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Project Minion - 1.6 k-series Maestro van

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marinanut Posted a lot Posts: 1,756	Project Minion - 1.6 k-series Maestro van marinanut @marinanut
	Apr 23, 2020 15:22:11 GMT Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Back to Top
	I suppose I'd better entertain you with the story of one of my longest-running (without too much activity)projects; Project Minion. Now, the original idea was to buy a Morris Ital van and restore it into BR livery, giving me a load-lugger and show car all in one. That idea soon died when I found out how much half decent Morris 440 and 575 vans were going for and to be honest, if I was going to splurge a goodly 4-figure sum at something that would need a lot of work, or be in very good condition anyway, I'd rather go for another option. So, I started looking for a Maestro van - BR had them from the start and they seemed to be in range for condition/price/cost. I had a look at a yellow van reasonably locally for a reasonable price; but, and isn't there always a BUT, it transpired it was a Ledbury 1.3 with a 2.0 diesel conversion and no V5, it was also covered in pog, especially along the sills and after a few days pondering, I told the guy I wasn't prepared to take on a van with no history or paperwork. He wasn't too chuffed; so be it. Anyway, the search carried on through the usual places, normally ending up either the other end of the country with no MOT or being outbid (in some cases quite spectacularly) until a general wander around the bay of Es had something catch my eye - a van just up the road! And, I recognised it from many car shows as a traders van! Straight onto watch, a quick call to have a look at it and I met the owner who was retiring from business. The only major issue was the engine and gearbox were AWOL - he'd blown the old Perkins lump up and had started swapping to a new engine but something happened and the project stalled, so he parked the van up at his new workshop and then life overtook him and his wife (usual story...). So, as far as he was concerned, he was getting rid and ready to retire. It wasn't in the best place, but looked ok compared to some I'd looked at and had several boxes of parts in the back including brand new bumper irons and a good set of secondhand quarter bumpers (poor quality wobbly children's play pony doodahs!). To cut a long story short, I was the maiden bid and ten brown ones later, after a couple of quick phone calls to a mate with a big trailer, this happened!
	Last Edit: Sept 21, 2020 20:32:26 GMT by marinanut Rover Metro - The TARDIS - brake problems.....Stored Rover 75 - Barge MGZTT Cdti 160+ - Winter Hack and Audi botherer... MGF - The Golden Shot...Stored Project Minion........ Can you see the theme?

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marinanut Posted a lot Posts: 1,756	Project Minion - 1.6 k-series Maestro van marinanut @marinanut
	Apr 23, 2020 15:29:15 GMT Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Back to Top
	Which resulted in this for about a year, until the Metro got shifted out of the garden!
	Rover Metro - The TARDIS - brake problems.....Stored Rover 75 - Barge MGZTT Cdti 160+ - Winter Hack and Audi botherer... MGF - The Golden Shot...Stored Project Minion........ Can you see the theme?

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marinanut Posted a lot Posts: 1,756	Project Minion - 1.6 k-series Maestro van marinanut @marinanut
	Apr 23, 2020 16:58:09 GMT Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Back to Top
	Over that year, though, I started hoovering up what panels I could to start repairs; sills in particular are like hens teeth but I managed to find one on Ebay for a reasonable sum, and the rear arches developed from pattern part Escort ones to a set of pattern part Maestro ones as the Escort ones needed a large amount of fettling. Doors still eluded me. Eventually the Metro left the garden, the 'patio' got steam cleaned and the van went in - just! I had to unbolt both door mirrors to get it through the carport and then put the nose into the garage and drag the back end round to position it for the work area. It was then jacked up to a reasonable height on some hefty axle stands and work started. The roofrack had caused corrosion to break out on the passenger side and allowed water into the shell. Now, Maestro vans are a bit odd in their construction. The front is pure Maestro car; from the B post back things change. The sills, for example, are car sills at the front, but inside the structure is a steel reinforcing 'tube' that runs the full length of the 'inner sill' and the outer sills at the rear are integral with the van sides with a seam behind the doors. The inner sill and cross members create the support for the rear chassis and the very rear crossmember is a large structural box section, which had the tow hitch bolted to it. The hole in the roof had allowed water to rust the bottom of the 'sill' out, so over a couple of weeks the whole bottom 75mm of the inner and outer sills, and the reinforcer had to be rebuilt; them swap to the other side and repeat! I also spent time sanding the writing off the van, as it was proper signwritten work! Sad, but it had to go....
	Rover Metro - The TARDIS - brake problems.....Stored Rover 75 - Barge MGZTT Cdti 160+ - Winter Hack and Audi botherer... MGF - The Golden Shot...Stored Project Minion........ Can you see the theme?

