The completely not 45 day restoration, Finished
Turbo Mini Forums

Good choice!

In the 13's at last!.. Just

i have mine on the road and chelles off the road so i still get to drive my mini for a bit!

70 mph oil feed pipe pop!!!!!

I have had a reasonably productive week, The subframes are beginning to get reassebled now having had the best part of 2 litres of hammerite between them. the rear has been zinc coated too.

The shell is beginning to take shape with one of the inner sills repared. still waiting for the doorstep for the drivers side.

My wheels arrived just now. they are 6 by 12 superlites shod in yoko A048's

I also have bought all the paint and associated buggery now too. It is going to get a standard respray but with a pair of white stripes up the middle.

Hi,
Keep up the good work!
In must get into the w/shop and get cracking myself!
Cheers,
Gavin :)

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My Mini build diary

nice tyres, looking good, keep it up.
M

I thought I'd get some decent tyres as the car is not covering many miles. I've had such a head ache finding wheels I liked, and these fit the breif perfectly.

I will have to wait a bit longer for the panels as bj autobits just phoned to say the couriers have damaged them. The replacements ought to be in tomorrow hopefully.

looking good mate, glad you went with the 12's, nice tyres too. well chelles car started of as a quick fix but now has turned into the full front end being replaced!!!!!!!! i love to keep myself busy!

70 mph oil feed pipe pop!!!!!

hows things going jame's you get the panels on yet mate!

70 mph oil feed pipe pop!!!!!

All the structural welding is now done, I just need to replace the front end and patch a couple of areas. The sill area was a lot of work, so a friend with experiance gave me hand to ensure It was all done correctly.

I am also now really bored of driving. I never realised that driving could become so tiresome and uninteresting when not driving a mini - I have never owned a different car until I bought the metro, and I now just want the mini back on the road.

Pics to come soon when the front end is done.

how do you think i feel i drive 3 different cars all the time i haven't driven the mini for a week now!!!!

i need to drive it again!!!!

70 mph oil feed pipe pop!!!!!

I chopped the front off yesterday and all appears good underneath apart from a hole around the drivers side vent. I Have a days welding left then go mad trying to prepeare it for painting.

I am really beginning to feel the time pressure now and its begining to prey on my mind. if all else fails I will have to re mot the metro. Although it will need a ball joint, but then I think it should pass.

The schedule has just taken a pasting, I have been offered work at glastonbury so will not be doing anything for 5 days, but I kind of decided glastonbury is an opportunity that can't be turned down.

5 hours work a day and free tickets - can't complain!

I spent ages fiddling the front end to get a good fit, but that is now welded on so I am happy. Now that is all the welding finished, and I'm gonna make sure that no water will get into the seams so it ought to last at least as long as what it replaced.

I don't think I will get it finished before the 5th of july but I would at least like the paint to be on. I will do the underside carefully with a brush so at least I can get it rolling again.

I spose I will try to scrape the metro through an mot. I can't afford another car because my budget is in tatters, however the hard work is done and I have everything required to reassemble it. (apart from wheel arches, however they are not an mot requirement) Just better hope I don't get pulled up.

Pics to follow

Both inner sills needed doing.

Coming on nicely, not much to do now. Glad the metro turned out to be a result for you m8

What colour are you going for?

In the 13's at last!.. Just

Its going to be a standard respray, with a pair of white stripes.

looking good mate, so your going to keep the car the same colour then?

who is painting it yourself or a mate?

70 mph oil feed pipe pop!!!!!

A mate is painting it, He says it should be respectable - at least as good as standard. I am really hoping the metro gets an mot (I have given it a check and can't see anything wrong with it) though so I don't have to rush it back together.

It will be a shame to come this far and be forced to lightly trim corners, such as brush painting the underside.

I am prepping the underside for primar now and today spent about 3 hours armed with a rag and can of petrol wiping that strange clearish underseal stuff off. I have got rid of most of it but can't really get the crap out from between the ridges in the stone chip.

What is the best way to get the underside of the car spotlessly clean ready for painting?

Thanks

Here is how it looks now, I was working outside, but we seem to have had a shower every half hour for most of the day. I got fed up and took it inside.

the best thing to clean the underside is the stuff your doing! but it is looking good tho!

any sort of thiners will get the wax oil off.

i have to say thats a brave project you have took on and i take my hat off to you

your doing a great job!!!

70 mph oil feed pipe pop!!!!!

The underside finally has paint. I have spent about a day prepping it and bits of today were spent painting it. I have done it by hand because I can only afford to have the outside done proporly due to my finances taking a big whack.

I am more than happy with the finish, However the photos don't do it any justice. Besides it only the underside and its not a concourse car. I just want to make sure the damn thing wont rust again. (at least for 10 years anyway)

I still have to flip the shell over to do the other sill and arches. I am glad there is real progress going on now and it will hopefully be rolling by the weekend.

Oh my deadline is tomorrow as well, Doh! The metro only needs a couple of bits for the mot a rear brake line and a patch welding on, and the suspension pumping up a bit.

Looking good buddy, I'd be tempted to Shultz the underside of the body for maximum rust protection.

looking very good mate and i think tom is right to you need to be sure that the wet and salts dont get to the underside!

glad things are going ok with it i have found in the past if you give yourself a deadline it almost always go's over it!!!!

going to start my post of the little blue monster(chelles car) tonight only have a couple of pics so far tho but i'm going to add more after i've uploaded them!

70 mph oil feed pipe pop!!!!!

so hows your car doing mate! got it painted yet not heard much from ya!

70 mph oil feed pipe pop!!!!!

Project looks ace!

If you dont mind me asking, where did you buy those 6x12's. Been looking for a set. Was planning on going to PL minis.

Cheers.