1693 replies to this topic

[SAL 821X]

Evening all i'm new around here, thought I would let you all see what i've been doing for the last years and still going.


So the story goes back by 6 years and im a 19 year old shadow of myself today, 3 weeks before I head for the dizzy heights of freedom from the parents and go to Uni, I decide that it would be a good idea to buy myslef another mini as a project while im home at the weekends(which never happend). Purchasing from a friend the other side of the village, I drive my prise home to the sum of almost a mile (on 2 cylinders) and stick it in the garage. The very next day out come the spanners and its striped to a shell in a matter of hours.









Fast forward to the present day and the car is still sat on the same axle stands it rested on 6 years ago. In this time a good friend has setup his own company doing roadside bodywork repair and has become a dab hand with a spray gun.....ARRHARR.....interest in my project has resumed.

So off we set Obital sanders in hand on a Saturday afternoon and 3 hours later this.

Edited by SAL 821X, 25 May 2011 - 07:41 PM.

[SAL 821X]

Found a new best friend last night NITROMORS.

Got some from halfrueds, wow that stuff is potent spent an hour last night scraping the paint off the passenger side rear panel.





and low and behold found yet more filler...



and another picture of the roof, only the gutter to go and we can get some primer on it.

[SAL 821X]

These pictures and info are over about the last 2 odd years. just cutting and pasting from another thread i have running on pistonheads... would like to get some more info on the build from you guys.

[SAL 821X]

UPDATE......

Well got a fair bit done on saturday. Ended up cutting most of the drivers side A panel, inner wing and side valence out as it was rotten. Looks like whoever restored it in the past had done a bodge job, sandwiching the new panel over the top of the old one. So as we cut the panel out to my horror alot of material fell out! thats it I thought. Thankfully although some rebuilding work will take place its too bad.

Now you see it.....





Now you dont...

[SAL 821X]

UPDATE,

Sal saw the light of day for the first time in 6 years....

Managed to get a trolley with wheels on over the weekend so wheeled the old girl out the garage.

Cut yet more metal from the driver and passenger side, also found out I need some more practice cutting straight lines with a grinder...









Now off to scouer minispares for replacement panels, hope to get some paint on it sometime in May.

[SAL 821X]

Small update, SAL went off to be welded yesterday.....

[SAL 821X]

Popped down to see how the garage are getting on with SAL and she has less holes in her now

Drivers side rear arch.



Made a start on the driver side inner and outer A-panel.



New lower passenger side from arch to door shut.



I had to order some new external door hinges as I lost the others, so not much has happened so far this week, plus they are fitting it in around other jobs.

[SAL 821X]

Just dropped in to take some pictures of the van as she stands at the moment.













Still not sure how much its going to cost me yet but I guess it needs to be done. :weeping:

[SAL 821X]

Well thats it upto date so far.

Picked the shell up from the welders last week. bouncebouncebouncebounce

The guys did a great job I feel and price to boot.

Hopefully my paint guy is ordering all the materials and paint sometime next week, I've got a few busy weekends ahead so hopefully getting back on the van early part of June.

So back out with the sander and looking like a smurf to get ride of the last of the blue paint.



Any questions on how im going on so far please ask away, or if ive done anything wrong of course... lol

[benjy_18]

looks awesome!!! one thing though, open up those oversills with some holes in the vents else the condensation inside them will rot the sills out in a few years.

dont want to see another van rust away!

keep up the good work buddy

Ben

[Bean]

Wow, fantastic project! Well done so far! What's the ongoing plans for it?

Awesome photographs, too - Love a project with decent pictures!

[SAL 821X]

looks awesome!!! one thing though, open up those oversills with some holes in the vents else the condensation inside them will rot the sills out in a few years.

dont want to see another van rust away!

keep up the good work buddy

Ben

Hi Ben,

Not 100% sure what you mean by oversills? there geniune new sills from somerfords, the old panel was removed and this new one put in its place.

By vents do you mean the bumps?

Happy to drill some holes in if it means she stays solid for years to come.

[SAL 821X]

Wow, fantastic project! Well done so far! What's the ongoing plans for it?

Awesome photographs, too - Love a project with decent pictures!

Hi Bean,

Thanks for the kind words,

Im going for a original pressed panel grill removeable frontend.

Gloss black cooper reverse rims.

Gloss black roof.

AA yellow bodywork.

Classic retro style interior, black bucket seats, centre speedo and such.

Engine wise im unsure yet but something 1275 upwards.

Cheers

Matt

EDIT: This is kind of what im going for colour wise.

 Austin_Mini_Van.JPG   323.69K   46 downloads

Edited by SAL 821X, 26 May 2011 - 08:33 AM.

[benjy_18]

looks awesome!!! one thing though, open up those oversills with some holes in the vents else the condensation inside them will rot the sills out in a few years.

dont want to see another van rust away!

keep up the good work buddy

Ben

Hi Ben,

Not 100% sure what you mean by oversills? there geniune new sills from somerfords, the old panel was removed and this new one put in its place.

By vents do you mean the bumps?

Happy to drill some holes in if it means she stays solid for years to come.

yeah there just known for rusting out because there sealed so any moisture condensates and rots from the inside.
drilling some small holes in each vent (bump) should prevent this slightly

Ben

[SAL 821X]

Brilliant cheers fella, I see what you mean now, I'll drop that on the ever expanding list of things to do.

Edited by SAL 821X, 26 May 2011 - 11:47 AM.