42 replies to this topic

[Spoonz]

(First of all I apologise for spelling or words wrong way round as I'm dyslexic. And no doubt every post will have an edit so bare with me)

Hello TMF.
Little about me.
I've been a member on here for years and had a previous z cars (GSXR 1000) project i completed nearly 10 years ago !!!! Time flys hey.i was 21 when I finished the z car was a 3 year build if I can remember correctly.

I have been through over 6 minis in my time .
From bike engine conversions to standard 998cc to 1275s and even a metro turbo.
Even my other half had a mini 35 Ltd edition till we moved house .

We moved house from Oxfordshire in September 2017 From my small little garage I built all my minis in to where I live now in Cornwall where my man cave has grown somewhat as your see from the pics ...

Picture of my z cars mini when I started and when I finished .
Started
 index.png   162.72K   10 downloads
Finished
 index-2.png   142.82K   7 downloads
 index-1.png   152.51K   6 downloads
Wish I never sold it but had to grow up and buy a house yada yada yada.

So anyway.
I convinced myself I wouldn't ever do it again and buy a mini and spend hours in the garage.
So
Last year I purchased a toy for myself..
Audi rs4 avant 480bhp
 _IMG_000000_000000.jpg   79.56K   6 downloads  IMG_20171227_143531800.jpg   69.68K   5 downloads
.
But then I ended up going out in a mates mini with a Vauxhall engine in it and thought my #$%$ #$%# ! I need one of these again in my life. The buzz and the bum clenching acceleration in a biscuit tin going along at 50mph compared to my rs4 which cruises at 100mph while sipping a Costa is incomparable.


So.....
I bought myself one of these.... as said before I've had lots of saloons and fancied something different.
 _IMG_000000_000000.jpg   59.94K   5 downloads

And it's now situated in it's new home where I've started the project. (Bit bigger than my old single garage where I couldn't open the doors...
 _IMG_000000_000000.jpg   87.8K   6 downloads

I work a strange pattern at work doing what I do for a living so hopefully I'll update every 4 to 5 days .if the wife lets me play. I have a 1 year old little girl now as well to attend to compared to when I had all the time in the world when building my z car.

Hope to have feedback and help along the way. As I did when I was building my z car 10 years ago on this forum..

Spoony

Edited by Spoonz, 02 January 2018 - 05:36 PM.

[panky]

I'm not jealous at all

Now if you had a lift in there...........

[g111mds]

Love a pickup, and thats a fantastic workshop.

I really need to get some additional lighting sorted out for mine.

Look forward to following your progress

[Spoonz]

I'm not jealous at all
Now if you had a lift in there...........

Funny you should say that I'm looking into it. Or a roll over jig . Can't decide yet.
When we looked for a house down this way I wasn't even interested in the house when I saw the workshop I was like yeah this will do !

Love a pickup, and thats a fantastic workshop.
I really need to get some additional lighting sorted out for mine.
Look forward to following your progress

Thanks .I actually have to much lighting I need to separate the lights as sometimes I just want some on instead of Blackpool on a Friday night .
Thinking of changing the strips for led version too. Save some pennies.

Edited by Spoonz, 27 December 2017 - 08:20 PM.

[Spoonz]

Got in the garage today and did a bit more.
 _IMG_000000_000000.jpg   91.5K   2 downloads
 20170921_231701.jpg   90.41K   2 downloads
 20170922_212246.jpg   100.89K   2 downloads  20171001_164450.jpg   87.74K   3 downloads  20171001_164457.jpg   91.56K   3 downloads  20171001_164502.jpg   93.04K   3 downloads

Fully stripped nearly now. Just bits here and there to go.
Have knocked back years of paint . I think it's been painted more times than I've had Sunday roasts I think.
It went . Blue . White . Red .Blue . White metal in some places !

