482 replies to this topic

[Avtovaz]

thanks , you both know where the car is if you want to come and have a look ;)

[Avtovaz]

ive not had much chance to get in the garage on the mini, ive been going to some car shows, one was weston park, and one was capethone hall. At weston was a car i didnt think id see,

 

 

It was a historic grp B day thing, lots of mantas there, chevettes but first on the stages was a 1275gt, and started to make me think about my car

 

 

then yesterday, at capethorne, lots of minis, and i felt a bit out of place with my bmw even if it was next to a certain mini when we went to the arena !

 

 

 

 

so today with a bit more enthusiasm, i had another go at the filler on the roof. Now before i refilled it and rubbed it off 100 times again as i seem to be doing, i had a little think about it. What i think is happening, im using the long block, 80 grit, and i think its takeing too much off, and also as its long its not alowing me to make the curves easily. So i got the filler back part of the way witht he block, then got some 240 grin taped to a steal ruler, and with in next to no time, the roof was transformed ! 

 

I painted it in what i thought was high build but was actually 2k epoxy. ill sand that some other time and ill do the other side now...

 

 

 

i had filled the rear pillar again too. 

 

 

 

i put some filler on the other side for tomorrow but didnt do a very good job for some reason, was like it just didnt want to flow

 

 

 

 

 

will keep the updates comming!

[Midas Mk1]

Looking good, that initial speedbump at capesthorne nearly had my exhaust off, for a car event I thought the inroads were shocking, bottomed out in a lot of places, a marshal even moaned at me because I got stuck on one.

Progress is progress and you’ll get there!

[Avtovaz]

yes my mate with the lotus didnt like that one either ! I was laughing, my bmw is like 9 miles high and is all guarded underneath! 

 

thanks about the progress maybe next year itll be at the show if i can get it painted.

[Avtovaz]

more done... well. forward is behind you right?

 

 Filled the roof again on the n/s, all sorted now

 

 

 

 

 

 

it feels ok, but it needs the high build sanding properly and we can go from there. I ve decided to get the whole car in high build, then start painting instead of doing panels on it. 

 

i stripped the back panel of paint then painted that in high build, and started to fill some of the welds around the bottom by the bumper.

 

 

 

 

then i stripped the quarter panel, and well, i was not so impressed, i mean, when i had fitted it, some how there was a bend in it just above the wheel going forward, and i tried lots of things to stretch it and shrink it, and hit it here and there... Anyway it had filler on it that was deeper than i thought

 

 

 

 

 

I primed it

 

 

 

then in the house that night i was thinking, if i fill it again, itll take me days to sort it, adn would i be happy? lol

 

 

 

 

 

 

well 2 new ones are here from minisport.

 

 

 

 

ok i want the car done but i want it as good as i can. i wont be using anyway until next summer, and thats a long way off from here. Plus ive lots of holidays from work. So if i can get it ready to paint just after christmas, then that is ok.

[Avtovaz]

well, did that quarter now, and have stripped teh paint from the car everywhere apart from the boot and inside now.

 

 

 

 

 

 

the quarters not properly folded but soon sorted

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

i never took a pic of that side done, but i turned the car around and now am on with the other side and as said, engine bay stripped of paint.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

when i  have been removing paint, ive noticed in places its like its still wet, im not sure why. The outer surface is ok, but its like a skin over it. Ive bought an infrared heat lamp, im hoping this may sort the problem for next time, but will have to see.

[Avtovaz]

quarter on, and i put a new waist rail in too. have one for the other side but will do that another day. The quarter isnt finished just i had to go in.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Avtovaz]

a little more done, but not loads, im off next week so hopefully itll progress a little quicker ! 

 

so on with the quarter finishing..

 

 

 

 

its not finished now, but its ready for high build, see later pics . At this point i tried the door on and it fitted lots better than the old skin did to the old quarter, but stillwasnt right

 

 

 

 

so i played with it some

 

 

 

 

 

fairly happy with that at this stage, so i started to put some filler in the quarter

 

 

 

 

I have also stripped the sill of paint, and the wheel arch where the stone chip has burnt from welding .

 

more actual progress tomorrow hopefully.

