Had a fun day today... stripped out my brother's mini, an he knows nothing about it!

[El_Freddo]

Well almost three years have passed since my last post - and the mini still lives in the shed: Now its midnight blue with the rear suspension cleaned, renewed and installed minus shocks. We've kept the hydrolastic suspension.

This is how it sat for the last year or two with very little work being done:





And just recently it got some work done - last weekend it got its 4th coat of paint:





(They're some of the best pics we have of dad these days!) Next weekend it'll get another one that's a thicker coat to achieve a deeper colour to it followed with a clear coat in the week or two after that, weather pending. After that the white roof will be sorted then the interior will start to go in followed by the engine/gearbox and front subframe. This will allow us to move the car in and out of the shed easily under its own steam (with any luck).

Then it'll be the doors, bonnet and boot that get sprayed with the final spray being a clear coat all over before the final decals being fitted. I'll try and keep you more updated as it happens as it got put on the back burner for a while with other projects etc.

I'm not really a part of any works anymore, I'm more into playing with my subi's (Sunnie comes to mind here ) and it's not really my project anyway - even though I'd have it in a heart beat...

Oh yeah, dad still hasn't got his mig yet either, I think its a distant memory now!

Cheers

Bennie

[El_Freddo]

Today the mini got the start of a cut and polish. Out in the open the paint job looks good in some areas and patchy in others - Dad assures bros that it'll come out with the c&p.

Here's Bros (my nickname for him) with all his charm - for the WA guys who know him, he's still got his chops - also a nickname for mates:



Un-cut & polished area, the left hand side guard:



The cut & polished area, right hand guard:



^ Looks sweat! We're very happy with the colour, a few areas need a touch up but it should all come together to look good in the end.

And leaving bros to it as I continue on Sunnie (I'm playing with rust/converter/paint etc):



Bros still has a lot to go, well, alot for a mini anyway. Once the cut and polish is completed all over, including the roof, the coats of clear will start being applied when the weather permits.

Dad's hoping to get the roof with at least one coat on tomorrow (sunday), dunno how long he needs to wait between coats but I'm sure he knows what he's doing...

Cheers

Bennie

[AlpineRaven]

awesome... looks like a great project...

Was that a Model T ford in the garage?
Cheers
AP

[El_Freddo]

Was that a Model T ford in the garage?

Not really - its a 1929 chev - first of the striaght 6's, interesting to drive - I finally got my first taste of it about four weeks ago, much different to a modern day vehicle! - so much torque...

Anyway, point of this post: The mini now has a white roof as of about two weeks ago, still needs a few more coats after a scrub, main problem is the weather isn't good for spraying at the moment, so it might be waiting til next year.

Here are the two pics, pretty much the same:





And that's how its been from the time it was sprayed til now... Its a slow process when my brother is involved in anything mechanical - He'll love it once its done and if he damages it in anyway he'll have dad and myself to answer to

He's already become one of those guys that watches his paint work like a hawk!

Can't wait, its going to be an awesome machine once its done... I'd love him to get a front cut from japan - disc brakes, EFI (single port), twin cam, AC, maybe power steering, five speed box - all the goodies! Even just the five speed box would be good.

Thats it for now, wait a while for this saga to fire up again

Cheers

Bennie

[Dougie]

Your mini is so cool, mkI if i'm not wrong, Great thread and pic's, i'm big Mini fan, use to race, rally and autotest them years ago, had about 9 or so all different models at the one time all with different plans for them , but only completed 3 of them on the big list, if i could find a good one here i definately would take it to Oz when i come, good to see another one given a rebirth, keep up the good work and keep us all updated, :p

[El_Freddo]

Well once again it's been ages since the last update!

The mini got some work done today - front hubs rebuilt, bearings packed etc. One's been fitted, the other left off to put some oil in the steering rack some time.

Before then Dad re-installed the front end and the steering rack - forget the rack and you have to pull the front subframe to fit it

Here's where she's sitting at the moment:



^ Yes very dusty but the area around it has been cleared again which usually means that work will be done in the upcoming weeks

It'll get there at some stage.

Cheers

Bennie

[NachaLuva]

Well once again it's been ages since the last update!

Only just under 2 years

All good things take time, the Mini is like a good wine... it gets better with age

Dad re-installed the front end and the steering rack - forget the rack and you have to pull the front subframe to fit it

Dont you love British engineering!

A friends dad used to restore old Jags. He would get very upset if one got an oil leak in the front crank seal (I think thats what it was). He'd have to drop the engine, pull the front off, all to replace a 50c seal.... yep great design! lol

Anyway, love the old minis, so much personality & history. Imagine hooning around Bathurst in one!!!

Good to see she's getting some nice care...

[El_Freddo]

Yeah between snow seasons and everything else that goes on around here it's a very slow process!!

Cheers

Bennie

[RSR 555]

Yeah between snow seasons and everything else that goes on around here it's a very slow process!!

Cheers

Bennie

The old snow process excuse

I have a few of these projects too