300 replies to this topic

[spraybeater]

Staggering. Love this mini. Congratulations on the rapid and immaculate restoration.

Thanks for that, been following yours as well, should turn out to be a nice Mini

when done ! when I started in the trade we were restoring MG TCs TDs Riley 1.5s

ect, Minis then were just cars we used daily, always said they would never be sought

after classics , how times have changed.

[spraybeater]

Hmm - I think I'd would've rather had the proper nose bracket as a steady rather then a brake pipe that could work harden and fracture!

As said their solution was to use the the pipe as a steady! I have fitted a bracket as well,

having said that the pipe has been there for 40yrs and doesn't seem to have suffered any sign

of fracture, its only done 25K miles right enough, doubt if I will manage to do another 25k

in it and it certainly won't see any track work or competition use ! been there done that,

built, worked on a fair few of them over the years including a championship winning Mini

back in the early 70s.

Thanks for the interest.

[spraybeater]

Did you use 2k paint on this?

It is 2K paint, and yes I am fully conversant with the PPE, HSE, DEVRA ect implications of

using it as it says on the can for Professional use only, have been using these and most other

types of paint for all my working life, having said that I have only 5 wheels to paint for this car

and they will be the last (hopefully ) time I will be doing any painting, quite interestingly the first

thing I painted as a 15 yr old apprentice was a set of Morris 1000 wheels in Old English White,

had only been in the job for a couple of days when the bosses son came back to work after his

usual lunchtime session in the pub p****d and decided to paint the wheels , he left them covered

in runs, I got the job of flatting out the mess, so he decided that I should learn to spray them and

put the spray gun in my hand, a fact that he used to remind me about up until he passed away a

couple of years ago, and I always thanked him for as its kept me in employment right up till I retired 

at 65, five years ago, in that time I have worked in owned and managed Body repair work shops,

now I have just done a couple Minis to give me something to keep me busy.

[spraybeater]

So back to The Countess, sorry if anybody gets bored with a GrumpyOld Git with a

mini having a blether on here but it keeps the brain going HaHa!

 

 

 

have started getting the trims sorted out these are the old door and rear quarter cards

which were in quite a bit of a state being pulled out of shape due to damp and the

weight of the arm rests,

 

 

 

cards replaced and vinyl recovered to match the rest of the parts,

 

 

rear quarter trim fitted and companion bien re trimmed temporary fitted rear seat to

work out how much or the wheel housing is showing, need to re manufacture the covers

for them the originals are long gone,

 

 

2nd go at the grille didn't like how it turned out on first go this is how Oyler finished  the car

on the brochure that they produced when they built he car, 

Also last week put some coolant and fuel in it and got it started, 

 

More to follow thanks for looking.

[panky]

Blether away, still loving it

[73MkIII]

Did you use 2k paint on this?

It is 2K paint, and yes I am fully conversant with the PPE, HSE, DEVRA ect implications of
using it as it says on the can for Professional use only, have been using these and most other
types of paint for all my working life, having said that I have only 5 wheels to paint for this car
and they will be the last (hopefully ) time I will be doing any painting, quite interestingly the first
thing I painted as a 15 yr old apprentice was a set of Morris 1000 wheels in Old English White,
had only been in the job for a couple of days when the bosses son came back to work after his
usual lunchtime session in the pub p****d and decided to paint the wheels , he left them covered
in runs, I got the job of flatting out the mess, so he decided that I should learn to spray them and
put the spray gun in my hand, a fact that he used to remind me about up until he passed away a
couple of years ago, and I always thanked him for as its kept me in employment right up till I retired 
at 65, five years ago, in that time I have worked in owned and managed Body repair work shops,
now I have just done a couple Minis to give me something to keep me busy.

Please dont get me wrong I love your car love the thread and the finish you have here. The paint jobs people do on here stagger me and it just looked from the thread that it was garage sprayed. Was it? Or did you move it to a booth?
I know it is possible and am aware of the potential dangers of the paint, just trying to plan ahead (paint is a way off yet for me) for my own build.

[spraybeater]

 

 

Did you use 2k paint on this?

It is 2K paint, and yes I am fully conversant with the PPE, HSE, DEVRA ect implications of
using it as it says on the can for Professional use only, have been using these and most other
types of paint for all my working life, having said that I have only 5 wheels to paint for this car
and they will be the last (hopefully ) time I will be doing any painting, quite interestingly the first
thing I painted as a 15 yr old apprentice was a set of Morris 1000 wheels in Old English White,
had only been in the job for a couple of days when the bosses son came back to work after his
usual lunchtime session in the pub p****d and decided to paint the wheels , he left them covered
in runs, I got the job of flatting out the mess, so he decided that I should learn to spray them and
put the spray gun in my hand, a fact that he used to remind me about up until he passed away a
couple of years ago, and I always thanked him for as its kept me in employment right up till I retired 
at 65, five years ago, in that time I have worked in owned and managed Body repair work shops,
now I have just done a couple Minis to give me something to keep me busy.

Please dont get me wrong I love your car love the thread and the finish you have here. The paint jobs people do on here stagger me and it just looked from the thread that it was garage sprayed. Was it? Or did you move it to a booth?
I know it is possible and am aware of the potential dangers of the paint, just trying to plan ahead (paint is a way off yet for me) for my own build.

 

It was painted where it sits now, I would have loved to have used a Lowbake Booth/oven but

no longer have access to one, have asked around a few smaller bodyshops on a pay per use

but health and safety has put paid to them being available now, and having to get someone else

to paint it was not an option for me! and not only because of cost.

[Haygate]

Wow what an interior, this isa great thread to follow.

[blueovalcraig]

Really love this car.  You have done a fantastic job!

[JXC Mini GT]

Hi Frank.

 

What an amazing restoration, the car is looking great both inside and out and I think the grille looks much better as Oyler would have finished it, did you manage to find spotlight brackets without needing to drill the bumper?

[spraybeater]

Hi Frank.

 

What an amazing restoration, the car is looking great both inside and out and I think the grille looks much better as Oyler would have finished it, did you manage to find spotlight brackets without needing to drill the bumper?

Thanks for the comments, the spotlight brackets are modified Rover ones fitted to front panel 

made them after searching for some and most of the Clubmans that I looked at the bumper had

been drilled  wasn't to keen on that idea!

[InnoCooperExport]

Just read through the whole thread, what a restoration! Incredible work there. You must be proud. 

[wingnut]

As usual frank,great work.I think if you were a restoration business you would have a full order book!

[spraybeater]

Just read through the whole thread, what a restoration! Incredible work there. You must be proud. 

 

Thanks for the interest! yes I am proud of the car and the fact that I managed to buy it

at the time, good to see some interest from Holland! my Mother in law was from Enschede

I worked in Holland in 1971 there wasn't a lot of Minis about there then, one of my wifes

cousins always wanted me to go into business with him building customised Minis.

[spraybeater]

As usual frank,great work.I think if you were a restoration business you would have a full order book!

 

Thanks to you for the kind words! as they say been there done that!

and never had to advertise for work.

 

As i will be 70 in December I think I will leave it to the younger guys like

BenO on here always enjoy reading his reports on jobs!brings back a lot of

memories!!