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May 19, 2009 19:00:32 GMT
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Got the rear subframe on and completely finished apart from the wheel cylinders, which are gassed. Need to order a new pair, and 4 wheel studs for one side as they were quite badly rusted. looking good.... All new nylon bushes for the subframe, new flexi hoses for the brakes, hi-lo adustable ride height things and new suspension knuckles. The arms were gven a good clean up before painting. The mountings are in god enough condition so I reused them and gave it plenty of fresh grease. I had confidence that I had welded the shell straight, but it was a relief none-the-less when the subframe went on without too much fuss! I also ran the new fuel line and the front - rear brake line, mounted the steering rack and made a start to assembling the front subframe. Putting it back together is a serious mojo restoration tonic. Yeah, the paint is sketchy, but it is back on course for being finished in time for summer. Oh, and speaking of sketchy paint, I ordered a bad-ass polishing machine from ebay germany, which arrived today so decently smooth paint should only be a few hours work away!
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Last Edit: May 19, 2009 19:03:20 GMT by dave21478
1986 Panda 4x4. 1990 Metro Sport. 1999 Ford Escort estate.
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Speedle
Posted a lot
Need a Country Rock band in the Hampshire Area? https://www.facebook.com/DirtRoadDiaryUK
Posts: 2,221
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awesome work dude! top cleaning! its a real time consuming process but you'll pat yourself on the back at the end of it
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May 24, 2009 18:34:51 GMT
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Meh, got foundations to dig for work, so mini progress has slowed again. I have managed to get the front subframe fitted and assembled.... Again, all new nylon bushes, hilos, new knuckles and flexi hoses. I shoved the wheels and arches on to get an idea of how it will look.... No, the wheels wont be staying red. Will probably do the centres body coloured.
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1986 Panda 4x4. 1990 Metro Sport. 1999 Ford Escort estate.
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May 24, 2009 18:51:44 GMT
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Top work dave. What about creme wheels? Creme bonnet maybe? Looking awesome mate. Must be a good feeling seeing all your hard work coming together
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Siert
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,105
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May 24, 2009 19:02:43 GMT
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Top work dave. What about creme wheels? Creme bonnet maybe? Looking awesome mate. Must be a good feeling seeing all your hard work coming together I like that idea. I really like the green paint but I'm not to sure whether it's a good idea to make the wheels the same colour. But you're the owner, so you decide and also you can prove us wrong!
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May 24, 2009 19:04:35 GMT
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Brilliant!!! Simply brilliant.
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1974 Lancia Beta Saloon 1975 Mazda 929 Coupé 1986 Mazda 929 Wagon 1979 Mazda 929 Hardtop 1982 Fiat Argenta 2.0 iniezione elettronica 1977 Toyota Carina TA14 1989 Subaru 1800 Wagon 1982 Hyundai Pony 1200TL 2-dr 1985 Hyundai Pony 1200 GL 1986 Maserati 425 Biturbo 1992 Rover 214 SEi 5-dr 2000 Rover 45 V6 Club 1994 Peugeot 205 'Junior' Diesel 1988 Volvo 760 Turbodiesel Saloon 1992 Talbot Express Autosleeper Rambler 2003 Renault Laguna SPEARS OR REAPERS
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May 26, 2009 14:28:29 GMT
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Thanks for the comments. I'm suffering from serious insomnia just now, so at 5am, with nothing better to do, I attacked the mini. I stripped the donor cars driveshafts, as they need new CV boots. As a temporary measure, I fitted the outer ends to the mini, which allows me to tighten up the hubs and fit some wheels on the front to roll it around. Round the back, I still have not fitted new wheel cylinders etc, but shoved the drums on anyway to get it rolling. A quick look in the pile of wheels showed 3x12" and 1x10" steels that hold air,so thats what its sitting on. It also seems to be a bit squint due to uneven hilo adjustment. I banged an old steering column shaft and steering wheel on and now I can roll it around with ease. I then attacked the orange-peel paint finish. I wet-sanded the whole shell with 1500 grit and loads of water till it was a matt finish and most of the defects had gone, then attacked wth my new electric polisher and G3 compound. Its come up pretty well, although its still not comparable to a pro paint job - for an amateur effort, its not bad at all. My pre-paint prep wasnt good enough TBH. One reason was that as I was crammed in such a wee garage to do it, I couldnt see the car from any distane so it was much harder to spot the defects. Anyway, whats done is done, and there is no point crying about it. Although, I will need to re-spray one of front wings - it would seem that the paint was on very thinly indeed and he polisher rubbed through it in an eye-blink. I still have the doors to paint, so will do the wing at the same time. It was too dark for the before and during photos to come out well but the after ones show a whole new car! These are taken with a different digicam to the previous few, so the colour looks different for some reason. Just used the karcher to clean off the G3 residue and splatters....
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1986 Panda 4x4. 1990 Metro Sport. 1999 Ford Escort estate.
