36 replies to this topic

[BudgieCake]

So better late than never? When I first started my apprenticeship in a workshop we had a few minis come into the garage for small things, welding and whatnot. I instantly fell in love and that was me hooked, every lunchtime trawling through ebay on the MOT computers for my first car. In the end I found F455. The previous owner did some track days and hill climbs to my knowledge, before removing his souped up engine so a nipper like me could insure it. So what does a young naive boy do? Buy it instantly and it was the best choice I've made! So far its taught me more than anybody could, Ive rewired it, rebuilt the engine (badly as the sump-bung sill leaks) and sanded it back to bare metal and started the paint from there. 

 

So already on it was

• Spax coilovers on a rear beam axel and spax shocks upfront


• reduced length trumpets to lower the front 10mm


• adjustable tie bars and bottom arms


• adjustable caster and camber plates at rear


• Braided lines


• 12" Minilites with Yokohama a0048 fitted


• 
  

  maniflow exhaust

Thats great but when I first bought it I had no idea what any of it meant, just sounded like stuff I shouldnt tell my mum..

 

SAM_1621 by Thomas Barrett, on Flickr

 

SAM_1626 by Thomas Barrett, on Flickr

 

I mean I was dead happy with it, but it wasn't what I wanted, I was young and dumb and wanted low

So with no goal in mind I thought I might as well strip her apart and learn about rebuilding engines, so I did! took apart a working engine, in hindsight I probably should but its given me some skills and finess when Im at work, honing cylinders and that.

 

SAM_2058 by Thomas Barrett, on Flickr

 

Pitting was pretty bad, nothing copious amouts of silicone cannot fix though 

 

SAM_2542 by Thomas Barrett, on Flickr

 

After I finished honing, skimming and polishing and it was together I was given some 1.5.1 rockers - someone explain to a moron what the numbers mean, im yet to go into depth on engine modification as life has gone in the welding and fabrication side over rebuilds..

When the engine was back in (I painted the bay black in the end, hides all of the oil stains from the badly rebuild engine!    ) I wrapped the exhaust, it seemed like the think to do as the carb was above it sucking hot air 

 

17016178_1589586917722689_475415536_o by Thomas Barrett, on Flickr

 

And that concludes its for the beginning, lost loads of photos but jump forward after rewiring the car, learning about electrics in the process I thought that a switch panel was the way to go, I got arsey about putting the gauge bracket back in so I welded some tabs into the bulk head that did the trick, got everything fitted and set about making a panel. 

 

18519145_1683408668340513_420073763_o by Thomas Barrett, on Flickr

18553693_1683431515004895_1579350504_o by Thomas Barrett, on Flickr

18617994_1689814521033261_655149953_o by Thomas Barrett, on Flickr

18765091_1698097423538304_1798591906_o by Thomas Barrett, on Flickr

 

Cool. Then as you do I went from interior to wheel arches, in that time the car when to bare metal and primered. badly. 

SAM_2363 by Thomas Barrett, on Flickr

SAM_4070 by Thomas Barrett, on Flickr

WhatsApp Image 2018-01-14 at 15.35.34 by Thomas Barrett, on Flickr

 

So these were the ones, I think theyre the group 1's? Someone correct me but theyre dope and us loves them!

 

The old grill I removed was pretty cool but in the end I though honeycomb or get out so I bought a sheet of it from amazon, make the templates and mocked up my grill, I didnt like the chrome outer grill surround so I bought a mk1 moustache at a show, sanded it back, cut and folded the edges in a tiny bit and painted it black, then welded tabs and 10mm bolts in the inside to fix it to the car, I lost the photos but theres some at the end, promise! 

20563031_1778270548854324_318053128_n by Thomas Barrett, on Flickr

 

WhatsApp Image 2018-04-26 at 22.34.18 (4)

 

 

Before the paint started going on I needed a glove box, Ive already made the panel, the brackets, the bottom switch pannel so may as well do this... glove box... g l o v e  b o x.....  b o x..... 5 0... I got it! Lets use a 50bmg ammo tin! 

 

30226387_2054057247942318_635944309891268608_o by Thomas Barrett, on Flickr

With it all ground back it started to take the shape! 

30127342_2054059594608750_8930130344401698816_o by Thomas Barrett, on Flickr

 

And thats the jump, sketchy history part. Sorry if it was confusing, but back to real time, currunt news!

So I was choosing a colour and in the end I went for windjammer blue, its a landrover colour and stood out, not many minis about with it on. I was going to go gunmetal grey but everyone and their mums has that colour on cars... 

