1498 replies to this topic

[Deathrow]

I wouldn't take it anywhere to have welding done except a car restoration place. You're much better getting a welder and learning. If you keep an eye out on eBay you might even get lucky locally .

I taught myself entirely and plenty of people have said my welding is very good. It's pretty easy to pickup once you've had a good read through www.mig-welding.co.uk

You'll love it once you get stuck in, it's really rewarding.

Not to mention you get to say "Yeah, I did that!". Thats why I've been so reluctant to let anyone do anything on my car. So far I've done it all.

Edited by Deathrow, 04 August 2009 - 10:14 PM.

[analogue_radio]

Yeah that's exactly it! everything you see since I failed the MOT, I've done myself. I want to be able to stand back when she's finished and admire all the blood, sweat and tears.

I know I can learning welding, I learn quickly with things that are hands on, so it shouldn't be a problem. Plus with the help on here and other welding forums like the one you stated above, also having mates round to give me a hand and some help learning, it'll be a doddle!

[Deathrow]

Thats the spirit .

Just keep your eyes peeled for a good deal on a welder.

Edited by Deathrow, 04 August 2009 - 10:46 PM.

[analogue_radio]

MIG is better than TIG for this job right? & gas or non gas?

[Deathrow]

MIG is better than TIG for this job right? & gas or non gas?

Tig would be better but cost and skill are the question.

Mig will do the job just fine.

I use gasless and find it fine, some people say gasless is *melon*, but once you get the nack of it it's just fine. Using gas will help you get cleaner welds though I believe.

[pickupapickup]

Not an interesting update, but still an update.

Rang around today to find out some prices for my sand blasting needs, a bloke near me quoted £85 per subframe to be shotblasted and painted in 2k paint.. which isn't really want I want at all.

Came here and mini_mad_daps suggested a bloke in Long Eaton, about 20ish miles from here, so I phoned him up and he's quoted me a rough price of £80ish for both subframes to be sandblasted and powdercoated, along with a box of various brackets and pullies.

I'm chuffed, payday this Friday so I can get a few bits ordered.. planning on MITP so I'll only order the light bits & most importantly a cone compressor so I can get this front subby stripped and ready for revamping.

& yeah just hit MITP and buy the heavy, bulky and everything else there.

Also going to buy some primer & start sorting some rust out.. around the roof gutter & rear window quarters.

Excited

Wo wo wo there tiger, thats a bargain, do you mind pm'ing his number? Cheers bud!

[analogue_radio]

There should be a thread under Bodywork, titled 'How much would you expect to pay for' bit of info there and some photos of the work he's done

[1987_ParkLane]

Looking good Luke, welding is really easy to pick up, I've been doing it over the past month at work, on different sizes and thicknesses of metal, and you soon pick up the skill, let us know how you get on with the welding stuff .

[GreaseMonkey]

I say go for getting a welder and giving it a go yourself. I would much prefer welding the mini myself unless you take it somewhere who deal in classic cars or are mini specialists. If you do it yourself or take it to a specialist at least you know things have been done right like seams plug/spot welded instead of someone running a couple of stitch welds.

Don't be fooled into thinking once your welding it will come together pretty quick which it will but it does take time especially when your making your own patches, measuring pieces out and then cutting them out, then a lot of trial fitting, ummm and arrrs then you find after all that hard work that some bits you cut out dont actually work how you thought they would and your back to the drawing board. I guess thats part of the fun though, thinking about how you will tackle an area.

As Deathrow says it is rewarding and when its all finished you know how its been welded as its you whos done it and once you get into doing it you can tackle more areas like a piece of cake

Edited by GreaseMonkey, 05 August 2009 - 05:50 PM.

[AndrewJ530]

Welding is always a good skill to have bud (especially owning a mini aswell lol).

It's not as if you don't have the time to learn lol.

Plus it will save you so much money. £150 for a decent welder and rods whereas it could cost 3 times that at a restoration garage.

Andrew

[analogue_radio]

Good update today, spent most of my morning & afternoon doing naff all.. then I got round to ringing Minispares and asking if the Cone Compressor was in stock.. it wasn't, something to do with it being a faulty product and they wouldn't have any more in until the problem with the manufacture had been resolved. I really need to get the sub-frames stripped as soon as possible, so asked on here if I could use an angle grinder and just cut the cones in half. Turns out you can just knocked the pin through and with some brute force wiggle the whole lot free, easy! saves me £30!

So once I'd done that I was on a role and carried on stripping stuff, sub-frame and some bits on the interior. Stripping the shell bare so when I'm ready to start the bodywork I can as soon as possible and also getting bits ready for Sand Blasting and Powercoating.

Pictures


All the bits from the front sub-frame out, bar the lower suspension arms.. can't figure out how they come out!


Driveshafts, the gator was split anyway so I just decided to cut it open and remove. Seals need replacing as it was leaking oil a bit before.


Seat brackets, little thing done but I completely forgot about them! will be Sand Blasted and Powercoated up, BRG maybe?


Bottom dash rail removed, really want to leave this out so I'll look and see what people have done with the switch panel.


Started removing the pedal box, but can't seem to remove these two nuts.. this photo was shot through the rust hole in my wing there is a lip on the black panel so getting a spanner in is impossible.


And I still need to remove this from the rear sub-frame! advice?

Payday tomorrow but I think I'm saving my money for Santa pod so I'll pick all the bits up there.

[Pauly]

The pedal box is held on with snap bolts, you need to saw a grove in the head of the bolt (not the nut, they are captive) and undo with a flat blade screwydriver .

Getting there though mate, looking good.

Paul.

[analogue_radio]

I'll do that tomorrow, cheers!

I'll be a buzzing whilst my bits are getting Shot Blasted and Powdercoated, planning on clearing out the garage and giving the floor and tools a proper clean and de-grease, in preparation for some clean & top notch rebuilding, excited.

Need to strip down the rear drums so I can get the backplates done, bet there is loads I haven't thought about!

[Deathrow]

Looking good luke!

Yeah, the nuts you were trying to undo are captive you silly sausage . I never even considered sawing a slit in to them and using them as flat blade screws, nice one Pauly!

I'm starting to get excited now, I've done things in the backwards order to you, so I've got all the dismantling/cleaning/painting and then the nice shiny rebuild with new bits .

Keep it coming dude.

[analogue_radio]

Cheers Adam!

Hopefully in a few months (before Christmas) I'll be nearing completion with the engine & subframes, that includes the clutch, ancillaries, suspension & braking systems. Good sum of money coming in soon from various jobs I've been doing here and there. I'll try and budget