My Rear Engined,RWD,k series build FOR SALE!!!!!EBAY £500

[BigAndy]

Thought it was about time i put together a build diary - it beats revising for my second year exams at uni!

Got the car 6 (thats right, 6!!!) years ago as a reasonably mint looking car, to do a bit of tidying on in preparation for my 17th birthday. Had a bit of rust on the lower valance, inner wings etc., the usual places, so got those bits sorted, as well as the usual wings and a-panels replacement. All my pics of it at this stage are proper photos so cant put them up, but the car was pretty nice. It got sent off for a full respray on my 17th birthday and returned looking someting like this

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a91/ajhmini/02aston82.jpg

Also had Hyundai Coupe F2 evolution front and rear seats, leather dashboard and MG metro engine, Cooper S brakes. After a year I started a job which involved 60 miles of motorway driving everyday so i decided to get an every day car and keep this for fun. It took just a few weeks for me to decide a fun car needed a stripped interior, buckets etc, so the next year was spent replacing the entire floor, boot floor, another complete front end, reskinning the doors, new healboard, etc etc.Also spent ALOT of money on Carbon doors, bonnet, boot, wing mirrors, bumpers etcetc, most of which never made it on to the car it was driven such a short time. Having sprayed the car, it was put together in 5 days from scratch, MOT'd on the saturday morning, then off to Crystal Palace for the LtoB run by2pm.

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a91/ajhmini/Mini048.jpg

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a91/ajhmini/Mini002.jpg

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a91/ajhmini/Mini.jpg

Having built the car in such short time it seemed like a good idea for my bro to drive the LtoB with me incase the worst happened - he could carry all the tools/spares etc etc we might need. A round trip of about 300 mimles isnt the ideal shakedown run for a new car! So, as you would expect, the car got ragged the whole way there and back, and best of all, it was my bro's subaru that needed towing home cos he bust his clutch and gearbox :D. The mini went on to endure a summer of 1/4 miles and country road racing with a group of my mates that are well in to their track cars.

After a year of building the mini then suddenly having nothing to do i got fidgety and convinced my mate to let me put a MGF engine in to his Metro for him. That kept me busy for a month or so, but then when his MOT came round a few months later there was too much work to bother doing. So as payment for doing all the work on his car, he offered me his whole car as a donor for putting in my mini. 2 days later and....

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a91/ajhmini/scrapmetro.jpg

She almost looks sad with her cut balljoint and wonky wheel, and rightly so...

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a91/ajhmini/Mini065.jpg

.....then one fateful weekend she fell from a great height and went splat :lol:

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a91/ajhmini/Mini051.jpg

Having stripped his car and sent it off to the metro scrapyard in the sky I started considering my project. I didnt want to do the usual engine conversion, and wanted something a bit special so plumped for a MGF rear subframe to stick in the back. By chance, it turned out the subframe was a couple of inches narrower than a mini's inner sills. Next job was finding a roll cage. At this point I think Z cars were just starting to release their kits, which removed all structural integrity from the rear - 'well if they can do it, so can i!' i thought, so in went the front of a roll cage to add some rigidity to the shell and out came the rear seats...plus a bit

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a91/ajhmini/Mini071.jpg


After a bit of tidying and another new rear valance she had a roughly engine sized hole in her rear

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a91/ajhmini/Mini072.jpg

The roll cage came from Fabricage, who I hassled for a couple of months asking about what my options were, fittings etc etc. Basically I didnt have a clue what I wanted except I wanted it substantial. I certainly got that!

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a91/ajhmini/Dsc_0017.jpg

With the front half all welded in, attention could be turned to the rear of the car. A set of MGF wheels came up on ebay for £20 so they were collected and bolted on to the frame. As luck would have it, the rolling radius exactly matched the radius of the rear arches on a mini, so that helped alot with lining the frame up. A big box section of steel was cut up to provide the front mounts for the frame, and the rear of the frame was lined up roughly.