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skodacious Part of things Posts: 346	Project Minion - 1.6 k-series Maestro van skodacious @skodacious
	Apr 23, 2020 17:14:14 GMT Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Back to Top
	We want more...we want more...we want more 😁 apologies and err 'bookmarked'


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Macleesh Part of things Posts: 37	Project Minion - 1.6 k-series Maestro van Macleesh @macleesh
	Apr 23, 2020 18:48:52 GMT Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Back to Top
	Watching with interest. Drove plenty of these back in the day (BT engineer) when they were new. Although my van was a 575 Ital which I preferred I'm in for the nostalgia trip :-)


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marinanut Posted a lot Posts: 1,756	Project Minion - 1.6 k-series Maestro van marinanut @marinanut
	Apr 23, 2020 19:10:43 GMT Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Back to Top
	I didn't take many photos of the work as it was one of those jobs I just wanted to get on with; I especially didn't photograph the near disaster when I started on the nearside rear arch..... The arches I had bought for the rears don't go all the way round the old arch - by buying steel bumper front wings, you can get a full rear arch out of the opposite corner (if you get what I mean) but the cost of a pair of wings just to cut up didn't warrant that and I'm not too bad sticking metal together. After removing all the old rusty stuff, I added extra to allow the inner and outer arches to meet and got everything back solid, then started fitting the new pattern arches to the repairs. It was at this point I thought "What's that smell??", then noticed paint starting to blister above the welded area. Smoke was pouring out between the load bed and the side - Oh Poo! A quick call to the local Fire Brigade had them on site within two minutes, yes, they are that close and after a few confused seconds as they wondered which car was on fire, they soon had the blaze out and the culprit dragged from its hiding place - an old rubber mudflap wedged under the load bed to stop a rattle! The inside was smoke discoloured and the whole thing covered in powder, so the next job after making sure the metal was clean and primered was to strip the interior and clean it, very, very well! I finished off both arches, then moved on to some 'rust-throughs' on the back of the floorpan and found the inner front arches were rather holey as well. New inner sills, floor and footboard both sides soon had them looking in rude health...
	Rover Metro - The TARDIS - brake problems.....Stored Rover 75 - Barge MGZTT Cdti 160+ - Winter Hack and Audi botherer... MGF - The Golden Shot...Stored Project Minion........ Can you see the theme?

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marinanut Posted a lot Posts: 1,756	Project Minion - 1.6 k-series Maestro van marinanut @marinanut
	Apr 23, 2020 20:29:54 GMT Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Back to Top
	Once I had the body solid (albeit not 'tidy'), I turned my attention to the interior and refitted the carpets and flooring Then some new door seals and finally the tidied seats, more for anything to clear the back out and make some space for other work... It was then dropped back onto the ground and moved out into the garden, to allow the 'patio' to have a spring clean as being on the north side of the house, it does get slimy and green very quickly...
	Rover Metro - The TARDIS - brake problems.....Stored Rover 75 - Barge MGZTT Cdti 160+ - Winter Hack and Audi botherer... MGF - The Golden Shot...Stored Project Minion........ Can you see the theme?

