8 replies to this topic

[rcbamm]

Alright. Here is my official build thread.

I have here a 1978 Clubman Estate that I picked up in the beginning of summer. My first choice was to restore it back to original specs and drive a BMC because all I cared about was it's wicked small size and how eye catching it was. So, I drove the thing around my neighborhood for about 20 miles, got a feeling for how it drove, felt like a go kart, and it was really neat. The only downfal was that it was dog slow. It would barely spin the 10" wheels in second gear on a dirt road. Ohwell, I didn't really care for speed and just wanted to drive it.... I brought it to my Dad's shop (Mark's Paint&Body) to start tearing it down for a full blown restoration. I'v took every thing off untill I only had a shell. Then I started cutting away the poorly welded home made floor pans the previous owner had put in. I cutt away some more of the floor on the left side because it was just to darn hacked up with metal patches over un-treated rust holes > couldn't have that in my car. So, I'm gonna pretty much replace almost the whole floor with new floor pans that I'm gonna have my sheet metal guy cut and bend for me. It's actually real simple, Just a flat piece of metal that has two bends in it, and then I'm gonna have some flutes made that I will weld to the bottom of the floor pans versus having flutes punched into the floor pan. This will make the overal floor stronger and it will be all nice and clean smooth inside. I have about $500 bucks in after market panels I need to replace, such as the door steps, rocker panels, rear lower valances, and lower quarter panel repair panels.. a few others but then I'm gonna fabricate most of the rest.


So, I cutt soo much metal away that if I cutt any more away I'm gonna start distorting the body. So, I gotta add some metal bar reinforcments when I go to put some new panels in but that won't happen untill I earn some money or sell something.

So, as I'm on a hold with my Mini wagon. I got to thinking... When I drove my Mini with the stock 1098cc engine, I drove it without any interior, only the two bucket seats and the rear seat, but they weigh nothing, and it was dog slow.. I want to restore my Mini back to tip top shape, put all the interior back in it and MORE interior then stock, and by the time I'm finished it's going to be even slower! so, I don't want that.

And I got to thinking... I want to put a bigger engine in it.

My first idea was a Mitsubishi 4G63 engine, but... A. I didn't have one and B. it would probably be to big for my new fiber glass mini front end.

So, then I remembered my Dad had a Honda engine laying around the shop that he bought a few years ago for a Del Sol that one of my older brothers blew the engine in. The Del Sol never got fixed and went to the junk yard (I really wish I had it now) but my Dad had this engine and told me I could use it. I brought it out and started researching on it. I knew it has less then 50k miles on it, and it's a ZC SOHC 16 valve enigne. but didn't know specificaly what Honda engine it was. With the help of some people and the internet I'v come to a conclusion that it is a ZC D16A6 and that it will be good for my project. 120hp won't be enough for me so I'm gonna turbo charge it. As to my other thread, I'm going to put a TD05 turbo on it and make it a one and only awesome ZC D16 Mini ever built. Or atleast untill some one else uses a D16 in a Mini with it boosted. My goal is to reach 200hp and make my Mini acheive low 13s on the 1/4.

Soo..


Here is my "TO DO" list

#1. Restore the body back to a tip top show car state (not painted yet).
#2. Buy 13x7 deep dish ultralite wheels with tires
#3. Buy sportspack arches. (fender flares)
#4. Fit arches to body and figure if I need to cutt the rear inner fenders and raise them because I want my Mini to be lower then normal Minis
#5. Make a mold off the fiber glass Mini front so I can always make another in the future.
#6. Buy a D16 manual 4speed or 5 speed tranny
#7. Convert front drum brakes to 9.1" Honda civic Disc brakes (or similar disc)
#8. Engineer and design D16 subframe.
#9 Build and weld the subframe together.
#10. Mount subframe to body.
#11. Mount ZC D16A6 and tranny to the subframe.
#12. figure if I need to build A arm suspension or use the original suspension.
#13. Suspension finished. Have custom Honda to Mini axles made.
#14. Mount wheels.
#15. Build custom turbo manifold.
#16. Mount turbo and all necessary components.
#17. Custom exhaust.
#18. Buy MSII and wire the engine for test fire.
#19. Hook up all necessary components and hoses for test fire.
#20. Start engine! Tune engine!
#21. test drive it, and make sure every thing is working.
#22. Bring it back to the shop and mount the fiber glass mini front end. EDIT: FG Mini Front is not going to be used!
#23. Take every part off the body again.
#24. Work on final body details and make it show car worthy.
#25. Prep for paint.
#26. Paint the whole body inside and out and various body parts.
#27. Re-install all parts.
#28. Wire the whole car NICELY and engine aswell.
#29. Test drive again to make sure every thing is working swell.
#30. Build a full custom dash board, cover it with simulated leather, and build full custom tan interior with a nice soundsystem, touchscreen headunite, GPS, and hopefully all engine gauges on a LCD screen aswell.

