67 replies to this topic

[mini_matt_106]

Now that I've started working on it again I thought it was time to start a project thread, since they are so helpful to me.

A bit of backstory, I first acquired my mini back in 2006, when I was only 16 and just leaving school, it was from a friend of a friend of my stepdads.
He had bought the mini and stored it in his council rented garage, which he later realised had no power and was too far from his house for an extension lead to be a viable option.
I don't think he asked for any money, he was just glad to not have to pay to store it any longer, I did give him £30 for a set of 10" alloy wheels though.

Here is a picture from the day we went to look at it and decided it was coming home with us :)

[mini_matt_106]

The plan was to get the mini moved to my parents barn so that once I finished school I could get it sorted before I started college in the September.
Unfortunately, we ended up picking up the mini in September, giving me no time to fix it before college.

Here it is sat in the barn


Without the body kit


Long story short it sat in the barn relatively untouched for the past ten years!

[mini_matt_106]

There were a few days work I did on it during Easter holidays in 2009 but nothing much.

Rust in all the usual spots, front floor pans, sills and rear bins.







The main issue is the repair panels tack welded over rust, this really is slowing progress!

[mini_matt_106]

The next update is from 2012 when I moved back home and decided to start some cutting and welding.
To fit the floor pan that came with the car I first had to remove the inner sill repair panel that was tacked over the old metal which left me with this (blurry picture sorry)


I then cut out some of the rust


And a bit more


Cut the repair panel to shape


Then started to weld it in

Edited by mini_matt_106, 03 August 2017 - 07:08 PM.

[mini_matt_106]

I'm really not happy with that work that got half done as the panel is garbage so I think I will buy a heritage floor pan and do that again!

Sitting in a barn for so long and having parents who are hoarders took its toll on the poor mini and it ended up in a corner surrounded until last weekend I decided it had been far too long!

So this


Went to this

[mini_matt_106]

Finally up to today where we got the first decent day of work this poor mini has seen in a decade!

I enlisted my glamorous assistant Jack to help me remove what was left of the inner sill repair panel



Revealing a perfectly good inner sill beneath it!?


We cleaned up what was left of the tack welds


Then set to see what was lurking under the oversills



A few hours with a grinder and hammer and chisel revealed what lurks behind all oversills....




....the original sill and plenty of RUST!!

Good riddance

[slidehammer]

Good to see that work is recommencing, If your are thinking of a new floor panel, look on M-Machine's website as they do the correct pressing for your year of shell as the Heritage ones only do the later injection pressings. You could go for a half floor with outer sill and jacking point already on, they are a fiddle to fit if you are replacing the area under the companion box / heal board but the end result is worth it giving a factory finish. Good luck.

[mini_matt_106]

Thanks slidehammer, I have read some good things about m machine, might be the way to go.

I've also been looking at drum to disk conversion, I've never driven on drums but I hear it's quite an experience :/

[frodmyster]

Looking forward to the updates. I've just started to work on mine again due to lack of time and money. Hopefully be done for next spring :)

[mini_matt_106]

Should be progress every Saturday so stick around:)

[mini_matt_106]

New panels!

Very well packaged from mini spares, didn't go for heritage floor pan but it looks a ton better than the one I already had!

Saturdays plan is to cut it out and get the new floor pan in!
Thanks for looking :)

[Hedgey]

What are your plans for this? I love a late 70's mini 

 

Elliott

[frodmyster]

Christmas come early Matt :) it's great when the parts start arriving. Look forward to updates

[frodmyster]

Are u bracing your mini Matt?

[mini_matt_106]

I do have some bars to weld in but not sure if I need to, I'm only doing a bit at a time :)

My plans have changed a lot over the years, I have a flip front and fg bonnet I bought years ago but don't think I want to use it now.

Basically want it on the road as is to start enjoying it, hi lows wound down low over 10" wheels. Looking at disk conversion while I'm at it :)

I'm not sure if the body kit is period correct but I kinda like it and think it would be something different.

Engine wise I'm going hif38 k&n filter and possibly 12g940 big valve head which I have already, would love to turbo it further down the line :)