I was previosuly a somewhat active member of the mini forum, but over the last few years I've not visited at all as other priorities have come before the mini. I have been working abroad for a number of years and the mini has been in storage during that period. However the time has come to get started on a full rebuild that I had planned to carry out nearly ten years ago!
I bought the mini for £750 in 2005, and used it as my first and only car. Its done approximately 160,000 miles (engine/gearbox are on about 140,000 miles), and has travelled abroad, lived in Shetland (doing 60 miles a day throughout the winters), written off (and been hit several more times in my ownership) and used to transport all manner of furniture and other items on its roof. Its been worked hard!
I've now stripped it down completely, and boxed up everything usable that's come off (which is a surprisingly large amount!). I plan to cut out the rust and my previous patches and weld in the following...
Lower rear, boot floor, heel board, offside rear three quarter, full floor panel, outer sills, door steps, full windscreen surround (including scuttle), wings, front panel, a-panels. There will be some repairs required to other panels as well. I have been in two minds about sourcing a better condition body, but really want to keep the original one, even if it has had quite a large number of panels replaced.
Body complete, it will be sprayed in original cornflour blue. Engine will be a replaced with a 1275 I have - yet to confirm the specs of that.
Anyway, some photos of it now. Next step is to dismantle the front subframe/engine to give me more space in the garage. Buy a new welder (Oxford mig maker 200 I think...) and weld in some bracing before I start cutting.