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a91/ajhmini/Mini083.jpg

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a91/ajhmini/Mini084.jpg

A couple of photos were taken and measurements were sent off to Fabricage and a few phone calls later he'd come up with a rough plan of how best to complete the rear of the cage, and then they were delivered. The main legs were welded in, then the engine bolted in, then the rest of the beams of the cage were added, to make sure there were no clearance issues. Somewhere about this point I went to uni, so little/no porgress has been made since - that was 2 years ago!! But the cage has slowly built up and is complete, still contemplating an additional bar to go between the seas and engine.

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a91/ajhmini/DSC_0045.jpg

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a91/ajhmini/DSC_0046.jpg

Dashboard rail added

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a91/ajhmini/P4030009.jpg

Over the last few months things have picked up... a little. Handbrake and gear selectors have been installed and mk1 light plates added. And i changed my mind about the subframe. The rear frames on MGF's and TF's rewuire a minimum of 14" wheels which i decided was too big for the look i wanted. So i went for a TF front subframe, allowing automatic use of coilovers. Just need to lock the hubs in much the same way as MikeR33 has done on his estate. So the rear legs of the roll cage were midified to allow for the new suspension turrets, looks better in my opinion too.

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a91/ajhmini/P4030010.jpg

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a91/ajhmini/P4030008.jpg

And the cutout for the exhaust - looks a bit like the MINI copper S exhausts, but is a chopped up Series 1 elise exhaust, mated to a Janspeed manifold.

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a91/ajhmini/P4030013.jpg

At the moment the spec will be 1.8 on a PG1 box, VHPD throttle bodies and ecu, VHPD cams, MG 4 pot brakes, Coilovers all round, 13x7 alleycats and some curley carbon arches :D

I'll stick up a few more updates after my exams. But in the mean time if anyones got any comments/suggestions/questions i'm all ears!

[Geehawk]

Now thats a decent build diary 8) 8)
Great stuff :D

[BigAndy]

Well, exams are out of the way, had a little holiday, and now the girlfriends gone travelling for a month, so its time to get some proper work done.

That said, i didnt get much done today. Spent most of the day looking over the car to remind myself whats left to do. The good news is there isnt a lot left before i can get the interior sprayed. The annying news is, i seem to be taking one step forward and two steps back all the time - i think my standard of work has improved during this project, so what looked ok a couple of years ago, looks a bit gash now.

I replaced one inner wing and sill a couple of months ago, so started on the other side today. Got the old sill off (annoying cos it was new and rust free) it needed to come off to weld in a new harness mounting point, and needed modifying anyway for the heelboard thats been moved forward. Once the sill was off, I found the doorstep and inner wing were pretty rotten in places. Chopped out the brown stuff, and made a couple of plates to fill the new holes. This took aaaages, but im happy with the general form of the pieces, will just need minor filling once welded in.

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a91/ajhmini/a6481487.jpg

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a91/ajhmini/P6260006.jpg

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a91/ajhmini/P6260009.jpg

Im sure the neighbours all love it that im back for the summer

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a91/ajhmini/26e01b65.jpg

Id forgotten i'd run out of welding wire, so didnt get any actual welding done, maybe tomorow. Still need to cut out the inner wing and chop the new one to fit, and do all the modifications to the rear end of the sill, and make a new closing panel for it - so probably wont get it all welded in for a few days.

[BigAndy]

I got some done today, not as much as id hoped though - went round to a friends house just in time to see his K series powered imp started up - annoying cos he only started his about a year ago - hes planning on having it driving for the retro cars show at the weekend and taking it up the strip - ive shotgunned my passenger seat when its driving.

got my plates welded in, and the sill modified to fit and partly welded on as well as the replacement inner wing half welded in. I'll finish the welding tomorow and hopefully get all the roll cage cleaned up and welded properly. Still planning on adding an extra diagonal between the engine and driver for safety, so i need to find myself some more tubes suitable for a roll cage.

