1981 Midas Coupe - Project Zippy.

I always read your updates over on the PPC forum (RIP) - great to see you here!

This car is fighting me. A lot. It's almost like it wants to frustrate me at every given point just to irritate me a little more than before. Allow me to write the latest tale of woe.



I finished off the clutch master cylinder by popping in the spring and piston with its new seals and washer and sorted the circlip with a flourish. Everything seemed to be going according to plan. I popped the master cylinder into place and proceeded to connect up the brake master cylinder's pipes to the bulkhead valve. All looked great. "Excellent" I thought. "Time for the slave cylinder pipe and to connect the new pipe to the master cylinder". Except when I offered everything up, the new slave cylinder pipe was too large for the hole in the bulkhead bracket. I REALLY don't want to remove this bracket again as it'll mean taking out the pedalbox as well as I can barely see the blots with it on. And I don't have a 5/8" drill bit. . I shut the garage door and walked away for a bit. Again.



To cheer myself up I decided to do some Midas paperwork. It's not much, but picture below.



New MCs fit well together. ("Old" new MC has been sold already)







Hole needs to be this big.







However, it is this big. Guess what won't fit...







So I sent this off. Just because.

Strictly speaking brickie I should have put "Bright Red Orange" as that's what it's called but that wouldn't fit... 

I have a new toy. It's such a simple idea, which is probably why I didn't think of it in the first place as I always seem to find a more complicated way of doing things. I was browsing the Machine Mart catalogue (always a bad idea as I tend to spend money - and it's on the way home from work if I make a minor detour...) and came across a stepped cone cutter. So, one purchase later and I have easily cut a bigger hole in the aforementioned bracket. It took about 8 seconds to do... As a result I popped on the clutch flexi-pipe and bent the kunifer pipe to shape. It's not perfect, but neither is my paint! As long as it doesn't leak it'll do for me!



New toy. Vicious little nibbly thing too.







I was able to do this. Me likey.

Wow, just read your other thread. Great work. I love these cars. It's looking amazing.

There's a really nice looking ... Errrrr... What's the other grp bodied mini similar to this and beginning with M... One of them anyway, on car and classic or eBay. I really wanted it, but it was more than I wanted to send this time round.

Great cars. Looking forward to updates.

It has been a frustrating time - mainly because my garage is in an utter state. I bought a couple of cabinets with plastic drawers at a boot sale last weekend and have been cleaning them and sorting out places for them to go. This meant moving lots of stuff, and so far I have only managed to move it from one side to another... I need to get rid of the fridge in the garage but of course that doesn't fit in a Bora's boot. So of course that means roping in friends - and only one has an estate car...

As such I have got very little done. I have however, revised the way that the battery clamp works on this car. Originally it had a hideous chunk of angle iron with a "T" piece that was screwed into the bulkhead buttress using self-tappers. I have instead used a proper battery clamp (cut down slightly) and have made an "L" shaped bracket which bolts through the bulkhead behind where the battery sits. My battery box had been modified (badly), presumably to allow fitment of a standard Mini battery, so I have used a dead one of these to line stuff up. I have used a couple of spacers between the bracket and bulkhead due to clearance issues but once I used these, it works very well, using the standard "tent-peg" arrangement. Hopefully there'll be a bigger and more exciting update soon.

Bracket spaced out (nuts used as spacers in this pic were just for size purposes).



And the clamp in all its glory. If I am being slightly OCD, it does make the battery sit oh-so-slightly diagonally, but hey - it works and nothing else is going there...

Big update time!



I decided that I was going to pop the steering column in, and if I was going to do that it was probably a good idea to pop the clevis pins and split pins in to connect the pedals to the master cylinders. You're all probably going to hate me when I say this, but I found it a piece of cake - presumably because everything is stripped out the car. Split pin 1 (Clutch) took 1 1/2 minutes. Split pin 2 took less than 5 minutes and both involved me folding my chunky frame in and out of the car (no easy task).



Right - now that bit was out of the way, I needed to do a few modifications to ensure fitting the column was a breeze. My Midas was different to a Mini in that it had two "cotton reel" spacers which mounted to the bracket on the column. The original bolts that I had was cut off as they were so rusty. I had some spare bolts, but they were too long and the thread did not reach far enough up the shaft. No problem - out came my tap & die set and Harry Hacksaw, and two suitable bolts were created. I was also unhappy with just bolting straight through the fibreglass, so I found some 3mm steel plate in the garage and cut it to shape and drilled some holes. Viola! One spreader plate. I then cleaned it and painted it. Whilst I had the grinder out I also modified the bottom of the brake master cylinder. The pedal box is for a single-line system, and the studs are shorter, meaning I could barely get a nut on to mount it. I gave the "foot" a tickle with the grinder which improved matters no end.



Whilst I was fiddling about by the master cylinders I figured it would be a good idea to redrill the hole for the throttle cable (the old one is now covered by the brake valve). So I did that and also popped in a grommet. Should be nice and straightforward now when I come to fitting the cable.



