409 replies to this topic

[MacGyver]

Those wheels are lovely! 😁
Paint reactions are always a pain but better luck with the next coat. 😉

[Ben_O]

Did you put the silver spray paint down quite heavy?

I would imagine that the cheap paint is very thin so will have more thinner in it which is what tends to cause reactions as the solvent softens the paint beneath.

 

When you re-coat them, apply the paint in lots of very light dusty coats to start with and build it up. This should prevent it reacting.

 

They do look great for the cost though. Well done!

[1984mini25]

Probably, as like you say the paint to thinners/propellent in cheap spray cans is more the latter. Doesn't help that nowhere on the can does it actually say what type of paint it is.

And I probably did spray it too heavy, with a fine line between too light and not getting a shine when its dry or too heavy and getting runs or reactions.

And while sanding them back down the wrinkled areas did stink of solvent, even though the paint was dry.

Although that can did seam a bit more solvent heavy than the others, especially were its dried in places almost like a hammered hammerite finish. Witch I got away with on the rears by just spraying back over once dry, although was only in a very small area, unlike on the ones were its reacted.

The cans also only seam to spray when perfectly vertical, even when full. Witch is a bit of a problem, as I prefer to paint wheels laying flat. So I'm having to do these standing up and then laying them flat.

[1984mini25]

The other thought I'd had was the rears and spare were painted with the red oxide/hammerite in 2012 and the fronts more recently in 2016. And as hammerite will pretty much cover anything, maybe the primer or even top coat weren't fully cured, even after years witch I've then sanded/exposed and tried painting over.

Still I've sanded them back down and left them for now, as I can't do anything for a few days till I buy some more paint and fit a pair of spare wheels and tyres. (Witch would also need doing at a later date)

[1984mini25]

I was bored earlier, and seeing as going out anywhere (especially on a day like we have just had) would just mean sitting in a queue of traffic just to get round the car parks. I thought I've give something I'd bought a few months back a try, a g3 clay mitt. I have used proper clay before (on someone else's mini), but I'd bought this with the intentions of cleaning the paint on a 19 year old car, that although has been washed (never at a car wash) and polished occasionally, has very gritty feeling paintwork. But I couldn't do that today, so instead I thought I'd give it a go on my 34 year old mini windows (its been bugging me that my paint is smoother than the glass), as it is recommended that you use in on the glass first. And it worked a teat, couldn't see the dirt it had removed other than in my wash bucket, but the glass is now lovely and smooth, and some of the minor scratches appear to also have improved. I've still got some rather annoying scratches I want to give a go at polishing (think removing bird dirt from your paintwork with sandpaper) That I know will never disappear completely, but at least improve them.
 
Feeling brave (and still bored, as the glass didn't take all that long) I thought I've give it a go on the roof of the mini, not that i thought it would do anything, although the water in my wash bucket proved differently. Along the front section of the roof though there is a rougher (still smother than most cars paintwork though) Patch, that no amount of hand polishing has done anything other than give me sore arms to improve. But 30 seconds with the mitt and the rough patch was gone. So while i waited for the wax to dry on the roof i went over the rest of the mini. Predictably it didn't really do a lot, but I'd love to know what was over the bottom of the nearside door, as that was worse than the roof was.
 
Even so I still can't get over rubbing the mitt over the paintwork, using just it's weight on the panel and nothing more and hearing a gritty, scratching noise as it's picking up the dirt, and then suddenly going smooth. And if it's possible, after going over with the mitt and a quick wax (just some liquid wax on a damp cloth spread as thinly as I could get away with) It somehow seams shinier.
 

 

 
I've even got the refection of the windscreen, wipers, headlining and visors in this one.
 

Edited by 1984mini25, 17 April 2018 - 04:21 PM.

[CharlieNZ]

That's a gorgeous shine, I'm very envious!

[1984mini25]

Even better considering that's just after using the mitt and drying off, and is just the clean paint. The wax I've been using (turtle wax, because it was cheap) is just for a bit of added protection and doesn't add anything to the shine.

And its a light silver car, witch aren't known or the easiest to make look good.

