118 replies to this topic

[StuM]

New (to me) rear mk2 lights have had some attention. Lucas decided to see how many words and codes they could fit on a lens. It's a strong look, but not for me, so wet n dry took care of their removal. After this, the lens was cut and polished using a 3M drill mounted headlight kit. Very pleased with the results.

 

 

 

 

 

[StuM]

I'm reluctant to put anything dirty back on the car, so I've been cleaning and polishing parts. The next job is to finish the boot off, including building up the lid with all the various bits of furniture. So, here is the rear badge and the latch, shiny and ready to fit.

I've now received the remainder of the sound proofing, so once that is done I can start putting the interior back in.

 

 

 

[StuM]

Time for the headliner. The old one was loose, stained and smelly, so it was an easy decision to replace. What was less easy was making the decision whether to buy a ready made kit or make it myself. Having invested the time and money on an upholstery course and a decent sewing machine, I decided logically to make it.

I bought the black velour from Martrim Ltd. The material for the pole loops is muslin and cost a whole pound.

I know full well that this is the easy bit and the pain will be fitting it, but it's another step forward.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[StuM]

The headliner is well underway and it'll soon be time to bite the bullet and actually start glueing it in place. But, first up was the tension rods which were rusty. They are hidden so I could have just shoved them in as was, but I would have known what lurked beneath my smart, new headliner so I refurbished them. They got a rub down with wire will, then painted with black Rustoleum paint.

Then, the rods were fed into the sleeves of the new headliner before the moment of truth - seeing how well it fit in the car. Thankfully, it seems a good fit.

With a bit of fiddling and clipping it looks pretty close, so next step is glue - No going back from there...

 

 

 

 

 

 

[StuM]

Headliner - a sod of a job, but it is done, glued in place and looking great.

Despite not using a Newton Commercial headliner (see earlier post), we used their guide which does a decent job of explaining.

We probably had 5 attempts before we cracked it. Getting tension correct down the whole length is just fiddly.

On the plus side, the Martrim supplied contact adhesive is awesome stuff and I'm pleased with how the black headlining looks.

 

 

 

 

 

[StuM]

have been buying some parts. My hinges need replacing and standard ones were only slightly cheaper than these lovely DSN Classic alloy items. Obviously, shiny won, so these will be going on soon.

 

 

[StuM]

Back to the seats. The rear seat back has been a mission. I think it is because the original cover was such a crumbling mess that the measurements taken from using it as a template are out. After remeasuring, unpicking, restitching and generally tweaking it, it is starting to take shape. I can now start the seat base which is a much more straightforward shape. I need to take care to line the tartan material up so it looks continuous.

I have now bought new seat belts, so these will go on soon, the C pillar trims will follow and then the parcel shelf. At that point, the seal and rear window can go on.

Getting glass in will feel like a huge step forward..

 

 

 

 

[StuM]

A beautiful September day and a lack of riding bikes gave me a few hours of Mini time. I have a huge list of jobs, this was a chance to tick some off.

I started finishing off the C Pillar trim - this is covered with the same material as the headliner. These panels are glued in place. I'm installing rear seat belts, so had to cut holes for them to be bolted in.

I also completed the B pillar trim before moving on to the parcel shelf. My Dad had formed the shelf, so I just had to tweak it a little and covered it with grey carpet.

A lot of the 'rough edges' get covered by the window and door rubbers, so it'll all come together when those are fitted.

Had a quick test for of the boot lid, it looks great. Also, it was amusing to compare the wheels on my VW T5 van with the original Mini ones!

So, the car is now ready for rear and side windows, so next job is to clean the glass and get installing. Watch this space.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[StuM]

With some time available (not going to mention it!) I've started to move Project Clubby forward. Every job I touch has a dependency on another so I'm trying to find the critical path - or picking off small, stand-alone tasks.

