Repair or reshell? (lots of pics)
Turbo Mini Forums

Would like some opinions from any bodywork experts - spend money on repairs or look for a shell? If I found a shell it would be most likely a clubman estate, so I'd have to spend on getting a round front fitted and having it modified to take the rear doors.

Sorry for posting all the pics in here, I can't remember my login/password to upload them.

I'd repair that, my shell wasn't too far behind that after I stripped it out.

Team Racing

doesnt look too bad really. just that front crossmember looks dodgy but cant see it being that hard?

I reckon id go for repair to be honest, seen a lot worse!!

I've bought, welded up and sold for profit cars FAR FAR worse than that.

From the photos all I can see it needs is probably outer sills, a panels and the front wheelarch corners doing.

That front crossmember in the engine bay is just rust between the angled stiffener plates, and the crossmember itself. I have done that repair before, you cut the stiffener plates off, and the crossmember cleans up OK. The stiffeners are spot welded at the factory, water gets behind in between the panels.

Edited by Tom Fenton on 1st Aug, 2005.

yeh, id repair it, unless you can find a absolutely perfect shell. in all honesty, that looks a lot better then mine, which is now finished (repairs are finished, car is far from it!) any shell you buy is likely to be needing new sill and floors etc anyway......

pete

And on the 7th day........... God created turbochargers!

On a side point i notice MBM are selling up....

Get stuck in neil, you know you want to

Dave at the lincoln mini centre is very good and good prices too. I can give you his number if you like? His welding is spot on, the frog and dan's cars are examples.

I do want to :) I've sold the KAD brakes that were fitted to it and had to rake it out to retrive a couple of bits. I then realised that I do miss this car. It's the first car I ever bought and we've been through alot *sniff* :)

The reason I considered a reshell is a friend who's done some work on my wifes mini suggested he might know of a shell, but there is the extra work of the round front and rear doors to consider.

I've had a very motivational email from Tom I might have a ride over to the Lincoln mini centre sometime. I've heard Minimaster in Penrith have a good reputation so I've emailed some pictures over to get a quote.

Cheers for the advice

Edited by Neil8p on 1st Aug, 2005.

The mini centre isnt where it used to be Neil, its now in north Hykeham. Dave's a really nice chap and he'll actually come over to give you quotes. He called over one night for me and didnt charge a penny for it.
Phil Hill's car is being built there, i'm sure you know him. He knows dave a lot better than me but i've been more than happy with his work.

Hmm, interesting that it has a kenlow style inner wing,

Also those rear doors are novel.

looks like the rust hasn't spread to too many awward places yet!

Cheers Iain, I'll get in touch with Phil.

It's a 1979 clubman estate with a later type (spi?) front end on it.

The rear doors were done by a friend many years ago. I like the conversion, and it stiffens up the back end (*watches out for gaydar* :) ), but it can be a little awkward lifting stuff over the over door when it's up or down.

Had a couple of people try to sit on it the lower door when it's down

Edited by Neil8p on 1st Aug, 2005.

everything looks straightforward, tho im a little concerned abuot the rust at the rear damper mounts, my last shell had rust appear in the same place, and after 2 months of driving after spotting the bubbling both dampers had ripped the mounts clean off.

turbo 16v k-series 11.9@118.9 :)

Denis O'Brien.

Rear Damper mounts rotting out is fairly common on older minis, especially if they have been used with stiff shockers.

However you can get a repair panel for that area now, to do a good repair.

deffo repair, it looks quite a sound shell

much better than my van shell anyway and thats going to be repaired

thats if you don't sell it to me nic!

Team Racing

no no no, its so rusty and holey at the moment but i want to get it sorted for next year if i can afford it, nice and standard

i like this green estate thing

Looks like a very nice shell. A few offcuts of sheet steel should have the tin worm sorted, although I'd cut off those over sills, one at a time, and check behind for peace of mind.

Also the side pieces of the rear vallance look like there may be more going on behind so it may be worth chopping those out too.

Andy

Check out www.manchesterminis.co.uk - a guy on there (Richard) is building up an estate - some of the work involved may put you off!

That said, everything is available.
Make it easy on yourself and buy the full rear arches, the somerfords full length inner/outer sill assembly, valances, etc... You'll be spending £600+ in panels, but you'll have a strong - original looking car when it's done.
There is only one way to do a rebuild - the right way. This has already had coversills put on it - which has probably assisted in messing up the front and rear of the sills.

I wouldn't bother with the inner sills personally.

When I fixed mine, which admittedly only required front and rear patches letting in, I made the sections up from sheet and bent them between two pieces of angle iron- looks totally stock once they were welded in- cost, next to nil.

Those rear arches look like they only need a bit of metal letting in at the bottom, although I know from expereince Minis can turn out worse than first thought once you start digging around!

Original sills are worth the expense. Those cover sills lock in the rot, and they don't allow any venting, which makes things even worse as the condesation can't evaporate easily.

For my shell I used a mixture of original and pattern parts.

Sills and A panels were original Rover parts, as was a sill step (which I had to remodel!!).

Front wings, front panel and rear vallance- pattern- fitted fine with some minor adjustments here and there.

You can repair inner sills easily, but when inner sill repair panels are soooOO cheap, is it worth the bother?! £8 a piece last time I bought them!

I think so, yes. But it's upto the owner- you're the one with the welding wand!

I try and get away with as little welding as possible.

It's not the welding I mind, it's all the flaming grinding you've got to do afterwards with the large bead that a mig leaves behind- it don't half piss the neighbours off!

Sorry to drag up an old thread, but finally I've got a quote from Minimaster in Penrith. This is based on the pictures above, they've not seen the car in the metal.

They've just done an estate - full restoration including replacing the full floor and heelboard, including paint.......?6000



It would've been more if I'd wanted a concourse job

thats not toooo bad i guess..

I can't help thinking what else I could buy for 6k

thats the trouble isnt it.. depends how much you want an old mini!

I wouldnt.

I'll do it for 5k

Team Racing