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May 26, 2009 16:42:46 GMT
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You've got to be happy with that, it looks the tits!
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1974 Lancia Beta Saloon 1975 Mazda 929 Coupé 1986 Mazda 929 Wagon 1979 Mazda 929 Hardtop 1982 Fiat Argenta 2.0 iniezione elettronica 1977 Toyota Carina TA14 1989 Subaru 1800 Wagon 1982 Hyundai Pony 1200TL 2-dr 1985 Hyundai Pony 1200 GL 1986 Maserati 425 Biturbo 1992 Rover 214 SEi 5-dr 2000 Rover 45 V6 Club 1994 Peugeot 205 'Junior' Diesel 1988 Volvo 760 Turbodiesel Saloon 1992 Talbot Express Autosleeper Rambler 2003 Renault Laguna SPEARS OR REAPERS
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Torquesport
Part of things
Astras all the way!
Posts: 453
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May 26, 2009 17:04:12 GMT
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That's a seriously good save you've made there chap! Great work indeed.
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May 27, 2009 18:42:59 GMT
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Remember this petrol tank? I bought it from a forum member here in France who assured me it was good. Turned out the bottom was rotten so I cut the base off with the intention of putting a patch on. Well, today I put the patch on....filled it with water to check for leaks and found a few pinholes in my welding - no problem, I welded them up....then found some leaks in the side, so I welded them, then found more leaks in the sides...welded them up....found a few more leaks...welded them up..then found it was rotten where the filler neck joins the tank, so I got angry. I attacked it with the knottwheel in the grinder and its completely buggered. Chasing the leaks with the MIG is pointless as there are dozens of places where the metal is dangerously thin. Its rare for me to lose my temper - very rare, but an afternoons fannying with this supposedly good tank did it. I got the sledge hammer out and squashed it flat. Need a new petrol tank now.
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1986 Panda 4x4. 1990 Metro Sport. 1999 Ford Escort estate.
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May 27, 2009 20:14:58 GMT
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nice 1 mate
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smoke tyres not drugs
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Aaahh the red mist. Luckily you had something other to take out your frustration than your shiny paintwork.
Excellent work so far, stick with it!
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1967 Morris Traveller 1971 Series IIA Land Rover 1991 Golf GL 4+e 1992 Corrado G60 1986 E28 BMW 528i
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Speedle
Posted a lot
Need a Country Rock band in the Hampshire Area? https://www.facebook.com/DirtRoadDiaryUK
Posts: 2,221
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May 28, 2009 10:51:52 GMT
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nothing worse than being given something with the seller swearing its good, only to find you've been shafted! name and shame chap! bloody top job on the paint job, ok so its not pro but you must be very chuffed with yourself that you made it look that good! keep up the good work mate youve done an ace job so far! very impressed!
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DutyFreeSaviour
Europe
Back For More heartbreak and disappointment.....
Posts: 2,944
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May 28, 2009 14:36:57 GMT
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Dave - there's absolutely nothin' to be worried about with that finish mate.... I'd be WELL happy if I could manage it. You sourced a tank yet? 2 ideas - one is that ebay thread, there's a garage selling a job lot of minis so they may rip one out for you..... second - I found a garage in Buderich near the GF's parents place - he's got a mini van (I'm interested in) that's sitting outside - I could ask if he'll sell the tank from that.
Let me know if you want me to call 'em. If your German is good then you could do it - place is called Motorius (who said the germans don't have a sense of humour!) and I have a photo with the contact number on it mate.
John
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Back from the dead..... kind of
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luckygti
Posted a lot
I need to try harder!
Posts: 4,912
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May 28, 2009 14:38:26 GMT
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Looks fantastic from where I'm sitting mate. Bloody awesome job ;D So much work all by your hand, gonna be a peach when it's all done. I've probably said it before but I love Mini Vans. The fuel tank, that's a proper PITA, could you get a plastic one to fit from another car Pug 205? and I think my 190E has a plastic tank as well.
