175 replies to this topic

[MiniJosh92]

You sticking with the steel front then??

[1987_ParkLane]

Looking good mate .

[mini_mad69]

'Looks awsome mate, I realy want to do an engine conversion now, I would go the other way and chuck in a b16 vtec.

Anyway yours is coming along nicely, most of the big jobs over then.




Ben

[Gingerjoe]

looking good bro, would love to have a workshop I want a moke!!

[Tomf]

Yea im going to try and keep the steel front if i can as the end fit will just be so much better than fiberglass.

I will still be having it removable, but it will be more solid. Ill be having it bolted down instead of quick release fittings. So ill be welding mylock bolts in to everywhere i want it to be secured down, then ill be able to just use bolts to secure the front down. Ill also be making up some plates for the inner wing part, so i can bolt that area down, then ill have some bolts along the a-panel and a couple up the front.

This way it means it should be alot more secure than using dzue *sp* fasteners, but will mean removing it will take about 30 seconds longer lol. Ill also be keeping the bonnet hinged.

I also welded up the last rot hole today, so now all the welding i need to do really is front end bits and coilover mounts. Im sure ill end up doing loads more welding, but at least im clawing my way through it lol.

Also a bit of an odd one, i recived the log book, etc... but i tried the reg no on a few places including the dvla website online and it cant find my car... Ill double check that the reg on the car matches up with the logbook tomorrow, if not ill have to get on the phone to dvla and see what they say...

[kcchan]

Just a quick tip, welding nylocs on wont work as the heat melts the nylon. I've tried it afew times and managed to get a little bit of nylon left but it didnt really work. Thought I just tell you.

When you say you received your log book, did you have to apply for a new one or did you try to register the engine size change?

[Tomf]

Just a quick tip, welding nylocs on wont work as the heat melts the nylon. I've tried it afew times and managed to get a little bit of nylon left but it didnt really work. Thought I just tell you.

When you say you received your log book, did you have to apply for a new one or did you try to register the engine size change?

Yea i know what you mean about the nylocks, but the nylock bit isnt needed really to be honest for what im needing htem for, just shoul give a bit extra grip so if i can save a little then thats a bonus, iv also got some head spreading putty stuff that should hopefully help save some of it

The log book was for the engine change. I spoke to a mate that does loads of kit car stuff, and he said that if i send of the log book with loads of information then they would be less likely to ask for a report. So i sent off the log book, with the details i wanted changing, along with a copy of the receipt from the MGF, a copy of the MGF logbook, and a letter saying about what i do as a trade, and they just send the log book back to me with the changes and nothing mentioned about a report


Today i got both the a-panels fitted:



Offered the front up to make sure i had clearance on everything, which i do :



and heres a pic of the clearance at the front, so luckly there is quite a bit , so i should be able to get a nice rad in there hopefully:



Also iv started to decode the MFG Engine loom to main loom wiring plug, still got a few to work out, but considering that was the part of the conversion i was dreading most, i think it might turn out to be pretty simple, but im sure iv spoken to soon.



I also made up some fitting that i will bolt to my fuel tank for a fuel return Its good to see it all coming together now.

Also a while back i sold some fiberglass doors to TneMini that that he hadnt collected yet, so i send him a PM and he has agreed to sell them back to me, so they will be going on this

So now as far as i can work out, the main things i have to pay out for now is, large sheet of polycarbinate, back box and dials. Iv already paid for the rest of the bits a couple of days ago on a spending spree on ebay and mini sites lol, so i should hopefully have it done in time for das ring!!!

So once i recive my metro vented drive flanges ill get that all build up with me shiny new vented disks and braided hoses.

Edited by Tomf, 23 July 2009 - 08:19 PM.

[Tomf]

Iv not been able to get much done on this for a while, but i got some time to get some done today.

I started out by making up some plates to weld to the inside of the front end so i can secure it there aswell.



And welded in place, i also did there other side, but didnt take any pics:



Then i fitted some plates to the a-panels to secure the front end to:






Also i decided to fit some support bars to the a-panels as they flex a bit on my green mini.





I know the box section is an over kill, but its all i had to hand and i know now its not going anywhere lol.

Then to get a better fit i modified the a-panel plates:



I then made up some thick plates to go on the floor to give some extra strength, as the floor cracked on my green mini when i had the 1380 in it, so i though ill need double strength for this



Then finally i revived my R1 backbox, so i offered that up and the pipe needed bending slightly, so i put it in the hydraulic bender, but where it was so thin the pipe just started to crush and not bend, so i cut up one of my spare exhausts for the bend, cut the pipe down on the R1 can and offered it up in place. Then i took it off and welded it up, but then i gave it a wack as i wasnt sure what metal it was on the can and it just cracked off the other side of the weld so i welded over the weld i had just done dragging it right up the pipe. Now i know this wouldnt last, so i got an exhaust repair and a couple of clamps and fitted that waswell leaving me with this:



So now all i have to do i just cut the curve down and weld it to my center pipe

[jplonie]

Looking good, enjoying the updates.

J

[Tomf]

Cheers, i just bloody hope i get it done in time for BH2N as the ferry booking has been changed now lol.

[Saxo-Fiesta-Mini]

well looking great

[mini93]

if trying to bend thin tube, pack it with sand or something, obviously blocking the ends up, it should help hold the shape a little bit better...little late i guess

[mini_mad69]

Looking great tom. You said you had problems with your 1380 damaging your floors. What sort of power was it pushing out, because mine has ripped the bulkhead steady bracket.



Anyway, your car still looks great, I realy want a long wheel base mini now.




Ben

[Tomf]

if trying to bend thin tube, pack it with sand or something, obviously blocking the ends up, it should help hold the shape a little bit better...little late i guess

Yea i did know about sand or packing the pipe out, but i just thought i would try and see if it would bend and if it did bonus if not then ill just make up something lol, but i was unlucky >

Looking great tom. You said you had problems with your 1380 damaging your floors. What sort of power was it pushing out, because mine has ripped the bulkhead steady bracket.

Anyway, your car still looks great, I realy want a long wheel base mini now.

Ben

Not sure on the power to be honest mate, as i only had it in there a few weeks whilst i went to the ring last year then i took it out to sell it to buy my old minus.

The bulkhead steady bracket is only hald on by a couple of tacks, and whilst my engine was out i seam welded it all the way round so it would stay in place. But then it ripped along both sides where the lower floor pans bold on With that i just dropped the subframe down, seamwelded the crack up then added another plate, so the stress was spread a bit.

Iv still got lots to do, but im slowly picking my way through all the small jobs now. I received my vented flanges today (thanks Jordie ), so if i get the time tomorrow ill get the front hubs/brakes build up.

[Tomf]

Got a bit more done this evening.

I started out by offering up the coilovers and although they dont have an offset top in they were only a couple of mm away from the top hole, so i just got the hammer out and beat the arch a little bit and they fitted with no rubbing





Then i made up a rear strut brace and welding that in place:



Then i started fitting the front hubs and vented disk and flanges:



Then i got the brakes built up with the new fitting clips and pads and fitted them:







So now all i have to do to get it on wheels is fit the front coilovers, i was going to make some brackets, but i saw some on minispares for just under £40 so i thought i would save myself the ball ache of making them and just buy them.

Then ill start on making all the new brake lines i need.

Then its just wiring and prepping for paint it all sounds so simple lol.