Found this as well . Had a massive *wod of fibre glass resin patch . Was done well as I didn't even notice it till I hit it and was .. sniff sniff.... cherries.......
I have a spare saloon roof I can get my hands on so I'll cut the corner bit I need and replace it . Not an issue
I deseemed 2 minis in my lifetime so this should be ok. He says .
 20171010_100052.jpg   56.21K   1 downloads


Going to need quite a few panels I think .
I'm not really a patching kinda guy if I think it's worth it I would rather put a new panel on . I'm really thinking of keeping it so if it takes longer at least I know it's sound. I probably would of put a new roof skin on if they were available .

 20171102_161140.jpg   63.78K   3 downloads


Guy I bought it off was insistent sills were ok. . I bent my head under to see Over sills..... and coughed. I tried to explain this to him but was wasted breath.it appeared solid.....but we all know don't we what lies beneath . I'll be looking tommorow....

I need to find some way of heating this place too . Big workshop great in till my gas blower thing doesn't even touch the cold in here!!


Thanks for replies so far.

Spoony

Edited by Spoonz, 02 January 2018 - 05:26 PM.

[slyrmini]

Awesome! Pick ups are super coool... workshop is cool, oversills are not cool.

[Spoonz]

Awesome! Pick ups are super coool... workshop is cool, oversills are not cool.

I'm dreading it.... there sealed too


Spoony

[Spoonz]

As expected.....
I think the shell weighs less now As well.
I filled 2 bin bags with the amount of dust,rot and disintegrated metal.
It's eaten the old sill away nearly completely and eaten the inner floor pan side and the x member.
It is amazing when you think how old some of these vehicles are and how well they have lasted in till someone cuts it all out.
The wife came in and was "impressed"

 20171101_120137.jpg   93.22K   2 downloads
 20171101_120143.jpg   79.05K   2 downloads

Spoony

Edited by Spoonz, 28 December 2017 - 09:43 AM.

[Spoonz]

Oh and collected this too :)
Just need a gearbox now so if anyone hears of one.
S90 lSD or a s4C LSD would be ace .


 20171023_155336.jpg   43.49K   1 downloads

Spoony

[Spoonz]

Little more graft today .
Checking what panels are sound and what is not.
It's all going back to solid clean metal and getting etch primer if I'm happy with it.
Slow progress but progress none the less.


Spoony  20171024_140055.jpg   81.65K   2 downloads  20171024_140046.jpg   78.24K   1 downloads  20171024_193602.jpg   70.38K   0 downloads  20171031_125358.jpg   82.27K   1 downloads  20171101_171239.jpg   61.83K   1 downloads

Edited by Spoonz, 28 December 2017 - 04:38 PM.

[Spoonz]

Back in and did some more assessment and removal...

 20171124_132838.jpg   58.24K   0 downloads
 20171212_163041.jpg   53.79K   1 downloads
 20171212_163107.jpg   69.24K   2 downloads

Inner wings on both sides not looking to clever so will be replaced too.shame you can't get the first part without the minute you cut off to vtec conversion repair ones don't quite cover enough so will be annoying cutting a good panel in half... humph...
 20171227_154929.jpg   44.93K   2 downloads

Rear subframe off now too. Seems in good nick. Will decide if I'm gonna do a lad rear beam or not . That's later down the road though so will be put on a pallet and hidden for another day.

Gonna try save the tunnel . We shall see .
 20171227_154721.jpg   60.62K   1 downloads

Freezing in here ! Need to have a think on that too.

Spoonz

Edited by Spoonz, 30 December 2017 - 04:14 PM.

[Magneto]

I hear you on the cold! It's -22*C here right now......my heater will not keep up so I'll have to wait a few days before I can get back into the shop.

[Spoonz]

I hear you on the cold! It's -22*C here right now......my heater will not keep up so I'll have to wait a few days before I can get back into the shop.

Haha it was 5+ here and I'm moaning !

I've got something I'm gonna be doing tommorow
Make shift heater using a propane tank as a wood burner . Watch this space ...

Spoony

Edited by Spoonz, 01 January 2018 - 05:56 AM.

[Shep76S]

Ooh, lovely shed and build!

[g111mds]

Great progress already. Im going to have sort some better lighting out in my garage looking at your pictures.