Irish Mini Owners Club

Its about time I set up a build thread. Iv been collecting bits and pieces for a good while now and have started to get stuck into the project with the good weather.

The mini is a 79 mini1000 I bought as a unfinished project. It had a good few panels replaced when I got it, inner and outer sills, quarter panel,boot floor and front floor panels but still needs a quarter panel.. scuttle..roof doors and numerous patches.

I have a fiberglass front end for it ,full cage and 4 pot vented and grooved brakes.
Engine wise there im putting in a suzuki swift gti engine.The engine spec is as follows;
1395cc overbore
Bill Faulker Forged Pistons
Bill Faulker Cams & solid lifters
Ported and polished head
Mocal Oil Cooler
42 mm Quad throttle bodies
MBE 967E Mappable ECU
Gti Gearbox

Engine mapped by Tom Casey Race Engines
injectors positioned in itbs at present .. I may use them a the head for more power. Engine producing 132bhp at present but would easliy more 140 with a few tweeks and a re map.
im making a custom tubular subframe for it.


il add some pics when I sort out my login details for photo bucket.

The car will be fairly sparce on the inside with a race/ rally theme.
Il get pics pics up asap.
I hope to have it on the road by the end of the year.

Ian

set of 12in slot mags to refurb.




cage to go in



donor car

Sorry the pics and descriptions are all over the place.


http://s1077.photobucket.com/user/pump8 ... r.jpg.html

Spare Swift Gti engine


The actual Gti engine im fitting.


Gxr Throttle bodies


Renault coil pack


Mocal Oil cooler



I hope to start the subframe on Saturday. I have the front end of a mini that i will use to mock up the frame so i can sort clearances etc. I think the throttle bodies will cause issues with the clutch and brake cylinders. i may have to remake the manifold and angle them upwards. Failing that i will use a pedal box.

Im going to use tubular steel to make the subframe as i have access to a pipe benders. I will use landrover engine mounts to secure engine in place.

The engine is running a MBE Ecu so il just have to power that up,a permanent live, ground , switched live from ignition, one wire to fuel pump relay,one to the rev counter and then just wire in the alternator and the starter.

Then il measure the drive shafts and get a cut and shut job done on them, half swift half mini.
Il post more pics of progress saturday.

Ian

The engine and box sitting into the mini frame so i can mark where to cut.



Engine hoisted over cut down mini frame



Cut out for diff to fit in. This will need reinforcing after.

I made a start at bending the tubular steel for my frame. It was done in about 2 hours. Between cutting existing frame and bending its about four hours work. Its constantly fit then refit the engine to check for clearance. Im going to tack the tubular frame tonight so il have pics of that soon.

ok so heres the lower bars of the subframemade from 20mm steel tube.




top bars rested in place


Upper and lower bars tacked together and to subframe




Additional bracing bars added




Engine dropped in for its first fit. Hard to tell will i need to modify the frame , clearance is minimal everywhere. Il need to fabricate some engine mounts next and trial fit it properly. Then i can seam weld it and add webbing in places to strengthen it.

Iv mostly been doing body work lately. Trying to get the welding finished so i can get it blasted.

New roof


Bracing so it can be blasted before i fit it.


Shell roof braced


New boot floor and rear valance




Front floor pans and outer sills welded in... done a while ago


Also new repair to the heel board for subframe mount

Welds still need tidying and are a bit agricultural. There strong though which is the main thing.



Some patching on the front end.

Spent this evening removing seam sealer and any other sticky crap i could find in prep for blasting. I also picked up some Rustbuster epoxy rust proof primer and some epoxy-mastic paint for the subbies and under side. Hope its good stuff , im told it is. I thought id have it at the blasters this week but it will probably be next week now. Then i can fit the roof, rear quarter and skin the doors. Then its prep for paint.

Some amount of work ahead, but looks like an interesting project, look forward to updates

hanks Phil. .. yea tis going to be a long haul. The plan is to have it on the road by May 15.

I sanded down the roll cage today and sprayed it.
It was my first attempt at spraying and it turned out ok. A few runs but they will flatten out.

I used a HLVP electric sprayer. Its an Earlex 1900 system. I used rustoleum gold paint which I thinned with white spirits and sprayed it directly to the sanded surface. Im happy with the results and I will attempt to spray the entire car this way.It will probably require alot more rubbing down between coats but I reckon I can get a decent finish.

heres the pics

another pic of the cage.

I got the cage last year for a €100 last year., a bargain I thought.

I got a call from a friend to go to the local scrap metal dealers that there was mini parts there. He was right. . I got 2 brand new chrome bumpers.. a brand new black bumper and a brand new center exit front to back Sportex exhaust all for the princley some of €80.
Happy days.

ladies and gentlemen my gravity defying mini!
all being loaded to be bead blasted and primed with custom epoxy

all loaded up and ready to go.

The guy is going to bast and prime the shell.. replacement panels such as door skins qtr panels etc.. wheels..bumper.. grille and the roof skin.

Next job when it returns is to fit the roof which will take a while todo right I reckon. Then the rear qtr panel and scuttle will be fitted. Next after that will probably be to skin the two doors and prep for paint.
Il post pics during the bead blasting process.

Ok so i got my mini back from the blasters just before Christmas. He glass bead blasted it and epoxy primed it for me. Im happy out with the results.



12 in Wolfrace slotmags well pleased with how they turned out.



Door handles etc

The Suzuki G13b rocker cover



Rear Quarter panel ready for fitting



Doors ready for skins



Boot door needs some repairs



Door skin ready for fitting



Shell all primed and rust free



Underside all primed and ready for Epoxy mastic coating.

Is that electrical conduit you're using for the front subframe?

Doubt it very much as electrical conduit is very weak and would not hold up to the stresses of an engine trying to pull itself out of the front of a car,I used seamless hydraulic tubing on my subframe.

Just that it's galvanized and looking at the benders in the background of the pics. You wouldn't bend anything strong enough to use as a subframe without a hydraulic setup or heat.

yea good spot..im sparks by trade so its free to me and can make plenty of mistakes. I plan to use it as a mock up till im happy with the design and fitting etc. When im happy il re do it it with Cds tubing and add strengthening webs where needed. I have another project on the go so the subframe has been abandoned temporarily.

How did the shell stand up to blasting and who did it for you?

Im delighted with the results. It was glass bead blasted so it reduces the heat an awful lot. There was not one bit of warping or rippling. All the rust was removed .. there was only one or two places the were a bit thin after it where the rust was a little deeper than surface. He primed it all the in Rustbuster Epoxy Primer which is some stuff.

Paddy Brosnan is the guys name he is in South Kilkenny. . highly recommend him.

Thanks I have friends in Kilkenny too might be a good excuse for a visit. Would you mind if I asked you the price via pm obviously.

Pm sent

So I said I'd finish off my slot mags. I was gonna sell glad I kept them. Im very pleased with how they turned out.