23/08/10
Ok been a while since i updated. When i come on here and see people with project threads still uncompleted 6 years down the line i always used to think why the heck it took so long! But since deciding to do this project i can realise how much works involved, it could of been a quick project but i want everything to be just right.
At the end of the day this is the dream mini that iv wanted so it needs to be right.
I had to give up my rented garage since the break in which has left me working outside and god has done his very best to ******* me off to say the least, the cars getting soaked every-day and it really gets me down since its been garaged for so long before.
I started cleaning up the floorpans and boot area and found Rust and holes everywhere, also didnt realise it had been fitted with oversills! i now need inner/outer sills both sides, outer steps both sides and the 1st ridge of floor for the back on one side.also need a new section under the rear light drivers side.
After finding all this it just really got to me, i considered getting a new shell. After my 3 years of messing with Minis, i hadnt spent a full year on the road, with a really dodgy unreliable first mini ,a driving ban, high insurance premiums, my year waiting for my 1330 for kermit, my girlfreinds mini slowing starting to deteriorate and now this i thought long and hard and decided that id tuck the allspeed gear and frame away,flog kermit and have a few years out.
I rang my grandad (where the cars kept) and told him it was going..He agreed it was a good idea
Then i told my Mum and Dad who have hated me spending ,what could of been a house deposit on a car and have continuosly told me to flog it over the years,but suprisingly they told me it was a silly idea! They said why get rid of something that id spent all that time and effort on, my mum said'' you cant do that because its part of the family!'' Id been on pistonheads scouting for cars...why is it that everytime i go on there looking for a cheap runnaround i end up looking at ferraris and all the dream cars! The final straw was when i was at my local and one of the indian waiters (an 18 year old) with a brand new top of the range bmw convertable came over and was like''get a proper car'',''whats the point wasting your money''I was adamant that i was done miniying for a while
So low and behold....
My recent order for parts
carbon fibre exposed weave miglia arches
fibreglass boot floor
fibreglass mk3 bootlid
fibreglass battery box
fibreglass parcel shelf
Fibreglass Rear valance
Alloy 4 gallon tank
to order
Panels for floors/sills etc
Carbon fibre exposed weave roof
fibreglass drivers door to match my passenger one
polycarb rear window to go with my side windows
Sytec fuel pump
lightweight seats
Since my last update iv done some work on the girlfreinds mini, new arches mudflaps new grill new seats etc
On mine iv cut out the rear valance,parcel shelf and the dodgy bit of floor on the drivers side and removed the webasto roof which has been sold on.
Inside has been hammerited in black,still abit of cutting to do inside but il give it one last coat of hammerite after,just didnt want any rust to come up off the bare panels.
fuel lines,brake lines and power lines are running throught the inside of the car all nice,new and shiny
Will post photos tommorow as its quite late now.
Untill the bootfloor comes i cant hack the old one out or fit the alloy tank
Just need to sort some wiring out,order my fuel pump andabit of welding and then il get onto firing the engine up.
Why did i decide to keep the mini?
because of my mum mainly as iv fought for years to get her to understand! Then I was with my girlfreind in her mini and another mini drove past,flashed and waved, went to a show on sunday too and saw 2 vaux minis. And to really ******* the people off that said i couldnt do this conversion!
Things that you couldnt do driving an ''everyday car'' even if it is a brand new beemer.
Thanks for looking,il have your pics tommorow guys!
Ben
