Got there, I took all the plugs out, all a good colour, so all good signs the engine is good. Re-gapped them, and cleaned them up. Cleaned the contacts in the dizzy cap, and checked the sprung mechanism in the top, checked spring etc. Cleaned up the rotor arm, but it already looked good, no bad pitting were the mega volts go through. Re-gapped the points also. Then fitted a new battery... Still no go, just cranked. I was getting a spark at the points, and power to the coil, but no spark at the plugs. Stupidly, we only tested plug 4 for a spark, don't know why!
Anyway, after lots of fiddling, we went out, and got some fresh fuel (should have done that originally!) and went out to try and get a new set of leads, thinking maybe the lead from the dizzy to the coil was knacked, figuring the others wouldn't be far off either, also wanted to replace all the plugs while we were at it, might as well, as well as the destroyed air filter, god knows how many miles it had done, it was old! Anyway, couldn't get a set of leads anywhere, but managed to get a single coil to dizzy lead ("king lead"?) - the only one we really wanted to replace anyway. Also got a new set of plugs, at £1.64 each for NGK plugs! Woman on the till used the wrong trade discount account, giving us 78% off instead of our normal rate! Couldn't get an air filter either! Hmm, these places must not have regular Mini customers these days I though, before walking out and seeing a gunmetal coloured Mini parked up!
Anyway, went back, and thought we hadn't tested the coil to dizzy lead, duh! So stuck a plug on the end, and got a spark. Just wasted a fiver... Oh well, now got a spare dizzy to coil lead! So, what was the problem? Well, who knows. Changed the plugs over, and got a spark on every plug! Put some fresh fuel into the carb, and the rest of the gallon in the tank. I jumped in, and tried to start it again, fingers crossed! He burst into life! Bit wheezy, but ran well! Sounded great too! Think it might have had the box removed, as it doesn't have a sports exhaust tip, but sounds pretty good, and the guy I went to see it with thought it had a sports exhaust... Maybe just had the box removed though... Anyway, I was beaming ear to ear, but, must have a dodgy lead on plug 4? They are carbon ones, so maybe they've oxidised or broken down, if thats the right term (gone white) and aren't making good conduction? Will replace the whole set anyway. What are the £15 Rover high performance ones on Mini Spares like? Seem a better choice than the cheap £11 carbon ones?
Anyway, after some tweaking he was running well!
Throttle cable was sticking, but after some oiling, and working in, it seemed to loosen up, and wasn't revving like mad. Originally after giving it a bit of juice to start, we thought it was idling very high, until I realised the throttle was sticking
Choke cable also won't lock, and has alot of slack IIRC. So no messing about, going to order both cables when I make my Mini Spares order.Took the rear blue lenses off, and think they might have been sprayed, so i'm going to have a scrub and see if I can get them to look better, clear will look better, but I still want orange/amber/standard MK3 (I think? Got reverse lights built in) rear lenses, so will keep an eye out on ebay for some (PM me if you have any!). While taking them off I realised I needed new seals/gaskets for the lenses, and some new screws for them, one was so rusted up it 99% rounded off, but with some pressure it came out.
So, for next time i'm down there, I need an air filter, ignition lead set, rear light seals/gaskets, rear lens screw set, maybe some new rear lenses (orange/standard ones), throttle cable, and choke cable. Will do an oil change, and put a new oil filter on sometime too before MOT time in January.
Also needs a good clean inside, a wash and polish, some surface rust sorted, some chips sorting out, maybe new tyres all round before MOT, some splits in sidewalls, not sure if they are bad enough though. New windscreen seals, gutter trim. Also want a headunit, spots, white mirrors, new arches, maybe sportspack ones, and wheels, so won't go mad on good tyres, as i'll have money to do all of this when i've paid a years insurance up front... For now, just get it running well, and through an MOT.
The 6x9's on the parcel shelf are Pioneers, which is good, should sound good enough for me, and the coxials (or tweeters? the blue ones in the dash anyway) are Kenwoods, so nothing extra cheap and awful
Also discovered today, have a front disc conversion, but disks need a clean, and maybe some pads before MOT. Good, as it's a 1275, and would have wanted to get a pair on the front anyway. Fingers crossed the rears are Minifins too, as I want them, but can't afford them
Anyway, a very positive day
- some bits to buy, and some surface rust to sort, mainly under the front windscreen, and some damp in the boot, and a dirty interior, but for £685, so far, i'm well chuffed!A few pictures also, didn't take many, very busy, and lots of running about to shops, but I have a few from when I shut up shop. Excuse the bad pictures, was dark.
Dirty engine bay!
Nasty surface rust under front windscreen. Will sort in the new year when on the road, when insured and MOT'd, and replace front windscreen seal, looking old.
Damp under spare wheel?
New battery. Halfrauds one. Will do.
Been saying there was surface rust under rear windscreen, but I was mistaken. On closer inspection, all I can find is this, on the left of the windscreen. Will sort in the new year though when insured and MOT'd.
My light assembly. MK3 right? Important, as i'm looking to get some new lenses, even if I can get the blue off the clear ones, i'm not keen on clear, but better than blue.
Also found wiring in place for spots today, good, as I want to have non-equidistant spots thin dish/depth spots on the grill, non-equidistant like sportspack Mini's.
Anyway, happy
If anyone has any of the parts I said I needed (especially important for getting on the road, ignition leads, lenses, lens screws, lens seals, air filter, oil filter, choke cable, and throttle cable) laying about, please let me know, i'm skint, and need to save any money if I can get some cheap parts. Really need these bits to get an MOT and get on the road in January, not a problem, but also need tyres, and can't afford them, so if I can save some money on these vital bits, please let me know!
Matt
