197 replies to this topic

[mrthumb]

right 2 tins of GRAVITEX ordered :)
might not have to worry about **** loads of sound proofing now.

it sets harder than other stuff and is overpaintable.

Edited by mrthumb, 06 September 2012 - 09:45 PM.

[mrthumb]

ok time for a update... been busy!

first off reinforcing plates installed, bolted and forgotten about..
 reinforcing2.jpg   77.16K   18 downloads  reinforcing.jpg   85.55K   17 downloads

Next is the fuel tank...welded up, leak tested, mounted and installed and ready to be plummed in. I also used a motocross breather valve and pressed it into the filler cap. yea my mini will stink of petrol. but i wont to keep the original smell. ^^
 fueltankbottom.jpg   59.8K   22 downloads  fueltankmounted2.jpg   45.62K   13 downloads
 fueltank.jpg   68.76K   15 downloads  fuelbreather.jpg   35.8K   14 downloads  fuelcellmounmted.jpg   46.19K   16 downloads

Gear linkages fabricated, installed and a plate to cover up the huge hole installed. it changes gear perfectley and is at the correct height, and feels about right for me.
 gearstickplate.jpg   69.8K   14 downloads

more welding... I just was not happy with the state of the door hinge plates.. the iron to iron oxide ratio was way too high for my likeing. It also gave me a oppertunity to fill the sills with cavity wax...
 hingewelding2.jpg   48.43K   20 downloads  hingewelding.jpg   37.98K   18 downloads

the heater matrix is more a less plummed in now with a nob installed to turn the heat on and off..
 interior.jpg   67.85K   33 downloads  drivingposition.jpg   66.26K   32 downloads

fuel lines connected to engine.
 fuellines4.jpg   67.98K   47 downloads

throttle cable plummed in, setup and works perfectley :)
 throttlecable.jpg   62.05K   37 downloads  throttlecable2.jpg   82.48K   25 downloads

Final look before bed.
 gettingthere..jpg   85.34K   76 downloads

[Rhys]

Beautiful work, you're doing a great job.

[mrthumb]

thanks buddy

got the fuel tank sprayed red like the rocker cover... will get some pics up soon.

[mrthumb]

ok got some more done today...

got the heater matrix and brake lines working.
 plummedin.jpg   82.29K   33 downloads

next i had to fabricate the exhaust. i used a old cat and cut the flange off to make for the flange on the swan neck.
 exhaust3.jpg   67.46K   49 downloads

all welded up.  exhaust2.jpg   59.48K   57 downloads

just waiting on another section of exhaust to finish the job.  exhaust.jpg   39.56K   26 downloads

Edited by mrthumb, 08 September 2012 - 07:21 PM.

[thelegg]

Your fabrication work is amazing

[mrthumb]

Thanks :) would be nice to do this as my main job.

[mrthumb]

2 updateds today...

painted the fuel tank flame red.

 fueltankpainted2.jpg   52.5K   13 downloads  fueltankpainted.jpg   61.86K   11 downloads

Also modified the radiator so that the standard hoses fitted without kinking...

 radiator2.jpg   52.68K   24 downloads  radiator1.jpg   61.41K   35 downloads


if anyones thinking of doing this yourself i have to point out that its a very trickey thing to attempt...
the slithers that carry the water are solderd together. so when the aluminium reaches a certain tempature the lead/solder will melt away. so i had to weld a little bit, then dunk it in water. then weld some more... this made it hard to get a tidy weld as it got contaminated by the water over and over. but it appears to hold some pressure ok which i applied with the airline.

[Jamie_hail]

All the gear, no idea... Seriously, you have to be one of the most talented out of all of us who have done honda builds!

[mrthumb]

wow thanks. i mean i really knew nothing about this. i didnt know what a top arm from a bottom arm was, or how to bleed or run brake lines, what a drive shaft looked like, what a CV joint was.... my friend has been helping make decisions and working on bits im unsure off. and the internet has been crucial too in helping me.

this is the first mini i ever owned, i only braught it because i split from my girlfriend and i needed somthing else to play with in the evenings ^^

and was all a big mystery to me to begin with. but as things have unraveled themselfs i find myself applying what equipment i have in best possible way... "oh i can weld that, bend this, fabricate that". I just get ideas, and follow them up, yea i bugger things up sometimes, but a man who makes no mistakes never makes anything at all iv been told.

another thing that makes me want to do a good job, is that iv invested quite alot in this allready far more than i ever planned. and i want to get my money back one day which means having nothing for someone to pick up on. i hope others look at this use my ideas, and get the confidence to have a go themselfs.

and remember kids....


 379v.jpg   43.58K   14 downloads

[Jamie_hail]

Thats exactly how I started... I'd only ever worked on motorbikes, complete newbie to cars and multi cylinder engines! Split from my ex, and needed something to take my mind off stuff/pass the boring evenings! Least I cant catch anything from the car ;)

Best of luck to you - it's already taking shape nicely!

[johny:)]

I love that last pick about crafting a mini vtec :) great work on your build as well really impressed keep it up and you will be done in no time

[mrthumb]

thanks for the encuragement lads... yea thats my first ever internet meme :) yea the only STD a mini can carry is tetanus :)

iv been hard at work on the exhaust again tonight. due to clearance issues and also if the exhaust got banged the stress would go up into the manifold which is somthing i dont want to risk. so iv had to replace my finley crafted swan neck bend with some flexie tube. more pictures to come tomorrow!

[mrthumb]

heres somthing for ya.. my switches for my dash.. i didnt want the same old race car style switches. i wanted somthing that would make the car unique... so i dediced to get some ww2 aircraft switches and maybe some guages? prehaps a tempature sensor if i can find a working thermocouple for them... anyway heres the switches. what shall i use them for...  switches.jpg   55.93K   47 downloads

Edited by mrthumb, 13 September 2012 - 05:18 PM.

[Kam]

fuel lines connected to engine

Just checking here as I can't see clearly in the picture, that braided line coming out the bottom of the fuel pressure regulator, does this go back to your fuel tank as thats your fuel return line, can't see where it wanders off to in the picture thats all

This is coming along very nice indeed, keep at it