134 replies to this topic

[james962]

I come home from work and football....where are the updates JD?

[minimotor_JD]

Update 14/02/10:

Busy weekend for the mini ! Went straight to my mums after work on Friday where the mini was to get the ball rolling on getting it shifted to old skool minis for saturday. I met up with sisters husband at Watford for 4pm and went straight to the trailer hire place in hatfield (GT Towing) did all the paperwork etc etc. Got back to the mini for around 6pm....a bit dark but we had a bit of light. As i had got 2 tyres with revolites I was thinking we could put them on the back drums as we took the mini off the jacks and trolley jack. Oh how I was wrong....such a fail by me !! , firstly tried putting them on the wheel studs on the rear were too short (also the front), so went into a mini meltdown...after a further 2 hours outside (by this time it was pretty dark we gave up and I stayed at my sisters place in watford).

That evening I came on here and posted if anyone had spare 10" steel wheels that I could collect/borrow/buy and look for a solution to the problem...shifty say i should try removing the drum to get more length on the wheel studs which worked in the end...however i didnt have any sleeved nuts at the time and minispares in potters bar didnt open until 9am, by which we wanted to be on the road....

After all the support from everyone this was going to be plan to get the sleeved nuts from minispares when it opened at 9am and fit the two alloys on the rear and winch it up onto the trailer by spinning the mini around.

Later on friday evening I got a PM from greasemonkey ! (Legend that saved me...I owe you one) saying I could borrow 4 steel 10", as long as i pick them up and return them which was not a problem, so this was the new plan. We woke up pretty earlier for a saturday to get the set of 4 steel from greasemonkeys place which was near .

Once we got them we headed back to my place in harrow and fitted them to the mini which was not a problem on the rear, however a bit more frustrating on the front as i had disconnected the swivel joint and steering. We jacked the front up and got them on in the end before winching it up onto the trailer with all 4 wheels.





Took us about 2 hours to get to birmingham with 2 stops and traffic on the M1 which was rather strange, a complete stand still before the M6 Junction exit for about 10mins.




We got the mini unloaded with the CF parts and other bits and bobs handed it over to Stuart, Paul & co.

They'll be doing the following:
rebuilding the whole shell
fitting the CF panels (arches, boot floor pan, boot lid)
full re-spray
fitting my wiring loom.
pedal box

I didnt have time to take off the subbys before dropping the mini off to them so they kindly said they'll take them off and call me in the week when they're ready to collect. I'll be picking them up and sanding them down before coating them with some rust protection and painting in hammerite, replace anything that is beyond saving but I think the front is good I've got replacement brake set up (7.5 Cooper S) and the rear (Superfins), will need longer wheel studs to fit the superfins and the revolites..... as well as sleeved nuts.... (thanks shifty !!!)

Whilst the mini is up there for some time I will be taking my old engine to bits at my mums place now. (this week as i have time off from work/placement until 22nd feb)

Current to do list:

• Dismantle old engine
• Pick up subframes from old skool minis once off and get to work on them !

Long term to do list:

• Get fuelling system sorted out!!!
• Sort out new engine
• Dashboard + gauges & bucket seats
• CF Bumpers & door cards

Any feedback would be great on this project as its my first and want to get it right..or questions on what i have done so far would be awesome

@rich- I hope they have safe parking in coventry otherwise I'll just leave it at my sister place in watford. No way am I leaving it at my mums place...too many kids in the area !!!.....saying that I'll probably just use it for the track if that's the case...haven't decided yet......

@everyone- thanks for the great comments

Thanks for looking


Cheers,

JD

[BenH]

Bet youl be counting those days down until it comes back. im dying for my engine to come back. would be a nice feeling knowing its all going to be done professionally. Dying to see those cf parts on the car. Make sure we hook up when your down in Cov, definatly get an alarm if your parking it in cov, maybe one that can detect a Chav before he even gets a glimpse of your car. Had some scumbags get into my boot a few months back while i was in the shop and my £250 alarm didnt even twitch. (faulty popper) luckily i didnt keep anything in there! im sure if you decide to bring your car down for a visit i could pop it in my garage for a day or two.

[minimotor_JD]

Bet youl be counting those days down until it comes back. im dying for my engine to come back. would be a nice feeling knowing its all going to be done professionally. Dying to see those cf parts on the car. Make sure we hook up when your down in Cov, definatly get an alarm if your parking it in cov, maybe one that can detect a Chav before he even gets a glimpse of your car. Had some scumbags get into my boot a few months back while i was in the shop and my £250 alarm didnt even twitch. (faulty popper) luckily i didnt keep anything in there! im sure if you decide to bring your car down for a visit i could pop it in my garage for a day or two.

