Irish Mini Owners Club

I have started applying epoxy primer to the skins and frames of the boot and doors before assembly. My first day spraying on the boot skin and frame was hit and miss. I got a few runs but can sand it down when it is fully cured. My big mistake was not predicting that the panels would start spinning ...

This is what I am talking about. Surface rust under the bubble.

I noticed the e-coating protection on this heritage panel was quite lumpy. I wasn't sure if it was just excess e-coat or something else, anyway, I started sanding only to reveal loads of surface rust on the panel. Sanded back with 100 grit and then treated with a phosphoric acid solution. https://li...

Happy New Year everyone! The drivers side floor is now in place and all the welds are ground back. https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54248883074_bb892f26a3_k.jpg I still have to complete a repair on the bottom of the inner arch. https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54249059115_a0a77b56ef_k.jpg I fo...

Thanks Woody and Billy.

Back at it today

Started cleaning up the other side of the panel



weld through for the pinholes that I missed the first time around

Terrybrennan76 wrote: ↑Mon Dec 16, 2024 12:07 pm Getting crazy quotes for my 24 year old mini insurance .o have a policy on another car and that seems to use the no claims bonus .any broker handle second car or occasional use insurance
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Have you tried Carol Nash? they specialise in Classic Cars and Motorcycles.

More progress on the drivers side floor repair panel https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54204029863_b8f3a096cd_k.jpg https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54204207920_14331cc18a_k.jpg https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54204029828_8f3c9cd6f4_k.jpg https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54204207910_7db7...

The garage has been a bit chilly the last few days. With a couple of hours here and there you can make progress. I do have a propane heater for it when it gets really cold. Anyway on with the work. Final cut out of the floor https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54166603650_548bcd1e0d_k.jpg Strengthen...

Slowly working the drivers side floor panel into place.

Great to see you Colin. Your mini was looking fab! Glad you made it home too as that was some round trip with the young fella. I think my gang are starting to get excited about my own project now. So no pressure then...

Should be ready for Sunday's show in Portlaoise? Haha I wish. I started the cleanup on the driver's side today. I have discovered that HG rust remover is brilliant at cleaning up rusty panels. It contains Phosphoric Acid and when applied from a spray bottle 1:3 mix and agitated with a brush it remo...

Latest updates on the mini https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54088475788_394f5ccfca_h.jpg Finishing off the floor of the passenger side. https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54088681430_4a0785facc_h.jpg https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54088681385_5b98a59d6d_h.jpg https://live.staticflickr.com/6...

Started welding up the tacked floor panel this evening https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53874431851_573fe6ea0c_b.jpg Always easy to blend a butt weld when it's on an outside curve https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53874431806_3f3cdea25a_b.jpg Finished up just after the first inside flute this e...

Hi Colin, The 3mm hole was used with the Cleco clips that I used to align the panel. It helped to always put the panel back into the same spot when doing all the measuring and cutting. I just drilled out one side to 6.5mm for the plug weld. If you use your normal thin sheet welding settings then you...

Tacked in the floor patch panel against the tunnel. https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53868291452_c812482e5c_b.jpg I have also tacked the side that will be butt welded https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53869442083_94bdccf2fb_b.jpg M-machine panel didn't fit against the inner sill so I have made ...

Plug welding the back of the front slinger bracket to the new floor patch panel before it goes into the car https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53856777637_7bc2b6a07a_b.jpg Looks nice and neat on the outside https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53858040579_60755fabe4_b.jpg Welding up the cuts I made ...

Final fitting of the floor panel before butt welding. Took a bit to get it aligned on the tunnel but happy with it now. https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53850912118_203a97b97b_b.jpg Just checking the position of the slinger front brackets https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53849755707_13286ba6fe...

Actually, here is what it looks like in the mini - before welding.

Welding up the 'V's in the m-machine panels. I saw Paul Wiginton do it in one of his videos. https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53844048336_633755779f_b.jpg https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53843153572_ba78b79957_b.jpg https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53844486045_4ddd0f3056_b.jpg The only one...

Another decent day on the mini today. Passenger patch panel for inside wing in place https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53841408961_2545809293_b.jpg Fits nicely on the inside and against the bulkhead/toeboard panel https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53841676198_01f36bf78b_b.jpg Tacked in place htt...

Sorry just saw you mentioned the Victor Reinz one in your post ... doh!

Hi Colin, Have you considered switching to a composite head gasket like the Victor Reinz one for the small bore blocks? I know Chris at Crafted Classic Tuning sells them - https://www.craftedclassics.co.uk/components-ch/p/small-bore-composite-head-gasket Alternatively, If you are stuck I have a spar...

Back on the mini for a full day today https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53824009986_f81bfebf64_b.jpg https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53824343209_4f42a4473d_b.jpg I have started trimming the quarter floor panel on the passenger side. The underside looks good, I haven't done the final cut yet. I...

Drilling out the spot welds https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53698342160_4dcfabed90_b.jpg Loving the rust but there is clean metal there https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53698242444_0fedf229cc_b.jpg https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53698242414_5cc547ccbc_b.jpg The bottom of the inner wing w...

Time to replace the front quarter floor panels. I am starting with the passenger side first. I am replacing them with M-Machine panels https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53696607399_d9c59dcd50_b.jpg https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53696701200_b8079da602_b.jpg I have cleaned up the inside sill a...