355 replies to this topic

[Ben_O]

Next, I welded the floor to the extension

 

 

Twas a tad fiddly, especially at the tunnel because the curve is a much smaller radius on the floor than the extension. I was keen to get them pulled tightly with minimal rippling. We have all seen the way the front of the floors are wrinkled on the toe board join where the factory spot welders pull it all in crumpling the skins...

 

Next was the floor to crossmember

 

 

 

Then the handbrake bracket was rescued from the old floor, cleaned up and clamped into place using a handbrake to align it

 

 

And then welded

 

 

Finally the slinging  brackets were fitted

 

 

 

And that completes the floor

 

 

Next time - toe board

 

Cheers

 

Ben

[KTS]

...and that is looking magnificent !!!!! 

 

i don't think that handbrake bracket's going anywhere now - was never sure before whether i'd pull the thing off the floor it was so poorly attached

[Ben_O]

...and that is looking magnificent !!!!! 

 

i don't think that handbrake bracket's going anywhere now - was never sure before whether i'd pull the thing off the floor it was so poorly attached

Thanks Pat.

I think half the problem with the handbrake brackets is that the crossmsmber is not reinforced where the bracket welds to so it tears through the crossmember itself.

I welded it to the back of the crossmember too so should be fine now.

 

Have you any thoughts on what method of toeboard reinforcing you wanted? Or shall i do what I think?

 

Cheers

 

Ben

[KTS]

I haven't got any particular method in mind  -  a couple of plates of sheet steel around the existing mounting points to spread any loads across the toe-board.  maybe seam welded round the edges 

 

in the thread below Cooperman suggests 6x6" 1.5mm/16SWG, but instead of bolting, seam weld around the edge with a few plug welds close to the bolt holes to fix the two sheets together.  i'd radius the corners of the plates as well - i think it would look neater and spreads any load more evenly.

 

http://www.theminifo...-reinforcement/

 

what were you thinking ?

 

edit : reinforcing plates on the outside ?  would seem to make sense to me in terms of loads transmitted rearwards (i.e. under braking), but if correctly attached, shouldn't really make much difference should it... 

Edited by KTS, 12 November 2018 - 09:03 PM.

[Ben_O]

I haven't got any particular method in mind  -  a couple of plates of sheet steel around the existing mounting points to spread any loads across the toe-board.  maybe seam welded round the edges 

 

in the thread below Cooperman suggests 6x6" 1.5mm/16SWG, but instead of bolting, seam weld around the edge with a few plug welds close to the bolt holes to fix the two sheets together.  i'd radius the corners of the plates as well - i think it would look neater and spreads any load more evenly.

 

http://www.theminifo...-reinforcement/

 

what were you thinking ?

 

edit : reinforcing plates on the outside ?  would seem to make sense to me in terms of loads transmitted rearwards (i.e. under braking), but if correctly attached, shouldn't really make much difference should it... 

I was considering making up plates that fit to the face of the toeboard on the outside over the existing mounting points and folding the plates so they fold under the toeboard. kinda along the lines of the way the early solid subframes mounted.

Whatever I do, it will definitely be on the outside of the toeboard as there are already plates on the inside.

 

Ill mock something up and show you before welding it to make sure you are happy with it.

 

Thanks

 

Ben

[KTS]

Sounds good to me Ben.  cheers

[Ben_O]

On with the toeboard.

 

First, I made up a simple guide and welded it to the frame inside the car. 

 

 

This is not a structural support and is literally to aid with correct alignment of the new one. The toeboard bolts through from the outside via one of the lower mount holes.

 

I then supported the shell by jacking a pallet underneath the floor

 

 

Which enabled me to release the bottom supports from the front jig frame

 

 

Then I drilled the spot welds and cut the seam welds on each end

 

 

And dropped the toe board out

 

 

 

 

Then needed to modify the toe board to the correct earlier spec

 

These pressings are for the fuel lines on injection cars

 

 

 

Cheers

 

Ben

[stuenutter]

Did you dolly out the pressing in the toeboard or cut out and let a new piece in.
Interested as have to fit one in my clubby estate

[Ben_O]

Did you dolly out the pressing in the toeboard or cut out and let a new piece in.
Interested as have to fit one in my clubby estate

I cut it out, then once the piece was removed, I hammered out the pressing, trimmed the edges so that it fitted again and then welded it back in

 

Cheers

 

Ben

[Ben_O]

Cleaned up the rust on the inside of the bulkhead

 

 

And then positioned the toe board

 

 

 

I had some assistance levelling everything up whilst I put some screws in to hold everything in place and then plug welded the bulkhead back to the new toe board

 

 

 

Then spot welded the floor pans to the toe board

 

 

 

I still need to do the tunnel area but my spot weld arms won't reach from the sides so the frame will have to come out so I can do it through the gear stick hole.

 

Now it has it's strength back, I can bolt the lower frame arms back to the toe board and remove the pakllet

 

 

And then removed the frame!

 

 

Next up - Steps...

 

 

Ben

[Ben_O]

Back on with the PUP this afternoon.

 

I clamped the step into place on the drivers side and lifted the door into place. It fitted pretty good if a bit tighter than normal. Plenty to work with though.

I haven't seen this car with the doors on so am not sure what they would have been like.

never mind, they need to be right regardless and the A post is very close to the window frame. There has been previous work in this area and I suspect when the A post was rebuilt, it had been put in the wrong place.

 

Not much I can do about that with the inner wing holding everything firm so I took it down off of the spit and onto a pallet

 

 

And then set about removing the offensive looking inner wing

 

 

I would like to say it was a struggle but with the exception of 2 dozen remaining spot welds, nothing else was holding it on 

 

 

This is now going to have to go too

 

 

 

It'll have to have those 2 panels too and some repairs to the crossmember.