I know...roll on end of may/june, I'm so excited now although still got alot of work to do. I'll bring it down for sure as I'll be living in the CV1 place next to the uni campus plus I need to come to some meets as I'm dying to meet everyone! I'll get the alarm from minispares with the central locking kit and do what james has done with the removal steering wheel . The boot does have me worried , its going to be fastened on so anyone may steal it and its CF too....praying that doesnt happen...I'll have to fit some sort of boot and bonnet sensor.

Your engine is going to be awesome when its done, I've got a list of people who what a sit in it and its not even finished.

[BenH]

Bet youl be counting those days down until it comes back. im dying for my engine to come back. would be a nice feeling knowing its all going to be done professionally. Dying to see those cf parts on the car. Make sure we hook up when your down in Cov, definatly get an alarm if your parking it in cov, maybe one that can detect a Chav before he even gets a glimpse of your car. Had some scumbags get into my boot a few months back while i was in the shop and my £250 alarm didnt even twitch. (faulty popper) luckily i didnt keep anything in there! im sure if you decide to bring your car down for a visit i could pop it in my garage for a day or two.

I know...roll on end of may/june, I'm so excited now although still got alot of work to do. I'll bring it down for sure as I'll be living in the CV1 place next to the uni campus plus I need to come to some meets as I'm dying to meet everyone! I'll get the alarm from minispares with the central locking kit and do what james has done with the removal steering wheel . The boot does have me worried , its going to be fastened on so anyone may steal it and its CF too....praying that doesnt happen...I'll have to fit some sort of boot and bonnet sensor.

Your engine is going to be awesome when its done, I've got a list of people who what a sit in it and its not even finished.

haha! yeh iv just taken a feed from my door poppers/sensor and hooked one up in the boot and the bonnet(needs rethinking now i have a flipfront) my roof was my main concern so its got the air movement sensors which seem to go off randomly nowe and then when its really windy aha. i like the sound of that central locking kit. Id fit the lockable aerocatches to your bootlid if i were you. Especially in Cov. Aerocatch Lockable

[minimotor_JD]

Bet youl be counting those days down until it comes back. im dying for my engine to come back. would be a nice feeling knowing its all going to be done professionally. Dying to see those cf parts on the car. Make sure we hook up when your down in Cov, definatly get an alarm if your parking it in cov, maybe one that can detect a Chav before he even gets a glimpse of your car. Had some scumbags get into my boot a few months back while i was in the shop and my £250 alarm didnt even twitch. (faulty popper) luckily i didnt keep anything in there! im sure if you decide to bring your car down for a visit i could pop it in my garage for a day or two.

I know...roll on end of may/june, I'm so excited now although still got alot of work to do. I'll bring it down for sure as I'll be living in the CV1 place next to the uni campus plus I need to come to some meets as I'm dying to meet everyone! I'll get the alarm from minispares with the central locking kit and do what james has done with the removal steering wheel . The boot does have me worried , its going to be fastened on so anyone may steal it and its CF too....praying that doesnt happen...I'll have to fit some sort of boot and bonnet sensor.

Your engine is going to be awesome when its done, I've got a list of people who what a sit in it and its not even finished.

haha! yeh iv just taken a feed from my door poppers/sensor and hooked one up in the boot and the bonnet(needs rethinking now i have a flipfront) my roof was my main concern so its got the air movement sensors which seem to go off randomly nowe and then when its really windy aha. i like the sound of that central locking kit. Id fit the lockable aerocatches to your bootlid if i were you. Especially in Cov. Aerocatch Lockable

Nice stuff!, I looked into aerocatches at first then totally forgot about them. I've got bonnet pins and straps for the front (grille buttons too) and Dzus fasteners for the rear meaning you'll have to be taking the mick if you want to steal the boot lid....I'll be more than ticked off, let's hope it doesn't come to that tho. I was thinking about a front flip but not going to do it any more as I make ruin the paint and damage the steel. How's ur mini getting along?

JD

[1380rich]

i live in cov and mine stays locked in the garage

didn't know there were so many mini's around cov

rich

[BenH]

well dont want to Hijack your thread but all thats left to do is-

cover dashboard
order ETB Dash (thursday)
weld a panels and door step (next week)
sort scuttle panel (tommorow)
Fit drivers seat/harnesses
bleed brakes
paint replaced panels

to order- (end of month)
flip front
boot lid (undecided on cf or normal)
lights
oil cooler kit
2 core rad

and probably lots more, got my project page to update but havnt managed to do it,got a fair few photos to put on of the bulkhead finished and brake servo.master cylinders put back on.

all this and a bedroom to decorate aha. Keep it up JD

[davejf]

i live in cov and mine stays locked in the garage

didn't know there were so many mini's around cov

rich

Thats because there all locked in garages....

Nice project, looking forward to seeing the finished car now.

[GreaseMonkey]

Glad to have helped you out James

You owe me a trip to Nandos, heh heh

[minimotor_JD]

Glad to have helped you out James

You owe me a trip to Nandos, heh heh

That's a cracking list Ben, good that your on schedule.

