89 replies to this topic

[CityEPete]

We picked this up a couple of weeks ago from a nice chap in Halesowen (pic is at his house) 25k miles, first owner Rover for 1 year (?) then one lady owner until 2013. 1995 Mayfair very very last of the Hif38 Carb 1275 Minis, all the fun of an SPI like the dash and seats but without the fuel injection

 

Mainly my wifes toy really (her 5th Mini and a Bini as her daily) but she will put 2k a year or so on it, probably the busiest period of its life so far coming up, unless a lottery win comes up (as new Cooper Sport 500) or it rusts away really quick hopefully she will have this one for a good while now.

 

Looks OK in the pics but the chrome window trims are shot, rusty headlamp rings, bent grill, rusty water in the radiator and no temp showing on the gauge, drove back OK but a bit lumpy.

 

 

After spending a few quid on parts, fan belt, oil & filter, full rad out flush & new coolant, rad cap, top hose, stat, temp sensor, air filter, plugs, dizzy cap, rotor arm, halogen lights, chrome trims, grill and surround, wiper blades and new tubing/washer jets,side rubber sill trims etc etc etc

 

 

Under the bonnet now looks like this after a days graft, it was gagging for some love!

 

 

Full tune up, greased nipples, dash pot, valve clearances, cleaned and painted rocker cover, carb cleaned, tyres pressures, oiled door hinges, cleaned all electrical connections and smeared with vaseline, new mats etc it is coming along nicely. I took the door liners off cleaned and re waxoyl'd them before upholstery cleaning the cards and washing all the furniture in warm soapy water and refitting.

 

 

Exterior only had a quick wash so far and a bit of underseal to cover some slightly poor sill patches, I have cleared out the grot spots by the subframe fixing points and front flitch panels and applied loads of Q-rust then covered in waxoyl where possible.

 

Next is to replace the side stripe with matching correct charcoal 3mm stripe (found some on ebay) and continue getting antirust treatment where ever I can.

 

Might fit a set of Cooper Alloys as they where an option on this age Mayfair and the original wheel trims are harder to find so far, alarm needs fixing, front valance wants a strip back and rattle can in "White Diamond 2", general small scabs to pop, treat and touch in, basically just fighting the elements as we all do but this is a good starting point!

 

So far she looks like this "Lottie" named after the Royal baby due to timing of purchase, Lol.

 

 

 

Interior is mint and standard right down to the Rover Radio and speakers all in working order

 

 

So there we go, not exactly a world class restoration but I wanted to keep a log with pics of what has been done so far and in future

 

 

Engine mounts, subby mounts, steady bushes, tie bars etc etc etc next!

Edited by CityEPete, 12 May 2015 - 05:46 PM.

[Ben_O]

I love this car.

 

Keep the updates coming

 

Ben

[CityEPete]

Ta Ben, I think maybe we forget what they started out like so seeing one without any add on bits looks intriguing? Just realised that back bumper needs to go for a stainless one as it is quite pitted, the front has already been done so I might aswell make them both stainless.

 

I quite fancy some genuine Dealer stickers/tax disc holder, yes I am becoming a saddo, Lol

 

I wonder why it was owned by Rover for a year and 625 miles? Registered in Oxford feb 1995, could there be a story there?

[CityEPete]

Interior pics.....

[CityEPete]

I've started to polish and Autoglym HD wax the exterior today, I knew the doors had been waxoyld after getting in them to do my own but I've noticed some coming from the rear valance spare fog light mounting holes so it looks like it has been treated quite liberally hopefully, I wonder if this was some kind of press car or demonstrator hence the Rover ownership for the first year then sold on via Motorhouse rather than a Rover dealership?

[CityEPete]

OC is birmingham on the old system not Oxford so its not gone far!

[CityEPete]

Ready for some anti rust treatment tomorrow!, started on the brake service too, fresh fluid bled through and drums cleaned, handbrake adjusted.
Washed and rinsed the arches with hot soapy water right up the flitches etc, wheels washed inside and out all drying ready for, Qrust, waxoyl, underseal and white smoothrite.

[Ben_O]

I like that lift alot!

 

Is it as good as it looks?

[CityEPete]

The only problem using it with a mini is that you need to jack the car up a bit to slide it under the exhaust, once it's in though its brilliant and you can have the rear end up quite high with the nose on the floor. I'd put it a little too far forward, if it was nearer the rear wheels it would have tilted back enough to put the peg in the support strut you can just see, still doesn't hurt to leave the stands in for an extra measure. When I did the front subframe and engine mounts on the city I had the ramp near the back wheels and the stands just behind the subframe leaving it all floating allowing the trolley jack in to wiggle the engine around etc, its solid too, my wife sat inside to help bleed the brakes on friday night and the car didn't move or creak at all.

Edited by CityEPete, 17 May 2015 - 04:16 PM.

[CityEPete]

Two coats of white smoothrite in the rear arches, undersealed and waxoyl up the front ones that were already coated in black waxoyl, drilled holes in the sills and pumped them full of waxoyl end to end before fitting blanking plugs, rust treated and painted rear subby which has an annoying rust patch probably from being jacked up on.

[CityEPete]

Ramp tilted but not at full height due to gravel drive, I need to get a sheet of plywood to put under it for ease, it has wheel to move it when lowered. I popped some new poly tie rod bushes with new bolts and locknuts too. You can see how wide the skates on the ramp are and its only working at half of its rated 1500kg on a mini too

[Steely]

Looks brand new that mini

[CityEPete]

It's not bad Steely , always better in pics than the flesh, sills have been patched, front end painted but with the wing seams filled (then cracked), just bits and bobs but its a good start and well worth trying to keep this way and improve a bit at a time, I can see why genuinely as new cars fetch lots of cash but at least we can use this one.

[CityEPete]

Took a chance on a new fob £65! But it works, alarm and immobiliser now working along with the stoplock pro :)

[CityEPete]

12 hubcaps from various sources and barely a set of 4 tidy ones between them! Tcut, touched up and polished the best four for now, thrown the worst two away and might try carefully painting 4 of them.