BL Mini Clubman Estate - 1978

[planty]

Hi Guys,

I'm Tom, a Retro-noob having seen a sticker on a car (sorry, i don't remember what it was) at CaRs which by the way is the coolest car show I've been to for ages. I'm a member of Staffs Minis having been into the Mini scene for years. My first car was a Mk1 Fiesta, i've had a string of Minis, a 126, a Mk2 Polo, and a bunch of Rover Metros. Fun. As well as this car I currently have a non-runner Mk2 Golf (anybody wanna buy it?) and my barried up everday run about rover 214 bubble.

I have to say i'm loving the site guys, top inspiration and its fantastic to see such enthusiasm and fanatisism for such unusual or perhaps normally overlooked cars.

This is my current project, a 1978 T-plate Clubman estate. Its getting a 16v K-series engine and hopefully a funky cool retro make over.







I'm looking for a few opinions as i've a number of ideas which way to take the look of the car, but i can't decide!

First to ponder is the paintjob... i was originally thinking a nice dark grey (Rover Yukon Grey to be exact)



but i've decided a two-tone burgundy on the top grey on the bottom?



Secondly i've begun to graft a set of arches on, in the style of Euro MK1 golfs... love the look, and with these the car will be sat on Rover Metro GTi SPi cross spoke alloys like this...



But i also like the idea of no arches with polished or chromed OE steels.... would look phat also, non?



Third quandy is standard back doors or a single backdoor?? Hmm...

I am however planning on all red back lights, cleaning up car by losing seams and a few bits of un-necessary trim like the bumpers and the indicators... I've already welded the original fuel filler up because it was ghastly and unsightly!



It will also be dropped till it scrapes its belly maybe running white walls?

Any opinions or idea greatly received guys - i'm open to your wisdom!

[guz]

french in the rear lights and
front side lights/indicators ?

internally hinged (top hinged ?)
back door/s ?

mk2 golf C door mirrors ?

honda CRX seats are so much better
than any BL/Austin/Rover stuff (IMHO)

ZERO chrome/checkerplate ?

new rear bumpers (scaffold pole
cut lengthways ?) set real close ?

much better with arches on 12/13"

single, centre clock in smooth dash,
losing the top dash pad ?

[Bioshock]

Hi planty ,welcome to the best forum on the 'net!
Nice project.Reckon you should keep it pretty subtle,there's loads of barried minis out there,and it looks like you've got a sweet one.
whatever plans you have for the wee beasty,mate you've got to lose that grill

[Mr K]

bin the cheque plate, go low and wide and you cant loose. flick through a Mini Mag.... look at the stereo typical mods (sports packs, minilights, cheque / union flag roofs, bonnet stripes, etc etc) and avoid those mods!!

sounds like a good project, looking forward to seeing this come along.

[slater]

No arches, stock width tyres but make the rims atleast 2" wider then stock

[rmad]

Follow your inpiration fully...13x7 wires and arches should do it.

[planty]

Thanks for the ideas guys, given me a few things to work with... oh and just so you know the grille and dashboard were the first things i ripped off the car, along with the fast car stickers and the limo tint window film..... My only problem now is trying to get rid of the stuff... its been picked out of the metal recycling box twice by the binmen already........ lol ;D

I've also stripped the dodgy purple paint - it was a kinda cool colour but it was such an obviously done at home with an aerosol job it had to go.

I do like subtle.... i don't like Barryfication... it will be a bit sleeperish when its done i reckon. Oh and it definatley won't be getting minilites or sportspack arches, they've been done to death!

I'm off to have a play while i've got a day off then guys, i'll keep you posted!

[Grahamini]

How about a Golf style slatted grille ? I`ve always wanted to do that to a Clubbie ..
Cross spoke wheels and arches ftw ;D Not that I`m biased you understand ..

[phatphord]

when i did a clubbie estate for an ex i was after a mk1 style eyebrow,but i like the idea of a vw stle slatted grill. As for the rear doors,what about having them split along the centre like a 4x4 tailgate? glaszed part swings up or out,bottom part swings down..
oh and olde english white,french caddilac deville rear lenses into the rear pillars,french headlights into wings, bozo style arches,but smoothed in,12/13" gold centred rims,similar to the konig rewinds in the fs section, blue or bone coloured interior,crx seats were a good call... run exhasut out through front wing or a bike can under grill at front...mmm...

[blue1275gt]

mines not an estate, its a 79 GT but ive gone for the retro/euro look...check it out

[Grahamini]

Nice Min, shame about the parking

[spottedlaurel]

As far as I'm concerned you're starting ahead of other Minis with a Clubman, I much prefer them. That blue ones pretty neat, and I was rather taken with this one I saw in Norwich a few weeks back.....

[planty]

Hmm.. thats a nice white estate... not too far away from what i'm doing...

Keep the suggestions coming guys - loads of stuff i havent thought about here, some i have... like the golf grille



an ebay special cut up that, dunno if i like the look enough to stick with it. A badge-less 5 slat aftermarket job might look better but then again it might just look chav?
I was thinking about maybe a marina grille (either style would be cool)

I love the idea of horizontal hatch type doors, like the old range rovers had - would be a bit trick and super practical but i'm not sure quite how i'd go about that one... something to think about.

I also been thinking about front indicators... possibly golf mk2 or even mk3 frenched in below the headlights - might do a photoshop or 2 and see what works and what doesn't...

Yesterdays progress was all prep for the k-series going in... work today but hopefully 2moro i'll have it all ready to go in, or maybe even in the car! Just gotta play with the suspension a touch first.

[trg1984]

if that was mine i would do the following

wide 12inch wheels (I'm not a fan of 13s anymore)
dodge charger style front grille
slammed suspension
group 2 extra wide arches
i like the two tone paint u suggested aswell, go with that. that sort of thing was doen to some mini saloons but i forget which tuning firm used to do it, someone begining with R i thnk

[Grahamini]

Radford perhaps ?

[trg1984]

yeah radford, they are cool minis