I need someone to hold my hand (doing boot floor/subby mount repairs and I am scared)
Turbo Mini Forums

After popping out the subframe I now see that I need to replace the heelboard ends,two strips of boot floor alongside the wheelarches and infront of the wheel arches.





Looking at what panels are available, should I get the complete subframe mount panel (I'm only going to use the ends anyway as the centre is sound) or get the non-genuine repair sections?

Secondly, I take it I have to be careful geting the heelboard right as it locates the subby? Thing is the rear mounts in the boot floor are weak so need replaced too, I was going to cut out the heelboard ends then offer up the subby with the repair sections bolted on and bolt it in on the rear mounts to locate it then tack the repair in place. Is this a good way of doing it or is there a better way? Any advice appreciated as I'm not sure how to tackle this!

I put a repair into the heal board on my car. I just took my time and made sure it all lined up before I committed myself.

I put the mounts (not the entire frame) onto the car (you can see where the go from the marks on the existing panel), then took lots of measurements. Then put the mounts on the repair panel, got it lined and marked up with some reference points/marks between the good metal and the repair panel. Then cut out the bad, tacked in the new and got the measuring stick out again. Once I was happy it was in 100% the correct place I welded it in permenantly. The repair panels are quite thick so you can get a lot of weld in them

Have a bloody good poke at your boot floor be fore you start any welding. I made a start, then found it was a lot worse than I though and had to cut most of the back out.

From your pic's it looks like you cut just but weld a couple of descent patches in and it should be fairly tidy.

OK, slowly does it is the key then. It is sound in other areas, I don't think I will have trouble finding good metal to patch too (famous last words). Eeek eeek, bit nervous but will be careful with the measurements as you say.

Have a good poke at anything that looks rusty.... better to find it while your doing it then when you take it back for retest....

Take some pic's let us know how you get on.

I used heritage repair panels for the heal board - good quality and nothing like the others available; you can do one side at a time and use the other as a reference point if you need.

I spent quite a bit of time setting the car up level andusing the measurements in the manuals to check as well but god knows how accurate I got it!

Eeek!



Don't laugh at my welds:



I'm starting on the drivers side now, then on to the rear mounts. Can't wait to get the car on all four wheels again!

Looking good Jay. Will be worth it when its all done.

Actually it feels good as I'm killing a few stones with the one bird, the corners of the rear quater panel near the radius arms are now closed off with the right heritage panel (there was nothing behind them so that's why they were rusting and bubling up!) and I have sorted a few bits I wasn't happy with.

thats looking good mate, just make sure you red oxide it and waxoil the thing

that looks spot on mate, hardest job i have done by far on mine,

Yes i moved to the darkside

Instagram @jdm_brett

good skills. told you it wasn't too dificult