61 replies to this topic

[jchomme]

one of those days, 6 hours spent on something that might seem trivial.  Made my boot floor closer to a mk1.  Plugged a hole and modified seat area. Need to clean up some, but I think it turned out ok.  

 

Was probably totally unnecessary, but it was one of those things I constantly stressed about. 

 

Need to get some of those die grinder bits as it is really tight in the area.

 

Really want to get to a point where I can get it off the spit and hit the bulkhead and  boot panel.  I plan to do it in sections, but I have a mk1 panel on standby if needed. 

[jchomme]

didnt accomplish as much as I wanted today, got the car off the spit and built a cart for it.  One of my wheel tires leaks, so its a pain when you try to move it.  on a more positive note, it's kind of cool working from inside the car though, feels like its becoming a real car again!

 

 

removed the old l-panels and offered the new ones up.  I wasnt expecting them to line up properly, because a year ago I test fitted the floor and they were miles off.  nice to get a win every now and then

Before(last year):

Edited by jchomme, 06 March 2018 - 02:26 AM.

[Chappers]

Hey man that looks great!
Lots of lovely fresh metal in those photos.

So how did you rectify the misalignment with the floor and the A post panels?

[jchomme]

Hey man that looks great!
Lots of lovely fresh metal in those photos.

So how did you rectify the misalignment with the floor and the A post panels?

Not really sure, it just worked out that way.  I was planning on some surgery on the front floor area.  

[Chappers]

I spotted my floor is the exact same as your was, the front floor pans dont have a defined fold where they transition to the sill. So the seam where it meets the door step and A panel area doesnt meet together unless you apply some clamping force.

I planned to clamp some square section tubing to the inside and outside of the floor pan, and use a hammer and dolly to work a fold in kinda like a sheet metal brake. So that the new flitch panel and door step lines up nice.

[jchomme]

I spotted my floor is the exact same as your was, the front floor pans dont have a defined fold where they transition to the sill. So the seam where it meets the door step and A panel area doesnt meet together unless you apply some clamping force.

I planned to clamp some square section tubing to the inside and outside of the floor pan, and use a hammer and dolly to work a fold in kinda like a sheet metal brake. So that the new flitch panel and door step lines up nice.

Another thing I didn't consider is that I have my shell on a cart and it kind of flattends the floor pan some and maybe that tweaked the area just enough to where it lined up.  

[jchomme]

Getting ready to tack the roof in.  Very nervous, to get it wrong.  I mocked up some panels to help me see the Mini that is to become and it gave me a little motivation.

 

[Chappers]

That looks very cool! How are you going to weld the roof in?

Is that an English wheel in the foreground there?

[jchomme]

That looks very cool! How are you going to weld the roof in?

Is that an English wheel in the foreground there?

yeah, it's a small e-wheel, Good for small patch panels. 

 

So, tacked the roof in this evening.

 

Left about a 1/4 inch lip on the side panels and ground the front and rear panels completely off.  Prepped donor roof grinding everything off below the gutters, then plopped that on top, spent 2-3 hours lining it up and tacked it in.  Didn't leave a lip front and back because the curvature of everything doesn't allow it to drop in place. 

The way I did it leaves a tiny gap that can be welded shut. The gap in the corners is a little larger, might have to address that in a different way.  I just tacked the front and back panels on and will need to remove all the inside upper rails so I can weld it from the inside. Going to be fun!  

 

Getting everything to line up was a bear.  I tried to get everything perfect, but there was no way.  I am pleased with how it all lines up.  Seems as though Mini roof panels are kind of slapped into place anyways.  

 

[jchomme]

Went on a Doctor Who binge for a few days...week....damn. 

 

Got a few things done.  Still  wish I bought a 60s floor assembled, got the cross member in and it took quite a bit of work, but whad to do a bit of fabbing and figuring.  M-machine did not use any primer behind it and seems like a waste to slap it on. Id rather them just not put them on.  So, Used a thicker piece of metal I had around to match what was originally there.

 

 

Re crating Jacking points using original as a guide.  Super difficult to locate these brackets because they both had to line up perfectly with the jack holes.  This itself took hours upon hour. .  Got the Cross member in and lined up finally. 

[minimans]

Sorry mate, I forgot all about the photo's of the rear quater windows I promised, do you still need them? I have one window spare which I think is a 62 I'll let you know on Saturday when I'm at the shop...........Paul

[jchomme]

Sorry mate, I forgot all about the photo's of the rear quater windows I promised, do you still need them? I have one window spare which I think is a 62 I'll let you know on Saturday when I'm at the shop...........Paul

wrong person, think you want chappers.

[jchomme]

repaired the bulkhead

before

 

during

 

after

[Chappers]

Nice repairs on the jacking point and the bulkhead!
Youre a good fabricator.

How did you decide to have the floor to flitch panel join?
My floor came with the flange turned down and the new inner wing/flitch area wouldnt fit right without doing some modification.
It looked like the flange needed to be turned upwards. So I did that and then the flitch panel fitted way nicer.

I emailed Doreen at M machine and she said she spoke to Peter and he said the 1959-60 had the flanges turned down and the flitch went straight down to meet it, which created a seam that leaked water in, so the design was changed just after.
Im not sure if I want to be original or go with the later style.

[jchomme]

Nice repairs on the jacking point and the bulkhead!
Youre a good fabricator.

How did you decide to have the floor to flitch panel join?
My floor came with the flange turned down and the new inner wing/flitch area wouldnt fit right without doing some modification.
It looked like the flange needed to be turned upwards. So I did that and then the flitch panel fitted way nicer.

I emailed Doreen at M machine and she said she spoke to Peter and he said the 1959-60 had the flanges turned down and the flitch went straight down to meet it, which created a seam that leaked water in, so the design was changed just after.
Im not sure if I want to be original or go with the later style.

I watched a documentary that mentioned the floor redesign.  I used a later toeboard as a repar panel and turned the return the other way per original to match what I have. 

 

So, around the flitch area it should basically be a flat piece that butts up against the floor and sill area.  I have the original piece I cut off and it is basicall all there, just mangled a bit. 

 

With the water leak issue, I was just going  to seam seal the best I could and keep an eye on it.  I don't see it as a big deal and I did it this way only because I kept most of the toe board.  I also contemplated just seam welding the toe board in and creating a faux flange of some sort.  

 

My attempts at "originallity" are mostly because I have a lot of good metal on my panels and I can repair them.  It also results in a good bit of welding and fab  experience.   Downside is the time it takes.