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marinanut Posted a lot Posts: 1,756	Project Minion - 1.6 k-series Maestro van marinanut @marinanut
	Apr 27, 2020 17:55:21 GMT Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Back to Top
	So, in between doing lots of other life related stuff, I started thinking about filling the hole at the front with something. I had picked up a Prima non-turbo engine and a PG1 gearbox (long story there...) but I was still debating whether or not to change it out for a 1.3 A+, a 1.6 or something completely different. I went and looked at a MGTF engine and subframe locally, complete with ECU etc. It wasn't a bad price, I'd have to rebuild it with new belts and water pup at least but it was an option. Then I had my hand sort of forced. My MGF, the 'Golden Shot', developed a large coolant leak from the rear of the head gasket. Now, despite being nice sports cars, MG Fs and TFs are still worth next to nothing, especially if they've had a knock or got problems. The Shot had both, so was worth near scrap, which was very, very annoying as I really, really like that car.... So, after much heart-searching, I have decided to strip the Shot of all parts needed to build the Maestro and create a 1.8 K series van. Okay, its only 120Bhp, but in such a light vehicle, it should go OK!
	Rover Metro - The TARDIS - brake problems.....Stored Rover 75 - Barge MGZTT Cdti 160+ - Winter Hack and Audi botherer... MGF - The Golden Shot...Stored Project Minion........ Can you see the theme?

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johnthesparky Posted a lot Posts: 3,522 Club RR Member Number: 6	Project Minion - 1.6 k-series Maestro van johnthesparky @johnthesparky Club Retro Rides Member 6
	Apr 27, 2020 19:31:27 GMT Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Back to Top
	Yay... rusty old van and a bit of a fire! I’m in


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marinanut Posted a lot Posts: 1,756	Project Minion - 1.6 k-series Maestro van marinanut @marinanut
	Apr 27, 2020 19:44:19 GMT Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Back to Top
	This popped up on Farceache....Hmmmm......
	Rover Metro - The TARDIS - brake problems.....Stored Rover 75 - Barge MGZTT Cdti 160+ - Winter Hack and Audi botherer... MGF - The Golden Shot...Stored Project Minion........ Can you see the theme?

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Deleted Posts: 0	Project Minion - 1.6 k-series Maestro vanDeleted @Deleted
	Apr 27, 2020 20:05:55 GMT Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Back to Top
	Apr 27, 2020 19:44:19 GMT marinanut said: This popped up on Farceache....Hmmmm...... Question is - Is it the vehicle that caused the incident in the first place and if so is BR attempting to set an example by signwriting the fact on the side of it


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marinanut Posted a lot Posts: 1,756	Project Minion - 1.6 k-series Maestro van marinanut @marinanut
	May 16, 2020 7:48:29 GMT Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Back to Top
	Not much happening in the world of Project Minion, until I finally had a good dig in the garage and found the Haynes manual for the Maestro I knew I had - only to find it was an '83-85 issue and didn't even have the van in it. Globbits! A quick scoot round the bay of Fleas got a very late manual for not a lot; this has wiring for pre-85, post-86 petrol vans, not diesel, so I've been working slowly through the underbonnet identifying which wire is what and which diagram is needed. It looks like the 1.6 post-86 one is closest. Anyway, I also found someone had been damn lazy removing the lights at the front and had chopped the loom; once again a trip to the boxes found all the scrag ends of the wiring so that is the next task. Much easier to have photocopies.... I've also been using the nice weather to rub down and start building up the colour coat properly. Still a long way to go but it doesn't look like such a mess....(and I have to keep 'Er Indoors on side..)
	Last Edit: May 16, 2020 7:50:15 GMT by marinanut Rover Metro - The TARDIS - brake problems.....Stored Rover 75 - Barge MGZTT Cdti 160+ - Winter Hack and Audi botherer... MGF - The Golden Shot...Stored Project Minion........ Can you see the theme?

