200 replies to this topic

[skoughi]

Thats kinda where i'm at just now, would've been further ahead but because i'm tight with the cash the making of patches etc has used up time. Boot floor, wheel tubs, toe board, repair to the bottom of the rear quarter, door step repair and the outer part of the a post has all been made but if i'd bought those it would have taken a good chunk out of the budget. Saying that i'm not happy with the most of it and sometimes i'd wished i'd just bought it instead! Still it's good to get half the floor in. Going to start on the drivers side tomorrow and it's just a case of the same again, repair the rear quarter, probably repair the door step, rebuild the a post and fit the sill and floor. Not much if you say it really quickly!!

[brian1975]

Looks good look forward to following your progess

[oli]

Good work on the mini and fabrication. How do manage when you run out of welding tips, drill bits etc in Shetland? Can you get stuff easily on the island?

[skoughi]

Good work on the mini and fabrication. How do manage when you run out of welding tips, drill bits etc in Shetland? Can you get stuff easily on the island?

No probs with getting anything to do with engineering or fabrication up here, we're in the middle of the north sea oil industry and have been since the mid seventies. Tons of engineering and supply shops, only problem is things can be a little more expensive than normal so it's a case of pay a little more locally or save and ebay

[skoughi]

Good work on the mini and fabrication. How do manage when you run out of welding tips, drill bits etc in Shetland? Can you get stuff easily on the island?

Like to make a little comment on this, i can get whatever i need no probs EXCEPT any unf thread bolt/machine screw other than a plain nut or bolt!! Tried to get a countersunk machine screw (the ones that go in the door hinges) and all i got was blank stares. Ended up getting a metric thread and will have to drill and tap.Can't even get stainless unf! Seems like everyone has moved on from the seventies.

[sonikk4]

Have you tried Smiffy's bits http://www.smiffysbits.co.uk/ stainless steel bolts, screws etc so no need to mess around re tapping things for metric. I am so glad our clubbie is not that rotten, it was bad enough with Project Erm.

Still you are progressing well.

[skoughi]

Have you tried Smiffy's bits http://www.smiffysbits.co.uk/ stainless steel bolts, screws etc so no need to mess around re tapping things for metric. I am so glad our clubbie is not that rotten, it was bad enough with Project Erm.

Still you are progressing well.

Cheers, and yes it's rotten! Seemed like a good idea at the time! But i'll get there. I found a set of ten screws for the hinges on minipreservation.com for £2, minispares does 1 for £1.50!

[skoughi]

Getting started on the drivers side floor now. Today i managed to sort out the sub mount at the toe board and did the front sub mount on the bulkhead. I've made it out of some 1.5mm plate, same on both sides. Wondering if this is going to be strong enough. I've got solid mounts on the front sub just now but i'm thinking of changing the rear ones on the front sub to poly ones to save on stress. Whats your experence of this? Found out today that my smokey old 1275 is actually a 1330! So hopefully will be turning it into a sweet torquey one instead! There's a couple of pics of the old floor as well, three sills on it!! Weighed a ton!

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Edited by skoughi, 30 June 2016 - 08:35 PM.

[skoughi]

Finally got my finger out and here's and update. Hats off to you guys who regularly update their threads, i can't seem to get into photographing things as i go along. Just seem to forge on cutting, welding and grinding then think "oh yeah, camara!" Anyway i've finally got a floor back into my mini!! Both halfs ( both halfs i got from minisport which have have the tunnel on them so had to cut a 20mm strip to join them and seam weld) of the floor, outer sills, both door pillars rebuilt plus drivers door step, repairs to the sub mounts on the toe board, made a new pipe that the heater inlet joins onto, repaired the drivers end of the dashboard shelf, repairs to the heel board where the rear sub mounts and front of the wheeltubs. Not much if you say it fast!! Oh and a salvaged cross member welded in. Inner and outer sills were both etched primed and got two coats of hammerite no1 primer on the insides to try and give them some protection before they were welded on, also did the same to the crossmember. I set the car up with both subs in place, leveled them off and welded them together with some box section running the length of the car, making sure they were as close to parralel as i could get them. Then blocked up the box sections so the car was sitting level. checking the seams on the sills and across the door openings. This way i could check as i was going along that things were going in as good as i could get it. I would say that it's all level within 3mm.