WhatsApp Image 2018-04-26 at 22.34.54 by Thomas Barrett, on Flickr

 

While I was waiting fro the paint to get through I primed the car for the last time

 

WhatsApp Image 2018-04-26 at 22.34.20 (3) by Thomas Barrett, on Flickr

 

And pinched some black paint and resprayed the roof 

 

WhatsApp Image 2018-04-26 at 22.34.20 (5) by Thomas Barrett, on Flickr

Came out O K if you're at a distance!! 

Then the paint came through, I was so excited and it was a scorcher of a day I came from work, ran home and rolled the car out, smashed the first two coats in the evening!

WhatsApp Image 2018-04-25 at 21.05.25 (2) by Thomas Barrett, on Flickr

WhatsApp Image 2018-04-26 at 22.34.20 (2) by Thomas Barrett, on Flickr

 

Then the next morning took the roof masking off

WhatsApp Image 2018-04-26 at 22.34.19 (1) by Thomas Barrett, on Flickr

She looked mean, looked dangerous and every time I look at her I'm glad that I own it 

WhatsApp Image 2018-04-26 at 22.34.18 (2) by Thomas Barrett, on Flickr

 

ENOUGH MESSING ABOUT!

Lets get them arches on, arches are fitted and I ran some silicone to have a transition from the body - pre silicone pictures 

WhatsApp Image 2018-04-26 at 22.34.17 (2) by Thomas Barrett, on Flickr

WhatsApp Image 2018-04-26 at 22.34.16 (6) by Thomas Barrett, on Flickr

 

Looks spot on in my vision.. time to start throwing it back together, heres the home made grill combo with the lights, Ill take a full shot of it soon.. this topic was unplanned but if I get it done I can have recent updates with better picture, fingers crossed...

 

WhatsApp Image 2018-04-26 at 22.34.16 (2) by Thomas Barrett, on Flickr

 

And I also got the rear lights fitted,  I painted these black too and dish washed the lenses 

 

WhatsApp Image 2018-04-26 at 22.34.15 by Thomas Barrett, on Flickr

 

 

So thats it, got the door glass fitted and handles but nothing to scream about, did the home made head liner last night and doing carpet today, everyday this car is getting more ghetto 

I hope this wasn't too hard to follow, its across a pass of 3 years and I lost a lot of the memories and photos but time to play catch up and follow the building going back together, I know its not original but what is a original mini these days and I guess you could call all these mods period correct because Its all home made! much love x

 

Ill get better photos now, take the camera out with me 

 

[Jgguinness]

Fantastic enthusiasm, keep posting your progress. A great first car.

[BudgieCake]

Fantastic enthusiasm, keep posting your progress. A great first car.

 

Cheers fella, it kick started a lot of things, some days it can be a pain but when something goes wrong its nice that you can say it adds to its 'character'

[CharlieNZ]

It's looking awesome, love the colour scheme!

[BudgieCake]

It's looking awesome, love the colour scheme!

 

Thank you, I had quite a few colours I wanted but this one really stood out, I was going to go down the body shop route but wanted to learn how to paint for when I smack one of panels 

[Richie83]

Thats one hefty glovebox. Should keep your sandwiches safe!

[BudgieCake]

Thats one hefty glovebox. Should keep your sandwiches safe!

It will probably out last the rest of the car!

[Richie83]

Thats one hefty glovebox. Should keep your sandwiches safe!

It will probably out last the rest of the car!

coat it in wax in case

[BudgieCake]

So heres a update since the last post, head liner and trim is in. The dash is all open, I did try shut it off but since I rewired the car it would be nice to be able to yank the main power supply out the box if and when all the wires set fire ! The carpet is fitted by moi, im so sorry to all the carpet fitters to what youre all about to witness, forgive me... And all the glass is in!

 

SAM_4380 by Thomas Barrett, on Flickr

SAM_4382 by Thomas Barrett, on Flickr

Its really hard to get a dark photo so sorry about the quality, just pretend you can see a nice clean liner with no creases!

