148 replies to this topic

[Magnetagz]

The time has come! I've been putting this off because I know it's going to be a both back and heart breaking lengthy task but I have finally started pulling the van apart and getting to work on the horrific bodywork.
Today has been quite productive, all the doors, bonnet, lights and brightwork are off and the interior is pretty much out though i did find out that my 'nice new' heater has leaked all over the carpet... fun times .

I have found a few more little horrors, the lower seam that runs around the bottom of the van has been built up with filler as have around the rear arches so I may find there to be not a lot of metal left when I dig deeper.
There are a lot of plates in the foot wells so they will be getting ripped out and replacing, no point of doing half a job.

P.S. I'm on the lookout for some cheap steel wheels with tyres to stick on while working so if anyone knows about or has any let me know.
Also, I'm kinda wishing I'd starting this thread in complete mini rebuilds now :S. If any moderators read this any chance you could shift it over? ;)

Edited by MagnetizedMINI, 03 December 2012 - 07:23 PM.

[muddd001]

Great looks like your having fun!

[MGBailey007]

nice van. i would say hope you finish it soon but nothing is ever finished in the mini world we never stop changing things haha good luck mate looks good

[Magnetagz]

Today I got to work in finding out what is going on around the lower rears of the car, the seams were wavey and it flared out far to much. It wasn't long before I found out that it was masses of filler.. I mean I can't even describe how much without pictures, some areas were over an inch and a half thick! There has been a replacement panel put on at some point but thy guy then seems to have dipped it in a vat of filler!
Anyway all is revealed, reversed and a proper job can now be done.

Edited by MagnetizedMINI, 03 December 2012 - 07:25 PM.

[leadly]

That's quite abit of filler!

[SAL 821X]

I feel your pain fella that looks about as much filler that was in mine.

[muddd001]

Whoa, thats quite a bit of filler!

[Magnetagz]

Yup, I knew it had some bodged work done on it but the filler is ridiculous. The guy has even filled around the bonnet gutters so the bonnet didn't sit right and angle ground away what he couldn't make fit.
I've made the decision to replace the entire front end as from the A panels forward has been fitted by captain bodge-it. I think I'll go with the pressed grille vans are supposed to come with.
If this were any other car I'd be selling up as a resto project but I can't do that to my little mini. :)

[hughJ]

You've got to admire a bit of skilful filling but better off with metal!! It looks a great wee van. All the best

Hugh

[liam-ds]

that van turned up at one of our club meets looked good from a distance p.s where abouts are you located are you local to the last owner?

good luck hope you dont find too many hidden nasties

Liam

[minimissions]

Looks like a nice project, got to love a mini van :) good luck matey!

[Magnetagz]

Thanks for the messages guys, Much appreciated.

that van turned up at one of our club meets looked good from a distance p.s where abouts are you located are you local to the last owner?

Yeah it looked the business until you got up close or if sunlight was reflecting the uneven panels haha. No I picked it up from Wakefield but I'm from Coventry in the Midlands, was an long drive but great fun, my friend took his mini up and we convoyed back home.

was working on it today around the rear doors and one of the new doors is now fitting, Chuffed to bits

[Magnetagz]

Well thanks to the forums lack of being able to edit threads All pics on this post are lost. So from now on pics will start from here... I guess :|

I've been doing a bit more with the van lately, there were a collection of welded plates in the rear floor-pans that i've pulled out, really wierd as it is solid underneath just damage from the welds :S. I've been busy with my chisel and hammer again and got drivers side rear panel free from filler, I have now filled a bucket with shards of filler there's that much!
I'm starting to run out of jobs until it get taken to my friends shop as I don't have the facilities for the weld work so been getting all the smaller jobs out the way too.
I've spent a lot of time striping down all the old hinges and locks that were caked up in paint, I've got them back to bare metal and fixed up the mechanisms and they are ready for painting. I'm also going to try my hand at re-upholstering the seats and door cards.

I've bought some cheap wheels to stick on whilst the work is being done (Supertrax alloys on Ebay if anyone is interested ) the guy I had them off asked about what I had and when I told him about the van he was nice enough to rip box upon box of Mini bits from his old project and give them me free! Switches, paints, fillers, seals, trim, bright work... there's a good £200 worth of stuff. Could not believe it.

Anyway here's some more pics of where I'm at now, I've took some close up of the truly awful panel replacement that was done:

[minifcd]

I can't believe how much filler was on there!! Must have added loads to the weight of the van and cost a fortune in tubs of filler!

[SAL 821X]

Looking good MM mine had similar amounts of filler