519 replies to this topic

[Vinay-RS]

Square lights on the square clubby front always look good  Thats  shame about the twin carb problems, are the flanges just too big to all fit together?

Thanks, man, yeah, I'm going to clean them up and then I can play around with seeing how to fit them.

 

It has an aftermarket and non-standard exhaust manifold, which didn't quite fit right and the flanges have a strange shape that clashed with the twin carb manifold. 

[Vinay-RS]

So some big news. I decided that I don't have the skills, tools or time to get the suspension sorted and I knew it needed doing. Hence I took the car to a local Mini/Classic car specialist - Dennis Nathan at NVS at Killarney Race Track. This was the best decision ever, as he gave the car a once over, checking the suspension, brakes and cooling systems. 

 

I was hoping to get the adjustable tie rods, adjustable lower control arms and front and rear Hilos fitted. Additionally, I was hoping to get the rebuilt gear selector fitted. It turns out that there was a little more wrong with the car than just worn components. Dennis found that the tie rod mounting point had sheared. He had this refurbished so that the car was safe. He then proceeded to fit the new components. Following this, he found the lower and upper engine steady brackets were also either damaged or completely sheared. He brought in a professional welder who fixed the broken brackets and everything was tightened up. Next up the gear selector was fitted with a bit of filing down, as the fit was so tight that it wouldn't select gears at first. The cooling system had a few small issues too. The top radiator bracket bolts were sheared off and there was a small hole on the top cowling. These problems were all fixed as well. 

 

Now, as a pro, he was also able to identify a number of issues that need to be sorted soon. There is a tiny leak from the head. This is probably because one of the head studs have pulled up and the stud holes need to be chamfered. Additionally, the sump plug, which is currently a random bodged bolt, needs a Helicoil. He said this can be done in-situ and is possible since he has a car lift. He wasn't keen to fit the twin carbs on a cylinder head that isn't perfect yet, so that is also still on the todo list. Lastly, once the brakes are done, they will go back to him to get installed. 

 

I'm so happy with the result!  The car drives incredibly well and feels so much stiffer with the new suspension components. I can feel all the bumps from the road and the squeaks and rattles from the suspension when going over bumps and turning are completely gone. The gear selection is also so smooth and feels like new! 

[panky]

A few nasty surprises there, lucky they were found before something even nastier happened. Great feeling to have confidence in your car

[Vinay-RS]

A few nasty surprises there, lucky they were found before something even nastier happened. Great feeling to have confidence in your car

Yeah! I was completely distraught when I heard about the suspension and engine steady damage. The thought that the car could have fallen apart while driving was terrifying. 

[Jared Mk3]

Glad you got this sorted out sooner rather than later 

[Vinay-RS]

Glad you got this sorted out sooner rather than later 

Thanks, man. Yeah, I'm really happy with the results as well. 

[shough]

Hi Vinay, do you have any contact details for Dennis Nathan at NVS at Killarney Race Track?

Google does not seem to be able to find them.

[Vinay-RS]

Hi Vinay, do you have any contact details for Dennis Nathan at NVS at Killarney Race Track?

Google does not seem to be able to find them.

I will PM you. Looking at your info, you've got an HLE but are in the UK. 

[Vinay-RS]

Picked up this driver's manual today. A friend offered it to me as he had no use for it. I think it will look good with the other manual for the Mini. 

 

 

[Vinay-RS]

I decided to try and paint the rocker cover again yesterday. Stuck the cover into the oven before and after painting and I think it came out looking quite good. 

 

 

And a photo with the new rocker cover nuts and covers.

 

[Vinay-RS]

Fitted the rocker cover on Saturday evening. 

 

 

 

The engine needs a clean, but these changes make a decent difference to the look of the engine bay.  

[Vinay-RS]

Forgot to share this image the other day. Just a really cool image taken on the road up to Rhodes Memorial in Cape Town. The clouds were rolling in and the lighting was just right. 

 

[Vinay-RS]

So yesterday was the Whales and Wheels car show in Hermanus. Around 12 of us made the trip in our Minis and there were some lovely cars on display. It was a beautiful drive there and back and Caesar performed like a champ. He didn't miss a beat, was comfortably cruising at 120 km/n and turns out the fuel economy was pretty good too.

 

Here are some of the photos of Caesar from the day :) 

 

 

[Vinay-RS]

The last update on this thread was quite a while ago. I've not really had a chance to work on the car and things seem to be getting worse on it. Since we got back from Hermanus, the suspension has been squeaking really badly and the scratching sound from the front end is getting worse too. 

 

And then yesterday, I completely messed up... I wasn't watching what I was doing and had an accident with another car. Besides the damage to my Mini (which absolutely sucks), I'm also now without any transport... yay, and more worryingly, the other car suffered quite a bit a damage. It's not going to be cheap to fix, so the Mini will probably remain scarred for a while, as I use any money to pay for the other car... This is going to be another sad holiday season  

 

On the positive side of things, the Mini needed the bodywork and paintwork fixed, since there are rust bubbles forming in the typical places, the roof paint is really flat and the rest of the paint is littered with water spots. So, when the work is done, hopefully at some stage, it will all get fixed.

 

The lack of transport means I'll also be missing the upcoming swap meet which I had organised as it is quite far away from where I live and there isn't any public transport to go out there. :\ 

[Itsaminithing]

... I wasn't watching what I was doing and had an accident with another car....

 

Oh you plonker!     (can't find the SA or Xhosa equivalent term).

The important thing is that you're OK & the car is repairable.