1065 replies to this topic

[Kam]

Sorry guys, had a couple of issues this end (health related not mini related) so been spending my time making a bulkhead box as and when I can, as you two know already know I dont do fabrication, sheet metal work, welding or anything car related so its taking up alot of time as I'm determined to do this myself, would of been quicker to send my inlet and get it cut up I think!

So far I'm at this stage









Actually, I wonder if the health related issues were due to the amber nectar box? **hic**

Will update when its done, just dont hold your breath, remember its me

[HARBER07]

Actually, I wonder if the health related issues were due to the amber nectar box? **hic**

Surely not

Good luck with the fab work Kam

[ginger_monkey]

Ah I see, I need to start doing some bulkhead work soon. Don't want to but it needs doing. Keep the pictures coming mate.

[Kam]

Right, back-up plan has started

I'm still determined to take this to Le Mans again (my deadline) but I know I'm now pushing it as its 68 days away and progress has been slow up untill now, mostly due to me having to learn new stuff etc etc rather than just get on with it and a recent health issue at home set me back a good couple of weeks.

So my back up plan now is a clubman front which will help me with locating the alternator and radiator easier. My original plan was to have two pull away fronts - I just didnt mention this at the start of the thread, clubby front for trackdays and standard roundnose for shows etc. I still have a soft spot for clubbys as I learnt to drive in one Also this way I can swap and choose before heading out for a drive depending on which one is cleaner

Incase anyone is wondering that I aint gonna stick with roundnose, My hayward and scott exhaust manifold should be done shortly. It aint cheap so the eventual outcome will be a standard roundnose but in the meantime I can at least try and get on the road with a 16v mini sooner rather than later.

So, first of all I removed the two 1mm floor plates I had on and got hold of some 1.5mm sheet metal instead, I figured welding in a single 1.5mm would be better and stronger than welding two 1mm plates thats are just resting against one and another with just the outside edge welded? Could'nt find any thicker here so hopefully this'll hold up



Got the allspeed alternator bracket through aswell



PITA - making the bulkhead box, what a ******* mare this has been! it has taken me a whole month from start to finish and got made even worse when I saw GingerMonkeys build topic the other day that he got he's done in a day?

Ok I know poo about sheet metal work, welding etc but I stuck with it!







Welds are getting better?















Might have to make that center hole a bit bigger to get the loomage bits through!



Got my clubby front from Dave at TDK racing after seeing Mr Monkeys recommendation drove up to the west mids to pick it up



He made them including the A panels as I wasn't sure if I was keeping mine, I think I will now so will trim them off as and when its ready to fit, hoping to fit it myself, Oh did I mention I dont do bodywork



Got a jdm civic rad aswell which came with the fan and expansion bottle





My god the fan is hoooooooooooooge!!! gotta be about 3 inches depth? and thats not including the motor with support! Hopefully my custom manifold will be tight enough to the block and along with the extra space from the clubby front it may go, if not then its purchase time!

I'm hoping everything now will just click together the electrics and bodywork will slow me down, not that I need slowing

[mighty mini jack]

Nice work Kam!

Your welding is certainly getting better, I can remember your first attempt!

Getting there now

[Nick '91]

Looking good, add me to the list of people wishing to slap you though, the amount of rust free rolling shells etc I see on ebay, and you go and buy a mint rio to hack apart for your V-Tec.


Cant wait to see it finished, think you should also do a trip to classic le mans so I can oogle at it (with the roundnose).

[Kam]

and you go and buy a mint rio to hack apart for your V-Tec

Don't worry I feel a bit better now ripping this up as its not as mint free as I thought when I first bought it, found some rust in the passenger footwell





There was a couple of other little things aswell I missed when checking it over but have now found as I'm taking it apart

Looks like whoever did the restoration either didnt do it very well or skimped on certain things which is a bit weird considering majority of the car had been put back to factory

Makes me feel a bit better now after putting an angle grinder to it

[ginger_monkey]

superb KAM you welds are lovely. I did cheat and get someone else to do my welds but I made the box up. I have a sheet metal bending machine and sheet metal cutter at the club so this made things alot easier It's all coming together nice for ya. Shame about the clubman front (you cheat) but I know you'll get it back to roundnose too. I did think about doing this as i like the idea of two fronts to pick and choose from. Might do it with two round nose bonnets. One normal and one with maybe the lamp pod on it for night time country lane hacking.
The rust. It's a mini. I keep thinking it's all gone and find more so it's just the way it goes. One thing I'll say about your box is that when the engine is fitted, if you need to take the intake manifold off will you be able to do this as your box stops quiet low. This is why I made mine right up high. Might just be me though looking at it wrong.

keep up the good work and pictures.

Also you only have 26 days to complete it so you can come down to the riviera run with us

[Kam]

The rust. It's a mini. I keep thinking it's all gone and find more so it's just the way it goes

Only problem is Mr Monkey this car was restored around two months before I bought it and I will have had it two years come June? Not the best job I would say! I just hope the rest of the car lasts longer!

One thing I'll say about your box is that when the engine is fitted, if you need to take the intake manifold off will you be able to do this as your box stops quiet low. This is why I made mine right up high. Might just be me though looking at it wrong

I did wonder this when it was in, I did measure the space leaving all the sensor plugs and brackets on, on the back of the inlet before marking out, the only thing that wasn't there was that massive support section underneath which was already cut away

I hope it fits otherwise I'll have to adopt my usual technique of measure once cut twice

[Kam]

One thing I'll say about your box is that when the engine is fitted, if you need to take the intake manifold off will you be able to do this as your box stops quiet low. This is why I made mine right up high. Might just be me though looking at it wrong

If Mr Monkey did lottery number predictions he'll probably be the best lottery number predictions person ever........

