16 replies to this topic

[skeebs]

Hi guys, I'm 19 and this is my 1989 mini racing which I purchased last week.

 

It is my first mini but have always wanted one since my dad sold his Mk1 a few years ago

 

The car is generally quite tidy however there is are some areas which require a bit of attention

 

The seats are not original as the fronts are out of an equinox which are comfy and good condition but i don't like the look of them

 

I have already given the engine a service and runs great

 

The first few things that I want to do are to change the black bumpers out for chrome ones and swap the rear lights to original orange/red ones and clear front indicators 

 

Here are some pictures from the for sale ad

 

 

 

 

 

Don't worry, that awfully placed mini badge came straight off 

 

[minimissions]

Hi what a great looking car, where you at Didsbury Classic car show on Sunday? I am sure I saw this car?

[skeebs]

Hi what a great looking car, where you at Didsbury Classic car show on Sunday? I am sure I saw this car?

I was indeed, was a great day for it and a good turn out of cars

[minimissions]

 

Hi what a great looking car, where you at Didsbury Classic car show on Sunday? I am sure I saw this car?

I was indeed, was a great day for it and a good turn out of cars

 

Though so! you where parked just round from my mini. It was a great show my first time there.

Edited by minimissions, 24 July 2017 - 01:03 PM.

[slidehammer]

Nice looking Mini, I agree with your decision on the bumpers and rear lights, the smoked ones look too modern for my taste. Good luck with it.

[designermatt]

whats the current engine spec , and what are your plans  if you have any ?

[skeebs]

whats the current engine spec , and what are your plans  if you have any ?

Engine is a standard 998 which has an LCB manifold and k&N Filter so nothing special but in the future I will probably put something a bit more powerful in it.

 

The plans are to tidy it up and sort out all the rust areas before they get worse and clean the whole underside of the car to be repainted as it has been layered thick in underseal!!

[skeebs]

Had a go at seeing how well the wheels would come up as there is some quite bad lacquer peeling on the polished rim area.

 

 

 

After a few hours of rubbing, this was the final result

 

 

Quite happy how they came out, I'm not going to lacquer them as it will probably end up happening again down the line sometime but i'm just going to wax them every now and then to keep them protected

 

A couple of pictures from the other week at Didsbury show

 

 

Edited by skeebs, 27 July 2017 - 02:05 PM.

[Dr.Wylde]

Will be following this with Interest. When I moved to the UK in 2004 from Australia, A friend of mine had a Racing Green Mini  its was really rusty but It was the car that got me into minis.

Naturally when I moved back to this corner of the Planet   I just Had to get a mini. 

[Vinay-RS]

Very nice Mini. Congrats on the purchase and good luck with all the work planned for it. I agree, the coloured taillights look better than the clear ones. 

[skeebs]

After deciding to make a start on treating the surface rust at the rear I began digging the horrible underseal that had been layered on over mud which was inch thick! Removing this uncovered some nasties and awful previous repairs along with some heavy corrosion.

 

 

 

 

 

I decided if was best to then remove the subframe and have a better look at the extent of the rust. Then removed the valance as that was rusted and had been replace badly in the past

 

 

 

 

It's quite a mess

The subframe mounting areas need attention and the drivers side wheel arch as someone had just welded a piece in over the old rusty arch

The subframe itself needs replacing as well

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Think its time I dust off the welder 

Edited by skeebs, 07 August 2017 - 03:25 PM.

[blueovalcraig]

Ouch! Nothing that can't be sorted though. Lovely looking wee car, the wheels came up a treat.

[skeebs]

Yep it sure can, Whilst all of it is off i'm going to strip all the underseal and paint/rust off and re-do it all properly as its at this state so I hopefully wont have to touch it again for a few years then

[mini_matt_106]

Definitely time to get the welder out! Not too bar really, some new panels and a bunch of spot welds you'll be sorted

[slidehammer]

What a shame, it looked so smart in the earlier pictures. As you say nothing that can't be sorted out a bit of time with the welder.