Irish Mini Owners Club

After months of inactivity, I'm finally getting motivated to get stuck into the Hornet again. The plan tomorrow is to move the '67 Automatic to another garage out of the way and move the Hornet into my main garage where there's more room to work around it. The Cooper will then move into the Hornet's garage where I can get at it easily if I want to use it over the winter. It all sounds manic but anyone who has been to my place will know that while I'm lucky enough to have a large garage, there's only one door in and out and it's always the car at the back that you want to get out!

The recovered seats are in the car at the moment but that's purely to keep them in a safe place. They'll be coming back out once I start putting things properly back together. Don't expect Joeb1 or KMG speed of workmanship cos I just don't do that. Mind you, I still hope to have it on the road before a certain Marcos!!!!!

Photos to follow,

Billy

Hi Billy and a happy New Year.

How are you getting on with the Hornet, you should be on the home straight by now.

I need you to progress to heap up the guilt so that I finally make a start

Look forward to seeing it out on the MTM, no pressure of course....

Mini Ha Ha

Apart from moving the Hornet from one garage to another, there's no great progress. Hopefully a major push soon?

Does this mean you'll be on MTM this year?

Billy

Billy

I am in negotiation with Hiawatha

Entry forms printed off just waiting for a suitable time to broach the subject

How is your Honda 50, I am about to start dismantling a JAP (J.A.Prestwich) V twin, probably take longer than your Hornet !!

All the best for 2009 and hope to see you in Mizzen

Mini Ha Ha

JAP Engine, you're not working on a 3-wheel Morgan by any chance?

No it is a bike which is often called a bitsa, Enfield Wheels, Norton Gearbox, JAP engine, not too superior at all at present.

Were you at the New Years Day beano in Roberts Cove, I missed it this year.

I got a set of the new 4.5 J steel wheels for the Mini, as far as I know all the Irish 1275s has 4.5 J wheels,the 1071s had the 3.5 J. My car came from the UK with 3.5 rims and I always think that the car looks wrong with these. Now I need to get some tyres, preferably with as high a profile as I can, I suppose Vintage Tyre Supplies and the Aquajets are the way to go.In the good old days I always preferred Goodyear G 800s,as the blockier tread was better on the Cork roads where you tended to get the odd patch of mud.

Good luck with the Hornet

Mini Ha Ha

After many many false dawns, work has restarted on the Hornet. I even bought a few bits from Miniquip yesterday and there's some other stuff on its way via Ebay later this week. I was never really happy with the quality of the bodywork done last year and to be honest, that didn't exactly motivate me when I'd go out to the garage.

A few weeks ago, I packed it all up and gave it to Johnny Murphy to put back together for me and the body's currently being redone by another panelbeater. The good news is that it should be finally ready for reassembly later this week.

It might even be ready for the IMM if I put enough pressure on Johnny.

There will be photos later this week.

Billy

Got a call yesterday to say that the Hornet was almost ready for priming so went down to take a few photos. There's been a lot of work done to rectify the previous paintjob but the car should be sturdier and better-finished as a result. The new wings and a-panels had lots of pitting and lumps so all these should now be sorted.






Johnny is gearing up to start putting all the bits back together including the newly painted engine.



I've to order a new steering rack from Somerford today and rebuild a set of twin carbs with the linkages I got from Miniquip on Sunday.

Progress finally.

Billy

Hornet



Looks great billy

I want one of these for a pal for Stobart

Woody,

That Elf you mentioned before is now up for sale:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Unique-Riley-Elf- ... |294%3A200

It's up there with Justcoupe's Clubby.

Billy

Looking good Billy,

Never realised that there were any Hornet Cabriolets?
Or was it a conversion?


Tony

You mustn't have been eating your beans when you were a young lad Tony.

It was all cabbages and turnips when I was a young chap Neil!

Some of the fanciest cars in our area back then would have been an Austin 1300 Renault 12, Fiat 850......

A car with a roll back roof would have likely been something that someone had rolled over into a ditch


Tony

So you never heard of the Heinz Hornets then ???

Ah yes, now I remember reading about the Heinz Hornets last year in a book all about the infamous bean company!
A bit of googling reminded me

Will yours be resprayed wine or one of the original colours Billy?


Tony

Damask Red, a genuine Hornet colour but not this car's original as it had many colours over the years (see earlier posts).

Billy

The Hornet came back from the panelbeater's last week and Johnny Murphy is now working on it. The man who did the bodywork on it this time is Leonard O'Sullivan from Ballinhassig who is also now a club member. Leonard can be contacted at 087-2980612.





I'll be taking more photos this afternoon when I call in with more bits to Johnny.

Billy

Looking good. What is your verdict on the paintwork this time around in terms of quality, cost etc?

Much better quality though ideally to get perfection would have meant stripping back all the previous work which would have cost too much. This Hornet was never meant as a prize winner but will be very presentable when it's finished.

Called to Johnny yesterday afternoon and the cosmetic stuff is moving along.




I want to fit a new steering rack but the subframe bolts are not inclined to budge. If any of the bolts shear, it's going to take some extra work to remove the bolts and drop the subframe which is slightly more complicated when you're using hydrolastic. It's not impossible, just time-consuming. More photos later this week.

Billy

Billy do you realy have to remove the subframe to put in the new stearing rack i took out and put back mine with the sub in

You don't have to remove the subframe, just move the rear of it down about 2 inches. The problem is that if the bolts shear, Johnny will have no choice but to completely remove it.

BIlly

With much patience and a lot of penetrating oil, the 4 subframe bolts finally shifted and the new steering rack is fitted.

Billy

Just an idea

Murph rang this afternoon to say that the Hornet is finally starting on the key.

In its pre-restoration state, there was a completely mangled wiring loom with spotlights, electric windscreen washer, radio, and tripmeter added. These have now all been removed and the dynamo has been replaced with an alternator. The wiring loom was in such a manky state, the only option was to source a replacement which has now been fitted.

There is light at the end of the tunnel but seeing as the weather isn't ideal for a convertible, there's no panic.

Billy

great news look forward to seeing the pics