50 replies to this topic

[Mini Basher]

Hopefully it's going to be better than the first one,I'll class that as my practice run, but we'll see what happens. In relation to motivation, the jobs just got to be done right, don't want to be doing this again a few years down the line. Plus I've still got the vintage Triumphs to finish as well.

[Mini Basher]

So I got down the workshop for a couple of hours tonight, had a quick tidy up and cleared a bit of floor space. I managed to pick up the steel from the suppliers Yesterday for the carousel but had no time last night to do any work.

So tonight I made this, it worked really well last time, I just wish I had kept the old one as it would have saved time and money. Once I've finished with this one I'm going to cut out the two side runners to make it easier to store, and if I need it in the future I will just get some steel sleeves and weld into one part and bolt through the other. Also means if I've got anyone local that wants to borrow it it becomes more transportable

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited by Mini Basher, 22 February 2018 - 09:32 PM.

[Mini Basher]

Hit the workshop running tonight, set myself a target and I've achieved everything I set out to do and a bit more. First thing on the list was to finish the carousel ready for the car to be mounted to when ready. Next I chopped the inner wings and unbolted the front panel, didn't take any photo's of this.

Next I unbolted the gearbox remote and cut all ties between the engine and bodywork, then I lifted out the engine, not as straightforward as it sounds because at some point in its life this little mini has had quite a heavy knock on the front nearside and the subframe was quite bent at the front, that will have to be looked at in the future as the rest of the subframe is actually in quite good nick.

 

Before

 

After

 

 

And because I was on a roll and things were going quite well I decided to drop the front subframe and steering rack

 

 

 

 

Leaving me with this

 

 

 

Hope you enjoy the update as much as I did getting stuck in this evening

 

Andy

[Chappers]

Youre making huge progress. Im watching this one.
Keep up the good work!

The rotisserie looks very sturdy too, shouldnt have a problem using that.

[Rocket.]

Also watching this one!

Nice work!

[minimissions]

ooo it looks to have been blue at some point? Or is that my eyes lol

 

She will soon be on that spit and ready for some more surgery...

[Mini Basher]

Thanks for the comments guys, the spit should work really well I used the same design last time and it worked a treat, I relation to the colour I suspected that red was not the original colour when I ground down the bodywork at the back to do some repairs to the parcel shelf, I can count at least 3 colours, green, yellow and red.

As oppose to last time I'm setting out what he's going to be from the beginning, He started life as as an 850 but some where in his 57 year life span his heart was transplanted and he was given a 998 lump. I'm going to stay with the 998 but will have a cooper head and twin carbs, Maniflow manifold and stainless exhaust. For the bodywork I always talked about Yukon Grey with a black roof in my previous project and I'd love to go with this theme, but guess what look at the front cover of the current Mini Magazine and thats what I want to do, What are your thoughts, will I be accusedof copying some one else's work

 

Andy

[MacGyver]

I think we all get influences from somewhere and always, even of no conscious of it, copy a little bit of something we've seen somewhere.
Even if you made a mini exactly like someone else's in every little detail, it would stil be unique, as every mini is unique no matter what you do. 😁

Ben

Edited by MacGyver, 24 February 2018 - 02:33 PM.

[Mini Basher]

So I got down the workshop today and decided that I wanted to do something different so I fitted a 2" straight through exhaust to the old boy,

 

 

LOL  

 

On a more serious note stripped down the front subframe and found that one of the turrets may be beyond repair, I'll have to have a closer look at a later date but the internal where the donut sits has started to rot out

 

I removed the pedal box, binnacle and speedo, I'm a bit concerned about nearside heel board, the pictures don't show it too well but it is quite badly distorted, I'll assess more once the car is on the spit and decide on a course of action then

 

 

 

 

I also started to strip back the engine compartment bulkhead to see what I was up against, found another area around the engine steady, clutch, brake cylinder mount that needs looking at, someone in the past has already tried to botch it up

 

 

 

Also I'm going to have to remove the whole scuttle panel as right underneath it there are some holes in the bulkhead where the scuttle has rusted through

 

 

So jobs for tomorrow are to complete the spit mounting bracket in the car and get it on the spit and see how much time we have left and maybe get some bits done, I just want to start putting things back on now before I'm just left with a pile of rust.  

Edited by Mini Basher, 24 February 2018 - 09:55 PM.

[johnR]

That is one very grubby engine! Was the car buried nose down in the ground?? 

[Mini Basher]

When I got the car it had been stored in a garage for the last 10 years, leaking roof and doors that didn't close properly. The engine will be fine once I get the degreaser and jetwash on it. Then I will completely strip it, rebore new seals and fittings and rebuild, then rebuild the gearbox, job done

[Mini Basher]

Well another day in the workshop, managed single handedly to get the mini onto the spit with the use of an engine hoist and two sets of step ladders, HSE would not have approved but got the job done.

 

 

 

 

 

Its really surprising how so many of these old mini's have survived when you look at the state of the repairs they have undergone in the past and the fact that people still drove them after the repairs were done

 

 

 

 

 

and then to find another repair on top of a previous repair

 

 

So After getting the car on the spit I decided to get the grinder and wire wheel on the go and see what I could uncover, firstly I cleaned the heel board on the nearside to confirm my suspicions

 

offside needs a small repair doing

 

Nearside needs some panel dressing  and a small repair also

 

The bits I am more concerned about though are the ends of the bulkhead crossmember, both ends have been affected by the old tin worm, the offside is far worse than the nearside but both are going to require new ends welding in

 

 

 

 

Lots of repair work to do to the front of this poor old boy, gonna be burning the midnight oil on this one.

Edited by Mini Basher, 25 February 2018 - 07:53 PM.

[MacGyver]

Holey metal mini batman! 😐

[bpirie1000]

Good graft of work with that little beauty.... keep it up..

[minimissions]

She has a few holes doesn't she, nothing that cant be sorted, nice work mate, are you going a one piece full floor?