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[skoughi]

Next step is to take out the back of the seat panel and the rear shelf. As you can see someone modified the seat back to take a small speaker!! Not much use now! I salvaged a new seat back and rear shelf from a later mini which has rear seat belt mounts. I know it's not right for the age of the car but i've got to think of my little bundles of joy!! Anyway the car is been deseamed etc so its not as if it's original anyway. So going to be cutting it out this week and getting ready to put the new one in.The seat back is going in as a complete part so the structural strength of the seat belt mounts will be as good as when it left the factory. I'll be welding on the seat belt mounts on the wheel tubs as well and i'm thinking to seam weld them on rather than plug weld to get as much strength in them, and i'll be able to get things cleaned up and painted before the new seat back goes in. I welded in a new shock mount on the passenger side a while back so i'll be able to get better access to this to do a better job of the welds.

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•  3_7_2011_022.JPG   52.06K   44 downloads
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[skoughi]

Once thats all done then i'll be able to cut of the box sections and remove the subs then flip her on her side and seam weld the heel board, center tunnel, toe board and front sub mounts. Was thinking to make a spit but i'm in two minds about this. Might just pinch some insulation from work and roll her onto this. It would be very handy to be able to turn her on the spit though for painting etc. Will have to see if i can be arsed when the time comes!!

[skoughi]

Well thats the back seat rest out, was no problem to remove, cut out the main part of it then simply rolled off the spot welds like opening a can o spam!! Those 1973 spot welds aren't the strongest! Not too much work to do before the other seat rest goes in. Got to weld on seat belt mounts onto the wheeltubs, weld up the holes where the roll bar bolted in, make a patch next to where the battery box is and replace the box itself. I welded in a shock mount a while ago and now that i can get to it better i think i'll cut a 10mm strip of 1.5mm plate and seam weld that over the butt weld i did to be sure of getting some strength in it. Its behind the fuel tank so not too worried what it looks like as long as its strong! Also going to clean the seams where the quarter and rear panel meet and seam weld down the inside. There's a ton of filler on the outside so i want to knock it out to a better shape and this will ensure some strength in case i grind any of the outside down. After that then level off the boot floor at the rear seam and fabricate some metal to join the rear to the boot floor ready for the rear valance. Not much if you say it fast!!

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•  09_7_2011_cleaning_metal_and_work_to_do_in_the_boot_007.JPG   49.16K   18 downloads
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[skoughi]

Well i've managed to get any rusty holes that the new seat back will come into contact with patched, i still need to cut out the battery box but that can wait for now as its still keeping a little strength in the boot floor. Also got the rear seat belt mounts welded on and filled the holes that held the roll bar. Managed to lay on a seam of weld around the shock mount and as its behind the tank it will get left as it is. This is what i should've done in the first place instead of grinding it all off! Looking at the state of the boot floor and the amount of patches i've put into it then it would've been better to have replaced it, but that would've cost big bucks and i would like to keep as much of the original body as i can. I had a look at the seams that join the quarter and rear panel and it dosen't look nice! Ground off a lot of filler and found a strip of metal that has been laid over the old seam and tacked on, then below that the seam has just been tacked here and there. So i'm going to cut out a strip about 30-40mm wide and seam weld in some new metal where the seam was, not sure whether to butt weld or toggle in a step. Want to butt weld as i'll be able to get that hammered out easier but thinking the metal may fracture with any planishing, better make sure i do some half decent welds!

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[liam_italian]

It's coming along great, keep up the good work on it!

[skoughi]

Cheers, a little encouragement goes a long way! Think i'm going to get a new camara, the one i have can't seem to get in focus. Makes my work look crap!! ;o]