1006 replies to this topic

[JustSteve]

I've been slacking recently, but you've given me a lot of inspiration and I'm now cracking on!

So, Thank you Graham I do hate how good you are though...


Steve

[grahama]

Hi Steve,

Things look far better on pics than in the flesh I can assure you !!! Trying to get neater tho and frustrates me when it isn't. However I suppose it is all a big learningcurve Ang the more you do the better at it you will become. Think the big difference recently is I am enjoying it now, not just doing it because I had to do something.

Glad you're being encouraged, now get some pics up,lol.

Graham

Edited by grahama, 23 June 2011 - 06:14 AM.

[minimuk]

A late happy B'day from me,......incredible welding job in the boot Graham , 10 out of 10. I can see you are lovin it with your progress, fab job on the doorstep too.

Edited by minimuk, 22 June 2011 - 10:08 PM.

[grahama]

Hi all,

Just a small update, but dragged Matt out from the x box for some help as it was a dirty day, but it had to be done. Mini floor stripped of bitumen to see how it was underneath.





No before shots as I was so surprised that Matt was out helping I got all gidy and cracked on !! Lots and lots and LOTS of harumphing and sighing later we finished the main stripping and cleaned it up. FRont bulkhead and inner wings to go but main part done and I can wire brush and prime now. Used a scraper to get the worst off and petrol soaked scotch pads for the next bit and cloths in petrol for last clean.

Hope this will not affect anything paintwise but too late now.





Small areas of surface rust on OS floor and OS rear but the screwdriver test just made the dents worse so still pretty strong. Undecided if I will replace any yet, may do the front floor section but not much to do if I decide to do it.



Matt with my seccond set of scruffs on, his clothes are too nice to get dirty, like his hands !! He did knuckle down and was pleased with the results as is shown by the beaming smile on his face !! Glad he's done a bit though.

Graham

[sonikk4]

That's looking quite clean under there Graham but to be honest mate i would seriously consider replacing those floor sections especially now you have got the wee beastie on its side. It does make life a whole lot easier welding it that way.

[grahama]

Yea, pretty clean on the whole, bitumin did it's job and very well too if it is indeed orriginal, which it appears to be. 27 yers old and not too shabby but the OS is worse up and down the car, thought it was the NS that was supposed to be worse due to puddles at roadside etc !!

I think the rear section is pretty ok to be honest, it's the front section that is troubling me, and I think that if it is, it should come out. It will mean undoing some previous work, unless I just cut bck to good metal and leave the previous repair intact. Decisions decisions Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh !!

Graham

Edited by grahama, 23 June 2011 - 07:22 PM.

[087dave]

That's looking quite clean under there Graham but to be honest mate i would seriously consider replacing those floor sections especially now you have got the wee beastie on its side. It does make life a whole lot easier welding it that way.

Nice work Graham, i would take neil advise on board, everytime i had a issue he helped me out as you with the fuel tank
bracket wish i had started a thread but on the home straight now

anyways keep it up!

[Mash Man Mandela]

Floor looks amazing to me, its well tidy. Mines a few years younger and its worse then that. If it was me I wouldn't replace the floor section, seems a bit unnecessary when its such good condition. Maybe a few repairs to the footwells but even they look pretty good. But then I'm on a really tight budget and would like to keep as much of the original car as possible....

[minimuk]

Graham, generally floor looks great, agree strongly with Sonikk4,replace those bad area's but then you knew I would say that,.....won't be to costly to do either. NS looks fine to me but seriously have my doubt about the OS, this is past surface rust in my books,... when you put your cutter on it, it will fall through it, no resistanse there,....just cut it out.

[grahama]

Yea, getting to know your advice, good avice tho, if not what I always want to hear !

Pretty much decided to cut some out, not a whole floor piece but a good patch so I have good metal. Rear is really ok I think but will have a closer look next time I am under it !

Graham

Edited by grahama, 24 June 2011 - 09:30 PM.

[sonikk4]

Graham to be brutally honest don't patch it's not worth it. That r/h rear floor by cutting that out you will also remove a lot of the two repairs you have already done giving a much better looking finish.

I'm not doing a downer on your work but its exactly what i went through with Erm and the overall finish was so much better. (hindsight being a wonderful thing i should have replaced the whole bloody floor)

[grahama]

Hi all,

have been pretty unmotivated to do anything recently as the heritage vanance closers I got don't fit anywhere, so lots of modding required and I got reallt naffed off with it all. I know I have made my boot floor piece but honestly minis are so frustrating to work on.

