393 replies to this topic

[minifcd]

Next update. The next job was fitting the passengers side inner wing, a Heritage panel ALA6279. I offered it up and scored around on the inside where the holes will need drilling for plug welding, but found there was a weld nut hitting the lower dash rail shelf and preventing it from sitting flush.


Drilled it out with a 12mm drill bit with a 6mm pilot on the end.


Cut a small disc and welded in.


Then after fitting the panel and checking the door fit, I welded it in.


Mini was now put back on its base to fit the front end. Whilst I was welding up holes I decided to blank off this one in the drivers side inner wing as its not needed.


Disc made and tacked in.


Welded and finished.


Next I test fitted the entire front end for fit. Scuttle panel, outer wings, front panel and a bonnet and clamped in place with vice grips. Leveled the shell and checked at various points with a spirit level and then checked the front panel for level. Almost spot on! Will need only a slight tweek when welding up.






Thats it for now. Next update, scuttle panel welded in.
Thanks.

[minifcd]

With all the panels test fitted I began to fit the scuttle panel. Again Heritage panel, HMP441001. I cleaned all of the edges where I would be spot welding down to bare metal and primed with zinc rich weld through primer. Then aligned and put a few spot welds in and rechecked the fit.


Then fully spot welded.


Mig welded the joint in both pillars and ground down.


Just needed a slight skim of filler to level up.


Next I test fitted each wing in turn to get the gaps at the scuttle right and to pull the wings in a bit at the top corner of the bonnet. This took about an hour per side to get them to a point where I was happy with them.




This Is how the gaps turned out before fitting the wings.




Next job before fitting the wings and whilst I still had easy access to both sides, was to fill some unrequired holes and replace the later bonnet stand bracket with the earlier type. I marked any hole I wasn't sure about although I haven't blanked them all off. These were things I didn't do on my previous project and have regretted since.


A template was made of the bracket position from the old inner wing and then the bracket was removed, cleaned and spot welded back onto the new wing.


Some holes welded.


The finished inner wing with correct bracket and holes welded up. I also removed the engine ECU bracket supports (see pictures from last post) that looked like small looped handles as these were also not needed. You can also see the wiring harness tag that I added as copied from the old wing.


Thats it again so thanks for looking.

Edited by minifcd, 02 January 2012 - 05:56 PM.

[123grosso]

Great work

[hughJ]

Wow!! Fitting the wings is going to be is one of my next jobs. This is fantastic. The gaps are astounding. Lovely work. What do you exactly do adjusting (fettling) the wings to get them to fit?

Hugh

[TA2DMAC]

Nice work, looking forward to seeing your progress.

[minifcd]

Thanks 123grosso and thanks Hugh. They were Heritage wings but the main problem was that along the curved edge that fits up to the scuttle, they sat slightly higher than the scuttle and they needed moving in towards the rear corner of the bonnet, whilst still keeping the fit correct at the A panel. By sorting the high point you kind of solve the other problem as it pushes out towards the bonnet. The curved edge of the wing at the scuttle has a downwards lip. Ideally I wanted to try to stretch the metal here with a cross pein hammer and a block to reduce the curve of the wing, but due to the shape of the wing it was too hard. I had to resort to putting a few cuts in the lip, spreading them slightly and reweld. Then grind down the lip and test fit. Hope that helps.

Thanks TA2DMAC

[minifcd]

Ok, with the inner wing sorted, the front end was refitted to check alignment before final welding. Here is the drivers side inner wing as it is now.


The wings were temporarily held in place with some self tapping screws whilst everything was checked.


New bonnet checked for fit.


With the subframe fitted, I set the front panel up with just two shims between the subframe and the tear drop mounts.


Then with the front panel and wings still clamped together, I removed the front end to weld together. It's a lot easier than trying to weld inside the wheel arch.


The lips were to small to plug weld and I could not get the spot welder in, so I opted to seam weld along the back.


I then had to clean all of the seams along the top of the inner wings and down the A panels, back to bare metal on both sides and prime with weld through zinc primer. Then do the same on the outer wings to be able to spot weld.




Refit front end and check alignment, again! Then spot weld away and there we are.








Thanks, more to follow.

[Leon_mini]

Wow! Just read the 6 pages!! As said befor REALLY nice and neat work!Alot of heritage panels aswell so i adre say this is going to be more of a show car? Any idea what your going to do with it, i.e colour, spec? Also the lengths you go to get things right, i.e the replacing the bonnect catch ! And the fabrication of everthing looks really good!

Will be watching for future progress :)

[grahama]

Fantastic finish to the front. My question is what you have done with the wing lip that meets the scuttle, the bit you only see from the underneath?? Do you weld that up too, or just use a sealer in that gap/join??

Graham

[minifcd]

Thanks Leon_mini, for the moment i'm just trying to get a solid shell built, but the plan is to keep it fairly standard, maybe painted white with a black interior but we'll see.

Hi Graham, that bit has not been welded nor has it any seam sealer at the moment but the plan is to put a few tack welds on the underside when I have the shell back on its side and then it will be seam sealed underneath and some seam sealer wiped in on the top side but the bodyshop at work will perhaps do the top side when they paint it. I found on my last project it needs a weld or two and some sealer as if you push on the wing a little you could hear it creaking.

[hughJ]

Thanks for the reply and the explanation. You are just in a different league of metalwork. As I say I am dreading this. Your job there is, as Graham says, fantastic.

Hugh

[deebo]

wow ur fabrication is absolutely fantastic! top notch work man

[1977 Loud_Mini]

There is some really brilliant work going into this mini, such a high standard of welding metal work. I have a 1977 Leyland mini and soon i think it will also need some work in various areas. I was wondering, do you just weld on one side when seam welding the floor or do you weld both sides and then clean up the welds?

Evan.

[minifcd]

Thanks deebo, your comments or most welcome.

Thanks Evan. I only usually weld the one side, but I do check the other side before grinding down, as you can sometimes get dips and holes where the weld has not quite penetrated. I then add weld to these on the inside where needed and try to grind the inside down first as this has the shallowest weld. Any pin holes can then be welded a bit more with a lower risk of blowing through as you still have the weld built up on the outside to help. Then grind the outside down.

I'll just add these last few photos whilst i'm here.






I drilled these next few ready for plug welding with the MIG.




Thats it, i've got to upload some more photos for the next update so thanks for now.

[grahama]

Very nice work Scott. This mild weather is making me think I can get back outside to get my front end on too. But working inside on the hall floor in the warm is much nicer just for now !!