Almost forgot, I will also be making a 4 point roll bar for protection that will be mounted right behind the front seats.

And of course, I'm going to upgrade the engine with small things like injectors and lightweight flywheel and Stage2 or 3 clutch.


And that should do it. I gotta lot of work to do and alot of money to spend, but I can't wait to do it all.

I will update this thread with any work accomplished or any thing bought. I hope you all will stay tuned to this build and enjoy the pictures.


There are ALOT of pictures here > http://s49.photobuck...Cbamm/CE album/

And here > http://s49.photobuck.....20progress 2/

And here > http://s49.photobuck.....estoration 3/

And HERE > http://s49.photobuck.....bucket seats/

And here > http://s49.photobuck.....20roof prime/

And here > http://s49.photobuck.....20resto hang/

And here > http://s49.photobuck...b...sto hang 2/






Video of I driving my CE before I took it apart > http://vids.myspace....ideoid=49443951

Resto hang!

A pic to judge my car's tight size

Edited by rcbamm, 08 February 2009 - 06:37 PM.

[rcbamm]

Sense the roof and pillars are about the only things that are not going to be replaced and majorly fixed..... I got some progress finished. (done is only when your cooking)


Stripped the roof with 36 grit and 80 after the 36 got most of the original paint and primer off.



Then Acid wash.



Then epoxy prime










Now I have to go back over the whole gutter system and clean those things out and make them look brand new again. I just primered the whole roof and gutters before I restored the gutters because I didn't have any time to finish restoring the gutters and had to prime the roof because I didn't want any flash rusting coming on.

Edited by rcbamm, 08 February 2009 - 07:00 PM.

[JackM]

nicee.. good luck with it!

[rcbamm]

My older brother's first car was an old Fiero notchback.. I think an 84... anyway, it has been sitting in our yard sense I think 2002 and has just been rotting away. My dad is going to junk it and told me to strip the car clean of all the good parts. And in those parts were a pair of stock Fiero bucket seats and a tilt steering column with a nice clean GT grant steering wheel, infact, it is the same steering wheel I planned on buying for my Mini. hah. So, the bucket seats need some TLC and some new covers but what is so awesome is the size and weight they are. I say they probably weigh 10lbs heavier then my stock Mini seats, and the base width on the Fiero seats are identical to my Mini seats. They fit in the car perfect and with the steering column put in there just to get an idea of how it feels.... it feels excellent! I want to make the inside cockpit of my Mini feel like your driving a new Mini. I sat in a new Mini and (I'm a smaller dude) every thing (IMO) was real nice and loved the way it feels. It felt nice and strong and everything was in reach. That's how I want to make my classic Mini feel and when I just test fit everything today it almost felt that way. It's hard to explain but these Fiero bucket seats and the column positioned right makes the Mini feel so awesome to sit inside. I just can't wait to drive it.


a pair of 100% vinyl seat covers are $425 bucks from Trimcar.com.


For the column, I'm gonna have to fabricate alot of metal and use a bunch of U-joints to get it where I want it, but it will be worth it in the end. One thing I didn't like about my Mini when it was stock was the original column. It is angled so much and was so far forward and wasn't adjustable




check out da pics.

















And the Fiero I stripped down. I did try getting the v6 engine in it running because I wanted to go and slide the crap out of the car and kill it aswell with all the body panels off but the engine is seized

Edited by rcbamm, 09 February 2009 - 02:06 PM.

[rcbamm]

This is about up to date with what I'v done so far with my CE shell.

It is now hanging from the shop ceiling because I believe this is the most efficient and square way to replace almost the whole floor lol


I am now currently working on getting the shell back to shape. I have little tidious work to do to the shell before I can weld the new panels back on and I'm also waiting on 3 more panels that didn't come in when I went to pick up the majority of the panels. So Dion from DJminis.com is going to send them to me when he gets them in.

Enjoy thee pics

Edited by rcbamm, 08 February 2009 - 07:04 PM.

[rcbamm]

Notice the overlapped patches done by the previous owner?

I CAN'T HAVE THAT!



after cuting away both patches on each side of the rear door step... I'v come to a conclusion that I might aswell buy a repair door step.

[rcbamm]

As of this post, this is up to date and I will post more pics of more progress accomplished! (hopefully that will be soon!)

[Saxo-Fiesta-Mini]

looking good will be doing a similar job to my mini once i have a job and a lock up

[wilp99]

good stuff g keep up the motivation. we just got done with the welding part of our estate rebuild.. its finally all etch primed one color. looks pretty dope. if you need any pics i took hundreds.. here http://s94.photobuck...ellwil/clubman/ good luck with the build.