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a91/ajhmini/P6270013.jpg

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a91/ajhmini/P6270012.jpg

[BigAndy]

Well, went to the roll cage man, and found out i could only buy 5m lengths of bar, so i've got a load spare. If anyone cans think of anywhere on the cage that looks like a weak spot then let me know. Put my bulkhead brace bar thing in. Couldnt remember exactly hw far forward the engine came, but hopefully this should clear it all.

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a91/ajhmini/P6290019.jpg

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a91/ajhmini/P6290020.jpg

Finished welding on the new inner wing panel and sill

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a91/ajhmini/P6290018.jpg

also started doing my rear inner wheelarches/stoneguards. Just tacked in place at the moment, im gonna modify them so theres a lip running all the way round the arch. Working the next few days so wont be able to do that till monday

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a91/ajhmini/P6290021.jpg

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a91/ajhmini/P6290022.jpg

[BigAndy]

not much to report today - the heat meant the welder was overheating every 10 mins or so so kept having to stop and do other things. Got the other arch on and FINALLY finished all the welding on the cage - but im stil thinking about adding two more small bars. Not sure if its worth it, or if i can be bothered.

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a91/ajhmini/P7030001.jpg

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a91/ajhmini/P7030006.jpg

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a91/ajhmini/P7030007.jpg

[Spag]

If your MIG is getting toasty, then try slapping a 12v radiator fan on the site of it (with cable ties & mole grips etc) to get more air through it.

I used to be able to run my old 90A at full tilt for a couple of hours with no problems. Without the fan it would overheat after 30 mins or so :)

[evolotion]

a slightly more elegant solution :lol:
http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=1810&criteria=fan&doy=3m7

may do this to my welder too, as it overheated about 4 tiems when i was making my exhaust :(

[BigAndy]

hmm, its only overheated a few times before, and thats when im at full power for a long time. As ive finished all the seam welding for the moment I don't think i'll bother, but may do in the future. cheers for the advice though :D

[Geehawk]

Coming along nicely 8)

What are the plans for the outer arches?

[BigAndy]

Got to get my wheels first (7x13 alleycats) and see exactly how far they stick out. Then once i know that I will get the Curley carbon miglia arches. They do an extra wide set so I think i'll use that on the back, and the normal miglia arches on the front. Hopefully they won't make me buy two complete sets of arches. I've loved those arches for ages, I think a guy on here has them. I was planning on buying the wheels some time this summer, but there doesn't seem alot of point at the moment, because i know as soon as i stick them on I'll damage them.

[noisymini]

I have the Curley Carbon arches.

I doubt you would have to buy two sets of arches. Think they normally make them to order so will just make whatever your asking for.

I had to wait about 6 weeks for mine, though i had ordered a second set of arches and carbon bumbers for my girlfriends mini at the same time.

Still its probably a plan to order them a while before you're wanting to fit them.

Anyway have been following your progress with some interest as would like to do something similar in the future. Only thing I'm not sure about is sorting out the suspension to make it handle properly. But recon i'll wait and see how you get on.

Keep up the good work! :D

[BigAndy]

apparently you just need to change the camber etc on the front wheels. My friend has a k series imp (which some of you may have seen at the retro cars show - it was blue and arrived being towed by a blue triumph) and he's got his handling sorted, so i'll just use his settings as a starting point. Everything for a mini is available as adjustable units so that makes it easier.

Did hardly anything today - I couldn't be bothered because of the heat. I was planning on getting it ready to have the interior sprayed on friday, but apparently storms are forecast for the end of the week, so can't spray it in that weather. that means the pressures off a bit for a few extra days.

I've been playing with a hole in the heelboard for routing the gear selector cables. The problem is, the cables have very big diameter ends, but very small diameter cables.....that, and I keep changing my mind about where i want to cables routed.

[BigAndy]

painting preparation has begun. My fingers are still tingling from 6 hours of holding a angle grinder with a wire brush attachment. Hopefully it will be somewhere close to being ready for spraying by tomorow evening

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a91/ajhmini/P7080018.jpg

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a91/ajhmini/P7080019.jpg

Theres lots of fiddly bits, like under the floor bars which are gonna be a pig to get in to

The plan at the moment is to get 1 or 2 coats of primer on to give a reasonable covering. Then it should highlight any areas that need filling or grinding, and i can put all the seam sealant on. give it a quick rub down and a couple more coats of primer

[BigAndy]

happy happy happy - probably as a result of fumes.

