1985 Mini: rebuild ongoing (as always), 6yr update

I was supposed to have had all of last week off, but work needed me to do some hours so only ended up with 3 afternoons off and I manged to tweak my back too

But progress has been made. The headlights and indicators are now all wired up and installed, the holes are drilled for the choke and heater and they are now threaded through. I've sanded back and repainted the wheels

and got the tyres fitted to them
I've built the looms for the 2 works dash pods and for the speedo, fitted the hard lines from the master cylinder to the pressure valve, finally got the clevis pin on the brake master fitted (need to skim a bit more off the clutch one still), installed and wired up the brake pressure switch, finished off all the engine bay wiring, got the front subframes rear mounts fitted, got the shocks fitted and the new wheels fitted all round





He was supposed to be heading to Maks today, but with me tweaking my back and Rob (BOC) trapping a nerve in his neck, I'm now trying to sort out a recovery firm to take him down.

Updated the list of jobs

front subframe
- Fit rear mounts ( Done)
- retorque top mounts (Done)
- buy/shim/fit front mount bolts (Done)
- Tighten/check lower arms and tiebars (Done)
- Tighten/check/grease upper arms (Done)
- Cut down bump stops (will do if needed once driven)
- fit front shocks (Done

Steering
- fit new column/ fit bolt (Done)
- adjust tracking/ fit lock nuts (Done although tracking needs final alignment once its settled(+)
- strip/clean/replace grease nipples/ regrease ball joints (done)
- build/fit drive shafts (Done)

Engine
- find/buy/fit pot joint (Mak supplying)/ FOUND (Done)
- tap top steady bolt holes/ fit top steady (Done)
- fit proper engine mount bolts (Done)
- fit lower gearbox steady (Done)
- Buy/fit eleccy dizzy (Done)
- buy/fit oil pressure sender (Done)
- set tappets/fit missing lock nuts (Done)
- service (Done)
- Fit exhaust
- Check gear linkage mount is correct way round
- Bolt up fan (Done)
- install rad (done)
- Buy/fit alternator / bracket (bracket fitted, old alternator fitted as the bearings sound good)
- Change oil cooler for pipe (Done)
- Fit speedo drive (Done)
- Fit speedo cable (Done)
- Fit throttle cable

Brakes
- Fit pedal box (Done)
- Buy/Fit brake MC (Done)
- Fit pressure dist valve (Done)
- Connect MC to Valve (Done)
- Connect Valve to front subframe (Done)
- Check front flexi hoses correct sides (Done)
- Bleed system

Clutch
- Fit clutch arm (Done)
- Buy/Fit MC (Done)
- Fit hard/flexi pipe (Done)
- fit Slave/connect (Done)
- Bleed/adjust system

Interior/wiring
- Finish /fit wiring main loom (Done)
- Fit headlight looms/ connect to main (Done)
- Fit lower dash rail (DONE )
- fit switch panel (Done)
- Cut hole for speedo in bulkhead box
- Fit speedo
- Cover Upper dash rail
- Fit dash pods
- Build looms for dials (Done)
- Drill out holes for choke/heater (Done)
- fit heater/choke cables (Fitted, but need connecting in the engine bay)
- fit heater (Done, but needs hoses fitting)

Bodyork
- Replace drivers sill
- sort hole under rear light
- sort hole Drivers rear shock mount
- Tidy/stone chip/paint sills
- touch up paint on A panel
- tweak/fit front seams
- paint front seams
- prep/paint rear valance
- paint bootlid
- repaint roof
- change back window seal
- change rear 1/4 window seals (Done)
- Trim front wings to suit tyres

Wheels
- strip tyres off rims (Done)
- blast /powder coat wheels (Done, but painted)
- tyres refitted (Done)

Plan is that we should be firing Pootle up tomorrow with working brakes and clutch

Had a mixed day at Maks yesterday. connected up the wiper motor to find it only worked on stg2, looking at its connector, that was pretty mullered so headed over to Moss to pick up a new one and 2 new wiper wheels too (as the old ones weren't to clever either), rebuilt it, put it back in and still only stg2 works Oh well, it'll pass the MOT like it so moved on.
Next up was the washers, plumed them in, fitted and wired in the pump and then went to find the washer bottle bracket. Can't find it anywhere and I know I had it before Pootle was delivered need to check in the garage today.
Then moved on to cut the hole for the speedo wiring to go through, hole saw went blunt 1/2 way through, so will have to bring my dremmel along and finish it with that.
Next job on the list, new bulb for the fog light, took the old one out, Hmm, looks quite a new one. So put it back together and had a look in the boot. Yup, not plugged in So thats sorted now, and the brake light switch is connected to the loom too so we are getting there with the wiring. Although it does look like i'm going to need a new starter motor as it stuck again yesterday

Great news, Pootle is looking rather smart in the new Paint!

Cheers, it is good to have him back legal again.

So, last Saturday was collection day. Pootle was taxed so all legal. Heading off there was a number of issues that came to light. 1st off was the throttle pedal, it was so high up that full throttle was level with the brake pedal (very painful driving home like that), 2nd off was the clutch. It had always been biting at the floor, (despite just about all the system being new), but it quickly deteriorated and got to the point where at a junction I was changing down into 1st before stopping and then sitting there holding it on the handbrake. 3rdly, it did get a bit hot when driving through Bath on a Saturday afternoon (cooled off to 90 once out on the bypass though and checked once he had cooled down as there was no water loss).