Still, might get to try my skills on a deep metallic purple car in a few weeks, see if I can't make that pop, even if it is a Peugeot.

[1984mini25]

I've since undersealed, stripped and painted up the drivers side floor pan and suspension, witch I'll leave until I've done the other side. I also got round to using the mitt on the car it was intended for. All I can say is you wouldn't never believe at the improvement its made to the 19 year old paint, it honestly looks like it had just been freshly polished and waxed and that was just for using the mitt. I did have to go over the bonnet and lower half twice, and I'm not sure if I've used up the mitt, as now its fully dry it's no longer tacky/sticky.

 

 

 

 

 

Anyways, I thought I'd pop out yesterday evening (and play ovoid the pothole), only a few miles down the road, but it seams the mini had other ideas. While sitting behind a blue bmw at some traffic lights, my headlamps started flickering on and off all on there own (much to annoyance of the driver in front) and did so for about a 1/4 of a mile before packing up completely. Luckily I was only a further half mile from were I'd planned on going, so made it on just the sidelights. But it did mean I rather unintentionally spent the next half hour to 40mins in the car park with the bonnet open trying to rewire my headlamps so that they worked/or at least had the main headlamps to drive home on. As the fuse and fuse holder for the dipped beam had melted and ended up having to use the feed/relay for the full beams to power the dipped beam.

[1984mini25]

About due an update.

 

I've now fully cleaned and re undersealed both floor pans (still have the awkward bit round the steering rack that will have to wait until I can get it up onto some ramps) And all of the front suspension has been removed, cleaned and painted. With the pics showing the drives side done and the passenger sider still to do. I haven't done the brake cailpers, as they are next on the list along with a replacement n/s caliper and new hoses.  

 

 

 

 

 

I went to a local free classic car meet.

 

 

Only stuck around for a hour or so as it was so bloody hot. But upon leaving I was stopped by someone asking if I would like any mini25 stuff? I was a bit rushed for wanting to leave, so just exchanged details. But it turned out after exchanging messages and popping over, the guy lived just 2 miles down the road from me, and only a few doors further down to someone's else's I used to regularly visit.

 

I've yet to fully go though the large box of items I picked up (some I already have), But it turns out Him and his missus both went to the mini 25's birthday at Donnington park, with the intentions on buying one, but unfortutaly they never did (couldn't afford one). But while there they bought at least 2 of everything (his and hers) and then put everything away in the loft to be forgotten (so new/unused). So I now have 2 mini 25 baseball caps, 2 disposable lighters, 2 pens, 2 sticks of rock, 2 t-shirts, 2 badges, 2 key rings, 2 stickers, 2 postcards, 2 carrier bags, a sale brochure and program. Things like the postcards, stickers and programs I already have a load of, but I now pretty much have at least one (or more) of everything available other than a mini25 umbrella. Also if that wasn't jammy enough, also included were entry/raffle tickets, press cuttings and articles about the 25 at the time. And as a further bonus they also attended the mini 35 and 40th at Silverstone, so also have a few items (although not nearly as many) witch I'll more than likely pass on at some point.

 

And he didn't want anything for the lot other than a donation to a local hospice/end of life car home and the recent passing of his mum. Witch he was more than happy with, as I paid quite a bit more with were the money was going, but also didn't overpay either.

 

But I just find it odd, I drove 15 miles down the road to a classic car event, to then end up talking to/visiting someone whole lives just down the road with a load of mini 25 stuff tucked away. And to think I very nearly didn't go because of finding out who was organising the event (someone who used to be in my class during secondary school).

 

And more recently, I went to Himley hall last Sunday, although not in the mini. Can't say I was that overly impressed to be honest. Although I did manage to buy some items, or at least the larger easily damaged/heavier items, I'm still left with having to buy the remaining parts online.

 

But one of the items I did buy and have since fitted are some door sill protectors. Even if it has meant spending 2 days modifying them to fit. Firstly as the fit in relation to the door step was shocking (the other side was worse), so much so they would of catched the bottoms of the doors when shut. They were too bling for my liking, and I wanted a more permanent fixing other than the intended double sided tape, witch wouldn't have worked as they didn't match the cure of the doorsteps.  