First 2 coats done, filling and sealing to come, then the final coats of primer

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a91/ajhmini/P7090022.jpg

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a91/ajhmini/P7090024.jpg

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a91/ajhmini/P7090023.jpg

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a91/ajhmini/P7090021.jpg

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a91/ajhmini/P7090020.jpg

amazing how much more complete and just damn sexy it looks being all one colour. well, the interiors all one colour (apart from the bits i missed :lol: )

[BigAndy]

got 2 coats of colour on the interior today - and made myself physically sick from the fumes! not much to say

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a91/ajhmini/5c194bd5.jpg

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a91/ajhmini/IMAG0048.jpg

pics arent great cos it was quite dark when i took them

[BigAndy]

Got it out in the sun - pretty chuffed with it all - certainly much better finish than ive ever managed before. Im still gonna do one more coat cos theres a couple of patches which have been missed - theyre not obvious, but i know theyre there so they will pee me off - like the underneath of the door bars. Gonna try and get a bit more thinners in the mix to give a slightly shinier finish. still feeling rough today so that can wait till tomorow

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a91/ajhmini/5e4bfffd.jpg

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a91/ajhmini/fe3eca1e.jpg

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a91/ajhmini/8607360b.jpg

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a91/ajhmini/d119870c.jpg

[Andy_S]

That' a mighty fine piece of engineering which looks even better now you've got it in paint!

Get yourself an air fed mask before you paint again, you'll be a lot happier & healthier. :D

Andy

PS - Love the colour.

[chrisg]

if your using 2 pack can get a gerson resperator for about £30, apparently what the paint shop guys use. i bought one and its great! cant smell a thing and keeps the cyanide away

[BigAndy]

Cheers for the comments - its only cellulose, i just got carried away and spent way too long doing it. I think it was a combination of the fumes, heat and lack of food.

The colour is Rover Cinnabar red - its the original colour that came on the car - sprite, special edition, 1983. Its a nice retro colour i think. The colour is scarily similar to a model porsche i made when i was little, always loved the colour. http://carsandtrains.com/diecast_king/exoto/porsche934_jager4.jpg

thats not my model btw, but its the same kit

[BigAndy]

Been working on the subframe today - cut off all the brackets and mounts that I dont need, for whatever reason. Also spent the last couple of days painting up the engine, gearbox and all the engine mounts etc. all looks quite smart, pretty happy with it. Will hopefully get the subframe finished and painted tomorow evening, then crack on with getting it fitted on Sunday :D

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a91/ajhmini/IMAG0055.jpg

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a91/ajhmini/IMAG0057.jpg

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a91/ajhmini/IMAG0058.jpg

[BassAddict]

Its all looking very nice mate :) ! What front coilovers did you go for in the end ?
Rich

[BigAndy]

havent ordered any yet - that can wait till i actually need them - theyll only sit on the car not going anywhere getting dirty otherwise. I think i will speak to GAZ and get them to send me the setup they put on the rear of MGTF's, then get a normal mini GAZ setup for the front - dont know why but i like GAZ, they have the extra bling factor

[MK_Bob]

Christ, you don't mess around! It all looks fantastic. Coilover wise, do you not think that the normal front Mini GAZ setup will be too stiff, as there is now less weight over the front?

[BigAndy]

got the subframe all cut up and tidied up tonight. just finished a coat of paint but will probably ned another in the morning. Painted up a couple of other brackets etc.

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a91/ajhmini/IMAG0059.jpg

and 5 mins later...

