181 replies to this topic

[Davethepioneer]

I thought it was about time I started my project thread on here otherwise I will never get around to it.

So a little background history first to give a basic understanding as to why its so important for me to carry out this project.

Please spare 5 minutes to read the following link/article that will explain in someway why restoring, rebuilding and customising my mini is in fact part of my recovery.

http://www.dailymail...Iraq-blast.html

So my wife Lisa found a few pictures of the last mini I rebuilt and sold before going to work in Iraq










So her idea was simple, buy a mini as a surprise for me to tinker with in the hope that it would bring a little normality back into my life and more importantly to help with the cognitive side of my brain damage.

The part of the brain that suffered trauma was the cognitive part of my brain, so where you may find something very easy I may find hard and mentally exhausting.

For example to figure out a template mock up may take you a few minutes to figure out how to achieve it where as it could take me an hour of solid thinking to do such a simple task but would leave me mentally exhausted, so this project maybe very slow and long winded in parts so for this I apologise in advance.

Anyway this is what we are all here for........Pictures!

So Lisa bought me a mini, my plan was to give it a quick tidy up, run it for the summer, attend a few shows etc etc and then take it off the road and fully rebuild/restore/customise.

A quick blow over with WT3 Old English White.





















And out for a run with local minis. ( sorry for lack of pictures of the refresh work )











So after running the mini through the summer, attending the Blackpool mini run with my local club S.U.N.M.C ( Somewhere Up North Mini Club ) and a few runs out it was time to sorn the car and start the full nut and bolt rebuild.

I opened the garage one morning to find that a box had fallen of a shelf and dented the wing, when looking at it further it seemed that the whole wing was basically just rust and the resulting hole just got bigger and bigger.



Not to much of a problem as it spurned me on to start the full strip down.

The strip down was easy apart from the usual suspects....Rusted and sheared nuts bolt and screws lol















Engine out! Always seems a big milestone to me, even bigger when it's rebuilt and going back in!



























http://i738.photobuc...epioneer/27.jpg

http://i738.photobuc...epioneer/28.jpg

http://i738.photobuc...epioneer/29.jpg

http://i738.photobuc...epioneer/30.jpg

Time to get rid of the factory sound deadening.

http://i738.photobuc...epioneer/31.jpg

http://i738.photobuc...epioneer/32.jpg

One complete bare shell........Next paint removal.

http://i738.photobuc...epioneer/33.jpg

Edited by Davethepioneer, 03 July 2013 - 02:29 PM.

[Davethepioneer]

Sorry for the pictures being so big!

[KernowCooper]

No prob on the pictures brilliant post and One i'll be following with interest.

[Davethepioneer]

Thank you, more pictures to follow!

[Ethel]

Looks better than most I've owned before you started!

 

Have you looked into getting Mini body panels on prescription? 

[Midas Mk1]

Nice to a project log Dave! Will have to come around sometime, to have a nosey at the latest progress, it's gonna be great!

[matty1303]

Very inspiring story so far, good project too. Ill be following, good luck

[Davethepioneer]

Looks better than most I've owned before you started!
 
Have you looked into getting Mini body panels on prescription? 

Lol good thinking fella, I shall ask my pshycologist to prescribe mini products

[Davethepioneer]

Nice to a project log Dave! Will have to come around sometime, to have a nosey at the latest progress, it's gonna be great!

Cheers Sam

[Davethepioneer]

Very inspiring story so far, good project too. Ill be following, good luck

Thank you Matty1303

[rally515]

Looks good Dave,

You dont happen to park at a school in bolton do you ? looks so familiar haha, i recognise the rear picture on manchester road ;)

 

Following

Cheers

Cliff

[Davethepioneer]

My little lad goes to,a private nursery but that's in Stoneclough Kearsley but this project is about a year late so I've not been on the road for a while.

[Davethepioneer]

All sound deadening out.







Subframes Strip. My plan is to strip them down, shot blast and repaint. Brakes, donuts, bottom arms etc etc will all be rebuilt, replaced or upgraded.





















Shot blast and paint. Not sure now if I want the final subframe colour black but I'm not happy with them!

Edited by Davethepioneer, 03 July 2013 - 01:50 PM.

[Davethepioneer]

Paint removal is such a boring laborious job, it has to be in the top ten worst jobs of restoration!

































Finally all paint off! Phew

[Davethepioneer]

Would anyone like to see what spec I'm hoping the mini will have and how it will hopefully look?