The Alternative Italian Job - A Classic Mini Build
Discussion
Superhoop said:
andy43 said:
Spotted the english wheel in one of the pics. This could be interesting!
From this, I can only assume you haven't read through the OP's M Compact thread.. ?? If you haven't, it's worth a read - Be prepared to lose a few hours of your life though.. 
a definite bookmark worthy thread! dream since i was a kid to do up a classic mini. alas i am cack-handed with no mechanical skills whatsoever and living in an apartment with no garage also contributes to this remaining a pipe dream! i will live vicariously through you in this build. thanks for sharing! a true craftsman!
i will live vicariously through you in this build. thanks for sharing! a true craftsman!Fast Bug said:
Superhoop said:
andy43 said:
Spotted the english wheel in one of the pics. This could be interesting!
From this, I can only assume you haven't read through the OP's M Compact thread.. ?? If you haven't, it's worth a read - Be prepared to lose a few hours of your life though.. https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
Superhoop said:
Fast Bug said:
Superhoop said:
andy43 said:
Spotted the english wheel in one of the pics. This could be interesting!
From this, I can only assume you haven't read through the OP's M Compact thread.. ?? If you haven't, it's worth a read - Be prepared to lose a few hours of your life though.. https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
Jonmx said:
Awesome!
I remember as a kid my dad buying a mini that had sat in someone's hedge for 10 years and we spent a good month getting it up and running (circa 1990). Everyone should have a Mini story in their lives.
Its surprising how many Mini's ended up being garden features, I remember a few local to me being in hedges etc. Probably all scrapped now! I remember as a kid my dad buying a mini that had sat in someone's hedge for 10 years and we spent a good month getting it up and running (circa 1990). Everyone should have a Mini story in their lives.
B'stard Child said:
I'm gonna bookmark this just for the journey...............
I actually hate minis after I spend 5 years welding up one for a nephew to see it sold when it was finished!!! The are awful things to work on and rust everywhere (I like Opels and I thought they were bad)
It's probably gonna trigger bad memories
Well, I bet that was a kick in the balls!. When the bodyshells are un-blasted they are quite grotty to work on, once they are blasted and you can actually see what your looking at they are relatively simple things. I actually hate minis after I spend 5 years welding up one for a nephew to see it sold when it was finished!!! The are awful things to work on and rust everywhere (I like Opels and I thought they were bad)
It's probably gonna trigger bad memories
Fast Bug said:
I sold Rovers in 98-00ish, so sold a fair few Mini's as the other sales guys hated them. Quite often they were delivered with rust starting to appear in the gutters, so the state of that doesn't surprise me 
Brilliant , I remember being told that in the last few years of production the steel was sourced elsewhere and was more likely to suffer with corrosion. ayedubya said:
a definite bookmark worthy thread! dream since i was a kid to do up a classic mini. alas i am cack-handed with no mechanical skills whatsoever and living in an apartment with no garage also contributes to this remaining a pipe dream! i will live vicariously through you in this build. thanks for sharing! a true craftsman!
Thank you, I shall try my best to keep everything well documented! i will live vicariously through you in this build. thanks for sharing! a true craftsman!B'stard Child said:
Superhoop said:
Fast Bug said:
Superhoop said:
andy43 said:
Spotted the english wheel in one of the pics. This could be interesting!
From this, I can only assume you haven't read through the OP's M Compact thread.. ?? If you haven't, it's worth a read - Be prepared to lose a few hours of your life though.. https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
So with the Mini blasted, braced and on the rotisserie it was time to start cutting it up and fitting some of the new panels.
The first items to replace were the Inner/Outer Sills and Heel Boards, these were either rusted away, showing signs of corrosion or had some past "iffy" repairs (not my work).
The "iffy" repairs (welding looks like bird poo)
After marking a centre line in the middle of the car, measurements were taken from this to the centres the bolt holes where the rear subframe mounts to the heel board panel. Once the Inner Sills and Heel Board had been very carefully marked out, all the spot welds were drilled and the rest was cut using a grinder,
The new panels were prepared, butted up (no overlapping) and tacked into place using a MIG welder as it's easier to align them like this.
All the MIG tacks were flatted off lightly with the grinder, and then the Inner Sill was fully TIG welded into place, as was the Heel board. Where the spot welds would have been originally, the panels were puddle welded.
The welds were hammer and dolly'd smooth to remove any heat distortion, then ground smooth.
The Inside of the Outer Sill panel was painted (with something, I can't remember what) to help future proof them, as was the outside of the Inner Sill (basically the cavity inbetween the two Sills). Any where that was going to be exposed to heat from welding a zinc weld through primer was used.
The new Outer Sill was then Puddle Welded into place and then the welds were ground smooth,
This process was also repeated on the other side.
A Jig/fixture was then made that went inside the boot area, it was bolted to the parcel shelf and picked up on the rear arch tubs where the shocks are mounted, the car was then moved onto some hefty tressels where the car was levelled.
I then carefully chopped the rear quarter off and removed the arch tub,
That's all for now!
The first items to replace were the Inner/Outer Sills and Heel Boards, these were either rusted away, showing signs of corrosion or had some past "iffy" repairs (not my work).
The "iffy" repairs (welding looks like bird poo)
After marking a centre line in the middle of the car, measurements were taken from this to the centres the bolt holes where the rear subframe mounts to the heel board panel. Once the Inner Sills and Heel Board had been very carefully marked out, all the spot welds were drilled and the rest was cut using a grinder,
The new panels were prepared, butted up (no overlapping) and tacked into place using a MIG welder as it's easier to align them like this.
All the MIG tacks were flatted off lightly with the grinder, and then the Inner Sill was fully TIG welded into place, as was the Heel board. Where the spot welds would have been originally, the panels were puddle welded.
The welds were hammer and dolly'd smooth to remove any heat distortion, then ground smooth.
The Inside of the Outer Sill panel was painted (with something, I can't remember what) to help future proof them, as was the outside of the Inner Sill (basically the cavity inbetween the two Sills). Any where that was going to be exposed to heat from welding a zinc weld through primer was used.
The new Outer Sill was then Puddle Welded into place and then the welds were ground smooth,
This process was also repeated on the other side.
A Jig/fixture was then made that went inside the boot area, it was bolted to the parcel shelf and picked up on the rear arch tubs where the shocks are mounted, the car was then moved onto some hefty tressels where the car was levelled.
I then carefully chopped the rear quarter off and removed the arch tub,
That's all for now!
amc_adam said:
I had also bought a VW MK1 Caddy unfinished project, which turned out to be quite a big project in the end as the majority of it was bodged. I ended up respraying it it the garage, made the one-off wheels etc,
Whoah there cowboyWe need a lot more details on this or another thread in its own right surely
Awesome thread, loving the back story and your skills are immense. Defo here for the journey.
Always loved Minis, biggest regret is when I was 18 not buying a couple when they could be had for a few hundred quid.
I know the BINI doesn't really count but I love hooning around in my R56
Always loved Minis, biggest regret is when I was 18 not buying a couple when they could be had for a few hundred quid.
I know the BINI doesn't really count but I love hooning around in my R56
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