197 replies to this topic

[jim190]

wow! thats some skill you've got there, good luck with the build!

[mrthumb]

thanks buddy, I hope to have the subframe and all the parts within a month or 2. then the mini will be sand blasted and repainted to get rid of the rust thats bubbleing up everywhere. then hopefully assembeled before the end of the year :)

[mini_in_progress]

some good work mate and lovely project

its a nice design tank mate, but with that length and only a small reservoir on the outlet do you think fuel surge could be an issue? im no expert but when i had mine made for my old rs it looked bigger, i can get a pic if you like?


keep up the good work

dave

[Neildanks]

thanks buddy, I hope to have the subframe and all the parts within a month or 2. then the mini will be sand blasted and repainted to get rid of the rust thats bubbleing up everywhere. then hopefully assembeled before the end of the year :)

With your skill you could have saved a fortune on the subframe, get your self the dvd of the honda build it will help you, i made mine from the metro subframe. just by watching the dvd

[mrthumb]

some good work mate and lovely project

its a nice design tank mate, but with that length and only a small reservoir on the outlet do you think fuel surge could be an issue? im no expert but when i had mine made for my old rs it looked bigger, i can get a pic if you like?


keep up the good work

dave

i think it will work because, theres a 24mm hole that the fuel has to fall into, to get into that little box on the bottom. if i go round a corner theres no way it can all swash out and if it does, it will be because im on my last few drops of fuel. but i guess if i do have problems i can make a header tank ? also im going to put some barriers inside to prevent it from swashing from 1 end to the other!

Edited by mrthumb, 28 April 2012 - 09:15 AM.

[mini_in_progress]

you could fab a swirl pot too i guess.. not be much room in a mini boot tho lol

great project, looking forward to updates

dave

[Kam]

I've never seen anyone cut there pulley up before, the honda boys wont do it as they like there air con and power steering some of our overseas 16v mini friends have kept two as they are running air con on theres

Only time where it might matter is if you are having trouble fitting your alternator during the build up or upgrading later (super charger turbo etc) or just find you need to use one of the other pulley wheels for clearance - you never know whats gonna come up during build up!

[mrthumb]

Been looking at speedo options. quite like this one. Im going to use magnet on the drive shaft and caliberate from GPS..



RX2n 10k RPM Multifunction

http://www.digital-s...edition-1-p.asp

[mrthumb]

Bit of a update.

I got the watsons subframe and with some small modifications i managed to get it to fit nicley.

The car will soon be stripped down to its shell the engine will be dry fitted and any modifications and reinforcements will be made then before it gets sand blasted (with glass media) and then welded up and painted.

It now has a S9B gearbox with a LSD does anyone have any experience of these gearboxes? i gathered their suppost to be good as they are longer geared.

also is anyone after a standard mini engine ? got one spare soon :)

Attached Files

•  CIMG0261.jpg   87.27K   92 downloads

[mrthumb]

ok bit more done now. I just got the metro bits through from geoff and they were quite manky and needed reconditioning. I used the same method that companys use to restore treasure thats been in the sea for hundreds of years. electrolysis to remove the rust worked great.
heres some pics.

thats what i started with.

Then it goes in the tank for 2 days on 6 volts at 1 amp.

then it comes out and you just crap off the flakey rust with a wire brush then your good for priming and painting.

I used compressed air to pop the piston out which sounded like a gun going off, i ran it though the lathe and tidied it up. putting it back in with copper slip.

a coat of enamel later and you have a good reconditioned caliper :)


I also fitted the subframe to the car and cut out the inner wings and cut the front valance now it stick outs quite a bit.

