24 replies to this topic

[robbur]

Thanks JohnR

 

A little more progress with cutting out rust in preparation to fitting the offside floor.

 

The floor looks like its going to fit okay when all the surrounding area is repaired.

 

 

I needed to fit the heal board repair panel, which meant lining up the rear sub-frame bolts. On the near side mounting only the top hole next to the boot floor had a nut in it, the other one had come away with the rotten bodywork. I made a template by drilling through the sub-frame mounting brackets which were still on the removed sub-frame. To get the angle to fit against the boot floor I had to had to cut a rebate out of the centre of the angle.

 

 

A lot of trial fitting of the repair panel and floor, everything eventually lined up nicely. Whilst I was working in that area I cut out some of the rusty areas of the boot floor / seat pan, that would be difficult get to once the floor was fitted.

 

Edited by robbur, 10 April 2020 - 10:58 AM.

[Bdshim]

Nice work , nice to see it being restored

[robbur]

A small update, the floor is now cut to size and held in place with but clamps and tek-screws

 

 

[sonscar]

Looking good ready for lengthy welding session.Steve..

[robbur]

In between other work this has this had dragged on a little, but at least the floor is now ready. I decided to go belt and braces with rust prevention, taking the surrounding surfaces back to clean metal and then treating them with Firtan before etch priming and adding a layer of top coat to all areas that would be hidden once the floor was welded.

 

 

 

 

[blacktulip]

Nice work. Just goes to show the effort needed to do a good job!

[robbur]

The floor is now welded to the gearbox tunnel, heal board, cross member and companion box. A new repair plate has been fabricated and installed to join the floor to the toe board. There is quite a large angled overlap between the floor and toe board that was originally double row spot welded, I imagine it was to increase the rigidity in this area, so making sure the repair has the same strength.

 

 

[robbur]

With the toe board repair plate welded, including the support plate on the inside, the sub-frame holes template I made earlier, was refitted and the mounting holes drilled. A bit more cleaning up of the welds followed by treating any exposed metal with Firtan and then coating with etch primer and I am about done with the first floor panel. My attention is going to move on to the rear wing, door step and hinge post next.

 

 

 

[Bdshim]

Great work coming on well

[robbur]

If you had been following this post or my website, you will have probably noticed that there hasn’t been any updates for a few years. Family commitments, full time work and health has brought my projects to a standstill and unfortunately I can't see a time when I will be able to get back to the rebuild, so sadly I have decide its time to let it go.

 

If you, or you know of anyone who is looking for a project or donor car please point them at this post.

 

I have put a page on my website giving a photographic breakdown (around 40 photos) of the minis parts and where I have got with the body work. It can be seen at: https://www.rab3d.com/austin-mini-005.php

 

 

 

Edited by robbur, 04 April 2026 - 07:53 PM.