109 replies to this topic

[neil_g]

i stuck some hammerite down temporarily as it had a bit of a leak and i feared the floor would rot out.

rollcage came from minisport i think, was actually a present. try their website for up to date prices

[ministe]

unfortunately not, im waiting on the landlord/property owners to replace the garage roof over the next couple of weeks then i can fit the place out with a workbench and toolbox etc.

then my current line of thought is strip it back down to the shell and get it painted (PITA since ive replaced the rear subby already) and rebuild.

but i need some cash also.

Shame

I hope everything can get going for you again soon!

[neil_g]

A well overdue project update, haven't done one for a while as a new job put pay to fannying around on the net all day...!

Now the garage is water-tight and all my tools are out there its starting to progress quite quickly (mind you, stripping is the easy bit lol)






Since last time pretty much everything bar the subframes downward and engine have been stripped out. All electrics have gone (apart from the rear fog which'll need drilling), the loom is labled up and in my bottom drawer for the time being, all of the glass is out, servo has gone (wow there's alot of room under the hood now), rear section of cage is back out, any section of body/trim that was bolted on has gone, only reason the steering column and pedal box is still in is for moving the shell about.

It's nice and light now, even with a full weight rear subby i can lift the back end by hand..




Tank needs taking out but I need to drain it down first.




With any luck the engine will be out this weekend if my mate remembers to bring the crane home from work.




Then it's time for welding/bodywork, as you can see the scuttle is pretty knackered. Also rear bins need removing, along with the back seat, the drivers side sill needs some tlc and the interior light bracket needs removing otherwise it'll foul the cage, front end will probably come off too. When i've decided on seats i need a 2nd x-member welded onto the floor so i can sort some way of mounting them up.

Stay tuned, should have some more news after the weekend..

[airman87]

i got a white sprite aswell!!! isn't near as powerful as yours tho

[neil_g]

Well that was a productive bank holiday monday, 6 hours start to finish (with mowing the grass halfway through - now thats multi-tasking!) and the grubby little engine is out.

not as hard as i thought it was going to be, only had one rounded nut to deal with and i got my punch stuck in the gear selector rod pin at one point but that was overcome with a bit of brute force and ignorance..!

the engine looks much bigger out of the car..

time for a clean up and check over of the block and the shell can have the welding done when ive decided on seats.

[minivanman]

brute force with lashings of ignorance never fail (usually ) looking good though! I like the aftermarket filler neck as well!

[Mincento]

looks pretty solid from pics? pictures can be deceiving though so im guessing its totally rotten? nice project though and a nice clean working area to do it

good luck with it

wayne

[neil_g]

the shell is actually pretty sound, bar the odd patch or two (oh and i may need a new floorpan passenger side as it always bends inwards on axle stands).

trouble is im a perfectionist, so its now getting stripped back down to bare shell, having the welding that needs doing, prepping the shell for internal lines/cage/seats/dash/1 piece front etc, having a full respray (colour tba) and then the rebuild.

[blacktulip]

just read your whole project, not to say im well jealous lol, brilliant mate!!

[neil_g]

quick update:

started pulling the engine apart, way too hot to be sat in the garage (especially while trying to remove the flywheel/clutch).

flywheel cover off and flywheel/clutch removed (after a huge amount of effort and it finally pinging off across the garage floor..) oil seal definately needs replacing by the look of it.





the rest of the flywheel housing off. yum, straight cut drops..




also had a quick peak through one of the holes at the straight cut box. yum yum!

next job, get the oil seal replaced, split the block and 'box, clean up, check over and paint.

still on the search for feather-weight super skinny seats.

[miniboo]

featherweight superskinny seats= smudgers fibreglass ones or the Kirkey ally ones(if you have lots of cash)

[neil_g]

have looked at the kirkeys, fixings may be an issue though. plus theyre a rip off at UK prices compare to what they sell at in the states..

[neil_g]

more engine piccies (56k'ers give up now lol)..

first disapointment is that i dont appear to have a lightened fly like i was told when i bought the mini



yum yums. all cogs look in fantastic condition. only thing i might want to do is clean the oil pickup as the mesh is clogged with silver paint fragments.



on the stand, the arse end of the crank. wont be doing anything with this. already has center main.




no signs of major wear on the cam which is good.



head needs a bit of a clean..




as does the block, but the bores are pretty much mint. still got the cross-hatch markings from the re-bore. omegas could do with a clean..

[neil_g]

finally decided on seats, got a single kirkey lightweight 20 deg layback on order so that i can get the welding done for fitting while the shell is in for its tidy up.

mmm, comfy..

Edited by neil_g, 02 August 2006 - 01:57 PM.

[timothy]

I love your project! I've just bought a white sprite to build into a fast road project, I would love to do a complete strip down and rebuild like this but don't think I have the time or space really, as i'm off to uni again in october.

Keep up the progress, i love this thread!