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a91/ajhmini/IMAG0060.jpg

spot the difference :lol:

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a91/ajhmini/IMAG0061.jpg

Didnt need those bits anyway :wink:

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a91/ajhmini/IMAG0066.jpg

[BigAndy]

Got the second coat of painton, but its not too hot today, so i doubt it will be dry enough to get it fitted today :roll: never mind. Rebuilt the gearbox, just waiting on some clutch/flywheel bolts from Land Rover then i can reintroduce mr gearbox to mr engine and get it fitted

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a91/ajhmini/IMAG0068.jpg

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a91/ajhmini/IMAG0067.jpg

[olsson_richard]

This Project is looking sooo GOOD!!! I´m very impressed how you´ve done that and all the work that you have put into it. Its gonna be a absolute top rated mini when its done!! :)

/Richard

[BigAndy]

stoppit im blushing!! :lol: Thanks for the comments tho guys mucho appreciated. It looks like its going quickly, but don't forget its taken me 3 years to get this far!

Mk bob - sorry, yes you're right, i meant to say I would get standard coilovers as in the length of the shock and mounting bracket kit etc, but i'd get lower poundage springs. Well spotted :wink:

Got the engine back in to the garage this evening, ready to be bolted in. Nothings gonna happen tomorow - still waiting on bolts for the clutch. Nice seeing it all lined up ready for fitting though :D

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a91/ajhmini/IMAG0071.jpg

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a91/ajhmini/IMAG0070.jpg

[BigAndy]

engine is in at long last :D :D :kseries:

Its not a one man job, so it took alot of running round and under the car to get it in with a trolley jack, axle stands, and lots of planks of wood and bricks.

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a91/ajhmini/IMAG0072.jpg

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a91/ajhmini/IMAG0074.jpg

Fits like a glove :D

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a91/ajhmini/IMAG0076.jpg

Was a bit worried having got the engine in, that the bar i welded in at the last minute might make it a pig to fit the exhaust, but it slipped in ok ...with loads of room to spare :wink:

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a91/ajhmini/IMAG0080.jpg

A mate joked the other night that it would be an engine out job to change the spark plugs...i laughed nervously....but im pleased to say it isn't :D Just have to undo one of the stabilisers and rock the engine forward :lol:

[Geehawk]

To quote my Father.

"Looks like it growed there"

8)

[BassAddict]

Lookin' absolutely champion Andy ! Top stuff !! :)

[MarkLD]

Great work Andy, coming together nicely 8)

[mikeb]

very nice , 8) its looking better everytime i see it ,keep up the good work

[BigAndy]

Cheers guys. Not done anything on it for a while, spending time with the gf, and had a couple of holidays (ooh get me) in Provence and mountain biking in the French/Swiss alps.

been playing with the exhaust today. for those of you who dont know im using a Series 1 elise backbox which looks like this

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a91/ajhmini/98_1_b.jpg

thats not mine btw, mines a new one 8) My silencer is also bigger because its a standard item, whereas that one is a janspeed performance one. Mine will be loud enough tho :D

Im mounting it upside down so the inlet is on the correct side, this also means the tailpipes come out the valance instead of the boot. Ive also offset the silencer to the NS, to allow more room for the inlet elbow

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a91/ajhmini/IMAG0004.jpg

So here it is fitted - just need to make the inlet elbow, and make a joint between the manifold and silencer. Im quite chuffed because none of of it sticks out under the valance too far so its quite subtle, and all the piping cant be seen unless ur kneeling under the car.

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a91/ajhmini/f4ff6f4e.jpg

and heres the view from above, its a tight fit, but with a bit of tweaking it will fit very nicely in the space.

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a91/ajhmini/IMAG0003-1.jpg

Sorry about the pics - it was pretty dark in the garage

[BigAndy]

Well i actually went out and did some stuff today. Heres where i got up to on the wiring before i moved on to getting my daily driver mot worthy. photobucket resized it weirdly but you get the idea.

