Irish Mini Owners Club

There looking great, fair play diy'ing them!

Did you have to use the metal tape for masking off?

colinf1 wrote: ↑Sat Feb 19, 2022 7:54 pm Did you have to use the metal tape for masking off?

I just used blue masking tape. It cooks in the oven and becomes brittle and then can be removed with a sharp Stanley blade.

Some more powder coating today. Weather was horrible so glad to be tucked away in the garage for a few hours.

Front upper arms, rear hubs and rear arms powder coated today.

Looking great!

Have you much more to powder coat?

colinf1 wrote: ↑Sun Feb 27, 2022 10:48 pm Looking great!

Have you much more to powder coat?

All suspension parts are done now but I need to send the subframes and petrol tank off this week as the oven isn’t big enough for those.

I am sure there will be lots of other parts to powder coat when I start reassembling but I have the equipment to blast and powder now.

Next up is nickel zinc electroplating

Heavy pitting on the fuel tank. Managed to weld it up using a curved piece of copper behind the steel to prevent blow through. Really happy with the results.

Some more powder coating and rebuilding of pedal box.

I see you've even done the rear floor ashtray!!

I put mine straight in the bin, hate to see ashtrays in cars.

Pedal box looks great, both my pedals had seized to the pin!

colinf1 wrote: ↑Sun Mar 27, 2022 7:41 pm I see you've even done the rear floor ashtray!!

I put mine straight in the bin, hate to see ashtrays in cars.

It will never be used. I just want to keep the interior items.

I will be putting back as much of the original interior as possible e.g. houndstooth seats etc.

The only non-original item that I will be changing will be converting from a round centre speedo to the oval centre speedo so I can include the oil pressure and temp gauges.

Pickup the subframes and petrol tank from the Carlow Coating.

Can start checking fitment with the new bushes prior to assembly.

Started assembling the rear subframe. Did a quick install first to ensure no issues.

For those that didn’t notice in the previous photo I put the back plates on the wrong side. Fixed now.
Started on the front subframe assembly

Installed the MiniSpares EVO cones into the front subframe. Quite a bit of compression required to get the original cone in after.
Used the fly wheel puller with an M14 high tensile threaded bar to make a homemade cone compressor. Now that the garage is wired for internet was able to stream The Masters in the background

Multi-tasking

Haven’t posted in a while. Being doing a few odd bits here and there on the car. Last couple of days repairing the drivers side quarter panel with some success.

Took a photo of what the penetration looks like from underneath the quarter panel. Need to wire brush it and spray it with some etch primer

For some reason, I can't seem to attach images anymore to my thread or use the "Full Editor". Something seems broken since the cert got updated.

Colin seems to be able to add pics.

I'm adding my pictures via flickr bbcode, I think ctwomey is uploading to the forum and embedding them.

I think there are a few kinks to work out from the update to the website..

Thanks Colin for the tip about flickr bbcode. Issue seems to be with Full Editor and Preview.

Finished off the driver's side quarter panel window repairs.

Next job is replace the passenger side quarter panel as the existing one is badly dented and the window opening is heavily corroded. I think more effort involved trying to fix the existing one rather than replace it.

Do you think I need to brace the shell in order to replace the quarter panel? fyi out sills are off too.

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I would brace between the B-posts, just to be on the safe side incase anything moves. Do you have to do the quarter panel waist rail?

Welds are looking very neat!

colinf1 wrote: ↑Fri Jul 15, 2022 8:46 pm I would brace between the B-posts, just to be on the safe side incase anything moves. Do you have to do the quarter panel waist rail? Welds are looking very neat!

Cheers, I have some small box section that I can make a brace with. The waist rails are in decent shape, I just need to replace some of the lip that spot welds onto the quarter panel. Will post a picture when I detach the upper part of the quarter panel from that section.

The passenger side waist rail just needs some sections repaired.