You've got it!....Just have to wait until I'm on the road again


Been busy today, I managed to remove bits off the engine. Took off my high capacity water pump, radiator with all the hoses. I started on the cylinder head, got half way to removing it but then it started raining cats & dogs, by the time it stopped it was getting dark, so I covered it up and went inside, wiil start again tomorrow morning.

JD

[suj87]

woooahhhh
looking good JD
i know this is not my scene (sorry boys i'm a Euro'd car owner, well will look so soon with the BBS Splits)
but always liked old mini's (new ones are lol)
and JD, James and Rich are all mates, so i gotta like them haha kidding

i want a spin in it mate

and rich....you know what i'm going to say

[minimotor_JD]

Update 21/02/10:

Thanks for all the positive comments. It's been a another busy week in mini terms. I got back home started to strip do the engine that I took out the mini a while ago. Managed to take off the radiator, water pump, cylinder head, clutch diaphragm,old style fuel pump etc. Bits were quite tricky as I could get to the bolts, also the timing casing was covered in rust. So I turned to my friend WD-40 for some help, but that didnt help surprisingly !! So I left it at that point with the block and box still attached which annoyed me a bit. The bits that I did take off I'll be sanding down and cleaning and coating in hammerite, although looking at the radiator I'll just be keeping the cowling and using it as a spare if anything was to go wrong in the new engine.

Rad

Bits and Bobs

Roller Tips

Robin started to watch what I was doing....

Cylinder Head Off

Engine Block

Pushrods

Fuel Pump

Clutch


In preparation prior to collecting the subframes from Old Skool Mini (Paul,Roy & Stuart +Co ) over the weekend took a little visit to halfords to get some wet dry paper (project pack) as well as some other bits for the subframes.

Was up at 6am and I went up on Saturday to collect the subbys from old skool minis and to see how the mini was doing.

I arrived and I was amazed that they had already started working on the mini , I knew that it was just taking the panels off but it looked awesome
All of the front end was off and engine bay fully complete stripped out, minus subbys. Next stage that they'll be doing is start poking for rusty spots on the shell, I noticed a few bits that were bad but they said its not a problem and can be sorted easy , I was also fairly annoyed that I had made a dent on of the door skins!, It happened while transporting the mini up, we put the panels in the mini and that probably casued it ...damn it !!!

Front View:

Engine Bay:

Side:

Rust !!



I'm planning on stripping out the subframes removing all the parts over the couple weeks and hopefully have it all back to its best in 3/4 weeks (I'll be doing it after work everyday...no rush as old skool dont need them back for a while yet)

Front Subby


If I do a really crap job I'll sent them off to city powder coaters in birmingham were my alloys are currently, I couldnt say no to £20 per alloy in matt black (cheers suj87 )


Highly likely I'll be replacing the Tie-rods with adjustable ones and polybushes and paint the refurb the following:

Swivel hubs
All Ball Joints (possible replace as I haven't looked at them properly)
Radius Arms
Bottom Arms
Upper Suspension Arms
Replace the Hilos on the rear as they're bugger !!!!

Will be taking off the old brake discs and drums replacing them with my cooper S 7.5 discs and superfins drums with new backplate and shoes.

Backplates

I also got a heap of bits back from them that I'll be again treating for rust/cleaning up and painting.

So bits I need to clean up and paint:
Matrix Heater
Wiper Motor
Steering Column- (Also Re-wiring possible just looking at it...silly male to male connect !!)

Steering Rack
Alternator-70amp
Starter Motor
Oil Filter Bracket
Center Switches

Stuart at old skool has got me thinking about the colour again ...it may not be blue anymore, alot of people are doing blue this year so I may go for something different...brighter....to match up with the miglia arches and CF everywhere (still going with a cream & black interior...oopps did I said that out loud)

So now all the parts are in oxford now and my room smells of car parts, subbys are in the garage of the house I'm in as its not my house, just renting a room. Funnily enough there are two minis on the road, red cooper behind my house and down the road another cooper in mint condition which is awesome !

I'll be back up again at old skool this weekend as I forgot my other cooper S disc up there...need some paint

Thanks

JD

[GreaseMonkey]

I'll be back up again at old skool this weekend as I forgot my other cooper S disc up there...need some paint

Hehe, that's just you making excuses to go see the mini

[suj87]

good work JDizzle!

PS if anyone is interested in the wheel place he wrote about, www.citypowdercoaters.co.uk, it's in Birmingham City Centre (Digbeth) near the National Express Coach Station

and for polishing www.rainbowpolishing.co.uk (city powder coaters polish, but use Rainbow, so best off going straight to them, saving the middle man )

can't wait for this JD

Edited by suj87, 21 February 2010 - 12:14 PM.