1498 replies to this topic

[JamesRance]

Forgot about that one.. haha, yeah it's not good.. just surface rust though I think.

hahaha thats exactly what i said, then after poking around theres now a huge hole in it, on both sides, right under the trumpets lol

[analogue_radio]

Big plan,

I thought I'd make a list of the things I need to buy, so I can try and budget as much as possible.
I won't be committing myself to this flip front & panel replacement until I've got the money, otherwise I could get started and soon run out of money, leaving my mini like a sitting duck.

Of course my MOT is priority in February, but I want to start saving up and getting overtime in at work so I can create a big cash pile.

What is the plan then?

Well I'm converting my front end to a 1 piece front flip, but whilst the front is off I want to convert my doors to MK1, convert the a-panels to MK1, replace the full skuttle, replace the inner wings because they're gone, replace any panels from the doors forward basically.

I'll etch primer, red oxide and then primer again, so I'll have to drive it around like that until I can afford a respray or teach myself to do it. But I've gotta get to that stage first.

So I'm going to make a list of every single thing I need to fit the front flip and replace the panels, breaking it down into sections will make life easier.

FG front flip,

+ Front end 1 piece from TDK (£120) (+£30 for delivery)
+ Brace bars from Minispares (£27.01) Link.
+ Custom made American style hinges from a bloke on here (£40)

Sub-total for FG front excluding brightwork = £217.01

Brightwork for front flip.

+ MK1 grille bundle from Minispares (£120.75) Link.
+ Early indicator units (£11.75) Link.
+ Headlamp quadoptic kit (£31.62) Link.
+ Stick on numberplate from Craigsplates (£10.00)
+ Stainless bumper (£10-£15)
+ Austin Cooper badge from Minispares (£9.58)

Total for everything listed above = £410.71

I think with some bargain hunting, ebay and mini shows I'll bring that down by about £50-£100.
So I'll earn £350 and try and budget that for the front.

I think the sensible idea will be to get the front sorted and then start saving again for the panels behind, seeing as I can remove the front whenever I like and still have access to the panels.

Edited by theIMAGE, 24 September 2008 - 06:02 PM.

[Tom Booth]

Just be sure you modify your door bottom corners on your shell if your fitting MK1 doors, mk3+ doors have square corners, whereas the mk1's have rounded front corners

Sounds good thou!

[analogue_radio]

Yeah Panelbeaterpeter pointed that out to me, I'll see what money I can raise.. if I can afford a pair of second hand MK1 doors I will, if not I'll have to go about modifying them.

But that will all be done when I earn the second lot of money for the panels.

[AndrewJ530]

Ya mayswell paint the number plate on the front bud and save yourself £10 (every penny counts lol). Ed has just done it to the bean and it looks great, i dunno whether ya have seen it but it looks amazing!

[analogue_radio]

Yeah I saw that! Looks so good, but then I remembered I can't afford to spray it yet.. so if I put a stick on plate down or paint it on, I'll just have to do it again when I spray the front.

I think I'll buy a black & white metal plate from craigs plates and use that on the front, then once it's painted buy a stick on one and move the metal plate to the back, I've got one at the back already but I had a go at drilling holes in it and really made a mess so it's looking tired.

[analogue_radio]

Haven't really been able to do much as I still haven't been paid yet, but this friday!

So in the mean time I took about tearing my dashboard out and everything behind it yesterday, I'll gather all the wires and tidy them up. But what I wanted to do was pull out everything to do with the previous audio set up before I owned it so I knew what wires I still had. I need a night with Dad so we can go out and wire it up, so my job was to mount everything.

Speakers were easy but the dashboard needed some butchering to take them. The headunit was a little more tricky but it's sorted now, I'll No More Nails a block of wood onto the metal plate above the heater which the stereo will sit on, I've bent the lugs on the cage so they dig into the vinyl on the inside which means it won't pull forwards or backwards and it sits really nice and flush.



So until I get paid I'll be tidying up my mini a bit more, might even get around to finishing that boot kit..

[mini_mad69]

HI mate, I just read through your entire project, your car is brilliant, all done to a good standard, are you getting the bump sorted soon?

[analogue_radio]

Cheers mate .

It'd be so much better if I had the money.. yeah the bump will be sorted when I manage to get the flip front done, but unfortunately the bloke who was going to sell me the hinges can't so I've either gotta buy a set from America which will cost me £132 or source a second hand set from somewhere.

Dad should be wiring up the headunit this weekend whilst I'm at work and I'll order the radiator on Friday, so perhaps another week or 2 weeks I'll be back on the road listening to music .

Might buy a Voltmeter which I'll put above the headunit so I can keep an eye on my battery level.

[AndrewJ530]

Ya mayswell make those brackets bud. Get some steel and cut them out, wont be that hard, especially if ya have a grinder.

[analogue_radio]

I'll see what happens, but Matrix isn't being that helpful at the minute, not in a bad way! but he's just moved house so there are boxes in the garage & I don't think he comes on here much.

Anyway..

PAYDAY!

The money has come through but it's 70 less than what I thought I was getting so the voltmeter will have to wait! I'll order my bits now and hopefully they'll come before or on next Thursday, I get that day off so I can fit them then.


Ordered!

Edited by theIMAGE, 03 October 2008 - 06:31 AM.

[analogue_radio]

Came home today from a busy weekend working & seeing my girlfriend, I knew Dad was going to wire up my headunit but he went out on an arm and a limb, again! Starts doing one thing and ends up doing everything .

I've just been out and played around with the headunit for a while, really impressed with it and the sound.

Could write up a long list of what Dads done but I'm so tired and need some sleep.

New radiator is coming this week sometime so I can get her on the road, then it's time for a new set of front tyres and then little cosmetic bits whilst saving up for the flip front at the same time.

Updates with pictures soon.

[analogue_radio]

Very impressed with Minispares, placed my order on Friday morning and it arrived today!

So here is a new Uprated 2 Core Performance Radiator, flasher unit & bypass hose.





Can I use my existing radiator cap or will I need a new one? completely forgot!

[analogue_radio]

Had a night out with Dad in the dark and the rain, spent about 2-3 hours and only managed to remove the radiator! Didn't think it'd be so tricky, but nevermind because it's sat on my garage floor.

Tomorrow I'll get some black spray paint and start cleaning the cowl, hoses & also the whole inside of the engine bay that has been covered in a rusty mess.

Dad has also talked about fibreglassing the inside of the wings as a temporary measure to prevent further corrosion, seeing as it's only temp and will give me some time until I can start buying the fg front end and get that fitted.

Getting there .

Pictures,

Couldn't get the bloody bottom hose of so the top half of it was levered off,



Whay!



And it's out,



Awaiting a face lift,



So yeah you can see things are very messy under there, give it a week and it'll be spotless .

[sweetser]

are you still ofter a flip front mate? i might know someone selling one

Luke