Mini Project

[marc69]

I haven't been on here for a while as I have been rebuilding my old Mini and thankfully the mk2 Nova after initial work and service has proved to be reliable so far.

I know this isn't a Nova project but I thought it might be interesting for people, if not I apologise.

This Mini was in our family when I was a kid, sold to one of my friends who made some changes but never put it back on the road, it ended up lying outside for over a decade. Bearing in mind it was rotten before and the engine hadn't run for over a decade (it was running badly before it went off the road).

I decided I wanted a normal mini (I have a cooper and an early mk1) so went on ebay and got atotal shocker at the prices for a rough mini with many unoriginal bits, a good mini is a fortune so, in July I decided to get my old mini transported here and rebuild it.

Enough chat, here are some pictures........

When it arrived, my Dad had welded a scuttle, wings and front panel on years ago in the past, badly, and they had rusted as they hadn't been painted.

http://i988.photobucket.com/albums/af5/69marc/1_zps7od5hojn.jpg


What you can't see is there is no clutch, brakes, the engine doesn't run and the radiator is burst. Also all the wiring even for the lights has been mucked about with and muddled.

http://i988.photobucket.com/albums/af5/69marc/4_zpsmzywxp8x.jpg

http://i988.photobucket.com/albums/af5/69marc/6_zpspyyzpvft.jpg

http://i988.photobucket.com/albums/af5/69marc/2_zpsajaocpbp.jpg

[marc69]

So firstly was three days (every day is at least 8-9 hours) cleaning out dead rats, thier poo and pee and then eventually a load of maggots. If you are pucking imagine how I felt!

Then I started stripping. Most of the interior was chewed by rats and unfortunately some had to be dumped as it was past repair, (rear seats etc). Then I started welding/body repairs. This was three weeks of full time work, however worthwhile making sure it is solid.

I must point out at this point, some of the panel fits by my Dad were not very good and I had no intention of building a show car, this car would need so much work for that. My intention is to build a solid reliable mini on a very tight budget. Therefore it will probably be rough round the edges but still fun to drive, a real mini!

So once the body work was done, time for primer and then focus on the underside. It was primered, painted and undersealed, I took a photo with the paint before the underseal.

http://i988.photobucket.com/albums/af5/69marc/Photo964_zpskrxdov00.jpg


Preparation for primer.....including making and welding in some window frame amongst other things.
http://i988.photobucket.com/albums/af5/69marc/Photo963_zpsqtyvyo5a.jpg

[marc69]

Now most people who have undertaken any sort of project will realise I am not even mentioning 1% of the actual work and things that go on!

Here is the car after some paint, yes it is aerosol and yes most of the windows are still in.....as said it is a quick and cheap project to get it on the road.

http://i988.photobucket.com/albums/af5/69marc/3_zpsfp8gqljm.jpg

Then I started fooling about with different looks, here is the 1950's project mini look, same grille as the vans/pick ups.
http://i988.photobucket.com/albums/af5/69marc/Photo987_zpssn1mxus6.jpg

1960's mk1 morris mini look (and I have cleaned the windows by this point)

http://i988.photobucket.com/albums/af5/69marc/Photo990_zpsumiem9x0.jpg

1970's mini 1000 look
http://i988.photobucket.com/albums/af5/69marc/Photo996_zpsjvdporxi.jpg

and the 1980/early 90s mini city look
http://i988.photobucket.com/albums/af5/69marc/Photo998_zps2ctdzhvb.jpg

[marc69]

By this time the engine was running badly and the wheels were turning freely. At this point a lot of work on electrics (nearly a week) and mechanical work started. There was work to every system from cooling to steering. I then started on the interior.

The original was so bad and I had run out of money that replacing the original stuff was out of the question, I decided to go with a complete 1980's interiori that I had in pretty good nick. I hadn't realised that going form the central speedo etc to the offest design was such a lot of work...oops. Anyway here is the interior before and after, whch would you rather sit in?

http://i988.photobucket.com/albums/af5/69marc/Photo956_zpsv3hiuzdm.jpg


http://i988.photobucket.com/albums/af5/69marc/Photo018_zpsahxtqn8l.jpg

[marc69]

Eventually it was running nicely and I was testing it on my private road where I live.....and I felt it was ready for the MOT. Although i had no intention of making a nice engine bay, all the tiding work and cleaning etc to get things working properly also made a visual difference.
http://i988.photobucket.com/albums/af5/69marc/Photo962_zpsqftcodgh.jpg


http://i988.photobucket.com/albums/af5/69marc/Photo022_zpsmcdxu1uu.jpg

[marc69]

So that is pretty much it, it passed the MOT, got it all on the road and I am very pleased, it seems to drive well and there are some small things to sort in time but now with a heater (matrix was goosed) , alarm and radio cassette it is almost refined! I have done a bout 50 miles and all that happened was a wheel trim came off (can't find the real brackets so had to make my own) and a wiper fell off. Hopefully just teething problems. Here is a picture of it after a success full 25 mile journey.

http://i988.photobucket.com/albums/af5/69marc/Photo019_zpswxwsxvgz.jpg

[meritlover]

This is excellent. Nice write up.

[mk1nova_rich]

Nice work, which grille did you end up using?

[marc69]

Thanks, as I went for the 1980's interioir I did the same with the exterior, so I stuck with the black grille. My school mate had already converted it to 12" wheels with discs up front in the early 1990s.

I know the mk1 grilles are cooler but luckily I have a mk1. I kind of wanted it just to look and be a plain old mini!

[mk1nova_rich]

Probably the best choice really. Mk1 grilles are my favourite but I suppose combined with 12" wheels, square rear lights and internal hinges it just doesnt quite look right lol

[wwmnw]

That dead sheep on the front must have stunk the car out a bit?!

Nice car though!