As the bulkhead mods are done..........I thought I'd start on the fuel lines, got the old ones off courtesy of an angle grinder, kids beware - metal, sparks and fuel is not a nice combination in any way so dont use the angle! Didnt really use the angle but was tempted, anyway got them both off



Got some 8.0mm OD copper pipe courtesy of B&Q, and some hoses and a couple of jubilees



Had plenty of pipeage so made up a template and some runners



As I was feeling in a tarty mood I decided to tart up the fuel lines underneath (as you do!)









I know I dont need clips underneath after each end as its a straight through pipe but who cares? Might weigh the car down though

Time to drop the lump in



Now I have actually counted how many times I've had this in and out (ooo-err) and this is the eighth time so sixteen times in total! Not sure why so many times but hey ho welcome to my weird world

Cue Health n Safety again!



Hit a snag with the crank sensor bracket hitting the subframe top arm pin nut



Took the bracket off and lowered engine into place, but will need to chop an angle off the bracket anyway



Could weld a new plate in its place but not really needed, the bracket only just slides into place anyway but engine still needs to be adjusted and moved about so better just to just chop off a section

Then the lottery bit (Cue Mr Monkey!) I thought I'd try the inlet, its only able to drop in after cam side mount is undone and engine pulled forward to the max it sits about 1mm from the back of the modded bulkhead box, so I'm guessing when I accelerate, change gear, start the engine, pretty much everything car related its gonna knock!

So headache time, what to do? Ebay the car?

Nah, I tried not to let it get me down, so cut away the center section of my box



And will try a new method (to me) of making the new recess within the box



Can't say I was too happy with the inlet probs but crud happens, went on the xbox after that and took out my frustation on shooting some 'commies' so felt a bit better after that

Besides, I picked up my custom exhaust earlier today, smile has been restored





Mr Monkey - PM me the numbers

[ginger_monkey]

well I don't know about lottery numbers but if I did I wouldn't be worrying about saving money during my build

I predict the results from yesterdays draw will be

06 09 11 21 40 48 27



Don't worry about the bulkhead box. I haven't tried mine yet so may be joining you in the cutting department. The manifold looks tasty mate. Like you say you get what you pay for. Good work done by them get it all fitted KAM

[Kam]

Finally the mod on top of the modded bulkhead box has been done

Next time I'm getting the inlet chopped up!



The hole in the center is for the original loom rubber grommet, will drill holes for heater etc later, Just gotta throw some primer on it, I might literally do that - THROW it at it!!!

Hooked up the gearbox and rear mount but left the cam side one off and pushed the engine fully back and tried the inlet - fits on and comes off



At least I know if the engines final position is quite far back (not that it will be due to clearances) the inlet still slides on

Pulled engine back





Now I was finally in a good mood! So decided to fill up the gearbox with oil in my own special little way so I can at least get some driveshafts on there to set final engine clearance



Day got even better thanks to minispares

Got some braided hoses for the brake master cylinder to limiter valve, as I'm using a DTA ecu it uses a Ford DIS pack so I dont need the honda dizzy so the brake servo will fit nicely, will also make a bit more room there for the air filter ducting



And some discs, the exact same ones I bought last year, nothing wrong with my old ones, but you know how it is......



And the icing on the cake today, some alloy 4 pots with some braid





Believe it or not I was gonna keep the original calipers and just get some uprated pads? Glad I didnt now

[billyboy83]

Looking good mate,

you could have put the oil in a easyer way lol If you look at the picture you have with the bit of cardbord what you using to run the oil along. You can see a plug on the side of the gear box casing what has a allen/hex hole for a allen key the top one is for filling it and theres a bottom one for draining the box.

Billy

[Juju]

Jebus, Kam.

You don't hang about, do you?

I was going to cast you into the abyss for eternal damnation for ruining that beautiful car, but seeing as you've found some of the horrors that lie beneath & that you're doing such a brilliantly OTT job with all the little details, you may just get an extra biscuit instead.

Carry on.

[Kam]

you could have put the oil in a easyer way lol If you look at the picture you have with the bit of cardbord what you using to run the oil along. You can see a plug on the side of the gear box casing what has a allen/hex hole for a allen key the top one is for filling it and theres a bottom one for draining the box

Pah! Easier is for people that are normal......I dont do normal, ask folk here

I figured as the driver side shaft was out I might aswell make use of the hole

Just so people know, the fill plug is at the same level as the shaft, the drain plug is well a little bit lower

you may just get an extra biscuit instead

Thank you Doctor!

As for the build

Didnt get much time on it today after work, hollyoaks and emmerdale was starting so only managed to get the front discs on





Not worried about the drive flanges as they will covered up anyway, the tie bars will be adjusted once I pop the 4 pots on. For people that dont know the allspeed tie bars are bent to give clearance for bigger calipers

Then started on getting final engine positioning, managed to get about 5mm clearance between the 'shaved' steering rack and frame



And around 7mm between the top of the inner cv joint and frame



They look more in the pictures but trust me they aint!! I know its going into detail but it might help anyone who doesnt know or comes across this on a search

Final setting, I suppose it'll have to do



OMG! did you see emmerdale? OMG!