Fitting the steering column was actually pretty straightforward thanks to the prep work I'd already done. Spreader plate went on first, then I loosened the bolts holding the steering rack on so it could be moved where necessary. On went the column and after a bit of fiddling the pinch bolt slotted into place. A bit more careful lining up and the bolts went through the cotton reels and mount before being tightened up. I re-tightened the rack nuts before I forgot. Then I couldn't resist popping the steering wheel on for a quick look. Awesome day.



Column - you're going on the car matey...







"Cotton reels" and newly created bolts.







Spreader plate created







Modification to brake master cylinder "foot".







Throttle cable bracket fitted







Column in place







And just because I couldn't resist!

Right now I am an angry man. I am not sure exactly who to aim my anger at though. Let me explain: when I started on the rebuild for this car, I decided to use dual circuit Mini brakes using a "yellow tag" master cylinder and brake limiter valve on the bulkhead. I had used this set-up on 3 of my old Minis and they all had very good brakes - it just seemed a better and more cost effective idea to do this than buying a brand new Cooper S master cylinder and rear valve which would have cost £150. Of course, the main problem I had was that I needed new brake lines - not a problem as I was going to replace them anyway. And this is where the problem starts - BL or Austin Rover or whatever they were called that week thought it would obviously be a really good idea to have the two different ends of the brake pipe with different threads, one UNF, one metric. And obviously they were going to make it where one would fit the other, but only for a couple of turns - and it won't tighten up. However, for some reason, there is also an all metric brake line available (I know that Mini Sport sell one - www.minisport.com/bp96m-brake-pipe-96-front-pressure-valve-to-rear-3-way.html?___SID=U ). I have just discovered this, as the one I have fits perfectly in the valve on the bulkhead, but at the rear, it won't go in to the UNF 3-way union at all. I think that I have been accidentally sold an all-metric pipe because before I fitted it, I only checked the fit on the valve. More fool me. My problem is, I can't remember where I bought the pipe from so I can't yell at anyone but myself.



Therefore I will now have to remove the whole pipe and replace it with the correct one unless anyone knows where I can get a 3-way union with a metric inlet and two UNF outlets? This will take an annoying amount of time and will also require the help of an assistant, to hold a screwdriver so I can undo the bolts for the P clips. I am hoping that I can squeeze the new line in without having to fully remove the rear beam because...



I have re-done the fuel line, and it was a good idea that I did - I found a kink in the last 3 inches, which would have made fuel delivery a touch restricted. I cut the kinky bit off and it now sits nicely over the top of the beam, ready to be connected up to the fuel pump and filter I have. I have also fitted the first of the two radius arms. Using the help of a conveniently sized wooden box, which was exactly the right height to rest the arm on, I was able to attach the arm and associated bracket and tighten up the the nuts. I also chucked on one of the beautiful new rear shocks. However, I couldn't fit this properly, as when I jack the arm up, it'll only go so far before the rest of the car comes with it - this means that with the new bushes I can't get the top nut on it... Damn you new springs!!



More to follow as long as I don't go in there with hammers.



Fuel line now going exactly where it should be.







Radius arm attached to car, complete with backplace and brake mechanism.







Oh, and one of these beautiful bits of kit too.

Yes it is - although it's got me doubting whether the connection to the valve is right and I haven't just been an idiot and plumbed it the wrong way round (this is despite trying it on the bench). Given that a new line is only £12, I think I will re-do it. I don't have a flaring tool nor know anyone who does so I shall rope in the help of Mrs Bounce or one of my mates and get them to hold stuff whilst I get twirly with the ratchet. Again... 

Cheers strikey - I did just that. 

I have come very close to setting the garage on fire this weekend. I don't know whether it's me doing things wrong, or if this car is cursed, or I have just been REALLY unlucky with items bought.



I have firstly dealt with the brake pipe issue by getting myself a brake flaring tool, along with a proper pipe cutter. I tidied up the fuel pipe end whilst I was under the car using said cutter, then removed the offending metric brake union. A small bit of work later and I have a re-flared pipe end with the proper UNF union on it. Then Andy popped round on Saturday and after a bit of cursing and hitting things with a rubber mallet, the second radius arm was on the car. I haven't properly tightened up the nuts on the brackets yet but that will come later. On went the shock and we connected both shocks up without the top bushes in for now, until we can lower the car down onto its wheels. Then it all went a bit pear-shaped.



The plan was to pop the drums on and sling a couple of wheels on and take the thing off the rear axle stands. I wound the adjuster all the way out so the shoes were at their lowest possible adjustment. From what I can tell the springs and shoes are all in the correct position. But the drums will not go on. I took the whole brake assembly off and tried the drum on with it missing. Drum goes on ok. Put everything back on. Drum won't go past the shoes.



I have shut the garage and walked away, making sure that in the meantime I have no access to anything that can produce flame or be used as a clouting tool. I shall return to the garage when I am in a better mood...



Brake Pipe Flaring Tool helped sort out my pipe problems.







Driver's side radius arm now on.







Look at the shiny shiny (which won't go on...)