116 replies to this topic

[paulrockliffe]

Hello all,

I'm not about to embark on a full-blown project, at least not today, but I have lots of bits and pieces to sort out on my new baby, no big jobs, some medium jobs and lots of small jobs, so I thought I'd start a mini project thread so you can see how I'm getting on and I can bombard you all with questions!

Jason is a Mini Minus based on a 1975 Mini 1000, he sports a 1300 MG Engine with twin HS2s and a custom twin exit exhaust, Cooper S 7.5" discs and 10" Revolite wheels.

The obligatory pics:































My plan is to get him on the road first, as the impression I get from driving him around the drive is that he'll be bloody good fun!! Once we're all road legal I have a list of things I want to alter, change, replace, add or remove that I'll work through when I have time, though I'm sure there'll always be things to do!

Jobs for MOT:

Setup the carbs; Jason is running far too rich and all my petrol is being turned to soot!
Wire up all the gauges and instruments and sort out the headlight wiring. (the switches do odd things!)
Fit rear view mirror and stop the wing mirrors moving about
Fit the choke cable
Fill up the screen wash bottle and adjust spray nipples

Jobs to keep Jason happy:

Replace the throttle cable to carb inteface with something that looks a bit less bodged
Fit the heater hot/cold select cable
Remove the sub-box assemblies from the rear of the car to save some weight and to allow the seats to be moved back properly
Swap seats and seatbelts for the ones from my last car
Fit stereo and CB Radio
Adjust bonnet catch fitment
Fix one of the bonnet mounts as the fibreglass has detached from the inside of the bonnet
Rolling road tune
New Wing Mirrors
Clear rear lights with custom LED bulbs
Third brake light - LED strip
New door seals
Fit rev counter
Fit alarm, immobiliser, electric windows and central locking kit from my last mini
Fit bonnet chrome lip panel
Wire up the heated rear windscreen
Sort out some internal lighting

Long term jobs:

New dashboard
Some big bright spot lights (?)
Change wheels/tyres and arches
Move the rollcage further back behind the drivers head
Remove clutter from the boot, ie. badge, number plate light, hinges, lock etc
Alter steering wheel position
Fit an electric radiator fan
Change the grille

Anyway, I'll be keeping you all up to date and asking lots of questions, so don't forget to pop by!

[paulrockliffe]

First few questions for you to ponder:

Can someone explain to me the basic principle behind the wiring of this three clock dash please:



I know how things wire up, but I don't know what the what the bit top left with the two green wires coming out is for, whether it should have more wires on or why it is wired to the fuel gauge? Is it some sort of resistor?

Where can I get replacement bulb holders for the little lights around the outside of the speedo?

On the front, there is a green light at the top, and then orange lights to the left and to the right. What are these all for? Orange for indicators, green for headlights?

The temperature guage has a wire from this 'resistor' at the top, does it need earthing from the other terminal?

The oil pressure gauge - what am I missing, is the plastic hose snapped off or is there something that screws over the connector?

I hate electrics because I can do them but they're too time consuming and fiddly!!

Cheers!

[Jammy]

Wow, that looks really nice. I love the colour. Did you fit the SD cage? I assume its been cut down?

[MiNi FiZ]

was this the one on ebay?

looks beautiful dude

[paulrockliffe]

Wow, that looks really nice. I love the colour. Did you fit the SD cage? I assume its been cut down?

I didn't fit the cage myself, but it was cut down to fit, it seems too close to my head though so I want to move it further back at some point, though I'm going to move the seats further back too once the sub box is out of the way. Do you know if the Minus shell is shorter in the footwell (does that make sense?) I seem to have lost leg room somewhere between the front of the car and the B posts - what's yours like?

[*Raz*]

Phwoar!!!!

[paulrockliffe]

was this the one on ebay?

looks beautiful dude

Yeah, a few months ago, took a while for me to finish paying for him and then get him trailered up here. Incidently, the guy I bought him from has found a barn full of fibreglass car bodies, that includes another Minus!

[MiNi FiZ]

was this the one on ebay?

looks beautiful dude

Yeah, a few months ago, took a while for me to finish paying for him and then get him trailered up here. Incidently, the guy I bought him from has found a barn full of fibreglass car bodies, that includes another Minus!

[Jammy]

Yea, I believe there is 4 inchs cut out from the bottom of the door, and if you think where the sill would be, thats a lot shallower, so the footwell won't be as deep/high.

Do you know if yours is on the Mini Minus register? www.miniminus.co.uk

If it is or isn't, PM 'Gadgets' to let him know your the new owner!

[paulrockliffe]

Yea, I believe there is 4 inchs cut out from the bottom of the door, and if you think where the sill would be, thats a lot shallower, so the footwell won't be as deep/high.

Do you know if yours is on the Mini Minus register? www.miniminus.co.uk

If it is or isn't, PM 'Gadgets' to let him know your the new owner!

Cheers, that makes sense, should be ok when the seats are further back I think, at the moment reverse gear traps my knee between steering wheel and gear lever!

I'm number 5 on the register off the top of my head, Gadget already knows about me as I sent him the pics from the ebay add a while ago,I'll keep him up-to-date with things and make sure there's loads fo photos and info on the register.

[Jammy]

Cool. I've just got a SD rear roll cage and am about to start modifying it to fit. I have the front of my seat just in front of the back of the crossmember and find its slightly too far back for me. I'm going to be changing my gearlever for an internal one and moving the seat forward to get everything where I like it.

Had any problems with leaks yet?

[mike.]

oh my god its tiny! It looks wayy smaller than other minus pics i'v seen!

Can i have a ride in it when its done

Good luck!

[paulrockliffe]

Cool.

Well if you need any pics of how mine is fitted I can sort you out, once I've popped my passenger seat out and removed all the plywood. I haven't been able to see how the roll cage is fitted yet, so can't offer a lot of help right now!

I think my seat is in about the same place as yours, I'm only 5'10" at a push, though I do like to stretch my legs out! How does an internal gear lever help, can you move it back/forward? I was thinking if it was a problem I'd just get a dog-leg machined up for it.

My passenger door leaks when it rains, I'm thinking maybe some of those Wood and Picket door surroundy things might a) sort it and b) look good. I'm not really too worried, as it's not going to rust for a while!

Oh my god its tiny!

Maybe it's those pics, it's no smaller than normal, though it is lowered as far as it will go, I might measure the ground clearance when I remember, to see if it'll go over the speed bumps on my road.

You can have a ride sometime, hoping to get it on the road in the next couple of weeks, though it may well all rest on whether I can get the speedo cable into the engine!

[panelbeaterpeter]

Nice!! I swear I saw that in minimagazine or miniworld about 5 years ago.. definitely one the same colour, and I'm sure the wheels are the same.

[paulrockliffe]

Nice!! I swear I saw that in minimagazine or miniworld about 5 years ago.. definitely one the same colour, and I'm sure the wheels are the same.

July 2000, if anyone has a copy lying around I would very much like it!