Cars
Mini Rebuild
Am I crazy? This is not the first time I've been asked that question. Guess I can't blame people really. I had a nice, quick car to commute in, lots of free time, and a little money in the bank. Why would I want to change all that just so I could own a 46-year old car the size of large dog house?
I've never restored a car before and this seemed a reasonably easy job. Parts are readily available. It isn't a technologically sophisticated car (by modern standards) and doesn't have all that many pieces. Even judged on total surface area it seems a good choice. Plus the rewards seem fairly certain - a light weight, great-handling car that is fun to drive. Hanging around a diehard Mini aficionado for 10 years didn't help either. Maybe this project was inevitable.
So I educated myself a fair bit on Mini's and located what I wanted: a Mk1 Mini bodyshell with very little rust (that I can detect at the moment!). It included some parts as well, only some of which I'll end up using.
So follow along for the next 6 ( 8? 10?) months as I make a running car out of this:
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-Step 1 (June 2008) Planning
-Step 2 (June 23, 2008) Buying the car
-Step 3 (July 3, 2008) Tools
-Step 4 (July 6, 2008) Subframe removal
-Step 5 (July 8, 2008) The engine arrives
-Step 6 (July 12 & 13, 2008) Inventory
-Step 7 (July 15, 2008) Engine inspection
-Step 8 (July 16, 2008) Off to the sandblasters
-Step 9 (July 19, 2008) Motor work
-Step 10 (August 5, 2008) Bare chassis
-Step 11 (August 9, 2008) Engine baffle
-Step 12 (August 13, 2008) Wheels and seats
-Step 13 (August 14, 2008) More engine work
-Step 14 (September 16, 2008) Parts order
-Step 15 (September 25, 2008) KAD suspension and brakes arrive
-Step 16 (September 28, 2008) More parts arrive
-Step 17 (October 5, 2008) Tires mounted
-Step 18 (October 21, 2008) Rollcage
-Step 19 (November 19, 2008) Pro-shift kit arrives
-Step 20 (December 13, 2008) Minor update
-Step 21 (January 9, 2009) Big parts order arrives
-Step 22 (January 21, 2009) Rust removal
-Step 23 (January 25, 2009) Seat and dash mounting, front subframe assembled
-Step 24 (February 16, 2009) Upper dash removed
-Step 25 (February 22, 2009) New upper dash and instrument binnacle installed
-Step 26 (February 23, 2009) Spot welding
-Step 27 (March 16, 2009) Machines steering column parts
-Step 28 (March 24, 2009) Rear subframe installed, back on 4 wheels
-Step 29 (April 7, 2009) Pedal mounting
-Step 30 (April 28, 2009) Custom steering column
-Step 31 (May 30, 2009) Parking brake system
-Step 32 (May 31, 2009) Re-skinning the doors
-Step 33 (June 1, 2009) Floor plates
-Step 34 (June 1, 2009) Front end
-Step 35 (June 22, 2009) Rear end
-Step 36 (June 23, 2009) 1 Year Progress Report
-Step 37 (July 31, 2009) Slam panel and R1 instrument mounting
-Step 38 (September 16, 2009) Steering column fabrication
-Step 39 (December 7, 2009) MINIeXvo kit arrives
-Step 40 (February 7, 2010) Throttle pedal and fuel lines
-Step 41 (March 31, 2010) Parts
-Step 42 (April 10, 2010) Radiator and Transfer Box
-Step 43 (May 4, 2010) Cooling system and Exhaust
-Step 44 (May 24, 2010) Plumbing, brakes, and driveshafts.
-Step 45 (June 3, 2010) Final plumbing, radiator mounts, and fuel tank.
-Step 46 (June 6, 2010) Engine startup.
-Step 47 (June 27, 2010) Second year anniversary
-Step 48 (July 27, 2010) Almost driveable
-Step 49 (July 27, 2010) She drives!
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