575 replies to this topic

[GraemeC]

That's a fair old price difference, you could PM Simon and see if the 'spares website is right?

If you break the MPi drop me a line - I would like a few bits if the prices are reasonable!!

[minivanman]

Yep the prices are right. Turns out the minisport one you need to buy the shaft and arm seperately, but it still only comes to about £40. Minispares said they cant match that price. Let me know what bits you want, and I will see what I can do.

Today I finished fitting the front subby on and got the holes for the brace bars and hinges drilled, painted the underside from the heelboard to the rear valence, sealed up all the welds and started taking the rear subby to bits for painting. Forgot my camera though so I dont have any pics of it. You'll have to use your imagination

[minivanman]

Front subframe with first coat on, looks very nice. Hopefully the old man wont walk into this!


Front subframe on. I need to pull the MPi to bits now to get the bloody steering rack out before I go too much further. I also found that I already have a rear subframe bush kit so I didnt need to order one from minispares. Damn. Anyway, theres loads of bits I can get on with painting tomorrow. I found out as well that the head I have got needs unleaded seats putting in it before I put it back on. Once thats done I should finally be able to get the engine fully built up.

[miniallsort]

great work dude

[minivanman]

I've got the rear subby nearly done - all the bushes are back on and tightened up. Just got to paint the radius arms now and they can go back on, then lift it all back onto the car.

The front end, I've put it together and took it apart so many times I could do it blindfolded.

Nearside is about done now, just need to fit the rebound buffers when they turn up. Offside I'm waiting for a couple of bits and then that can go back together. I've put new top damper mounts on, my repairs worked perfectly. Next job is to rebuild the front hubs and get them back on. Should be back on all fours very shortly.

[minivanman]

I havent been doing nothing - I seem to have done loads but its all stuff that isnt worth taking pics of. Both top arms are now in, along with hilos, rubber cones, bottom arms and tie bars. I painted the inner wings out and its all looking very posh.

I took the stg 3 head I have into an engineering place in Leicester for unleaded valve seats, and its gone between the middle two cylinders, so its having a skim as well. When thats done I can finally reassemble the engine and get it painted. The radius arms have had their first coat of paint, so tomorrow they should be done. After that the rear subby and fuel tank can go back on. I'm plannning on ripping the mpi to bits over easter when no one will be in work so I dont get in everybodys way. Once I have the steering rack out of that I can get it in the van and start getting everything back together.

[minivanman]

[Dog]

Now its coming together
Can't wait to see it in one piece...

[minivanman]

Neither can I! Tomorrow I'll hopefully get the fuel tank in and the rear suspension built up. That just leaves the brakes to sort out at the back end (thats why the backplates arent painted) I only need the steering rack at the front end, and everything can go back together. Might even get some filler on it tomorrow...

[minivanman]

Awesome day today. First, Neyta engineering rang up to tell me the head was done - its taken 3 days, compared to morspeeds 3 months! Went and collected it, but they had bent one of the rocker studs, which was a bit of a PITA. Still I've got enough engines and heads lying around now to have spares for it! Started lapping the valves in as well - half way there now.


As well as that, I got the rear hilos and dampers on, figured out a fitting kit for the fuel tank (just need 3 slightly longer bolts for it and that can go on), got this side of it nearly fillered and sold my MPi interior! Life is good

[minivanman]

Another good day - more filler gone on and its really starting to lose all the problem areas. Dad found an old orbital sander with dust extraction on it, so we can sand it all back with virtually no dust. The offside is really coming together. The head is being a real pain though - the inlet valves have gone in fine, but the exhausts are going to need cutting again to get the valves to fit. Hopefully once thats done the engine can finally go back together.

[minivanman]

And I'm already planning the next project. I've got the back end of a mini van that I need to pick up, and an MPi mini thats had a rear end smack. Little bit of welding, and perhaps it may get introduced to some suzuki hardware along the way....

[minivanman]

Just for when I get bored.....



Makes me realise just how much work I've done on my other van! There are some bits on it I will be able to use on my other one, like the rear wiring loom. Now I know what I'm doing with minis I dont think it will be a massive challenge to make it look like a mini again.

In other news, I've schutzed the flip front, and got a lot of fillering done. Tomorrow I might start painting the engine. All I need is new valve springs and the head can go back on. I've took the twin carbs down to Icklemini, who is going to recondition them for me. I've also bought a carb cooper loom from mikecmini, so that should make the wiring a bit easier.

[minivanman]

Hell yeah!

Drivers door on, needs a spot of fettling to get it sitting right. Put the steering rack in as well because I'm fed up of waiting to get the one out of the MPi. I'll just mod a standard column to fit the MPi stuff to it. Front subby is all tightened up now, and if I can get someone to give me a hand tomorrow I will be able to get the flip front back on it. And I've still got 4 days of holiday left to work on it....

[minivanman]

Went in today after I'd come back from stoneleigh and put the front end on. Looks like a mini again!


I didnt think the show was all that good, there wasnt really very much on offer. I got a gator kit for my driveshafts, some sill trim and a couple of other bits n pieces. Met Dogmatix and had a look at his new van - its not bad but its not as good as mines gonna be Got the RX7 seats off him - these are going in the van.


Also got some minifins off him, and my cousin had the KN mercurys (you can see one on the rear of the van in the top pic) Unfortunately we dont think they will go over his 7.9" brake setup. So I may have to have them Well, it'd be rude not to wouldnt it? So now I'm going to price up some cooper S discs and callipers to do the conversion. I may as well do it now rather than later.

Edited by minivanman, 08 April 2007 - 02:57 PM.