SAM_4390 by Thomas Barrett, on Flickr

 

So the door cards I had were a grey vinyl, pretty standard but that doesn't fly with me, I wanted a black interior and the head liner roll I bought could probably line every mini on here, it was pretty big and it was a durable material, I couldn't rip it, not saying im like the hulk but you know.. Heres the link if youre interested - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Car-Headlining-or-Headliner-Fabric-2mm-Foam-Backed-By-the-metre-140cm-wide/302234082544?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&var=601075647336&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649 

 

So I stripped the old cover off, peeled the foam off and then used adhesive spray and stuck the sheet on it slowly making sure I didn't stretch it so the top layer does have a bit of flexibility instead of being under tension

 

SAM_4396 by Thomas Barrett, on Flickr

SAM_4398 by Thomas Barrett, on Flickr

SAM_4399 by Thomas Barrett, on Flickr

SAM_4400 by Thomas Barrett, on Flickr

SAM_4401 by Thomas Barrett, on Flickr

SAM_4403 by Thomas Barrett, on Flickr

SAM_4404 by Thomas Barrett, on Flickr

SAM_4413 by Thomas Barrett, on Flickr

 

Thanks to will for the pull tag idea, I have asked him. Nad is seriously trick, most of you have seen it, unique minis stand out for me, clean or rough.

 

Right lets get extra ghetto, time to try my hand at carpet fitting...

Left one side of the insulating not glued to see if my loom was submerged in water regularly 

SAM_4416 by Thomas Barrett, on Flickr

And the carpet all fitted 

SAM_4418 by Thomas Barrett, on Flickr

 I wasn't really sure what to do around the gear stick? the middle bit was fairly bowed and I couldn't flatten it so I dont know what that was about... 

 

Here she is with the windows fitted, struggled a fairbit since all my tools were at work and a screw driver is all I had but theyre in, now I need to throw some silicone in the joint as it leaks very slightly where the glass sits.

 

SAM_4429 by Thomas Barrett, on Flickr

SAM_4432 by Thomas Barrett, on Flickr

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[BudgieCake]

So after enjoying my car for a little while I really settled in, only things to go wrong was of my error 

SAM_5598

 

Untill the 4th when my friend ran me up saying there was smoking coming from the indicator column and wasnt awful but he could see it glowing. I rushed out of the shower and ragged the engine from cold over too him, it was happy at all getting there but worked when I needed it too but by the time I got there It was already too late. My friend has taken it like a champ and hasnt shed a tear yet, if it was me id probably be on the suicide watch Felt like crying for him as you all could understand.. Whats left of his supercharged 1275GT 

 

40752501_223962428476011_4103649253404966912_n

40668165_1987171881574340_1304449492702986240_n

40840124_2045664402412517_8005183328749617152_n

40895942_2316017118412745_3784253112789762048_n

 

But in all the haste my peg snapped for the choke and it never locks so I was holding it out, shifting with my elbow and all that malarky and I may or may not have drove it too hard trying to find him and at the end of the night I too was on the back of the recovery truck..

 

40685006_523165021483217_8866921323591368704_n

 

So after ringing around I've found a very suitable "998" from local specialist RJM minis - If youre in Hampshire or dont mind travelling hes the Don when it comes to minis, time to sneak a engine swap in at work!   

[minimissions]

Wow that is some seriously quick and good work on your mini it looks ace! and I do really like that colour.

 

Such a shame for your friends GT that bought a tear to my eye seeing that

[BudgieCake]

Wow that is some seriously quick and good work on your mini it looks ace! and I do really like that colour.

 

Such a shame for your friends GT that bought a tear to my eye seeing that

 

Cheers buddy, pretty unusual colour, dont see much of it about. Landrover colour I think? 

And yeh man I know, hes getting another I though, would make a pretty unique rat looking mini if it was lacoured? 

[antidigerati]

Love the colour... I've been looking for more of a 'smoky' blue like this for when I repaint my Mini. Very nice.

[minimissions]

 

Wow that is some seriously quick and good work on your mini it looks ace! and I do really like that colour.

 

Such a shame for your friends GT that bought a tear to my eye seeing that

 

Cheers buddy, pretty unusual colour, dont see much of it about. Landrover colour I think? 

And yeh man I know, hes getting another I though, would make a pretty unique rat looking mini if it was lacoured? 

 

Yeah it does look like a Land Rover colour come to think of it, it looks well on the mini..

That would defo make a good rat look mini, glad he is getting another, still such a shame though.

[BudgieCake]

There is darker than this, or just get a dark grey and then slap this colour on, I think I added a picture of the paint code is not pm me and ill get you the details, think I paid 170 from rainbow paints for a big old tub of it but you got to mix it real good as it has a fair few difference shades if youre not careful 

Love the colour... I've been looking for more of a 'smoky' blue like this for when I repaint my Mini. Very nice.