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•  before.jpg   69.92K   37 downloads
•  electrolysis.jpg   72.44K   39 downloads
•  after.jpg   62.03K   42 downloads
•  primed.jpg   67.28K   35 downloads
•  finished.jpg   68.35K   23 downloads
•  finished-2.jpg   69.44K   24 downloads
•  subframe-in.jpg   83.18K   49 downloads
•  valance.jpg   66.19K   42 downloads

[mrthumb]

done some welding tonight. installed a gearbox reinforcement plate as prescribed by watsons rally DVD.and also been hunting some rust. which just seems to keep growing hah! found quite alot of rust at the rear valance. I have some panels on order. ill let the pictures tell the story.

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•  gearboxplate.jpg   91.22K   35 downloads
•  gearboxplate2.jpg   87.69K   42 downloads
•  rustdoor.jpg   67.96K   26 downloads
•  rustdoor2.jpg   65.05K   22 downloads
•  rustdoor3.jpg   64.3K   23 downloads
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•  rearnearsiderust.jpg   71.93K   31 downloads
•  rearnearsiderust2.jpg   36.89K   21 downloads
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•  rearseem2.jpg   64.57K   31 downloads
•  light-repair.jpg   68.98K   21 downloads
•  rearvalance.jpg   71.97K   30 downloads
•  rearvalance2.jpg   65.04K   25 downloads
•  rearvalance3.jpg   76K   26 downloads

[mrthumb]

Ok today the fiberglass front come today. ( i decided that the steel front was too dented and rusty to keep on there. plus there was further modifications i needed to do to make it fit nice which i could not be bothered with. atleast now i have complete access to the engine)

I had some of the afternoon off due to docters appointment, so i started cutting holes in it in preperation for the indicators grill etc. All the openings i made were done with a holesaw in the corners to prevent cracking later on as a corner is a stress point. Ill let pictures do the rest. Still got to cut the headlights out. I plan on reinforcing the all the parts with aluminium backing plates and also go over the whole lot with some more resin. any more tips on stiffening this thing up lads?

My plan is to fabricate some mini tek style hinges that lift the entire front up in the air. and make this a 1 piece lid.

Attached Files

•  fiberglass-front.jpg   45.93K   18 downloads
•  fiberfront1.jpg   39.05K   15 downloads
•  fiberfront2.jpg   43.21K   18 downloads
•  fiberfront3.jpg   45.58K   20 downloads
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•  fiberfront6.jpg   42.34K   20 downloads
•  fiberfront8.jpg   49.14K   31 downloads

Edited by mrthumb, 17 July 2012 - 05:42 PM.

[matty...]

Nice work. Great fabrication skills!

Im sure once you bond the two parts together, it will become rigid enough without any reinforcements.

You'll definitely need some kind of spreader plates, where the hinges are going to be bolted to the front end.

[mrthumb]

right yea, i will cut out some plates with 3mm aluminium that should do the trick.

I done a bit more tonight.
anyone thinking of doing this.. its comes blank for a reason its fiddley and hard to get perfect. :)

There is hardley enough room for the lights in that gap. so i had to trim away at the bottom edge to get them in there. I also think i have to trim some of the head light shrowd away so thats i can get a better fitting. but its going well so far. next job is to cut and fit the aluminium backing plates so that the lights have good plate to fix into.

sandblasting this weekend hopefully then its full steam ahead with welding and painting!

Attached Files

•  fiberfront9.jpg   41.8K   25 downloads
•  fiberfront10.jpg   28.46K   27 downloads
•  fiberfront11.jpg   33.38K   33 downloads
•  fiberfront12.jpg   55.89K   39 downloads
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[mrthumb]

Ok alot has happened in the last few weeks. ill upload some pics....

The follow up to rust removal... quite a bit found in little places all over. I find myself being completley unsatasfied as i can allways see another bit that i want to cut out. but my friend whos been restoring minis for years said iv gone beyond what alot of mini owners would do in some respects.

this is before its been to sand blasting so i got a bit more to go yet!

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•  undersidecut.jpg   66.35K   17 downloads
•  undersidecut2.jpg   74.32K   24 downloads
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•  undersidecut5.jpg   73.45K   14 downloads