Andy's build thread - 1275GTS
Turbo Mini Forums

I've been registered for a while, but haven't really posted much. So, I guess this is as good a place as any to make a start. Hopefully it will give you an idea of what I'm about :)

The car:

I bought it around a rear ago, unseen, described as a solid rolling shell. Just needing a few little bits of welding.... My plan's keep changing, but I think I'm just about settled on the spec now:

Shell - Lot's of repairs. Mainly I've welded up the back, the sides and the front, leaving just the top. Panels fitted so far:

Rear Valance and closing panels.
Rear half boot floor.
Bottom 1" of rear panel.
Driver's side A Post and repaired the inside bit.
Both Front wings and A Panels.
Repaired Passenger side Hinge panel.

Repairs still to make:

Front Valance - It's a bit battered and has some filler and surface rust. I might replace this when I get round to it.
Roof support above Passenger Door. Basically it's rotted through in the corner where those lovely bits of foam are.
Rear Gutter - The back corner section has rotted away and will be replaced.
Roof Skin - It had a Vynal cover on it and is made almost entirely out of holes. I'll be ordering a new heritage skin when I get paid (and a spot welder!).
Replacement (used) parcel shelf as somebody had cut most of the original one out and the rest is rusty.

Under Bonnet - Originaly I was going to put a 1360 pre -A plus lump in and be happy, but then I realised I needed Forced Induction in my life . So the spec is/will be:

MG Metro 1275 Engine with +20,000 over bore.
Kent 276 Cam (in the block already)
MED stage 3 head with chambers machined out to get the CR down to about 8.5:1.
Toyota SC12 Super Charger
Custom Pulleys to get the charger running 12PSi
MK 1 Metro cooling system with 9" kenlowe style fan
Mega Jolt
Maniflow 2" twin box side exit exhaust.

I'm having discussions with Minimadmotorman (My mate John) around the Jack Knight straight cut box and 1:1 drops that are in my garage attached to my engine.... If that pans out, then It will just need a good clean, a check over and a cross pin diff.

I'm aiming for around 100 horses at the wheels. Don't want to go mad with my first build.

I haven't made much progress over the last 6 months. We moved house in May and I only managed to get the car home last Saterday. We keep buying other cars and get distracted with them. Including Richie's mini, we've bought 7 cars this year! I've spent the last 3 months welding up our sheddy Metro Van (don't ask!).

I'll upload some pic's when I get home, so that you can all laugh at my welding.

Let me know what you think.

Edited by apbellamy on 28th Jun, 2012.

Fook me that's a big overbore.

Edited by wil_h on 8th Dec, 2008.

Fastest 998 mini in the world? 13.05 1/4 mile 106mph

www.twin-turbo.co.uk

lol +20 not +20,000

If something is worth doing, it's worth doing half of.

Doh!

Still a lot to learn....

+0.020 if my name was vegard...

+0.020" to be even more annoying

On 12th Nov, 2009 Paul S said:

I think Gary OS has taken over my role as the forum smart arse

haha! i bet Vegard has had wet dreams about a thread such as this!!

This is it as I bought it:



Complete with a lovely webastard sunroof and no motor. Looks OK....

Once it was in my shipping container, I stripped it and started making holes.

The back end was the first bad bit I found.





So I chopped it off





and stuck on a new one.







Working my way round the car, the drivers A post was the next bit to fall apart.



so I chopped it off and put a new one on.



Then I started on the wings and A panels:













I wanted to do something a bit different for the wheels. I managed to get hold of some 12" Cosmics (which don't come up very often), so I've had them blasted and painted them cashmere gold and black.









I did the black by hand in 2 PAC. I was high as a kite by the time i'd done!

I managed to wreck two used subframes while I was doing this work. So I bit the bullet and bought a new heritage one. This is it built up with new rubber, cones and high lows.



I was nearly ready to move house at this point, so I decided not to start on the roof just yet.





I rented a van when we moved house. It didn't fit...





Seven months and 5 cars later, I've finaly got it home.



I've been hording parts over the summer. Among other things I've got a nice set of brand new Yoki A539s to go on the Cosmics (from somebody on here), a complete brand new MK 1 Metro cooling system and this all the way from New Zealand:



That's the toyota SC12 charger I'm using. More to come when I get my other clubby bodged though an MOT. I can't have another summer without a mini!

Edited by John on 9th Dec, 2008.

If something is worth doing, it's worth doing half of.

.

Edited by John on 8th Dec, 2008.

If something is worth doing, it's worth doing half of.

I wish John would stop logging in here on my laptop......

top work on the shell, how did you repair the roof corner?

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

"did you know you can toast potato waffles?"

Thanks. I only learned to weld a bit over a year a go, so this one is my learner.

That is just a small sample of the roof holes. The biggest one is where the webastard sun roof was. I'm going to replace the whole roof skin. In theory it's just another panel with seams... The inner A post top corner will be getting replaced with one from a car I broke up, same sort of principle as a scuttle corner.

I've spent most of christmas in the garage splitting and rebuilding engines

As a result i have a gear box left over for this project:



mmm... Jack Knight straight cut...

Also been cocking about with a gauge bracket I got of ebay the other week. I didn't want one of those crappy plastic chavvy things that there are hundreds of. This one is a bit different.



I'm going to mount it here, I just need to make a bracket and weld it to the top metal rail.



Not the final gauges, just some for mock up. I won't be having an ash tray. That should save a few grams...

I like the gauges. keep up the good work

I run a supercharger and I don't care the TB is on the wrong side.
VEMS + 12 PSI + Liquid Intercooler = Small Bore FUN!

rover p5b coupe guage pod ,same as mine !! nice job .

Medusa + injection = too much torque for the dyno ..https://youtu.be/qg5o0_tJxYM

Allways good to know where stuff came from. They need a bit of a clean, but I think they look the mut's nuts. Better than some flimsy thing from Japan...

With the amount of extra metal I'me putting into this car, a couple of grams of plastic won't make that much difference

On 29th Dec, 2008 James_H said:

Flimsy = Light!!

good work, keep it up!

no longer a series, but still 1.3 turbo.

I've been doing a lot of thinking recently. Getting it straight in my head where things should go and how I will do this and that. I'm now 100% settled on the spec and how I want to build the car.

One of the things that I've decided is to loose the radiator gubbins in the passenger inner wing. I'm going front mount rad and I'll be having quite a busy bulkhead, so more places to mount things will be usefull.

I'm going to remove the radiator cowling, cut out the vented area and weld in some sheet steel. This will leave me two nice big inner wings to play with. Dry stuff on the drivers side (do dah for the starter, EDIS etc) and wet stuff on the passenger side (FPR, Coolant tank, screen wash etc). That way I can leave the loom as it is and just add stuff to make everything work... in theory...

Last night I went with John (MiniMadMotorMan) to look at some parts localy, and had a moment of temptation that I couldn't resist So I've been back with cash tonight and this is the end result:



Four eyes!

I will only have to make a notch in the inner wing for one of the adjusters and they will bolt straight on. Smashing! I've always had a thing for clubbys with twin headlights.

It does mean I'm going to have to fabrictae/bodge a new grill, but that should be fun :)

It will also mean that my front mount rad will be central and that the fresh air vents should still fit with a bit of trimming.

The big question is... Can any of you 'experts' and old boys guess what they are from??



Think 70's

Corolla KE70?

On 12th Nov, 2009 Paul S said:

I think Gary OS has taken over my role as the forum smart arse

Nope!

Capri?

I know!

If something is worth doing, it's worth doing half of.