Anyway got out today after thinking of not doing and have done the front OS floor. Neil I am afraid I couldn't bring myself to cut out all of my previously done work due to my pissed off status so a large patch it was !! Looks came second best to my mood !!







As you can see from a good wire brushing the recessed section of the front floor is quite pitted but not enough to change the panel. However at the back of that section the pitting was quite bad and that made my mind up. I also lost my spot welding drill bit so I drilled the spots out right the way through, but this will give me all the plug weld holes ready done.







I roughly cut out the crappy metal and ground out the remaining spot welds so I still had the flanges intact from the bulkhead section. There was a bead of something inbetween these panels, but not sure what it was ?? All cleaned up and ready for piecing.





At first the fit from a magnum panel surprised me by being not too bad really !! There's a first for me ! I spent an hour and a half getting it from a rough cut to the final fit, aided my Matt again who was my panel holder for the day. Pleased with the end product, and I will weld it inline with the inner sill repair welds. I will dress these welds down a bit so to get a nicer finish for Matt, but am already regretting not doing it right, looks wise. Will listen next time Neil !!

I did find this though under the seam sealer...



It is the date stamp on the bulkhead panel, 1983, the year of manufacture, so it seems to me that the body is indeed pretty orriginal ! Any thoughts and did they stamp all over the body ??

Will weld it in tomorrow if weather ok and try to get the look right.

Regards,

Graham

[minimuk]

right decision with the foot-well, frustration is wrong to carry on with certain jobs, leave the job for a day and have some fresh eyes next day, mini's are mini's once you are at one with your project all will be fine,...Amen!
Don't ever forget that whatever you have done already has made the car stronger and your ego bigger, but still patience is required till the last minute of the resto. I will hold back for any future comments, as I think that those might add or even fuel your frustrations, don't take this the wrong way, just trying to help. I will be watching you though!
Good luck

[Bean]

Hi, Graham!

Just wanted to say that I'm so impressed and inspired by your thread. I love it when people throw themselves into it, teach themselves a huge amount along the way & you can really tell that you've learnt so much here! Your welding is great, but your patch making is even better! I'm very jealous! You've worked wonders on that little mini, you should be very proud!

Keep up the good work!

[grahama]

Hi all,

been trying to catch up to Hugh, but failed due to a pathetic combination of shift lag, wind and bloody jobs for holidays from the misses. Not much of an update but every bit it a step closer !







The passenger doorstep, like the rest of the passenger side was in great condition apart from the last fold which ataches to the outer sill. I really wanted to get this job done before hols so I didn't bother trying to get a heritage one and replace the whole step as a patern one surficed, I thought. Well it was, as usual, a right royal ******* fit, so I cut it up and used the best fitting 90 deg bend to make a suitable patch. Fitted fine with some hammer work and welded it in.





All ground down and the finished door aperture looked fine to my eye. Will only be able to tell when I sort out my hinges but this side didn't have much taken out so will fit as well as before I'm sure.







Welded in the floor piece from before and sorted the double seam weld. Did the plugs for the bulkhead flange and got good penetration on the inside. Matt was pressing down as I welded the plugs, only a couple of burnt fingers for his trouble !!!





Did the outside seam for the boot floor and welded in the last patch required to complete the floor section. Now to that bloody wind. Outside welding in the high winds I have been having was hard work. All the gas kept being blown away resulting in crunchie type welds which I had to grind down and re do so it was right. Twich as much work in the wind but glad I have done it before hols.



Got one of these too, woo hoo, 100ltr, 3HP, £129. Should be fine for a bit of spraying and light air tool use!





When I drilled out the old spot welds I did too many and have these left over !! A small patch will have to be done but after I get back and the last boot patch needs an inside seam but got so fed up with the wind I gave up. Only a small bit left till valance and closers, then onto the front !!!





Had a good grind away at the rear floor and will be leaving it, I know, I know, but it really is only light surface rust and am satisfied it is ok.

Sprayed some etch over everything to keep it rust free hopefully till I get back. Told you not much but thats it till I return

Regards,

Graham



P.S. take it this is knackered, no rubber attached to the bulkhead !!!

Edited by grahama, 14 July 2011 - 07:43 PM.