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marinanut Posted a lot Posts: 1,756	Project Minion - 1.6 k-series Maestro van marinanut @marinanut
	May 28, 2020 20:32:04 GMT Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Back to Top
	I finally dug an old battery out of the shed, gave it 24hrs of E-Ons best (other power companies are available) and it held charge. So, armed with two Maestro manuals (one petrol, one diesel) and a photocopied Rover wiring diagram, I set to work getting the electrics back up and running. After much checking, tagging, finding out that those wires were different on the other diagrams, checking again, re-tagging and finally getting a better idea of what is under the bonnet, I headed on to get the rest working. Good start with the battery on - fan heater, radio, interior light, half the hazards, half a tank of diesel and squeaky noises from a bodged flasher unit.The next few hours were spent checking earths, connections, bulbs, fittings, plugs wiring, manuals, sanity.... until eventually I had a full house front and rear! As usual, after feeling pleased with myself, SWMBO appeared with a cuppa and the question "So what have you done today then??".... Great. So, sit rep is the wiper motor is unfunctional but everything else is in rude health. Further checks on that tomorrow, just to make sure its not the control unit gone pop.
	Last Edit: May 28, 2020 20:33:37 GMT by marinanut Rover Metro - The TARDIS - brake problems.....Stored Rover 75 - Barge MGZTT Cdti 160+ - Winter Hack and Audi botherer... MGF - The Golden Shot...Stored Project Minion........ Can you see the theme?

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Mercdan68 Posted hell of a lot Posts: 9,223 Club RR Member Number: 68	Project Minion - 1.6 k-series Maestro van Mercdan68 @forddan68 Club Retro Rides Member 68
	May 28, 2020 20:43:08 GMT Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Back to Top
	Following this back in the late 80s I worked as a parts delivery driver for the local lex rover dealer I managed to blow two engines up on maestro vans! I’d like one now , good luck with it , great work so far
	Fraud owners club member 2003 W211 Mercedes E class 1989 Sierra sapphire 1998 ex bt fiesta van

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marinanut Posted a lot Posts: 1,756	Project Minion - 1.6 k-series Maestro van marinanut @marinanut
	Jun 12, 2020 19:19:15 GMT Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Back to Top
	I'd had a look at the wiper motor; it looked like the anchor for the Titanic so I happened upon one on the Bay of Fleas for a reasonable sum. A quick BIN and I sat back and waited..... and waited....and waited. Hermes strikes again! this and another item from a completely different area both AWOL. Globbits! What did turn up helped a bit - a new washer motor (standard Mini) and squirters, new bonnet stops and a few pieces of interesting paper to help with the K series install (hopefully). I got stuck in and started stripping old engine mounts and pipework out of the engine area, then had another look at the wiper motor. Suffice to say, a couple of hours spannering, battering, oiling, greasing, swearing and finally rebuilding got it going - once plugged in I had life! (okay it sounds cross between a cement mixer with bricks in it and an asthmatic garden strimmer but it works!) Then the wiper mechanism fell apart. Time for a cuppa then.....
	Rover Metro - The TARDIS - brake problems.....Stored Rover 75 - Barge MGZTT Cdti 160+ - Winter Hack and Audi botherer... MGF - The Golden Shot...Stored Project Minion........ Can you see the theme?

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marinanut Posted a lot Posts: 1,756	Project Minion - 1.6 k-series Maestro van marinanut @marinanut
	Jun 14, 2020 18:47:12 GMT Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Back to Top
	Emptied the fuel tank today; it definately wasn't diesel in there.......hmmmm.
	Rover Metro - The TARDIS - brake problems.....Stored Rover 75 - Barge MGZTT Cdti 160+ - Winter Hack and Audi botherer... MGF - The Golden Shot...Stored Project Minion........ Can you see the theme?

