K-series in a fortnight....

[Picadilly]

So the challenge is to drop the K-series frame and engine out of my old metro into my latest mini, a 78 Clubby Estate called Barney, in the fortnight i have off from University over the Easter break. This includes getting the car MoT'd and taxed ready for the Riviera run at the end of the month! The project will start tomorrow evening when i finally get the car trailered home from the carpark at Uni!

This might sound like a tall order in 2 weeks, but i'm cheating a touch as this is the second time i've done the conversion (last car proved to be a crate), so i have a good idea of how to go about it and all the parts i need bar the fuel pump which i will grab from the tat yard when i need it!
The good news is that the clubman estate is solid (very patched but solid all the same!) The bad news is the clubman estate is purple!

I plan to keep this diary updated daily, although pictures will be few and far between as my little sister broke our digital camera!

In the (admittedly modified) words of Commander Shore (Stingray) 'Anything can happen in the 14 days' This is gonna get interesting :D

[MattG]

get a camera !!!

Matt

[Woody]

Are you using the metro front subframe ?

[GEDI]

i had a plan like yours, that was a year ago :oops:

good luck buddy, keep us posted :)

[BassAddict]

Good luck - maybe we should start a sweep stake - or perhaps just a vote to see who thinks you will/wont do it in two weeks !!! :)
I'm the latter I'm afraid - but I hope I'm wrong !!! :)

[Picadilly]

Ok. First day of the project, i've been drawing up battleplans and getting stuff ready for the arrival of the Clubman later!

Yes, i plan to use a metro subframe, I have already made the brackets to mount the metro bottom mounts to the mini floorpan, and the brace bars are all welded up and ready to bolt in too! The mini will arrive in a semi-dismantled state, so hopefully 2moro will be a straight subframe swap day - unbolt one then bolt in the new one! I'm using the front hydra gas units individualised and rubber cones at the rear with watsons spacers. Thats the suspension sorted. I have the brake lines and couplings too so thats a bolt in job too in theory.... make it sound simple don't i?! famous last words.....

I'll see if i can borrow a friends camera and get some photos of the progress when there is some!

[Picadilly]

My trailer guy encountered problems, and can't get the car home for a week! :shock: I'd tow the car home but the car has two flat tyres on the back and disconnected steering/brakes at the front it's not an option. This could potentially throw a spanner in the works...... :x

But as I only have 14 precious days its time for some sheer bloody mindedness! The subframes going in the back of my dads car tomorrow and i'll do it on the car park at university! Luckily my room faces the car park so i can run a powerlead out of the window, there's nobody around to bother me and aslong as i get it rolling steering and braking i can bring it home! i'll get it sorted one way or another!

Whos for the sweep stakes now then?.... :lol:

[BigAndy]

Theres never problems, just opportunities!!!

[Woody]

You are nuts ! Good luck , we need pics

[GEDI]

But as I only have 14 precious days its time for some sheer bloody mindedness! The subframes going in the back of my dads car tomorrow and i'll do it on the car park at university!

:shock: :lol: good luck, i hope your good at keeping on scedule :wink:
are you using watsons end plates to mount the subfame towers?

[BassAddict]

Maybe that's where I go wrong - if it were me I'd just forget about it for a week and go down the pub all day !!! :) !!!

[GEDI]

Maybe that's where I go wrong - if it were me I'd just forget about it for a week and go down the pub all day !!! :) !!!

youve got to prepare for these things mentally :lol:

[Picadilly]

Ok so its going well so far. Yesterday was a total wash out due to the inclement weather. But the joyous news is that today is a beautiful sunny day (just jinxed myself) so i'm off to mess with the a-series get it going and bring the car home. I can do this!

As i plan to use the hydragas on the front i will not be using any side mounts, just at the bottom and brace bars at the front. This was good enough on the metro so i figure it should do on the mini. Well of to work i go! :D

[Woody]

I thought about using the hydragas units as allready fitted to the metro subframe BUT there did not seem to be any room so i have opted for coilovers
How will you get them in ?
if you have a solotion i could still use them (cheaper!)

[evolotion]

Ok so its going well so far. Yesterday was a total wash out due to the inclement weather. But the joyous news is that today is a beautiful sunny day (just jinxed myself) so i'm off to mess with the a-series get it going and bring the car home. I can do this!

As i plan to use the hydragas on the front i will not be using any side mounts, just at the bottom and brace bars at the front. This was good enough on the metro so i figure it should do on the mini. Well of to work i go! :D

doubt a set of brace bar's would equal the stregnth of the fornt of a metro, surely you can make up some kind of bracket to mount to the mini's "tower" mounting points, gota be the strongest part of a mini shell. assumign your doing what i think your doing :lol:

[Picadilly]

Right, i'm a week down and the clubman still isn't back from Uni so i'm cheating and patching the shell the K16 is attached to at the moment. i will have a running 16v mini for the riv run!

The state of things at the moment is the engine and frame are in and bolted securely, the rear spacers and wheels are on, and the floor is patched as of today so i have to source and fit a door, bonnet and bootlid, fit the wiring, pipe in the brake and fuel lines, and fit the interior before taking it for MoT! in a week?! Fun!

I've borrowed a camera so i'll whack a few upto date piccys tomorrow but for a idea of the state of things so far check out www.minidirectory.co.uk/forums in the projects section... mine is 'Planty' :D

[MattG]

*cough* ... was that gehawk sayin that ?? :lol: 8)

[ChrisRB]

I've borrowed a camera so i'll whack a few upto date piccys tomorrow but for a idea of the state of things so far check out www.minidirectory.co.uk/forums in the projects section... mine is 'Planty' :D

That link should be http://www.minidirectory.co.uk/forum

[BATESPEED]

have you got the clubby estate finished yet ? thats two years now. i thought you said two weeks! :?:

[charlie_t]

did this ever get done?

[BATESPEED]

probably not ,but i think the guy that wrote it should be! :wink: