58 replies to this topic

[mini_mad_andy]

Hey all,

I've been watching alot of your projects on here just lately, and has inspired me to crack o with my mini that I've had locked away in my garage where I done much less then I had originally planned.




I have owned my mini since I was 17, so five years now. I brought it as a very solid standard mini with only two previous owners, and only 21000 miles on th clock. I spent the first two weeks after passing my driving test finishing off the respray in my neigbours garage. Due to my lack of funding I had to use filler and fiberglass to plug the holes the infamous rust had created.

The car ran really well for a year untill I blew the 998 up. That prompted me to finish the 1330 engine off I had started, and get it in. The engine from the build seemed a bit tight at the start, but soon freeded up, and gave alot of cars a good run for their money. It was running so well that it destroyed an unltimate engine steady, and in turn the standard steady.



It was at this point I decided to take the car off the road and attend to all the rust, replacing it with fresh metal rather than fibreglass! This was a year ago, and have got as far as stipping it down to a shell in a year! I've been intending to do alot more than I have, but unfortunatly things don't always work out to the plan.

So as my new years resolution I have decided to make sure I do much more to the mini, and hopefully back on the road as soon as possible.

So heres the work I 've done over the past year.

The boot, which has a small patch in the corner, this needs adressing, plus rust along the back.


Hole from rust on the rear.


The front cut off because of the rust, to be replaced with an all steel flip front. I forgot to take photos of before.


Loom ripped out.


Scuttle off. Engie out


Front end mocked up.


Drivers floor, again with an MOT patch, and passengers with small hole.


Rotten Flitch panel.


Subframe off and stripped.


Front suspension stripped and cleaned.


Rust on sill.


So thats all i managed to do, up untill about two months ago.

As you can tell fro the photos, all in all, its a decent shell, but I want to do everything right, so I can get manymore years driving out of it.

I'll update more later on what I've been doing over the past month.

Andy.

[mini_mad_andy]

I found some photos of before I attacked the car with the angle grinder!


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[mini_mad_andy]

Front End rust and Scuttle rust

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3/4 panel rust and back end

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The damage caused by the engine ripping the Ultimate engine steady.

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[ross k]

heya mate for the front did you use genuine panels and did you find the panels were ok with good shuts etc thanks ross

[mini_mad_andy]

heya mate for the front did you use genuine panels and did you find the panels were ok with good shuts etc thanks ross

Hi Ross,

Yeh I'm using geniune panels, but will be using them as a flip front, so I wanted the thicker panels to keep it stiff.

The panels fit a treat, fits perfectly evrywhere. I would definetly spend the extra cause its well worth it! I brought spurious A panels, but the shape and size was all wrong, so I ended up buying genuines, and the quality difference is amazing!
Any.

[minimuff]

Great photos. Nice work. Looking forward to more pictures.

Not a bad project car.

[mini_mad_andy]

Ok, so as promissed an update on what I've been doing recently,

I've repaired the wiring loom, and added a socket to connect the lights up on the flip front.

I've stripped the subframe down so I can repair the rust on it.


The bits I've cut out.



I'm just waiting for some resh metal to weld into it.

Next was the radius arms.


I was hoping the radius arms were gonna be ok as I've had no trouble wit them so far, but sods law,


SO with the help from another engineer from work, we replaced the radius pivots,

The nackered needle bearing


Thats it for now, I'll update more later.
Andy.

[mini_mad_andy]

Hey all,

I was hopng to get more done since creating this thread, but sods law, I pulled my back playing rugby!

This is some other stuff of what I've done to the mini.

This caused some real bother, more then I was expecting, and hoping.


Its the steering column bracket, with shear bolts, it was hard to get any tool in to cut them out, but managed it finally with my cut off tool, and a fair bit of patience.


I've also got the flip front hinges on, aswell as the brace bars.


Also been cleaning the pedal box, and other ancillaries ready for paint.





Does any one know where I can get spray hammerite from? I've been to halfords, but they havent got any!

Cheers, Andy.

[Mini-Mad-Craig]

Excellent work

[mini_mad_andy]

Cheers mate, I wish I could get some more done, but most of the jobs I want to will involve paint in some way, and its just way too cold to be painting. I don't want bloomed paint all over the show.

I suppose I should let you all know what my plan is for the mini.

Well, my elder brother keeps givin me stick about keeping my mini rather than gettin a quicker car, so firstly, I want to be competitive with his car, only trouble is, his is a Ford Focus RS, so I'm gonna have to have a good spec engine, and suspension.

So for the engine I'm keeping the 1330, but will be running at higher pressure,
duplex timing gear,
hif 44 carb,
polished 12g940 head, later upgraded to stage 3/4
and lightened and balanced flywheel

For the suspension, I'm planning,
1.5-2 degree negative camber
lowered all round
stiffened with gaz adjustables.

Hopefully with the above spec, I should be competitive with him around a track. What do you all think about my, perhapse over ambitious, plans?

Cheers all, Andy.

[mini_mad_andy]

Wow, only page 7. I was expecting worse.

Just a quick update, I haven't really done much cause of various reasons, but I have managed to get the original inner wing/flitch panel off, repaired the shock mounting area, and have started on the drivers side repair.

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[mini_mad_andy]

Hey all,

Finally pulled my finger out and got to the garage at last!!!

I have finished repairing the driver side floor pan, and welded in the inner wing/flitch panel.

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Also got round to tidying up the bulk head and got it into primer.

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Feels good to have things moving again, its been doin my head in knowing its sitting there not doing anything!

I've got a date to get it all finished by now, which is June 11th 2011, as this is when i get married, and really want it in the photos!

Thanks for looking, Andy.

Edited by mini_mad_andy, 15 October 2010 - 07:15 AM.

[mini_mad_andy]

Hey all,

Bit more progress. I have cleaned up, prepped, and primered the bottom half of the bulk head.

Sorry about the rubbish quality of pics;




Thanks for looking,

Andy.

[mini_mad_andy]

Another update,

I have repaired two of three patches on the drivers side doorstep, and welded the inner scuttle (drives side).

I've also cleaned, and checked the steering rack ready for painting.

Pics;







Thanks for looking.

[Ash-g800]

look good mate keep up the good workk !!! how come its took u 5 years to make a start on it? keep me posted with the progress matey