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Lightweight Z18Xe


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#1 mini_mad69

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Posted 26 October 2008 - 09:43 PM

I had my mini for my 14th birthday, actualy a couple of weeks before, so I was 13. So far panels replaced have been, wings, scuttle repair, a panels, front panel, sills, door skins, boot floor, rear valvance, bonnet, boot lid. Its had patches too roof, front and rear arches, door frames, rear quater, rear window frames, roof gutter, around filler neck, around air vents. It had all new gaskets on engine, fully refurbished brakes, cv joints, suspension. (stupidly didnt replace cones) It then had a full respray, 6x12 deep dish alloys, new arch extensions, chequer board roof, debadged, chrome grill, dtm exhaust, stainless link pipe and minisport pro flow ,manifold.




This is what it looked like when i got it:

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It sat around for 10 months while a garage was built around it. Including building a conreate base under the car.

Then work started on christmas day 2004.

I started by removing the engine, front mechanics etc.

Then removed wings, front panel, a panels, scuttle corner, i dont have all of the pics anymore as they have been lost.

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New panels clamped in place:
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you will notice the dent in the NEW wing, me and my dad dont know how this happened. Then a long time later, welded on the new panels and filled and primered the new panels.
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Then popped in the engine again.
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and as if by magic:
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Edited by The Matt, 29 March 2012 - 07:08 PM.


#2 mini_mad69

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Posted 26 October 2008 - 09:44 PM

Then after about a year or two I had it sprayed, which cost me a whole £250
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THen it was shiney and blue:
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Then i did the roof and tried my wheels with arches.
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Then got bored and popped on some spotlights :
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Then it was done!
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It seems so easy now, but alot of time money and effort went into that end reult.

Since then around 500-600 was spent on it.

During the restore it had:

Wings
Front panel
bonnet
a-panels
Door skins
Door bottoms
Scuttle corners and closing panels
Flitch repairs
sills
rear quater bottom repairs
new boot floor
repairs in the roof
filler neck hole re-done
rear valance

and just a load of patches
new boot lid

Edited by mini_mad69, 07 June 2011 - 11:34 AM.


#3 mini_mad69

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Posted 26 October 2008 - 09:53 PM

I was happy, actualy exstatic once i had finished it.
Then I bought new seats
, bought a dash:
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bought some speakers,
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cd player,
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one amp,
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another amp,
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a sub,
then another sub,
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then some more speakers,
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then some harness'.
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Blew headgaskets once every 2 weeks, finally blew the engine, replaced the engine last february. Blew another head gasket, and another, blew the engine.

Then bought another mini to get the engine out of
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Then sold the rest on ebay for 51 quid.

THen got it rolling road tuned at willfield motors. Highly recomended.

Now touch wood it will not blow headgaskets anymore, well hasnt since august. :thumbsup:

Havnt had any major problems apart from needing new brake pads upfront since then.

Edited by mini_mad69, 11 March 2009 - 01:25 AM.


#4 mini_mad69

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Posted 26 October 2008 - 10:00 PM

And now comes the lastest edition to the little might.

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Oh yeah thats my 1380, kent 286 cam.

Going to get some 1.5.1 roller rockers, big valve monster head, cross pin diff, maybe a lsd the lot

Going to get all kinds of rediculous. Going to get some big ol brakes and going to uprate the suspension to help handle the beasty.

#5 Sam Walters

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Posted 26 October 2008 - 10:22 PM

those valves dont look massive to me, for the best really.

im sure if i did the same spec head again without dustbin sized valves i would have more power.

#6 mini_mad69

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Posted 26 October 2008 - 10:26 PM

those valves dont look massive to me, for the best really.

im sure if i did the same spec head again without dustbin sized valves i would have more power.



Oh ok, but thats not the final head, I just took a pic because its what came with the engine. Im not sure what head to use just yet. Need to get some money for a nice shiney one first.

#7 rasped

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Posted 27 October 2008 - 08:42 AM

You need to go see a doctor, your right foot must be enormous when you keep blowing headgaskets like that. :thumbsup:
Nice work though, I like that blue.

#8 mini_mad69

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Posted 27 October 2008 - 11:52 AM

You need to go see a doctor, your right foot must be enormous when you keep blowing headgaskets like that. :thumbsup:
Nice work though, I like that blue.


The head gasket problem was due to far too advance ignition, lean mixture, aaaaand a lead foot lol.

Today ive done a little bit of work to it.
Ive put on a new fanbelt because my old one was squeeling. and no amount of tightening could stop it.
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Ive tried out a new number plate light, not sure if its legal though, got my MOT soon so will have to see if it lights up the plate at night.
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Ive put new connections on my solonoid and fusebox trying to find the cure to the cutting out problem, Solved now although i ripped all of my wiring out, so now its all messy and I have to go and hide and tidy it. :-
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Ive added loads of interior lights, under the dash and under the seats. 16 in total. Ive got another 16 to go somewhere else aswell. Ill take pictures tonight.


And adjusted my handbrake, although the offside drum adjuster is siezed so ive bought another one off ebay.

#9 Cooper_90

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Posted 29 October 2008 - 12:44 PM

hows the 1380 goin these days?
i never saw the way it looked b4 the mods, it looks a lot different!
good luck with it though.

#10 mini_mad69

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Posted 30 October 2008 - 04:02 PM

hows the 1380 goin these days?
i never saw the way it looked b4 the mods, it looks a lot different!
good luck with it though.

Still not got the 1380, probably going to put it together over uni xmas hols, then get it in the car sometime after that. Cant wait for it to get a bit of poke.

Yeah before the restoration it was a completly different car, not one thing remains from the ritz now.

#11 mini_mad69

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Posted 08 November 2008 - 08:52 PM

Ok, so a little bit of progress, last weekend I added a new offside brake caliper, adjusted the balljoints, unsiezed the offside drum(took over an hour) added a new adjuster +cleaned up the drum etc. bled out all the brakes and got it driving and more importantly braking better. Oh and I put my spotlights back on after them being off for around 3 months.


Today I have added a set of rear hi los. I tried for ages trying to put the front ones in, but the doughnuts are knackered and the compression tool is just spinning in the threads, anyway it sits a little bit more level now.
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Oh yeah its a little dirty aswell at the moment.

Edited by mini_mad69, 08 November 2008 - 08:53 PM.


#12 sweetser

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Posted 08 November 2008 - 08:58 PM

Looking good mate :( Whys it so dirty? lol

#13 mini_mad69

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Posted 08 November 2008 - 09:01 PM

Looking good mate :( Whys it so dirty? lol



Road into my uni got closed due to an accident so had to go down a dirt track, my friend was following me so I decided to repaint his car in mud. My car got dirty at the same time though.

#14 sweetser

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Posted 08 November 2008 - 09:05 PM

Looking good mate :( Whys it so dirty? lol



Road into my uni got closed due to an accident so had to go down a dirt track, my friend was following me so I decided to repaint his car in mud. My car got dirty at the same time though.


Haha fair doo's

#15 Tomf

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Posted 08 November 2008 - 09:51 PM

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Have you actually been to the Nurburgring?

As the sticker you have on the boot is upside down...




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