93 Rover Mini Cooper SPi recommission.

[exuptoy]

Cheers pal. Not my fav work repairing rust but at least you can see progress. Can’t wait until these areas are all in primer and very much looking forward to using it. This one won’t be sold to pay for a kitchen like my old RSP

[mrbounce]

Takes me back to my old 1302 Mayfair! Excellent work and good progress. Hopefully the timing cover will now be ok - looks like you've done a decent fix of that.

Consider yourself bookmarked!

[mat88]

I've got a proper love hate relationship with minis haha. They leak (inside and out), breakdown far too often, windows steam up, wipers are useless lights arent much better, I don't really fit in them even with buckets mounted against the back seat base, there slow, noisy, bouncy... Well you get the picture...

Yet there's summat about them (I had a vauxhall powered one as my first car) and despite all there flaws, I'd still have another... Well I'd love a spaceframe with a few panels tacked round.. but it would still look like a mini..

Bookmarked for the journey!

[exuptoy]

This mornings work was to try and get a useable drip rail to weld into the gutter. It was a ball ache but looks acceptable. Once spot welded to the gutter and a skim of gloop it’ll look grand.....and I’ve run out of gas! (Both argon and lite!)
In fairness the Heritage panel gutter at the front looks far too wide. I may need to reform the end where it comes round to meet the front gutter. I’ll do that once the drip rail to gutter weld is complete. It’ll give it more strength to beat it into shape.

[vanpeebles]

First part of enginecode?

[exuptoy]

Sept 19, 2020 12:33:00 GMT vanpeebles said:

First part of enginecode?

12A2EF77

[exuptoy]

Apparently F77 means 10.0-1 CR SPi 3.2 FD closed loop catalyst.

[vanpeebles]

Sept 19, 2020 14:32:48 GMT exuptoy said:

Apparently F77 means 10.0-1 CR SPi 3.2 FD closed loop catalyst.

Yes! That's the same one I got to go in mine, to replaced the auto. Should be about 10 bhp more Vs the Mayfair.

[exuptoy]

10bhp in mini circles costs about £1500

[vanpeebles]

Sept 19, 2020 15:24:38 GMT exuptoy said:

10bhp in mini circles costs about £1500

Yeah! They are good engines those, not just a badge

[exuptoy]

3.2FD should give a peppier pick up to over the usual 3.44.

[ghostdancingretro]

can i ask what welder machine is that one in your photos?

[exuptoy]

The big yellow one is a Portamig 185. British made loveliness, had it 7-8 years, and the Purple thing on top is a Parweld 202Xti AC-DC Tig with pulse. Nice bit of kit which I can’t use properly! Need to spend some time playing once the mini is done.

[exuptoy]

Been looking why my gutter was out too far. Turns out my door brace frame was stopping the inner door frame moving to accommodate it. Much better now.

Before



After

[jimspolicev8sd1]

I'm having flash backs to when i restored my cousin's 1996 mpi. I was staggered by how well developed the rust was for what wasnt really an old car. Some nice repairs there. How are you finding the heritage panels? I had to reshape most of mine but at least they were made of decent gauge steel. Have fun!

PS very nice to see some proper bracing in the door

[exuptoy]

Cheers for the comment fella. Heritage stuff seems to fit quite well, haven’t fitted any of them yet but they seem to fit when test fitting bits. Once I know how much I need to trim the door step once my rear quarter repair arrives I can actually fit a new Heritage panel
I still need to unpick the nearside a panel and the remains of the front panel I can fit up the front end. Just trying to replace rust with fresh steel underneath everything for now. Haha

[elfman]

Sept 19, 2020 15:48:18 GMT exuptoy said:

3.2FD should give a peppier pick up to over the usual 3.44.

No you will be higher geared so it will slightly dull the acceleration but give you a better cruising top gear...  When racing i used to us a 3.9 or a 4.1 but it restricted my top speed and a very noisy motor way car ...but very quick acceleration.. 

[mrbounce]

Sept 22, 2020 18:52:32 GMT elfman said:

Sept 19, 2020 15:48:18 GMT exuptoy said:

3.2FD should give a peppier pick up to over the usual 3.44.

No you will be higher geared so it will slightly dull the acceleration but give you a better cruising top gear...  When racing i used to us a 3.9 or a 4.1 but it restricted my top speed and a very noisy motor way car ...but very quick acceleration.. 

Someone I once knew built a Mini using a 1300 engine from an Allegro. He used the gearbox too, which was highly amusing because this thing went like a scalded cat and ran out of puff at about 65. The final drive ration worked out at 4.1 IIRC.

[elfman]

Yes that's right, I was running 13" wheels and the engine was a short stroke 1300 could rev well but with the 4.1 I could only do about 96mph...
I run the 3.9 on a Turbo motor and did 108mph at Western Speed trials...with a little bit more to go...but not much..
A 3.2 would be a good road gearing..

[exuptoy]

Ah, ok I got it ars3 about face.
Would running 13’s improve matters or compound them then?