 

 

 

 

So I ended up taking the angle grinder to them, chopping them down, drilling and attaching them via 2 small pop rivets. And as a finishing touch I added some left over mini25 pinstripe to both.

 

 

 

Edited by 1984mini25, 15 May 2018 - 09:33 PM.

[lawrence]

All looking good here :) liking those door steps too, nice idea cutting them down, makes em look a little different too the norm. I also seem to find people who are mini fans or whom own mini stuff. Had a neighbor at my old rental house used to work on them back in the 80s and gave me a valve spring compressor and offered his help should I need it!

[1984mini25]

Well I’ve had another hectic week. Started off the bank holiday Monday with a cold, and discovered that even though the mini hadn’t been used for a week, the oil level had risen from the maximum line on the dipstick to the bottom of the x of max on the dipstick. So I had the fun of swapping over the fuel pump (new in 2013) to a used spare, making up gaskets, and draining some oil out to drop the level. As I wasn’t going to do yet another oil change only to find that the replacement pump was faulty, plus the extra fuel would burn off anyway. Luckily the new/old pump seems to be ok, so it will get another fresh oil change, even though it and my oil pressure seams fine.

A pair of new tyres arrived Tuesday, bought online for £28 each turned up after taking a week to arrive (didn’t realised tyre leader were based in Germany) And promptly loaded them into the mini to get them fitted at the local friendly garage I’ve used before. Oh how so wrong, this time they weren’t so friendly, didn’t seem busy, but still insisted that the soonest would be Wednesday next week and that it would need booking/being left with them. Witch just seamed totally daft to me for replacing a pair of tyres with I had the new ones in the back of the car with me, 20 minutes work tops.

I then unfortutaly then spent pretty much the rest of the afternoon driving 30 miles round every garage and tyre place in mk trying to find somewhere that wasn’t busy, was willing to fit tyres that I’d supplied (nothing more daft that trying a place with 6 empty ramps and 3 guys pushing brooms round only to turn down work, as they aren’t they’re own tyres they were fitting) Or taking the piss cost wise (one place wanted more than what the tyres cost me to fit, or they may have miss understood with it being a proper mini).

Eventually I found somewhere, not the cheapest, but I was running out of options (an energy with my sore throat etc.) So half an hour later, £32 poorer and floor pans in tack (they actually knew to jack it on the subframes) I had the new tyres fitted. Although predictably no sooner had I backed out of the work shop the havens opened for the drive home. So not the nicest of drives in torrential rain on fresh front tyres, but at least I know my new sealant I’d thought I’d give a try beads up lovely.

 

 

My tickets for the mini and metro show arrived Wednesday. Gave the mini a quick wash and much need hover on the Thursday. And then while letting it run up on the Friday evening to check the levels and fuel, the alternator was making on hell of racket with knackered bearings. Fearing that there was no way it would make it the 100 odd mile round trip and back to Gaydon on the Sunday. I dug out the spare alternator I’d kept from my other engine/mini, quick clean-up and swapped them over with a bit of juggling in the engine bay, as I refused to remove the front grill.

Only to start it up and find the alternator light wouldn’t go out, unless revved. A quick look revealed that the drive pulley/nut were lose, something I don’t remember being an issue. Either way the radiator was in the way to get an allen key in to hold the shaft while tightening the nut with a spanner, so out and back in it went. Thankfully for the last time and seemed to be charging at around 14.1v. Although this one has a new issue, it’s making a whirring, as posed to the coffee grinder noise of the other one witch increases with revs.

At some point I’ll pull the other one apart to see if it’s worth replacing just the bearings, as I only have a basic soldering iron so I can’t go replacing the electrical bits if I need to.

But that brings me onto today, the mini thankfully dispite its ‘supercharger’ whining alternator made it to and from Gaydon today (and overtook a blue metro on the M40). I’ve still got to go through and upload all the pics I took (witch were quite a lot), but a few of the mini soon after arriving and giving a quick once over.

 

 

So my jobs for next week is yet another oil change, and work out something with my alternator, preferably one that doesn't make funny noises.

Edited by 1984mini25, 03 June 2018 - 10:02 PM.

