450 replies to this topic

[Saxo-Fiesta-Mini]

easy to get into very very comfortable but u could get into the back at all inless the passenger was a twig so i sold em for what i paid so i wasnt too sad to see them go plus i love the mayfair seats in black theyre rarer lol

[Calman]

Cool thanks, i was planning on losing the rear seats so they sound perfect!

[Saxo-Fiesta-Mini]

indeed sounds spot on for ya

i have passengers fair often as a student so yeh i need both comfort and practicallity

[Burnard]

being a student is a reason not to have back seats, means people dont cosntantly ask you for lifts!

Work is looking as good as ever sean, still cant belive your allowed withing a mile of a welder.

[cookie4343]

so yeah seems like the mini is staying spent alot of time over the last few weeks thinking and umming and arring and to be honest the 1275 pulls like a train, handles awesome and i can forget how cool the mini looks so yeh hes staying and ive started the interior revamp

so here some pics of todays attack












so thats the wing neatened up and im happy with how it looks for now

and for a few week i noticed the engine was alot noiser and came to find the manifold had split clean in tooo so i welded it up






also had a problem with the slave cylinder bolt decided to go south so had to repair that and did so with a new unc bolt and alot of washers

whilst i was doing this i welded in the patch on the rear seat bin and then painted the interior black to match the carpets

and i have ordered new cone washers and hub nuts to remove the lil bit of play in the wheels and part of my dash board plans arrived

in short making a 18mm thick mdf dash with my bro the carpenter / builder, my brother thats a painter will be doing a custom paint job for me and ill make sure it looks good fitted

so yeh shall be fun few weeks new engine mounts, mot, tax and interior spice up

Think you should put that welder down and stop with the pigeon poo as that wing looked better before.
Are you useing a gasless mig welder if you are i think you should pratice on some metal some more before you attack your mini with it.

[Saxo-Fiesta-Mini]

no it was a 3 phase gas mig and ive only every welded about 5 things so the way i see it work in progress im actually happy with the wing as once i put a skim of filler over it will be awesome probs gonna just patch in the areas that ive done black im not utterly fused with perfection i have to learn some how may as well be bertie and the manifold was very lumpy as i went over it twice to ensure it was spot on

[rosco454]

Without being nasty and trying to be helpful,you really should practice on some scrap sheet before going wild on your car.

Tutorials here are really helpful to get you started mig welding.

Do you have enough gas flow?What gas are you using?

Edited by rosco454, 25 June 2009 - 07:30 PM.

[Saxo-Fiesta-Mini]

the only training i was given as such at college was heres the mig and thats it so learning the hard way plus normally borrowing the mig and pushed for time

[kez_19]

please get some scrap metal and some time to learn to weld before you try to attack your poor mini with a welder again you will only make your car worse

michael

[mini_turbo_pete]

OMG i think you need a bit more practice at welding... My 8 year old can weld better than you i'm not just saying that i have taught him to weld quite well..

[Retro_10s]

Hi SFM.

Was your front panel coming away from the wing edge?

It would be better to clamp the two panels back together from behind and plug weld them back together - this way it you don't have to attempt to seam weld it up (i guess that's what you were trying to do) from the outside. some people even Mig up the edge of the lips (steady hand required!) This way you can put a skim of filler on the exterior, profile it and then run a bead of seam sealer,... should at least look how it did when it came of the line then...

Or were you Trying to fill the panel gaps with weld to smooth them off? A bit like lead loading i guess.

You don't need anyone telling you that you've made a mess of that, i'm sure you know already - I'd Grind it all out and practice welding on some metal - try to simulate the join you want to achieve - The weld you'e done there on the front looks like it hasn't penetrated the panel at all and is just sitting on top....

good luck

[Saxo-Fiesta-Mini]

it was split as the previous owner had driven it with dead subframe mounts for a year and he was a mechanic. I am going to blend the lines in when i get chance and repaint the front.

I went over the welds so i know they've penetrated further back, as i checked as i went along.
It does indeed look rought (as a badgers backside). but once I've done a skim of filler and some paint ( the right colour) will look good !!

I know im not great at welding, but u should have seen the welding i did inside looks alot lot better trust me.
Ive never been taught anything on cars as my Dad passed away when i was 10.

So everything that I have learnt about cars or how to fix them has made me feel closer to him, as he really into cars Mercs to be precise. The 190 cosworth was the best I can remember when i was 7 that car did 160mph easy. We had planned to restore a mini when i was 16, but him passing away meant this never happend.


I started with cars when I was 18 and have learnt the majority of what i know on fiesta's and did alot of work on my old saxo.
But due to stigma attached to both them cars i sold them and finally got the mini i awlays wanted

Todays been fairly busy, I went to Mini Techinques and got my lower dash rail and Two rubber donuts. I fitted it there and then cause im an impatient child. Then on the way home the roll pin on the gearlinkage dropped out, when i was trying to get into 4th. So it was stuck in 3rd. I pulled over to find the shaft flapping in the wind.

So i drove very causiously in 3rd to the garage that i knew of in Longridge and borrowed a jack and axel stand. Fitted a temporary split pin to get me to Woodfeild garage, where i used to work to fix it properly. So got that finished and thanks to the guys at Shell longridge Mot station all top blokes.

Got there jacked up my car, removed the split pin which was easier said then done. Fitted the new roll pin and wired it so it doesnt drop out.
Then decided since Lancashire windscreens wanted £35 to fit my new seal, That I would have a go myself. I must report was Easy

Well i took my time had it out in 2 mins and then treated the metal to protect from rust, Refitted the seal and windscreen. 40 mins later done

Cleaned up checked for leaks and drove home another Great day Ups and Downs Smiles and Frowns moto of the day

Tomorow top arms out to fit the new donuts

[Burnard]

let me know how your american cop day goes without a doughnut squisher

[Saxo-Fiesta-Mini]

hahahhahaha lol ull know before me if you hear a scream of BLOOOODDDY F******G CARRRR!!!!

Lol shouldn't be tooo bad gonna attempt it at Alan's and then i can have all the tools to hand and if i go insane he can have a look im hoping should be easy enough just take my time

Im' gonna try without the cone compressor as i havent got one, but if need me im sure we can make one at Alan's. He has every tool under the sun except a 34mm socket i think Rodger the dodger ate that one

[GregH]

i love the rev counter. where did you get it from?
thanks
greg