolomite, though i have to fabricate less of it this time, thankfully! I've got inner and outer hub oil seals coming, as well as lower arm bushes, knuckle joints and bump stops coming so i should have a subframe coming together soon. Lots to do, not quite enough time.
|
|
|
|
|