1983 Austin Minivan Resto begins.

[Pixel-Snapper]

AGAIN.....!

So the story goes back by 6 years and im a 19 year old shadow of myself today, 3 weeks before I head for the dizzy heights of freedom from the parents and go to Uni, I decide that it would be a good idea to buy myslef another mini as a project while im home at the weekends(which never happend). Purchasing from a friend the other side of the village, I drive my prise home to the sum of almost a mile (on 2 cylinders) and stick it in the garage. The very next day out come the spanners and its striped to a shell in a matter of hours.









Fast forward to the present day and the car is still sat on the same axle stands it rested on 6 years ago. In this time a good friend has setup his own company doing roadside bodywork repair and has become a dab hand with a spray gun.....ARRHARR.....interest in my project has resumed.

So off we set Obital sanders in hand on a Saturday afternoon and 3 hours later this.


(crap iphone pic)

With rejuvenated enthusiasm to get the thing painted by this side of christmas I shall be in the garage most of this week and only contactable by carrier pigeon.

Thanks for looking.

Updates to follow......



(please dont let me lose interest again or my mum will sell it!)

[Pixel-Snapper]

Well the thing is LongQ its been in her garage all these years, which means that shes been unable to put her car in there....! oops.... mothers ay never happy ;OP

[Pixel-Snapper]

I just keep telling her its an investment and will be worth alot of money one day..

Although i dont think i could sell it now.

[Pixel-Snapper]

Found a new best friend last night NITROMORS.

Got some from halfrueds, wow that stuff is potent spent an hour last night scraping the paint off the passenger side rear panel.





and low and behold found yet more filler...



and another picture of the roof, only the gutter to go and we can get some primer on it.

[Pixel-Snapper]

Well not much has happened the last couple of month due to the flipping dam cold weather over christmas we had...wuss I know!


Angle grinders coming out in Feb to cut all the rust out and starting to buy the panels needed to patch the old girl up.

Does anyone know the likelyhood of getting a off side van sill? or can you use a saloon sill and cut it to the bits I need replacing.

Usual spots gone around the front and rear arch.

[Pixel-Snapper]

chrisj_abz said:

still get van sills ok,

http://www.minispares.com/Product.aspx?ty=pb&p...


nice project, not many vans on the go so nice to see another one being saved!

Legend Chris I went through all the pages on minispares trying to find one must just be blind!

ow and she will be back on the road one day.

Edited by Pixel-Snapper on Thursday 21st January 15:47

[Pixel-Snapper]

Well spent the last 2days sanding the roof in prep for getting some primer on at last! so should have some more pictures to update the thread. My guy thats doing the welding is due to arrive next saturday with an angle grinder to cut out the rust and clean up the areas that will need new panels/patches.

So im looking towards final paint colours, I want the body to be the classic AA van yellow and a gloss black roof, wheels and arches.

However does anyone know where I can find the correct paint code? ive found
AA Yellow 2ct LRC-559 on an american site but would like to make sure.

[Pixel-Snapper]

Cooper1999 said:

Pixel-Snapper said:

AGAIN.....!
(please dont let me lose interest again or my mum will sell it!)

Inspiration, that's what you need:

http://www.six-ex.com/umw367tproject.htm

(Not mine, by the way!)

Edited by Cooper1999 on Wednesday 3rd February 21:08

WOW they have done a nice job there..

Inspiration Yes....Realisation theres still a long way to go....BIG YES

Cheers though.

[Pixel-Snapper]

LongQ said:

On the other hand ...

Screwfix do a Van touch up spray paint from Hycote called AA Yellow and

The official Cabs in Derby are supposed to be painted AA Yellow.

See

http://www.derby.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/AAD0BF8E-38DB...

in particular page 5.

Now whether this AA Yellow is the same yellow as the AA's Mini vans were painted in the early 60s is unclear but it would seem to be a reasponable bet that someone ikdentified in this information should be able to tell you what is known.

That looks about spot on LongQ

Virtual Beer mate

[Pixel-Snapper]

roscozs said:

Try Ford Signal Yellow for a colour. This is what my dad chose for his 79 Clubman estate.

Lovely looking Clubby Roscozs, just abit to canary for me though sorry.

[Pixel-Snapper]

looks to be the same one Lund..I wonder what sort of money the guys spent on it? im trying to do mine on a shoe string, really lucky I have friends in the trade.

[Pixel-Snapper]

10years! im already on 6years to this stage Cooper1999 lol

Well not much happened last night as my mate forgot his primer gun like a fool, so we sat over a beer and pondered the day she will be finished.

Roll on next saturday when we start to attack her with a grinder...im quite scared as to what we will find !!!!

Edited by Pixel-Snapper on Friday 5th February 09:53

[Pixel-Snapper]

UPDATE......

Well got a fair bit done on saturday. Ended up cutting most of the drivers side A panel, inner wing and side valence out as it was rotten. Looks like whoever restored it in the past had done a bodge job, sandwiching the new panel over the top of the old one. So as we cut the panel out to my horror alot of material fell out! thats it I thought. Thankfully although some rebuilding work will take place its too bad.

Now you see it.....





Now you dont...

[Pixel-Snapper]

Miniholic said:

Good to see some progress.

I'm now at the stage where I've cleared enough junk out of the garage to see mine, but that's as far as I've got.

Lovely Van Ian,

Anymore pics at all looks a stunner! I'm planning on the same exterior but with black Group 2 arches, AA yellow body with black roof.

[Pixel-Snapper]

That looks great Ben.

What engine is that, doesnt look like you have had to lengthen the front end?.

I bought the van with a stage 3 1293cc engine, which im planning to get rebuilt by a mate that builds race engines so should be on the cheaper side. Should be aiming for around 80-90 bhp, what sort of power would the vaux be running?. Could be something to look into, however if money was no object i'd have the R1 front engine bike kit!!!!!

Thanks for the support.

[Pixel-Snapper]

UPDATE,

Sal saw the light of day for the first time in 6 years....

Managed to get a trolley with wheels on over the weekend so wheeled the old girl out the garage.

Cut yet more metal from the driver and passenger side, also found out I need some more practice cutting straight lines with a grinder...









Now off to scouer minispares for replacement panels, hope to get some paint on it sometime in May.

Edited by Pixel-Snapper on Tuesday 6th April 16:35

[Pixel-Snapper]

Just remeembered this thread.... well May came and went and it still looks the same as the last pictures..........

Doesn't time fly when your off doing other things.

I really need a garage closer to where I live rather than at my mums 40 miles away.

[Pixel-Snapper]

minivanman said:

Mine was in a similar state - took me 2 years to finish, and I was working pretty hard at it:
http://www.theminiforum.co.uk/forums/index.php?sho...

The 2 things I'd have done differently?
1 - Not carried on with the flipfront and returned it to solid. Experience has taught me theres very few jobs that can't be done in a standard engine bay.
2 - Do away with the mk1 doors. They gave me nothing but trouble the whole time, they leak, you can't open the window properly and I've seen better locks on a toilet door. As it had already been modded I wish I'd put mk3 doors into it.

WoW that looks stunning will have a proper read of the thread at some point.

Will be doing a removable front end on pins, more for looks than anything.

Interesting thought regarding the doors.

[Pixel-Snapper]

camelotr said:

well another abandoned project emerges.

She's a keeper! this shall not happen...! Unless my mum sells up and I have nowere to store it... :thumbsup:

[Pixel-Snapper]

Not at all ferg saving up the pennies for the solid panel grill.