Hi,
Thought i would start this thread, hopefully to both give and receive some useful information during the build process.
I wish i would of started the thread earlier as i have doen alot of work now and am remebering all the completed tasks and pictures taken.
Background
I recently (April 2011) purchased a min project of a TMF member, under the title 'it only needs prepping and painting, it a mint shell etc etc' ... i think you can guess where this is going.
Anyway, 2 sills, 2 a panels, a rear valance, and a footwell later, the welding is eventually complete.
My intention is to build a quickish modified mini, with a bright in your face colour and hopefully some special bits attached.
I have had lots of minis previous, all of which i ended up spending too much money on, I attach a picture of my last one (roughly 8 years ago i think)
I went for the zeemax bodykit, wide wheels, bucket seats, i think it was 1310 tuned engine, made around 85 bhp on the dyno i recall. lessons learned, dont fit a 286 cam for road use, it was rubbish in traffic but brilliant with the right foot planted.
This project is to be hopefully a more mature attempt . i stilll like the bodykit look with wide wheels but as i work for an engineering company now i have the ways and means to modify the engine components and a paint shop which i can use at my leisure. (don't tell the boss though).
The mini 850 originally came with 2 engines, a stock 1275 A+ and the metro turbo engine.
a full roll cage, set of 102" wellers and tyres and a set of 13" wellers and tyres.
I was also informed when buying that everything was there to simply rebuild after painting.
On getting the car back i soon realised this was not the case, but crack on i did.
Some photos of when i first got it.
The project started with a good fettel. As you can see inn the photos, the guy who i bought it off had used a wire wheel or similar and taken all the known edges back to bare metal, this was good as it proved there was no rust, but on the downside there was now a ridge of 5 layers of paint all around the car which had to be rubbed down. I have no patience with time wasting so i though i would set to work on the underneath first and work upwards.
I broke out the grinder with wire wheel attachment and removed all the paint from underneath. OH dear... the sills looked like a holey patch work quilt and the heavy smell of filler was hanging in the air for some time. It was at this point a list began to form of tasks to be completed.
both sill and the drivers floor pan needed attention on the underside.
I also noticed the distinct bubbling of the A panels at the bottoms, they were also to be replaced.
The project Rolls on....
As it stands today (05/12/11)
The min is welded up, all sills, floors and a panels are welded on. lots and lots of rubbing down later. THE PAINT IS PURCHASED. Ive gone for Lamborghini Orange. see link for why i chose it. http://www.seriouswh...o-Orange-FA.htm
I have also purchased some orange flake to add some sparkle. Not sutre wether to use it or not. open to opinions.??
Some photos of current progress.
Also have purchased a dash from the tinternet. very nice, someone has spent too much time fibreglassing this, it came with 7" monitor built in and some nice 4" speakers moulded round. I have purchased lots of gauges and cut them out, also added some fancy light up rocker switch holes.
I have managed to find csome nice blue paint, hopefully to compliment the orange.
I will be using this as my second colour, so alot of engine bits, subframes etc will be painted using this. I have also managed to purchase some blue leather bucket seats which i must say look pretty good.
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I am really quite lucky that i work for an engineering company which onsite have a large blasting machine, a huge spray booth and facilites to machine and modify anything i can throw at them.
So all the subframes and suspension parts have been cleaned, shot blasted, primed and painted.
Anyway, to carry the story on.
I managed to find myself a fibreglass bodykit which i have probably spent more time on than the whole car so far with rubbing down, filling the little pin holes and priming. The wife was not impressed when she walked in the kitchen to find 2 bumbers, 4 arches and 2 sideskirts laying on the floor covered in dust. (it was raining outside and i'm tight for room in the garage)
The rest of the day was spent in silence... i had some making up to do.
The mini came with an arch angel fibrglass bonnet, this wasn't too much trouble, a bit of filling around the edges where there were holes in the gel coat. simples
The doors were a bit of a pain, they looked really good, until i started rubbing the bottom edges down it was full of seam sealant hiding a lots of holey metal. New door required.
My friend builds mini stock engines and has a huge supply of mini parts from doors to camshafts, which he has collected over the years, im not talking one or two items im talking a room about 10metres sqyare full of racking, full of bits. its an alladins cave of everything. Im sure you could probably build at least 3 maybe 4 complete minis with the bits hes got. So when i needed a door and bootlid, he's the man to visit. also has a rolling road which will come in handy when setting the turbo engine up.
Had to do some long days, my friend who is painting the car for me is going on holiday in the next couple of weeks so has said if i want it painting, then i need to get it to his unit for this saturday. BIG GULP so i will be spendin all day and night building and fitting the subframes to get it rolling.
During the bodywork which is being done at home i am trying to be as productive as possible and do things at work during luch time (honest) such as the metro turbo calipers. I have had new Stainlews steel pistons made up, blasted and painted the calipers and fitted all new nipples.
I have also had the flywheel lightened and intend to install oil crown cooling jets, so the block when fully stripped and chemical cleaned will be undergoing surgery. I have attached a photo of the carb assembly i have been working on, a total strip, de grease, polish and paint where necessary and reassemble with new gaskets and seals. Then into a box until required.
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Last week was spent in the garage, every night after work was spent rubbing down, priming or flatting. but the mini is getting there, the doors are fitted and lined up. The boot lid is also prepped and fitted.
Outstanding Items for painting.
Assemble subframes
Fit onto car
paint the thing.
I have missed lots of details out and with time i will add more photos when have uploaded them from my iphone.
To be continued...
Edited by mossy2a, 01 June 2013 - 08:53 PM.
. I hope you'll post some video of this monster 
there are quite a few already complete so should be ok. fingers crossed.