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Hi, Thanks for the help, but I have decided to buy a brand new tank. 130€ all in inc delivery isnt as dear as I thought it would be. Buying the tank from a UK supplier would be slightly cheaper for the purchase, but the high shipping cost means I'm as well getting one from a French supplier. They arent in stock just now, but its not exactly crucial for the minute. Anyway, back to making proper progress, I hope. I have approx 4 weeks free time starting today. I have a few other bit n bobs to finish off round the complex, but apart from that, I can concentrate on the mini 100%. If the Gods are on my side, we should be rolling by the end of June. I have started the paperwork trail to register it in France, (Its got a normal uk V5 in my name) but I forsee problems getting french approval. I might be able to wing it, but it depends on how anal the tester wants to be. First prolem is the engine. I have a MG Metro engine for it. This is a bread n butter conversion in UK, but vans were never homologated for a 1275cc engine here, therefor the engine swap shouldnt pass inspection. Will some tester who checks Meganes all day be able to tell the difference between a 1275 and a 998cc A series engine? I'm hoping not. The MG metro engine number plate fell off when I cleaned the motor, so I will make a new plate with the engine number from the V5 on it. I'm 80% confident this will work. If not, I will need to swap in a 998 engine for the test. Second problem is the wheels and tyres. Tyres are the new "big thing" for testers in France. Regulations have been amended to make it obligatory to keep the standard size tyres on a car, or an alternative size specified by the manufacturer for that specific model. I have 165/60/12`s, where the van should have 140r10`s. Again, this is a common swap in UK, but here its not. I'm hoping that the tester has no data for this model, so wont be able to say they are wrong. I'm kind of boned if he does pick it up though - I will have to buy a set of 10`s for my scabby 10" steels, but the 10`s wont fit over the disc brakes......dunno what to do there. Cross that bridge when I come to it, I suppose. "Enough rambling" you say - "make with the pics" well, ok - todays progress was to do some non-photo-worthy stuff like fitting the newly bought rear wheel cylinders, handbrake cables, and to fit the pedals and brake and clutch master cylinders. After that, I attacked the wiring. Mini wiring looms are curse word. They are a very bad design, poorly laid out and are just generally rubbish. Non waterproof joints behind the grill, a non waterproof fusebox in the engine bay and loads of other design flaws, plus this donor loom as loads of curse word the van doesnt need. The van never had a loom, so a while back, I looked at the donor cars loom. It was thoroughly buggered. Loads of chopping and splicing by old owners - mice have been at bits of it, and it was just a headache waiting to happen, so I sacked it off and am making a custom loom. Another reason for doing this is to go for a "tucked" look under the bonnet with minimal wiring on view, which I think is smart. Autosparks.co.uk provided loads of different coloured wires, some fuse boxes and other bits n bobs and today I got stuck in. Doing this is also a way for me to finaly get over my hatred and fear of car electrics. Talk about jumping in at the deep end Look at the state of that... Mice would account for the non-functional wiper motor... My custom loom design... Making a start - the main runs are wrapped in plastic spiral wrap to keep everything neat without the need to tape the whole loom up. The main feed to the front lights and everything in the engine except the wipers goes under this wing, hidden from sight... The wiring inside is starting to tape shape. Again, once its all cut, I will wrap it in spiral wrap to tidy it up. I have fitted 2 blade fuse boxes which will be mounted on the dash area away from damp. Should get most of it finished tomorrow.
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Last Edit: Jun 8, 2009 19:13:19 GMT by dave21478
1986 Panda 4x4. 1990 Metro Sport. 1999 Ford Escort estate.
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luckygti
Posted a lot
I need to try harder!
Posts: 4,912
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Mmmm, I share your fear of electrics Hell of a way to get over it though. Looking good
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ACE, I say don't worry about the tester. Are you talking about your MOT tester? I don't think he'll give a merde about the engine number or the wheels, if you were taking it to the DRIRE they might, but hopefully you can avoid that. Are you going to be able to get a certifitcate of conformity from someone for it (dunno who does these now MGR are defunct) or will you have to get an approval of the van done by the DRIRE?
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1974 Lancia Beta Saloon 1975 Mazda 929 Coupé 1986 Mazda 929 Wagon 1979 Mazda 929 Hardtop 1982 Fiat Argenta 2.0 iniezione elettronica 1977 Toyota Carina TA14 1989 Subaru 1800 Wagon 1982 Hyundai Pony 1200TL 2-dr 1985 Hyundai Pony 1200 GL 1986 Maserati 425 Biturbo 1992 Rover 214 SEi 5-dr 2000 Rover 45 V6 Club 1994 Peugeot 205 'Junior' Diesel 1988 Volvo 760 Turbodiesel Saloon 1992 Talbot Express Autosleeper Rambler 2003 Renault Laguna SPEARS OR REAPERS
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Heh, the DRIRE couldnt even get me an approval certificate for my 97 Vectra so no chance with this, I would reckon. I have contact details for an official club that are authorised to issue certificates for MG, BMC, austin rover and various other old british names. I have emailed them, just waiting for a response. As for the tyres, the CT tester is quite likely to pick it up. I recently put a c15 in for test, he spoteed that I had 155r13s on the front and 155/70r13s on the back so failed it. I fitted another pair of 155/70r13s on the front and he failed the restest because the van was never homologated for that tyre size. I had to rob a set of 4 155r13s off another van for the test. Farce.
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Last Edit: Jun 9, 2009 13:59:28 GMT by dave21478
1986 Panda 4x4. 1990 Metro Sport. 1999 Ford Escort estate.
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More wires.... All wrapped up in spiral conduit.... Looks pretty damn good even if I do say so myself. Just need to fit all the connectors for the switchgear and thats the loom done. I also realised today that I have forgotten to weld on some fittings to hold the battery down. Will figure that out tomorrow.
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1986 Panda 4x4. 1990 Metro Sport. 1999 Ford Escort estate.
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