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a91/ajhmini/image031small.jpg

So today I started on the exhaust inlet elbow - just needs a flange welding on the end. gonna go to my local exhaust place to see what theyve got lying around. placed the bumper on for this pic, jsut to see what it might look like

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a91/ajhmini/image029small.jpg

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a91/ajhmini/image032small.jpg

Ive decided that because space is so tight between the silencer and the subframe/body at the back im gonna solid mount it to the subframe, and use a flexi pipe between the manifold and silencer - thats what the remaining gap is for :D

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a91/ajhmini/image001smal.jpg

[BigAndy]

Sorry fellas, ive been really lame this holiday. I havent had any motivation to work on the car so nothings been done. Well thats a lie, i went to the scrappy and got some bolts to fit the alternator, and the starter motor, but the starter motor bolts were wrong. The exhaust is all finished tho and fully seam welded etc. and the O2 sensor boss welded in to the manifold. I bought a new O2 sensor too, and did a little bit on the wiring. In my defence i have only spent about 3 days at home where the car is kept and 2 of those days were spent out with family.

I borrowed a mates 7x13 wheel and trial fitted it on the bak. Ok so it had 185/50 tyres on, so wider than i would use, but it would still need 7" wide arches at the back. Can anyone suggest any mini wheels that aren't deep dish, ie have a more suitable offset. I don't want to run any metro wheels, cos most of them look rubbish IMO. The only solution ive been thinking about is getting some SPI wheels painted black then diamond cut or polished rim in a similar style to alleycat wheels :? what do you reckon? either that, or show me some pics of mini's with wheels sticking out this far and prove to me that it wont look stupid. BTW, i think i need at least 6" wide wheels as the cars gonna be looking out around 180-190bhp once its fully tuned up as i have planned.

Really cant be arsed with the car at the moment, anyone want to buy it off me?

[MiniManiac2001]

Ill buy it when its finished :lol:

[BigAndy]

exciting news!!!! well, not really. With the threat of finishing Uni and not getting anymore free money I've had to get a job. Got one sorted in Loughborough working for 3M as a project engineer. But that means having to move house, and moving my mini with me...so i need to get the car rolling, at least, to get it on a trailer. So got my mate to make up some rear tie rods to lock the rear hubs

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a91/ajhmini/Photo-0034.jpg

I know....exciting stuff! Got the track rod ends for end, just need to order the spherical rod ends for the other end - and hope they fit. Im being given a pair of metro gti wheels for the rear just to get it rolling, so I'll see how they look, i might end up keeping them and running them all round. Next update in another 6 months

[ed4ran]

Cool 8) So are you only getting it on wheels, or are you going to be doing other stuff as well?

Ive also decided to use an Elise box, but the S2 version :lol:

[BigAndy]

You'l have to wait and see won't you! Lol, no, it depends how much time the gf lets me work on it othis summer...

[BigAndy]

No real progress on the car, but its rolling now at least. I've also bought a house with a 7x3.5 metre garage so i nice and big for working on the mini. I get the keys on Friday and will hopefully get the mini up there in the next few weeks. The house needs some sorting out first so will be swallowing all my money for a while. Now I'm earning it shouldn't take too long, famous last words, to get the car going again :D

[BigAndy]

Well its been over a year since I made any real progress on the car. What with my final year of uni, renovating the girlfriends house all through the summer, starting a new job and buying a house I haven't had much time for the mini.

I managed to get a colleague to move it to my new house during the christmas break

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a91/ajhmini/Image014.jpg

I also recently managed to buy a mgf front subframe with brakes steering and suspension for £50 and collected that a few days ago.

So last night I stripped the subframe of everything I don't need, removed the A series subframe and offered up the metro subframe. Doesn't look like its going to take alot of work to get it in.

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a91/ajhmini/23012008172.jpg

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a91/ajhmini/23012008173.jpg

Its lovely having a big garage again. More space than I know what to do with! Theres another 6ft infront of the mini too.

So next jobs, cut a new hole for the steering column in the heelboard, buy a metro UJ and bodge it on to the mini steering column, make some side mounting plates, cut off the front of the subframe so that it fits inside the current brace bars and get all four hubs redrilled to fit mini PCD. Once I've done that I'll strip it all off, prep and paint the bulkhead and underside and clean and paint the subframe.

[ludsonline]

Good to see some progress on the car Andy.