So, 1st off was the clutch. gave it a re-bleed, but no change, adjusted the clutch throw stop, no change. So went off and did some researching and there should be just over 1/2" of travel at the top of the clutch arm. Crudely measured, and I was getting about that so that lead me to believe that the arm is the next likely culprit. Quick check on minispares, under £20 for a new arm and top pin, so they where ordered.

Then on to the throttle pedal. 1st try was fit a different pedal I had (MPI cooper one), no difference. So I pondered it and came the the conclusion the only way to adjust it was to either bend the pedal (quite some way too) or slacken off the cable at the carb. A quick chat with Mr Pink on facebook later, and the cable was slacked off and the pedal in a much better position. Though it was confirmed that I needed the clip at the top of the pedal to stop the cable coming out.

The new clutch arm arrived yesterday, but the biblical rain put pay to any hopes of getting out in the garage. Might try and grab an hour later today though and see if that sorts it I've also picked up a new heater valve (as that is leaking slightly), a new summer thermostat and the clip that holds the throttle cable onto the pedal.

I have now made the CAD template (empty teabag box this time ) of the centre section of dash, just need to chop that out and fine trim it and then I can mount the passenger dash pod

Well, its been a while since I updated this (or did much with Pootle )

But, I did get to the miniworld action day at castle combe. although I didn't venture out on the track as a number of issues arose on the few days before and the run over to combe.



The main issues being that on any heavy load temp gauge gets worryingly high (I think it is the needle is totaly wrong and is running lean, but it sits in traffic fine), the throttle has a stiff point and the rear tyres are trying to eat the arches really badly (which is odd as it never used to be an issue)

After combe, he has sat in my garage gathering dust, but getting the tax reminder through the other day, I decided to drag him out and take him for a run round the lanes before sorning him till the spring. The tyres are still rubbing (hence the rear arches are off), but the cold air seemed to help the temp issues and the throttle wasn't as sticky as I remembered











So, over the next few months, plenty of little jobs to be getting on with

So, with everything about ready, I texted the garage I normally use about an MOT late on a friday afternoon, giving me a week before Combe to get anything sorted, and hopefully get on the rollers to get the engine properly set up. Insurance was sorted (£90 for a year with brentcare, fully comp with agreed value!!)



I had the previous weekend done a quick check over and realised that I didn't have a battery strap fitted, and that the indicators and hazards were flashing too fast (hazards especially so). I was away with work during the week so an order was placed and after dropping Rosie off at the train station 1st thing on the friday, I had 50 mins before I needed to log on to my laptop for work so the battery strap was fitted and a new digital flasher motor fitted to the indicators (needed an earth wire making) and the indicator flasher was fitted to the hazards which resulted in them all working at the correct rates After finishing work for the day at 12:30, it was back out to the garage to fit the new needle (hopefully a close match to whats needed) and adjust the carb before heading off to the MOT......................... which didn't happen as they'd forgotten to text me back that they weren't testing that afternoon oh well, 1st drive for ages and a test booked in for Tuesday 1st thing.

Back home, quick check over under the bonnet and I spot a small fuel leak from the carb, the jet is borked I already knew that the carb was worn, so the decision was made to fit a brand new HS4. Easy I thought....... 3 hours later and still can't find anywhere that had one in stock Eventually find one showing in stock in Birmingham so Sat morning, 9AM quick call and the check and do have it on the shelf 4 hrs later I'm home with it, but also now full of cold, typical. So the next 2 days are spent swapping it over and fitting a new voltage regulator (as that was showing to high a volts).

So, tuesday morning, off we go again. Initially the emissions were to high, but a tweak on the carb got it through (just) and the only other issue was a grumbly front wheel bearing.


So a couple of other jobs completed at the same time and on the Friday afternoon a Pass was finaly granted A quick wash and polish, load up the boot and ready to head to combe the following morning


I did wuss out on heading out on the track again (not having got to the rollers and teh suspension is in desperate need of setting up), but was good to be back on the road again

Your not wrong that i need to use it more, and i do plan to going forward and start to get back to some of the shows next year.

The arches are indeed goup 2's, but they are the works spec ones that i think minimail and Somerfords are the only place that stocks them.

Hmmm, another 5 months have passed without any updates, but Pootle has been out the garage a couple of times in that time (honest ). What that did highlight was that the rear shocks were sticking again so a new pair of GAZ's where purchased (along with a new heater matrix).

A couple of weeks back I even went to fit the shock's, simple enough job swapping like for like, or so you would think. The drivers side seemed to go ok, but the pass side (which you have to pull the tank out to do) seemed to be binding on the radius arm Closer inspection and I was missing the washer that goes between the damper and the arm. Strange that it wasn't a prob on the old Gaz's, but I have now got some to fit and I'll comp the new to the old to see if anything has changed whilst its apart.

What I have done is continue the Japanese'ing, We went back over to Japan over Christmas, so a few goodies came home with me 1 of which was a JDM spec front number plate carrier. I finally got around to ordering a set of import spec plates the other week, and decided that was the job to do for this weekend (largely as I could do it indoors ).

The front plate was simply drilling 2 holes to match those in the mount (easy enough once I'd measured them properly), but the rear needed a bit more work. But I had amassed all of the bits needed (or so I thought, can't find one of the numberplate lights ) so I set too it with plenty of measuring, marking out and finally drilling a few holes.

And it all went surprisingly smoothly, and I'm pretty chuffed with the results

from this



to this


I've also bought a new engine to build up to go in at the end of the year consisting of a MG metro bottom end, Cooper SPi head and a SPI cooper gearbox with a 3.2FD which should make for a nice longer range driver, perfect for the IMM in Ireland next year