135 replies to this topic

[Jupitus]

The new beetle! Good thinking Watson! They would probably sit flush with the valance as well.

It looks like we are both media whores by the way. It is your van sat on pallets in this months Mini Mag right? Mine will be featured soon. . .

I spent months looking at cars to see what has the lights flushed into the rear bumper, and the new beetle was the only one I could see that might possibly work. In the end I gave it up and decided just to put another light under the ones I'm going to put on the van. Yes it is my van in minimag - seems like the web forums are a bit of a hunting ground for Jon Betts! Theres another guy in my club who's just had his van done for this series as well.

I read that last night... nice work!!

[gavfoz]

Started to collect some engine bits together whilst the weather is so bad.

So far I have got myself a 1098 block and crank off ebay for £2. I got an MG Metro cam and a pair of twin 1 1/4" carbs. I think I will get the block bored out and pocketed and use a 12G940 head. Should be nice and torquey.

[gavfoz]

Drivers door reskined again. These copy panels are pants. I was going to weld the skin on at the top today but I looked at the fit against the car and was not happy. The gap between door and sill has nice tight and even but the body crease were about 1/8th of an inch too high. Took the skin off, repositioned it, reshaped the bottom of the door skin to actually fit the door, folded the edges over again, welded it to the frame and primered the bare metal bits. Much happier now.

[Retro_10s]

looking good GavFoz!... I like the strawb and cream colour better though hehe, a great project and sure to be winner mate

[gavfoz]

Cheers Retro! You finished painting your car yet?

Still undecided on colour scheme. Admitedly the white/blue combo does looks better on vans/estate than saloon Mini. To be honest I think painting is still along way off if this "summer" weather continues like it is.

Not done anything today except try out different hangover cures . Trying to deciding what to do engine wise is fun. I have a complete A+ 998 and a non-A+ 1098 block and crank sat outside. Wondering wether to use the 1098 crank in the 998 block as I can't see any difference between the two blocks. I want a chav-challenger and not a motorway-muncher and I think the extra torque that I will gain from the longer stroke crank, MG metro cam and the extra displacment should give me somewhere in the region of 60 horses at the fly and in theory pull like a train, a Hornby model train maybe!

Placed an order with MiniSpares this afternoon. Only managed to spend £60 so I guess I have most things I need now just no shell to hang them on!

[Retro_10s]

Yup, The only differnce between the 998's and the 1098's block was the crank and pistons.

Cheers Retro! You finished painting your car yet?

No, I've sold the car

[gavfoz]

No, I've sold the car

I knew that! Thats why your looking for a new one. Did you all know I am blonde

Got bored at work today so found a scrappy or three to have a rumage within. Found no real Minis, only a rear ended and rolled BMW Mini Cooper S. . . which would of so kindly donated its supercharger if the scrapman hadn't wanted 300notes for it!. Also carefully picked what I though was a complete Edis 4 system out a Fiesta only to find someone had cut the wires where the crankshaft postion sensor should be. Nevermind. I just raided the Escort next to it and the Fiesta beyond that! I hope these units are good. When I had my old Fiesta I used to have troubles with the position sensor failing. I hope when using Megajolt etc when the sensor is open to the elements it proves to be a hardy unit.

Adds Megajolt unit to wanted list. . .

[gavfoz]

Done no more on the Mini. Did anyone spot me and the mini in this months (Autumn edition) Mini Mag?

This weekend I stripped the transmission out of the Land Rover so I can change the gearbox and sort the leaky crank seal. What a fag of a job. Dropped it all out the bottom and dragged it from under the chassis. If I had an engine hoist I could of just lifted the hole unit out the passenger door. . .

[Retro_10s]

I now have a 1984 mayfair too!

[minivanman]

I saw you in Mini mag Gav - nice write up mate!

[GiroUnit]

yep i spotted you in mini mag, the whole working outside thing only for it to rain two minutes later, its err.. fun huh.. all worth it in the end, well thats what i keep telling myself!

[mini mad tom]

how did mini mag spot you to do the write up o and nice project

[mini mad tom]

any updates

[gavfoz]

Hello! I am back! Well whats been going on? I recently took delivery of a brand new VW Polo and in a mad moment I declared German technology was the greatest and I instantly turned my back on the humble British offering of the Mini. Not only that I cut the shell up into small enough pieces to fit in the Polo and junked the lot and have replaced it with a V-Dub Beetle. Only kidding! Honest!

My now almost famous lump of British engineering is looking very sorry for itself (still). Nothing has really progressed although I have now bought a new tarpolin to cover it over with so I don't spend half an hour bailing the shell out everytime I want to work on it! Is that progress? I guess not. I took to the tip the old carpet and nicotine stained headlining. Sorry, thats not really progress either! Erm, well, I am slowly gathering a load of bits to go too the powder coaters. Top arms, bottom arms and the like. All the new bits are still packed in boxes which is annoying. Some of the bits I have not seen for months! I want them on my car now. Sorry I lied, I wanted them on my car last April!

Everything is falling into place, my shopping list is getting shorter but the items on it are getting more expensive. The nights are coming in so I guess I should tidy the shed so I have somewhere to build an engine! I will get some photos soon of the other nice shinny bits I have bought **cough** KAD **cough**

Thanks to Mini mad tom for showing interest. Mini Mag, well Jon Betts, contacted me about the feature via this forums PM system. I think the feature is really good - I am fed up of looking at Tahiti Blue Zeemax'ed saloons with 4 trillion watt stereos. Although having said that Mini Mag has stayed away from them types for quiet a while now.

Hello also to Jake Blues who I randomly met in the BP station in Coventry. Nice talking to ya.

Gav

Edited by gavfoz, 21 December 2007 - 04:21 PM.

[gavfoz]

Going to be converting the Land Rover from 24v petrol to 12v diesel seeing as a good quality diesel lump is sat outside under a tarp and should really be fitted to something. I guess that means the Mini will take a back seat again. . . briefly. Sorry folks!

How should I be treating the underside of my shell people? A good coat of Hammerite and some Waxoyl? Should I be stone-chiping the lot as well?