There are subframe templates here if you need them.

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c337/ludsonline/MountingPlate.jpg

Paul

[The Mighty Mallott]

Jolly good show!! mount the frame as high and as far back as you can. Good price for the subby :beer:
Are you keeping the arb, and do you have one for the back?

We were talking last night and decided that our next project will be the same as this, so more progress and more pics :lol:
Mat

[BigAndy]

Thanks for the template - I'd already found it and printed it off though :lol:

Yup I'll be keeping the ARB and will probably fit one on the back eventually too, its just a case of making sure there's space for it. It used to look like there was loads of room in the back but it's being consumed very quickly!

[BigAndy]

Right then guys, recent changes to my personal situation mean that I've got to make a decision on this car...

I will most probably be moving at of my house in about 6 months as I will hopefully be moving job. The area that I'd be moving to is quite expensive so I wouldn't be able to afford a garage. That means I've got to either sell the car as it is, orrr make a real push to get it finished or somewhere close.

This build diary shows all the info on the car and the amount of work thats gone in to it. If someone was to make me a sensible offer on it I will sell it. As I said, I've got 6 months to sell it so I'm not in any rush, but some money in my pocket could make the decision a bit easier. Meanwhile, I will probably carry on working on it and see what happens.

I've got most bits to be able to finish the car (except time) It still needs the front subframe mounted/steering column adapted, finish engine wiring, fit fuel tank, radiater, battery, fit driveshafts, buy/fit master cylinder and brake lines, fabricate a bulkhead, and external respray. (This isn't an exhaustive list but gives you an idea of the amount of work required.)


So, make me an offer for the car.... by PM. Don't be offended if I don't accept it though, I've had this car for 8 years, and spent well over £10k on it, so I won't let it go for silly money, not yet anyway!

[pat_imp_man]

:shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock:
Andy you can't sell it, you can get it going in a week of good work :P obviously not a pretty as you would usually like to do things but it could be done to get it going.

[BigAndy]

I've put the car on ebay, listing starting on Monday night, 7.30pm.

Here's the link

Click Me (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270230582999)

not sure if that will work yet as the auction hasn't started yet.

The item number is 270230582999.

Cheers

Andy

[BigAndy]

edit

[GTI16V]

Glad you are continuing with it Andy.

Wish I had a spare few grand but my house extension has taken care of that. :cry:

[pat_imp_man]

Andy, Give me a shout if you need any bits, I have a spare ECU and wiring loom if you need one. I hope you didn't pay much for your manifold :P

[BigAndy]

Car is on ebay again tonight - £500!

CLICK ME! (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270257931665)

It might not work yet as it doesn't start till 7pm. Item number is 270257931665

Cheers
Andy

[BigAndy]

The front subframe has now been fitted so it can be rolled on to a trailer.

......£1000 with less than 24 hours to go

[BigAndy]

Well, the cars sold for £1800 - I'm pretty happy with that, combined with the money I got from selling off all the fancy bits. Just hope that the winning bidder pulls through because he's got zero feedback and hasn't made contact yet.
Hopefully he'll pick up a build diary on this site so we can see it worked through to completion...

[BassAddict]

Shame it had to go to a new home :( Just hope they payup and collect now though :)

[BigAndy]

Its gone :(

The winner of the auction came and collected it last night and seemed pretty chuffed with it. I don't think he'll be carrying on the build diarybut he might make a couple o fappearances with queries and stuff.

Thanks to everyone who helped and encouraged me on the build, I wouldn't have been able to get to where I have without this forum :beer: Onwards and upwards, it's time to move on to other things in my life. Good luck to y'all and hopefully see you at some events...

[ludsonline]

Shame it had to go Andy. But I am sure you will be back...

[Geehawk]

I feel for you, but now you can at least move on without it hanging round your neck :wink:


I don't think he'll be carrying on the build diarybut he might make a couple o fappearances with queries and stuff.


IMO they will get more answers and help if they continue with the build diary. A bit of give and take is what it's all about :)