 

I've started cleaning up and ill try the new inner wing on tomorrow

 

Cheers

 

Ben

[KTS]

nice work Ben - another rotten lump gone!

 

 

I haven't seen this car with the doors on so am not sure what they would have been like.

never mind, they need to be right regardless and the A post is very close to the window frame. There has been previous work in this area and I suspect when the A post was rebuilt, it had been put in the wrong place.

 

the best i can say about the fit was that they closed.  the back edges were about a half inch proud of the side panel, and the passenger door doesn't appear to be the same shape as the hole it's supposed to fit in.  whether that's how the factory fitted them i'm not sure...

 

another oddity was that the windscreen didn't appear to sit properly in it's rubber - the two lower corners dragged the screen rubber inward from the line of the bulkhead/scuttle flange.  may be worth offering the screen up to see if there's anything obvious going on (i'm conscious of the fact that the old screen was toughened, and the new one i've supplied is laminate, which is more likely to break if it doesn't line up properly)

[Ben_O]

nice work Ben - another rotten lump gone!

 

 

I haven't seen this car with the doors on so am not sure what they would have been like.

never mind, they need to be right regardless and the A post is very close to the window frame. There has been previous work in this area and I suspect when the A post was rebuilt, it had been put in the wrong place.

 

the best i can say about the fit was that they closed.  the back edges were about a half inch proud of the side panel, and the passenger door doesn't appear to be the same shape as the hole it's supposed to fit in.  whether that's how the factory fitted them i'm not sure...

 

another oddity was that the windscreen didn't appear to sit properly in it's rubber - the two lower corners dragged the screen rubber inward from the line of the bulkhead/scuttle flange.  may be worth offering the screen up to see if there's anything obvious going on (i'm conscious of the fact that the old screen was toughened, and the new one i've supplied is laminate, which is more likely to break if it doesn't line up properly)

I would say that this makes perfect sense.

The door kicking out from the side panel would have been because the inner and outer A panels were in the wrong place. There isn't really any way to hide with externally hinged Mini's. The fit of everything is crucial for good door fit.

They wouldn't have been kicking out when it was new.

I know that on your car, the windscreen frame/upper A post is kicked back and is too low. I suspect that when the inner A post was cut out and replaced previously, the front dropped and the new piece was welded in to fill the gap without any thought to this.

That's why the screen frame/upper A post is so tight to the window frame on the door.

I offered up the A panel last thing today using the front of the new step to keep it square and it the upper A post where the top of the A panel meets was around 25mm back.

I think ill unpick the inner A post and let the whole lot move where it wants and then reset it all to suit.

Ill be sure to try the screen in too and make sure that we are all good.

 

One thing to consider with your comments on the passenger side door is the possibility that i may need to re-skin the door to make it good. If it's too far out, it will make no sense to make the car fit an out of shape door.

 

We can discuss that when I get to it.

 

Cheers

Ben

[KTS]

 

nice work Ben - another rotten lump gone!

 

 

I haven't seen this car with the doors on so am not sure what they would have been like.

never mind, they need to be right regardless and the A post is very close to the window frame. There has been previous work in this area and I suspect when the A post was rebuilt, it had been put in the wrong place.

 

the best i can say about the fit was that they closed.  the back edges were about a half inch proud of the side panel, and the passenger door doesn't appear to be the same shape as the hole it's supposed to fit in.  whether that's how the factory fitted them i'm not sure...

 

another oddity was that the windscreen didn't appear to sit properly in it's rubber - the two lower corners dragged the screen rubber inward from the line of the bulkhead/scuttle flange.  may be worth offering the screen up to see if there's anything obvious going on (i'm conscious of the fact that the old screen was toughened, and the new one i've supplied is laminate, which is more likely to break if it doesn't line up properly)

I would say that this makes perfect sense.

The door kicking out from the side panel would have been because the inner and outer A panels were in the wrong place. There isn't really any way to hide with externally hinged Mini's. The fit of everything is crucial for good door fit.

They wouldn't have been kicking out when it was new.

I know that on your car, the windscreen frame/upper A post is kicked back and is too low. I suspect that when the inner A post was cut out and replaced previously, the front dropped and the new piece was welded in to fill the gap without any thought to this.

That's why the screen frame/upper A post is so tight to the window frame on the door.

I offered up the A panel last thing today using the front of the new step to keep it square and it the upper A post where the top of the A panel meets was around 25mm back.

I think ill unpick the inner A post and let the whole lot move where it wants and then reset it all to suit.

Ill be sure to try the screen in too and make sure that we are all good.

 

One thing to consider with your comments on the passenger side door is the possibility that i may need to re-skin the door to make it good. If it's too far out, it will make no sense to make the car fit an out of shape door.

 

We can discuss that when I get to it.

 

Cheers

Ben

 

 

ah - that all makes sense.  yet more bodgery uncovered.  there can't be much more left to find can there ?!?!?

 

the obvious issue with the passenger door is that the gap above the window frame increases as you move back along the door (..or probably more accurately decreases as you move forward)

 

is it possible that as well as being too far back the, windscreen pillar (a-pillar?) has ended up shorter than it should be causing the front corner of the roof to drop ?

 

..this is the best picture of the door in place that i have

 

[Ben_O]

 

 

is it possible that as well as being too far back the, windscreen pillar (a-pillar?) has ended up shorter than it should be causing the front corner of the roof to drop ?

 

When the structure of the A post is disturbed, the windscreen frame and roof will naturally droop.

I had this on my own Mini where a hole in the roof had caused the whole A post to rot and drop down.

To fix it, I had to manually position everything around the new panels to get it right which meant lifting the upper a post and roof up to suit using the door as a datum for the height.

 

We will get there and it will  be straight and square once more