50 replies to this topic

[drummerian]

http://www.theminifo...howtopic=169642

wiring guide mate

[apjmini]

Ian,

Your a star thank you.

Now trying to get the pics to appear within the pdf guide so I can print off and keep in the garage ready for the day.

Cheers

Andrew

PS will you continue to update your thread with lessons learnt as you go along and perhaps answers questions as we progress our builds ?

[bigchief3679]

so...............any updates?

[apjmini]

After a long time off due to work and family demands and to be honest the sole destroying feeling in the pit of your stomach that whatever you do to a rotting mini it will never be how you want it, or at least how i wanted it, I bought a new shell and started again.



So here is my build part 2.

The shell I managed to find after 2 months looking on ebay was from the Silverfox living locally it is a Mayfair shell from 1992 which has a new heritage front end, new rear wheel arches and new valance plus various welding repairs throughout.

So the first thing I did as the shell had been stored in a farm shed was to rub down the accumulated surface rust where welding had occurred and treat the rust. After that 2 coats of hammerite were applied followed by 3 coats of underbody compound where the metalwork is open to the elements and just 2-3 coats of hammerite where the shell was not.

http://i851.photobuc...22/P1030076.jpg

http://i851.photobuc...22/P1030075.jpg

http://i851.photobuc...22/P1030074.jpg

http://i851.photobuc...22/P1030096.jpg

http://i851.photobuc...22/P1030095.jpg

The underbody has been cleaned, sealant cleaned off and again any rust treated, pained and underbody compounded.

Edited by apjmini, 14 May 2011 - 10:35 AM.

[apjmini]

I decided early on in March when I started on build 2 that I would attempt to run all the cables (battery) and wiring, petrol lines and brake pipes inside the shell so part of the build is currently under way. I am trying to allow for seats, centre console etc whilst laying the pipes and cables so it is a bit hit and miss at the moment, everytime I fix a pipe down I have to move it to allow for the seats or something.

As you can see after dealing with the outside of the shell I moved inside with a little help from my 14 year old daughter (who thinks the car is her’s when it is finished !)., We rub down all internal rust off the floors, roof and pillars, treated with 1 litre of blue hammerite and then I laid a roll or two or three of soundproofing self adhesive mat like dynamat (but cheaper), which should give a little extra strength to the thinner panels especially the floor and rear panels.

2 gallons of waxoly has been poured sprayed and injected into every space I can find include door pillars, roof box sections and rear wheel arches to fight off the rust for a little longer, I hope.

As the shell didn’t come with any doors I have used the doors from the first mini build which were in responsible nick just needing rubbing down, treating and some filling on the bottoms. Copious amounts of waxoyl was poured into the doors to hopefully stop the rusting from the inside out ?







The doors have now been painted satin black on the inward facing sides to match my colour scheme of greys and blacks with some orange to match to exterior colour thrown in for good measure (more in later months as the build progresses).

Edited by apjmini, 14 May 2011 - 10:30 AM.

[apjmini]

Internally the doors are fitted with fibreglass door panels, infinity mid range speakers and a light all wired through a newly cut hole just below the top door hinge.

The infinity tweeters are in my dashboard with 6x9’s below the back seats and a 12 inch sub in the boot (pretty standard stuff I suppose), all Infinity though. DVD player, PS2 rear mounted camera all to follow.

[apjmini]

Along with a 1.7 litre VVC Ford Puma engine I kept from a car break-up, the interior from a right off Puma which all fit nicely in the mini. The seats are much more comfortable and better built then the usual racing seats I have thought of fitting before and they are fully adjustable. The engine is in the garage as I had hoped to squeeze it into the mini but it will need a clubman front end so although i have everything I need it seems a waste to chop off the brand new heritage front end and replace it with fibreglass. Perhaps in 3-4 years I might.

Interior build to date:

I am using the Ford Puma seats froma X reg 1.7 Puma, Puma seats sell really cheaply on ebay (£50’ish) so worth a thought if you want new seats, however leather ones go for much more.

http://i851.photobuc...22/P1030167.jpg

http://i851.photobuc...22/P1030168.jpg

http://i851.photobuc...22/P1030169.jpg

http://i851.photobuc...22/P1030171.jpg

http://i851.photobuc...22/P1030172.jpg

Neat fit



Underneath - surface rust treated and painted

http://i851.photobuc...22/P1030174.jpg

They are fully adjustable with lumber support on the drivers seat and anti-dive (if you are able to wire it up that is). Perhaps not the same as the original mini seats but they suit my build and they were cheap and they fit.