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marinanut Posted a lot Posts: 1,756	Project Minion - 1.6 k-series Maestro van marinanut @marinanut
	Jun 21, 2020 20:35:15 GMT Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Back to Top
	The odd fuel tank mystery turned out to be Duck Oil, four and a half gallons of it! It'll come in useful I suppose... Anyway, after a bit of emailing and asking the right questions, the parcels company finally delivered the new wiper motor via Airdrie and three weeks late. At least I got it. I quickly whipped out the old one and rewired the lead for the new one as the old one had a five pin plug, the new one a four pin with flying earth. Bolted back in and I had a nice, quiet wiper motor - so, on to the linkages. I had a rummage in some of my workshop drawers and found a female rose joint, M6 size. looking at the size, it certainly looked like fitting a rose instead of the plastic bearing would work so once again Bay of Fleas came to the rescue with a M6 male rose joint and rubber boot winging their way east. It didn't take long to cut the old bearing off the wiper arm, drill it, tap it, modify the boot and fit the rose into place swamped in grease. I then cut the old plastic bearing off the main link, leaving a stub of internals which got drilled and tapped M6. The rose went into the main link, set roughly up and finally bolted down resulting in a lovely smooth wiper action. All for £6! So, that concluded the voting on the electrical system with a maximum points on everything required. Now, once the patio gets cleared (again), the Golden Shot will arrive for stripping (something I really don't want to do, but needs must unless someone wants a complete MGF as a swap for an engine/gearbox/drive shafts and ECU....??).
	Last Edit: Jun 21, 2020 20:36:06 GMT by marinanut Rover Metro - The TARDIS - brake problems.....Stored Rover 75 - Barge MGZTT Cdti 160+ - Winter Hack and Audi botherer... MGF - The Golden Shot...Stored Project Minion........ Can you see the theme?

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marinanut Posted a lot Posts: 1,756	Project Minion - 1.6 k-series Maestro van marinanut @marinanut
	Sept 20, 2020 17:23:52 GMT Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Back to Top
	Best laid plans and all that....I really didn't want to strip the MGF (Golden Shot) and things conspired to prevent that anyway. So, a few calls around t'interweb found a few viable options, one being an hour's drive away. Once I'd bolted a tow hitch to my ZTT and wired it all up, then sorted the old trailerboard out (scrapped it and bought a new one - cheaper option in the end...), Me and Mrs Me headed off to the depths of Norfolk to retrieve a 1.6 engine and gearbox from a Rover 216 Tomcat coupe... which ended up with three ECUs, a Maestro radio, drive shafts, wiring loom, various other bits and the engine and gearbox. It had been left in a damp shed, but seeing as I will be stripping it for new gaskets, seals and belts anyway, thats not a problem and the gearbox is a better option being a cable operated clutch one set up for a FWD car; it also has the adaptor for the speedo drive instead of the sensor so that may be rebuildable to cable drive as well. Now I've just got to get shot of the Class 37 intercoolers in the workshop (I was waiting a sodablaster to clean the ends properly before resoldering again) and I can get on.
	Rover Metro - The TARDIS - brake problems.....Stored Rover 75 - Barge MGZTT Cdti 160+ - Winter Hack and Audi botherer... MGF - The Golden Shot...Stored Project Minion........ Can you see the theme?

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marinanut Posted a lot Posts: 1,756	Project Minion - 1.6 k-series Maestro van marinanut @marinanut
	Sept 22, 2020 20:02:56 GMT Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Back to Top
	Finally got the wherewithall to make some space in the workshop, so the engine got hoiked out of the trailer and fitted to my engine mount ready for rebuild, quickly losing the power steering pump and drive belts and some other extraneous bits off the side. Quick look up top found it was a later coil pack engine with the later cambelt tensioner so I'm not sure its from a 216 coupe, unless its a really, really late one. Eventually a rumbly belly and Barley The Dog giving me the "I WANTZ TO GO WALKIES" look finished activities for the day; at least if the weather falls to bits I can disappear into the workshop, shut the door and get on with stuff! (Got shot of the PS pump simply because the K Series weighs a tad more than not a ruddy lot so I don't think it will be needed...)
	Last Edit: Sept 22, 2020 20:04:43 GMT by marinanut Rover Metro - The TARDIS - brake problems.....Stored Rover 75 - Barge MGZTT Cdti 160+ - Winter Hack and Audi botherer... MGF - The Golden Shot...Stored Project Minion........ Can you see the theme?

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austin1300 Part of things Posts: 92	Project Minion - 1.6 k-series Maestro van austin1300 @austin1300
	May 18, 2021 19:13:44 GMT Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Back to Top
	Any news on Project Minion?


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