 

 

one thing i have done also is test the paint. I have a strut brace for the bmw, so i took it to bare metal, etch primed it, then high build, and then the next day 2k rover diamond white! It was a little soft for a few days, but i put it on a radiator for 2 days and its rock solid now. So i know i am happy with the way im doing things etc.

[I hate Brian]

I had a nightmare with my gaps took weeks of tweeking until I was happy, gapping looks good mate well done.

[Avtovaz]

not had much time to get into he garage on the mini, if you are familiar with a bmw e61, and you know about the diversity antenna, that is why... 

 

so the gaps are a little better now..

 

 

 

 

 

 

not perfect, but not far off for me. 

 

now i have a problem, didnt put the arch on until now, and it fits the body well but there is a gap on the valance.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

its on the quarter ok, not sure what to do about that just yet. will try to work on the door today i think... 

 

For some reason something is hitting inside of it, i cant quite work out where, feels like the check strap area, but not sure and its hard to tell.

[Avtovaz]

had another go at the arches

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

when i had pu the rear one on i hadnt put it in the right place, the notch was touching the seam, when i moved it up it ligned up!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

started looking at the door then stripped the paint off the frame, put it in some high build and put some filler in it too

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ive been getting it partly sanded with the da, then using a steal ruler wrapped in sand paper, seems to work really well

[Avtovaz]

i put the door on today, and turned the car around 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

jacked it up the same and cracked on

 

 

 

 

 

fitted the other new waist rail

 

 

 

 

 

on with the filler

 

 

 

 

more to come

[Avtovaz]

started by looking at the filler today again

 

 

 

 

 

I then thought i best try the door on and see how it fits. It didnt fit...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

also the post that i had repaired looked ok until i put the door on

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

welded that up and it was well better..

 

 

 

door gap on the front was semi ok but it bowed out in the middle

 

 

 

 

 

 

this top gap not too bad, a little big maybe but looked ok where the door was..

 

 

 

Hits at the bottom

 

 

 

 

 

So for the front i used special tools...

 

 

 

 

Just put the block in the middle and gave it one good hit and it went right!!

 

 

 

special tools again to sort the door gap out ;)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now quite straight

 

 

 

 

 

used this tool to mark the line of the quarter on the door, and i had ground it back to the line and welded it up

 

 

 

 

it is just a bit of steel bent over !

 

it was getting a bit cold today but i noticed when the door was opening, it was very close to the quarter, so need to sort that out maybe tomorrow..

 

[Avtovaz]

hi, remember me?

 

well, im still here, the mini is in the garage still. Problem has been 2 rallies, and a certain bmw.

 

 

 

Did one rally and got a 7th over all, which was amazing, this is the pic of another rally after a DNF due to the event being well, "poor"

 

That car takes so much time to maintain its not right, from brake pads and discs, wheel bearings, exhaust mods, wiring, the list goes on, but it has to be 100% right or it is a call to the AA to get it home at best.

 

 

So the mini,

 

it has some progress, it has had the bootlid painted for the 7th time now lol

 

 

 

i have used this as a test of the new gun, i was told full paint output, and full fan. It just dosnt work out like the other panels ive done so far, ill be turning the paint down some next time and doing my own thing. That worked before, it was silicones, or dust that spoiled the finish, but it was on top of errors.

 

 

 

its sat in the car ready to be polished, but before that pic was taken i had this 

 

 

 

 

needed to check the underside some, do some filler work on bits and well, it was just easier to put it on its side.

 

seam sealer applied in places, and things scrutinised in much greater detail than me on my back in the garage,  i put etch primer on bits and put it back in the garage.

 

 

I put the side in high build

 

 

 

will turn it around and repeat the process again, then final prep for paint...

 

 

One day itll be painted , trust me... ;)

[Avtovaz]

did a bit more to the mini, i am in two mind weather to get someone else to paint the car is i want it ont he road now its comming up to summer. But today went out and did some, and there isnt that much body work left to do.

 

i had painted teh engine bay the other day

 

 

 

 

i had been prepping one of the doors more too

 

 

 

 

did a bit ont eh bonnet too, found a hole

 

 

 

 

i had the car on its side again today, much easier to work on actually, just a few little patches to repair and then one side is done, i put it in high build primer to protect it also 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ill keep at it.