[1984mini25]

Spent the start of the week sorting out an alternator that doesn’t make funny noises, although on my usual budget of nothing.
I pulled apart my original alternator in the hope I could replace just the bearings (£11), unfortutaly no such luck. As unfortutaly the slip ring is quite badly worn/scored, and I don’t have a suitable soldering iron to be able to solder the connections for the new one. But the brushes didn’t seem too bad and would clean up.

 

But In sorting out the garage to get rid of the boxes of mini stuff I’ve collected over the years, which is taking me bloody ages, I found an another alternator I’d forgotten about. Now this one apart from being covered in dust and paint overspray, is basically a new non genuine alternator. But, and there’s always is a but, this one was rescued (with permission of sorts) from a mini club I used to be with scrap pile about 10 years ago. At the time it was thought that the alternator was a dud with blown internals as it wasn’t charging. But then the guys weren’t mechanics or particularly bright (putting it politely) when it came to minis.

 

As around that time I was told it would be cheaper to replace my engine and gearbox with a used/unkown engine from eBay, rather than replace the clutch at a cost of £30 back then. It took 3 of them to replace a throttle cable, and 4 gearbox swaps on one mini (buying unknown used boxes off eBay each time) until they found a god one. So I took it to use for parts and left it in the corner of the garage ever since.

 

I didn’t bother to see if it attauacly worked or not, but what I had was one working alternator, with knackered bearings and a worn rotor. And a ‘new’ alternator with new bearings, usable rotor, and unknown rectifier. So I ended up using the casing from the new unit (with new bearings) along with the rotor, and the rest of the other bits from my old unit to make one fully working new alternator.

 

Tested it on the car before removing to paint it, but I’m keeping quiet, as for now it appears to be working (14.2v and 13.8v with the lights/heater etc. on) and has so far only cost me (apart from my time) £2 for some poundland spray paint to tart it up.

 

That’s the good news, the bad is I’ve discovered a few minor annoyances.

The paint appears to be crazing on some of the grey trim I’ve painted, the worst being the boot lamp.

 

 

 

And my rear window trim has done something weird, but just on the o/s all down one side and both the corners.

 

 

 

 

 

I've looked back through my pics from Gaydon and it looks to be ok, and the mini hasn't moved from the garage since then. And... the new fuel tank to body seal is starting to perish.

Edited by 1984mini25, 08 June 2018 - 09:20 PM.

[alex-95]

Looking good, shame about the paint, I would rub it right back and use the upol as in my thread. I've got the same issue with the window trim fillet strip, it's only the back though

[1984mini25]

The paint I'm leaving for now (still bloody annoying), as I've run out of the 300ml holts cans I bought in the shade of grey I've used, but the seller is no longer on eBay. The Halfords colour match spray alternative is far too thin and is a lot lighter, unless twice as many coats are used. And I refuse to pay nearly a tenner on eBay for a 150ml can of the hycote stuff. So I'll have to wait until I can find some top coat locally and/or reasonable.

 

And the window trim, I've never had that happen before (make your own jokes). They normaly go hard, brittle, shrink or yellowish over a number of years. The only way I can describe it, it's as if is been removed and twisted and then refitted, but obviously hasn't.

Edited by 1984mini25, 12 June 2018 - 09:20 PM.

[1984mini25]

It appears my budget rebuilt alternator is working and behaving itself. Which is a relief as I’ve lost count of the amount of times I’ve removed and refitted the bloody thing, all without removing the front grill.

 

Although Sunday just gone I popped along to a local (only 25miles) festival of transport show with near enough 1000 vehicles in Luton at Stockwood Park. Unfortunately I did end up parked between two old Vauxhalls, as all the vehicles were lined up in rows depending upon witch decade the car was registered upon arrival.

 

 

 

And I didn’t get a chance to walk round and see much (so I've been looking through other peoples pics on Facebook), as after spending a few hours looking round the auto jumble (proper new/old stock stuff) and traders. A quick trip on the bus (which was free) to the local Vauxhall heritage centre, and something to eat most has started packing up and heading off home.

Edited by 1984mini25, 12 June 2018 - 09:22 PM.