The latest example - I thought I'd put the rear window in... but remembered I hadn't fed through the heated screen wiring. Then, there is the rear seat back which is a million times easier to fit without glass in the way. But I couldn't do final fit on the seat back as I needed access to it to pattern match the seat base. So, in the end I came to the conclusion the I have to get the rear seat base done first.

It's been a long time since I last touched the interior.. No doubt about it, I was a bit rusty but it soon came back to me. I still love the tartan material, but it adds complexity as the pattern has to continue down from seat back to base. Added to this, the seat base cover was one piece - but I wanted separate panels, so much measuring and scratching of head later, I had the pattern.

Soon, it'll be stitched together and fitted to the frame and cushion. Another job ticked off and another step closer...

 

 

 

[StuM]

Another job done and one that I wasn't looking forward to. In its previous life, someone has either welded or done some angle grinding with the windows exposed - net result, spots of metal embedded in the glass.

Yes, quite possible to source a set of replacements, but in the spirit of originality I decided to try and sort them out. There's something worrying about taking a sander to a window, but using progressively fine grains, ending with a polish gave good results. Not 'as new' by any stretch but presentable and can now be fitted into the doors.

 

 

 

 

 

Very hard to photograph so you'll have to just trust me that they look better :)

[StuM]

The sun and a few clear hours inspired me to get the Clubby project moving forward again. I love the project, but it really does feel one step forward and two back at times.

Yesterday I re-covered the dashboard with new vinyl. It was in decent condition, but a few cracks etc would have always annoyed me. I had spare vinyl from the seats so used that to match. I removed the clips hold the old vinyl in place but decided that as it was still stuck down, I'd put the new vinyl over the top. It all went really smoothly and it looked great. I used a can of contact adhesive I had knocking about the garage rather than battle to get another at the local DIY store. Bad move. It isn't high temp adhesive and as soon as the dash was in the sun today the vinyl came unstuck. I should know better, I've done enough on my van interiors to know that high temp is a must. So, I'll have to take it off and try again.

Today was all about windows. I'd ordered new rubbers from Mini Spares which arrived really fast and gave me a chance to fit this weekend. I started with the door glass which I'd spent so long cleaning last time. It really is not in great shape. The grinding spatter damage has mostly gone, but the glass is really scratched from years of being would up and down against dirty seals. I will replace them at some point but I am now taking the approach that I don't need perfect in the initial build, I will get it on the road then refine.

The felted rubber guides for the windows are straightforward to fit, if you have the hand size of a small child. For me, it was a squeeze. I decided in the end that the best approach is to fit at the rear of the door to start and work forward. The ensures that the critical alignment is right around the door lock.

The regulators had cleaned up well so having greased them I followed the Haynes manual guide and dropped the windows in having first tidied up the putty that seals from water ingress.

With glass in, the car is starting to feel real. I fitted the seals around the rear quarter lights and rear window - took some persuasion around the roof lining joins and rear c pillar trim.

I had planned to perhaps fit the windscreen today but the dashboard debacle convinced me otherwise. I then ended the day on frustration as I unwrapped the windscreen for the first time since buying the car 5+ years ago to find that it is cracked. So I now have to buy another. Not expensive and easy enough to obtain - although suppliers all ship glass at the buyer's risk which is irritating.

I need to think about what's comes next. I spent time today looking through my parts boxes and there really is a bewildering array of things to identify and fit. Getting on the road seems a long way away still but I'll get there.

 

 

 

 

 

[StuM]

Rear window fitted - hardest part was finding the screw holes as I trimmed the B pillar. Also fitted the door seal. Also managed to clear my workspace to allow the engine to be brought out in the open.

 

 

And of course, when you inadvertently dress the same as your car... :)

 

 

 

[StuM]

Hope you don't mind the dump of photos and posts - just wanted to bring this up to date for anyone that was following it in the first place.  More to follow soon I hope..

[Vinay-RS]

Loving that pattern that you've chosen for the seats! Very retro.  

[StuM]

Thanks dude 👍🏻