When I get my MIG fixed I will weld on M8 nuts to the floor and bolt the seats into them (more to come on this part of the build).

The rear seat swab has been cut and bent slightly as the Puma top swab is fairly flat so needs a little persuasion to adapt to the mini shell.

http://i851.photobuc...22/P1030170.jpg

I have just started work on covering the rear shelf and to overlap this covering down the two sides to cover the meeting between the Puma seats and the rear side pockets on the mini.

http://i851.photobuc...22/P1030190.jpg

http://i851.photobuc...22/P1030191.jpg

http://i851.photobuc...22/P1030192.jpg

http://i851.photobuc...22/P1030193.jpg

I have made rear arch covers and rear trims in light grey plain leather cloth over reinforced mdf.
Note, the bottom seat swab still needs to be fitted as it is 1-2 inches longer than the mini seat but exactly the same width.

Edited by apjmini, 14 May 2011 - 10:31 AM.

[apjmini]

Subframes:

I have installed a new rear subframe with hi-los and new shock absorber plus rebuilt the rear brakes and regreased the rear wheel bearings which were a little dry. All nipples were greased and all parts after cleaning painted and waxolyed.

http://i851.photobuc...22/P1030162.jpg

http://i851.photobuc...22/P1030161.jpg



The front subframe has been shot blasted and cleaned, welded to improve strength and painted with 2 coats of black hammerite.

http://i851.photobuc...22/P1030176.jpg

http://i851.photobuc...22/P1030175.jpg

New suspension parts include adjustable tie roads, new shock absorbers, poly bushes negative chamber arms, all painted and waxolyed.

With regard to brakes I have fitted metro vented disks, goodridge hoses, metro twin pot callipers to improve braking.





A windwood brake bias valve will be fitted in the cabin to allow slight changes to the brake balance, although I doubt this will be altered much after it has been set-up.

Edited by apjmini, 14 May 2011 - 10:37 AM.

[apjmini]

Engine Bay:







Engine bay with brake servo, clutch cylinder and fuel regulator part fitted.

Fitting the Nissan engine and wiring plus a respray are the next BIG jobs I am faced with this coming summer.

It will be a challenge I am sure but with the help of Ian, Big Chief and Rids I am hopefully I will complete the job if not before the weather changes this autumn then next spring.

The Nissan Micra I have is a low mileage 1 litre engine with the smaller box from a P reg micra so is a little more basic then some on the forum, mainly because I wasn’t sure whether

I could tackle a even more complicated build, plus I liked the idea of a small engine 60bhp mini.

I will need to deal with both exhaust and inlet manifolds but I already have the 2inch DTM centre exit exhaust to make the noise ..........................

Edited by apjmini, 14 May 2011 - 10:28 AM.

[apjmini]

My DIY front grille started as a s/h ebay buy for £20.

I dismantled it drilling out the pot rivets, cleaned and de-rusted all the parts including the backing plate which had to be completely re-painted as the paint was flaking off.

I then cut some aluminium mesh to shape and removed half of the chrome grille "cross members" and pot rivetted it all back together.

This is the second one of these I have made having sold my original one on ebay last year when i thought I was going the clubman front end route.

Anyway i like it, sort of modern mini.

Edited by apjmini, 14 May 2011 - 10:24 AM.

[Artstu]

Nice grille. I'm always the same avoiding the hard important bit of getting the engine in

Click the little box above insert image, then paste the photo address in the pop up box

[apjmini]

Thank you

[Artstu]

Thank you

No probs, it makes viewing the photos much easier. Good luck with the Micra bit. I'm slowly limbering up to putting one in a Metro subframe, it should be easier than in a mini subframe (it's not going in a mini), but still presents quite a challenge and a need for me to learn quite a few new skills and buy the kit to do it.

By the way this caliper is on the wrong side of the car

Edited by Artstu, 14 May 2011 - 10:58 AM.

[new_zealand _minis]

pads on the wrong side thats all !!!

[apjmini]

Sorry can you explain what you both mean - caliper, pads on the wrong side , of what ?

Cheers