1498 replies to this topic

[analogue_radio]

You're kidding? Same story with my girlfriend (now ex) we both kept each other going at college for ages and ages, it's all good news

I'm sure your 5" exactons will look spot on, can they be run archless?

It's getting dark and it's spitting, but I think I might wrap up and go and do some work on her

Edited by theIMAGE, 26 March 2009 - 05:54 PM.

[Deathrow]

Haha, that's unreal. Me and my ex were the same, she was living with me in her last year, but when she finished college and I still had a year left, she cheated on me with someone out of her class. That's where good mates come in to play . But I have to thank her for getting me in to college.

Just cut the valves off my exactons and given the bits that still have primer on them another coat of nitromors, having tea now and then I'll go pressure wash them, should get the last of the paint off the faces .

They can't be run archless, they just and so poke out of Mini Special arches, so I'm going to run those, should look good . What arches are you planning on for b?

[analogue_radio]

My bird cheated on me! well the day she broke up she went out at night and got stupidly drunk and kissed a lad.. who apparently she had liked for a while, just didn't think it was a good idea to tell me.. oh well, true colours isn't it? done with relationships for now, bring on Uni

Sounds really nice, how much did you pick them up for? If you don't mind me asking

Haven't really thought about arches yet.. I'm not sure how far they will stick out, maybe some works? I'll stick them on the rear when I get my hands on them and measure how far they stick out.

[analogue_radio]

Oh I forgot my update!

Didn't do much as I didn't expect the shell to weigh that much, did undo the top two tower mounts & also the two tear drop bushes at the front.. jacked up the front valance so I could see that I'd separated everything and I had



Because the mini is parked on a slight downhill, It's going to be a mission to lift the shell upwards and wheel it backwards. So I think on Sunday I'll bring out the angle grinder and chop the front off, then with Dads help guide the engine and subby out by wheeling it forwards.

[Deathrow]

Gah, it's such a horrible feeling. I didn't find out she'd cheated on me until about 4 months later, but that just brought it all back up and made me feel even worse. It's done and dusted now and there's been rubbish since then but I seem to keep finding the crazy girls who either mess about or don't really know what they want. Yeah you'll enjoy Uni, smart girls seem to know how to dress hot, regardless of the weather . Sort of wish I'd opted to stay on campus in my second year, but I'll definitly go back on in my third.

Not at all, I got the original set of five for £60 but two of them were a bit questionable so I bought another from a mini specialist for £15. One of the questionable ones will be beaten back to shape and used as a spare .

Arches are tricky business, if you ask me they can make or break the look of a car just by themselves.

EDIT: Just saw your update. I'd agree with wheeling the subframe out after chopping the front.

I have to push Elliot back up a slight hill by myself after i've done working on her and it's hard enough doing that without having to support the weight of the shell too.

Edited by Deathrow, 26 March 2009 - 07:04 PM.

[analogue_radio]

At the end of the day for me it was just another young relationship, albeit it my first serious true love.. kinda fairytale thinking I'd grow up with her. Like you said it's all done and dusted, I'm a happy lad now so I can't complain

Completely agree! I think I remember seeing a wheel arch directory on here somewhere so I'll have a scan through that.

Also gonna get some things up for sale to get my funds back up, how much do you think a set of good condition wheels would fetch with all 4 perfectly good tires? (yoko A549's) haven't got a clue what the wheels are..



Those

[Deathrow]

Haha, same with me! I thought to myself towards the end that I'd love to marry her and be with her all my life, but now when I look back I think "What, a flipping, idiot!" because she really wasn't that good for me after all haha.

I thought I had the wheel arch directory bookmarked but I don't .

Anyway, according to this:

http://www.mini-mayf...net/felgen.html

Your wheels appear to be Rover RSP Minilights (this is where Anorak jumps in and shoots me ) but yeah, thats what they look like to me.

[analogue_radio]

No real updates, but I'll be out there tomorrow morning.. hopefully cut the front off & maneuverer the engine & subby out.

What's the correct disc size for cutting through metal on an angle grinder? can't remember the one I used to go through the rear valance but it felt like there was far too much resistance.

[Deathrow]

I don't think there's a "correct" size as long as it's a cutting disc and not a grinding disc and it's designed for metal.

I use the thin 1mm discs, much more accurate and easy to use I find.

[analogue_radio]

Quality update

Engine & subby out! had a fun/dangerous time with the angle grinder.. couldn't find a direct route to take the front off so it came off in a mish mash of 3 chunks rather than just one, but it's not that important because it's all being scrapped anyway.

Only thing I forgot to disconnect was the heater valve something so small & simple man!

So, pictures..











Hmm.. what to do next..

[1275 SPRITE]

lookin good, thats a big step foreward!
You could strip the subby and engine, chop the rest of the front off and do the flip front, or loads of other things now the engine and subby is out of the way!
Nice one

[analogue_radio]

Cheers James

Yup I've got plenty to do! I won't line up the flip front until I've replaced all the panels at the front, 'cause if the panels are in a different position then it won't like up nicely. I also need to raise some more funds | but for now I'll be focusing on the engine & subby. Dad said we can get a coat of paint down on the garage floor this Easter & then I can move in, so bodywork can wait for now.




EDIT: & yeah I'll cut the rest of the front off, need to lift the shell up and away from the wall so I can get down that side.. not too sure how to split spot welds either.. |

Edited by theIMAGE, 29 March 2009 - 01:43 PM.

[AndrewJ530]

Only thing I forgot to disconnect was the heater valve something so small & simple man!

I told you you would forget something .

not too sure how to split spot welds either..

With a pry bar and a big hammer .

Don't forget to save bits of the old bodywork to practise welding on.

Edited by AndrewJ530, 29 March 2009 - 04:07 PM.

[minivanman]

To split spot welds use a grinding disc to grind most of the way through it, then use a thin chisel and hammer to split it. If you just go mad with the hammer without grinding them down they tend to rip the bottom layer of steel as well. As Deathrow said, use the thin 1mm discs for cutting metal, I tend to hardly use grinding discs unless its for splitting spot welds or cleaning up a big blob of weld. For normal grinding I use flap discs, they're much more gentle than a grinder and they give a much better finish for bodywork. If you're taking A panels off, grind down the edge thats folded back on itself next to the door until you can see the A post between the A panel, then theres just a couple of spot welds to split.

[Deathrow]

I bought one of these for tackling spot welds:

http://cgi.ebay.co.u...P...:1|240:1318

Center punch your spot weld, run that drill bit in to it slowly (not all the way through) and then use a bolster chisel and hammer to seperate the two pannels. Works a treat for me.

Have to agree with the flap discs, especially for cleaning up welds. Just go easy with them, and let them do all the work.