16 replies to this topic

[sherly]

I'm just about to MOT my Mini project that I started restoring in 2001........and in that time I've been made redundant, changed jobs, relocated (moved house 3 times) got married & partially restored a house.  

 

http://www.theminifo...clubman-1275gt/

 

It's got to the point in recent years where it's been quite embarrassing to admit how long the restoration has taken.....and I'm hoping the question of "how long has it taken?" will soon be replaced with "how long has it been on the road?"!

 

I thought it'd be good to find out how long other people have taken over their projects.

 

So....a question to people with Mini projects past and present - how long has your project taken?

 

Can anyone beat 12 years? (I'm hoping so - to make me feel better about it!) :)

[racingenglishcars]

Sorry, not a Mini, but a Frogeye. The active rebuild has been in progress since 2004. The shell and engine are done as is suspension except rear springs. Still needs external paint, seats & interior, wiring, hydraulics, windscreen and most everything in the engine compartment.

 

I don't feel bad 'cause when I moved into my house and started on the Frogeye, my neighbour had been ten years into his Ford Model A, which now really isn't further along than my Frogeye is.

 

I've been forced to wait starting on one of my Minis until the Frogeye drives.

[joakwin]

with my current mini, I started the project march 2009, I was gonna paint it this summer but work got in the way again and took me away from her, so maybe in sept i'll be able to finally paint my car and put the car back together. I hope to have it done this winter

 

I started another project a few yrs back, not a mini, but that isn't even close to being done,

when I get my mini done i'm gonna re-start that project again,

probably some time in 2015, that project will be number one on the list again

I started building that project in 2001, its a 1937 chevy gasser truck powered by a gm LS-5.3/4l80e autobox

should be a nice 350hp in a 2600lb vehicle weight

[sherly]

Sorry, not a Mini, but a Frogeye. The active rebuild has been in progress since 2004. The shell and engine are done as is suspension except rear springs. Still needs external paint, seats & interior, wiring, hydraulics, windscreen and most everything in the engine compartment.

 

I don't feel bad 'cause when I moved into my house and started on the Frogeye, my neighbour had been ten years into his Ford Model A, which now really isn't further along than my Frogeye is.

 

I've been forced to wait starting on one of my Minis until the Frogeye drives.

 

My first landlord back in 2001 when I started the project told me of his Triumph TR6 that took him 15yrs to complete.....little did I know at the time that mine would be a similar length of time......

 

My mate who I share a workshop with has a project Jag all stripped down to the shell and he started that a couple of years before mine (and is still a bare shell) so I don't feel too bad about how long mines taken, 

 

I reckon It's a good idea to wait on a project until you finish the first - I've got a 205GTi waiting a light resto, but I'm not touching it until the Mini is done.  By doing this at least I can call it a "future project" and not an "unfinished project" (which sounds better IMO) :)

 

with my current mini, I started the project march 2009, I was gonna paint it this summer but work got in the way again and took me away from her, so maybe in sept i'll be able to finally paint my car and put the car back together. I hope to have it done this winter

 

I started another project a few yrs back, not a mini, but that isn't even close to being done,

when I get my mini done i'm gonna re-start that project again,

probably some time in 2015, that project will be number one on the list again

I started building that project in 2001, its a 1937 chevy gasser truck powered by a gm LS-5.3/4l80e autobox

should be a nice 350hp in a 2600lb vehicle weight

 

Good luck! I found that life tends to get in the way sometimes - I was stunned when I looked back on the project to see a gap of 5 years where I did hardly anything to it, but I did buy and start restoring a house and get married in that time.

[skaterava]

Whilst my project has only taken three years, it's my only car, as I couldn't afford to run another. So that's three years of walking, lifts, and buses.

[MINI MAD RKH]

Current project has taken 3wks but I've also only had it for 3wks

[Artful Dodger]

3 years8). Nearly done now!

[rikSTAR]

Brought Zippy back in april 2009, started the project right away, stripped to a bareshell, newfront floor pans, boot floor pan, front wings, A-panels, front panel, engine rebuild and a full body respray, its now been on the road since october last year :)

[JacckKirk]

Had mine a month today in that time whole car stripped out , engine stripped , rear subframe off , started sanding body down .
Plan to have it finished sometime after my 17th birthday roughly feb/march

[mini=love]

6 weeks. That included:

 

Front panel

both wings

both a-panels

both inner flitch/hinge post repair panels

both shock mounts repaired

passenger front floor pan

drivers floor pan

inner sills x 2 outer sills x2

rear boot floor repair

rear arche repairs

boot hinge panel

rear valance

 

the list goes on

 

Followed but a full re-spray inside and out

[jpw1275]

im currently on 3 years ish...but im in no rush as when its complete il be after another project ( dont tell the mrs hehe)

cheers james

[Carlos W]

I started mine in August 2010 and this weekend the last panel will be replaced!

 

However, 2011 was a bit of a write off, long story that involved a lump, and a lot of needles!

[g-dog]

I brought my pick up in November 2003 & I.am still at the bodywork stage! It only needs a front wing and some welding on the rear load bed but it was in a pretty bad state with every panel either replaced or needing work.
Life has deffo got in the way of this major restoration. It has gone months at a time without anything doing and has been frustrating at times but then I think since I have had it I have started a family, owned and sold other minis,metros, done a garage conversion and other stuff to the house,worked a 40 plus hour week and kept a mini and a mg zs on the road.
Sometimes there are only so many hours in the day! G

[mini93]

Small time compaired to some folk... not in project size (i think its a bit of a brute) but the duration.

Came off the road in Sept 2010 the aim was a simple 3 or so month turn around

 

My project started off as a small refresh;

Tub the rear arches to allow the car to sit nice n low.

Found a host of horrors! meant the rear 1/4's got chopped out... snowballed from there and had a complete rip down.

Car got shot blasted in the tail of last year.

Now its just trying to find those few small windows to go work in the garage and continue chopping and welding.

 

 

Really... Id like it to be done for next year's show season. Idealy Riv run

[alex-95]

I had mine for about 3 1/2 years ("my project" below), Was hoping it would get done for this years riv run but didn't so hopefully next year