52 replies to this topic

[fiestaharry]

On a bit of a whim, i placed a bid on a mini van ending on Ebay. Knew it was going to be pretty rough, but didnt expect to have to replace the whole bulkhead/ cross member. Anyway i will let the pictures do the talking:

 

How it arrived:

 

 

I cut the bulkhead off from the tops of the A pillars as there was no structure holding anything together:

 

 

Bit of pulling, squaring up and some bracing, made it look a little better:

 

 

Cut out what was left of the old subframe:

 

 

Did some paint stripping this morning on it:

 

 

It is the rustiest car i have taken on to date, but except for the bulkhead and cross member replacement it is no different than any other early mini i have done. 

 

Planning on doing with magnums new bulkhead and cross member, a heritage full front scuttle and outer pillar section and then a bunch of bits from m-machine and hertitage.

 

[fiestaharry]

A small video of how it arrived in the garage:

 

[wile e coyote]

bloody helll! - hope that came with a complimentary dustpan & brush you sir are a far braver man than I  - but  cracking progress already....

[Homersimpson]

You know its bad when the front subframe has rotted into two parts.

 

You must need a wheel barrow to carry your cahonies around in!

 

At least all the panels are available, it will be an epic journey

 

[steeley]

I hop it was cheap

[greenwheels]

Perhaps the front end slipped into another space time dimension. Maybe if you manage drag it back into this dimension we are all in there will be someone sitting in the drivers seat.

[Maccmike8]

Youre braver than me but we do have one thing in common, same workshop hoover 

[myredmini]

My van was in similar state, I have a pile of salvageable panels and will be eventually rebuilt

[fiestaharry]

Got a pair of doors together for the van, as usual needed bottoms and a skin on each. Loads of sanding to bare metal on the frames. 

 

Mixed up some 2k paint and applied it just by a brush to anywhere where you have metal on metal to protect it.

 

 

 

Ideal only having half a van as you have loads of space in the workshop!

 

 

Drivers door in place, used 3mm spacers to set the gap off the quarter and used a laser line to set the swage line so it is dead straight though the car. 

 

 

Put a large order in with m-machine and done a small somerford order so some more updates should be appearing soon!

[g111mds]

Looks better already! Great project.

[Shep76S]

Looks better already! Great project.

Followed!

[fiestaharry]

Also did the passenger side this afternoon and test fitted the windscreen surround:

 

 

Obviously will be messing with gaps will just keep playing around with it now till everything starts fitting nice. 

[wingnut]

Great work, this is moving along very quickly

[fiestaharry]

Been working on the rear doors, pretty happy with them, took some fettling and im still going to work on them gapping up better when the seals arrive. 

 

Cut the old skin off:

 

 

I used a replacement panel and did the join on the fold line to minimise distortion:

 

 

Tacked it in then smoothed off:

 

 

Refitted (ignore the handle  )

 

 

I carefully removed the old roof vent stiffener and refitted the new vent, just with rivets for now:

 

 

Stripped the interior panel work back to bare metal:

 

 

Thats all for this week im just going to keep neatening it up as much as possible before i collect the main panels.

[MiniMadRacer]

Very interesting project, way beyond my skills, but looking very impressive