297 replies to this topic

[Ben Rose]

I wish I'd photographed more of my MPI while stripping it, but luckily I can use your build as a reference now, ha ha.

Your welcome!   

[Ben Rose]

Just read through the thread, keep up the good work, and don't worry about the speed you're going at, progress is progress!

Thank you! 

[Ben Rose]

Very brief update, I took the passenger side door off and sheared off all four bolts event after spraying them with penetration fluid every day for a week.  Gutted.  Another small task t add to the list.
If anyone has experiance in fixing this common issue and has any tips they can offer I would appreciate it!!
 
Door off (you can see how bad the N/S wing was).  The arch practically fell off.
 


Disk is clearly unrecoverable and Callipers don't look far behind. Its amazing what sitting still on a drive for a year and in a garage for 4 years does to a car.

Edited by Ben Rose, 22 July 2019 - 08:53 AM.

[rich_959]

The old tin worm is a powerful thing isn't it! If your arches are in decent condition, hang on to them as it seems originals are getting hard to find. I stupidly gave a set away to a chap who bought some other bits and pieces that I didn't need after stripping my car down. 

[Ben Rose]

The old tin worm is a powerful thing isn't it! If your arches are in decent condition, hang on to them as it seems originals are getting hard to find. I stupidly gave a set away to a chap who bought some other bits and pieces that I didn't need after stripping my car down. 

Mad, genuinely believe they must have cut corners on these later 99-00 cars.  Good tip about the arches.  Mine seem OK so I'll keep hold tight.

[Ben Rose]

On to the interior removal...
 
Front seat brackets look a bit rusty but saveable.


Carpet looks good so I am going to try to recondition it. Just these little protection plates need to be removed and replaced. Not sure how to do that yet.


Little self tappers holding rear seat in.


Rear door bins are dirty but saveable.



Reminding myself the order the seatbelt goes back in.


Stone chip inside rear door bin??



And on panel under rear seat. panels look in relatively good condition.





Enough for tonight.

[Ben Rose]

Found the original manuals too which I'm really pleased about.

[johnR]

You might as well get new discs but the callipers usually clean up OK - easiest way is to have them blasted (crimp the pipes and leave the unions in place so media doesn't get inside them)and either zinc plate or paint them.

[Ben Rose]

You might as well get new discs but the callipers usually clean up OK - easiest way is to have them blasted (crimp the pipes and leave the unions in place so media doesn't get inside them)and either zinc plate or paint them.

Cheers John. I'll try cleaning them up and post results on here.

[Ben Rose]

So managed to get a bit more done over the weekend...I am still pushing to get the wiring loom out and then engine.

Remaining seat belts out, rest of rear seat and rear door cards. The positive is the rear of the car seems in good condition.




Starting to pull the dash apart. Scared of what I will find as the rust falling on to the floor is incredible.





Plenty of sound deadening I can reuse as it looks to be in good condition considering what it is hiding.



First bolt removed on passenger side holding dash in



Don't know what this small illumination box "post 97 is". Must have changed the dash lighting for MPI.



Second bolt removed in centre of dash through radio hole.



Third and last bolt on drivers side is much more hidden.



I was fiddling with the dash when I managed to just pull off the entire top dash pad!!!!!!!! what the hell. It just fell apart in my hands.





















Dash is out...





Back of Dash, it appears the rev counter is a separate module to the speed and temp gauges..







Laminate is coming away from the dash, repairable?







Behind the dash looks bad, I'm guessing there should be some kind of top rail which came away with the dash pad.









Boxing all the dash up..



Back out there tonight..






 

[cooperd70]

Great detail you have there in the photos your posting...keep up the good work. shame it wasn't a project started so that it was finished in time for the IMM! You'll have to get it to a show once it's restored as we'll all want to take a butchers ?

[Ben Rose]

Great detail you have there in the photos your posting...keep up the good work. shame it wasn't a project started so that it was finished in time for the IMM! You'll have to get it to a show once it's restored as we'll all want to take a butchers

Ahh cheers, yeah may be next year! When its finished I'll definitely be going to some shows.

Edited by Ben Rose, 29 July 2019 - 07:13 PM.

[bdean]

I wish I'd photographed more of my MPI while stripping it, but luckily I can use your build as a reference now, ha ha.

 

Agreed  I haven't taken nearly enough photo's when stripping my MPi so this thread will really come in handy. I sent my wiring loom away to be fully tested and repaired and should hopefully get it back soon (with a few upgrades). Not looking forward to trying to put it back in    

[Ben Rose]

I wish I'd photographed more of my MPI while stripping it, but luckily I can use your build as a reference now, ha ha.

Agreed I haven't taken nearly enough photo's when stripping my MPi so this thread will really come in handy. I sent my wiring loom away to be fully tested and repaired and should hopefully get it back soon (with a few upgrades). Not looking forward to trying to put it back in

Good luck! I'm completely new to restoring a car so the number of photos was really to document my progress and to help me out putting it all back together. If its helping others too then it makes it even more worth it.

I've just got the original carpet up and the floor looks great. I'm just trying to figure out how best to remove the heater unit and wiring behind the dash.

So far it seems my major issues will be the front end.

[rich_959]

Yours is similar to my MPI Ben, with the difference being that someone had done a lot of the front end repairs previously (albeit to a poor standard). Everything from the front bulkhead backwards on mine is remarkably solid, but I can only assume that water ingress from the screen did most of the damage at the front. It had had a dodgy scuttle replacement and new front end, but I think it was Stevie Wonder who did the panel fitting. It's all had to come off again, including inner wings etc.

 

Back when I had a brand new MPI in 1998, I remember parking mine up wet in my parents garage (I know, I know, I was young and stupid) and was horrifed just a month later with the surface rust I found in the engine bay. You can see what dry ventilated storage does for a mini by looking at the MPI that Ben at Mill Road Garage is currently working on. Just goes to show, even these late cars can survive!!