The completely not 45 day restoration, Finished
Turbo Mini Forums

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.

To be honest very little has happened since, I have been hitting the festivals a bit and spent the last 8 days setting up / attending one.

Today I painted under the front wings again, to make sure it has a good layer.

I am pretty buggered now really for getting it finished, If it isn't painted within a week then it is unlikely that it will be back on the road before next summer due to me tractor driving during harvest, then going back to uni.

On the other hand if it can be painted within the next week then it should be back on the road by september due to being able to work during rainy days (of which there are plenty). The only problem is the painter is also working on the farm too!

I will update as an when I get anything significant done.

On the up side if it is not finished by next summer then insurance will have fallen to an acceptable level to allow me to turbo it

Oh, pm'd about wheels

Due to the autumn we seem to be experiencing at the moment, myself and my painter are not farming like we should be at this time.

So today we threw some paint at the interior, and sprayed the engine bay. The interior doesn't really matter so it is not a perfect job however the engine bay is more than good. It shines and It hasn't been touched since spraying.

The aim is to have painted the whole car tomorrow and possibly get it rolling with a 1300 engine in place. My local breakers has come good asking a really good price.

I know the whole point of me buying the metro was for its engine, but I really can't be car less at this time so will put it in next year once the mini is proporly up and running again and mot'd.

Oh, pay no attention to the inner wing. It was a little bit of a bugger up in terms of streightness. Don't ask Its too complicated to explain.

Edited by minimole23 on 23rd Jul, 2007.

By the way. I might have to offload a 998 engine if anyone is interested, Basically when mum finds out I have bought/ may be buying another engine she may flip out and either kick me out the house or demand I get rid of an engine.

It has covered 45,000 miles and has a perfect gear box with 2.9 fd. I can't say for certain wheter I will offload it but it is likely.

Today has been the best day of the whole restoration. The car finally got painted, I will post some pics when the white stripes have been added and it can be wheeled outside.

I am really happy with the finish. It is not a concourse car and was sprayed in an un masked garage but is still really shiny streight out of the gun.

myself and the painter also treated ourselves to a 1275cc engine each. Mum didn't kill me once I explained that it would be a lot of hassle putting the 998 in to get an mot and iron out the teething problems then nicking the metro engine and pulling the 998 out again.

We got the last 2 the breakers had as well and also managed to negociate a discount as it was 2 engines.

looks cracking that project! paint looks good, just inject all the boc sections with waxoyl, lash it on & the underside, the a-posts & scutles too, just get it into every nook n cranny! i've put at least 4.5-5gallons in my shell!!!!! stops the rust!!!!

sounds like ya've come up trumps with the 1300 motors, well done, i have as much graft to do on my other shell but have'nt the time at present seeing this may spur me on a bit though, kepp the pics coming

SKYLINES ARE LIKE CLITS, EVERY FLANGE SEEMS TO HAVE ONE: see this sticker on my silvia

the Search-section on this forum is blummin superb & simple to use, unlike some other forums, without the search-section & the help of this bunch of chaps on here i'll never be able to !!!Start the day with a 998cc turbo!!! :) i'm getting closer though!

Tom Fenton says: I have it all, make me an offer

Well, here she is. She still needs flatting off but the paint needs to set hard before we do that.

I am giving the 1275 engine a freshen up with reground valves and decoking the pistons, also a good coat of blue hammerite. The bores are excellent with no wear lip whatsoever so I'm chuffed, lets hope the gearbox is good too, still I don't think Its covered to many miles looking at the condition of it generally.

I will get some subframes on it soon to get it rolling, then its just a case of reassembling everything.

All primared up




And with the top coat

Edited by minimole23 on 26th Jul, 2007.

That is coming along very nicely indeed, looks superb so far.

-MINI CLUBMAN 1380 TURBO-

The paint has buffed up really nicely and the front subframe and engine are now in situe. Things should start happening fast now that is in. My new deadline is the 12th which will enable me to debut the car at the small gathering at bj autobits down the road.

Only thing thats holding me up is that all hell has broken loose with harvest, so I'm working a 13 hour day. So am too knackered to do anything in the evening. Today rain stopped play so I was able to get on with the subframe.

Here are the most recent pictures.

it annoys me how well this is coming on!

looking great so far

"Turbo's make torque, and torque makes fun"

"did you know you can toast potato waffles?"

Good work! Coming on quickly, although 45 days was a bit ambitious!

In the 13's at last!.. Just

Well, after a bit of a lull in progress due to working 13 hours a day pretty much for two weeks the rain has given me the break required to plough on. A mate came round today to give me a hand and it now has brake lines, all the suspension and wheels so is therefore offically rolling.

Not far to go now, I am itching to drive it!

I Like!!!!

Back once again like a renegade master

looks fantastic, similar colour to my old volvo 240 :)

"Turbo's make torque, and torque makes fun"

"did you know you can toast potato waffles?"

its looking most pleasant

Giving me some motivation to get on with some of mine ..... if only I had the time.

Nearly there mate .... looking great so far.

One thing I noticed though is rubber tower mounts in the shot of the built up front subframe .... you didn't use those did you?

Every day is a school day ...........

How fast and how expensive ...... the same question...

Liking the colour, job well done mate. :)

Thanks for the words of encouragement. I have 2 weeks now before it must be finished because I go back to uni. I have finished work now so can devote a week solid to it.

There are a lot more ancillaries added now such as most of the wiring, radiator and I'm getting on well with the small stuff. Tuesday the glass will go in and the doors and bootlid are to be painted.

I did mean solid mounts yes .... always one of the first things I do personally.

Will be fine if your not going to feed too many bannanas through it or drive it like you stole it.

Every day is a school day ...........

How fast and how expensive ...... the same question...

I finally got to take it for a drive today (up a private road of course), It still has no doors attatched but they will go on tomorrow. I was grinning like an idiot when I nailed it. Gonna take it steady to let everthing bed in proporly though.

I have never driven a 1275 engined mini so didn't know what to expect in terms of poke, I wasn't dissappointed, and it was exactly as fast as expected.

It is nearly there now, so I'm feeling up beat.

I will post some pics tomorrow of the nearly finised car when I have added the bonnet, grille and bits like that.

Right.

Its is pretty much finished. I have a few bits of trim to add and put that bastard chrome strip in the screens and its job done. I took it down the local garage to check that it is Mot able and only a few bits need sorting before It gets Mot'd on thursday.

I never realised a passanger seat was a requirement for an Mot, but we live and learn.

I thought today that The car has turned out really well considering its my first restoration so has been a really steep learning curve with lots of cursing and expense. Would I do it again? Of course!

I'll find a nice location to take some pics when I go out for a no doubt very long drive once It's roadworthy. I now have to sort the insurance that no doubt will rocket once I declare everything.

looks nice, love the colour.
i had no passenger seat in the car for my mot, do you have the back seat in? i took out the passenger seat/belt and left the rear seat in place, it then failed because they count the rear seat as the passenger seat and it needs 3 point belts, i ripped out the back seat and it passed.
cheers
Dan :)

Mabie its my mot testers interpretation of the regs. I have a passenger seatbelt but ran out of time to find bolts to put the seat in before I needed to take it to the garage.