Project Trig - After 18 Months Away, Is Back In Town! by Mini 360

14 minute(s) of a 461 minute read

Played around with the ride heights the other weekend to get it sitting better.  So the car is now level! :)

It still needs to settle a bit after the adjusting but it looks far far better I would say.



However, having grown fed up of scrubbing the wheels on the arches I set about fixing the issue tonight once and for all!

As you can see there was a bit of an issue.....





So out with the dremmel! Chop chop!







Doesnt look like a huge amount but after a little test on some roundabout, we no longer scrub!  Happy!

8-6-2013

I think that the LCB has a lot to do with it as well 

Went on the AMOC run on Sunday.  Worked late on saturday night to get the car up to its usual standard. Great day but it started off a bit dodgy.  Clutch issues saw me stop by Alexs garage for an attempt at a repair 15 minutes before the start.  No such luck.  Had to do the whole run pumping the clutch to change down.  Ace!  Will try to sort it this week sometime.  The top engine steady had thrown its bottom nut so replaced it to try and stop the engine moving about.  It helped the issue slightly but no fix.  Minis being minis it wasnt an easily accessible nut.... Stopped off on our way to Cullen at the falconry centre outside Huntly.  Birds were amazing and the guy fairly knew his stuff! Other than the gear issue the car ran faultlessly all day.  Still scrubbing on the rear wheels a bit (with two people in the car) but nothing like before! Good turnout of cars and the weather helped make it a decent run. Made it to Cullen for the epic fish and chips fresh off the boat.  The town had a gala day on so it was heaving with people.  Pretty much stopped when 10+ Minis burbled into town though! Was a fairly long day but only covered just over 100 miles.  Some decent roads, decent cars and decent folk.  Now just to sort out this dam clutch!

8-9-2013

Discovered that the brake fluid in the system resembles coke more than nice fresh fluid.  Think a flush and rebleed is in order.......will get on that tonight

8-23-2013

Another weekend passed and another show attended.  This time out to Crathes Castle for a 'Vintage Steam Rally"  (Read that as loads of old guys and tractors with a few cars thrown in for good measure).  Convoyed out with Aberdeen Mini Owners and the clutch system failed again.  Currently sitting in the garage totally rebuilding it in a hope of fixing it! Pretty small show but pretty well attended.  Spoke to lots of people interested in the car but was good to have a wander round the other cars on show too!  Car wasn't in perfect cleanliness so was kept closed all day as the bay is a state at the moment. Anyhoo some pics....didn't take many, as I tried to actually see the show rather than see it through a viewfinder Got a couple from my phone too

10-5-2013

Well not much been happening on thsi thankfully!  Running it very occasionally to and from work and local meets.  However last saturday I took it down too the Driftland opening weekend.  Good day and a good test of the car.  Motorway speeds keeping up with fast BMW and RS Audis I was convoying with was a challenge!  Car never missed a beat though.  My mate Scott paterson (PatersonPhoto) took the chance to get some decent pics of the car.  It wasnt spotless having driven about 150miles to the event but I dont think it shows too much! Got a small promotional thing for the local transport museum to go to then after that I dont know whats next. May be the last event before it disappears until next year

Thanks! :)  Not anymore......

So today wasn't that fun if I'm honest!  Went out to the Grampian transport Museums publicity thing today which was good, then drove home via Kemnay quarry road.  My car ended up looking like this.... Ok, just parked up?  Nope! As far as I can remember I drove over some bumps that unsettled the car and the rear brakes locked, got into a tank slapper and ended up hitting a give way sign which helped me come to a rather abrupt stop!  I am totally fine with just a light bruise on my wrist and a sore thumb where the steering wheel/column moved and dragged it with it.  No other parties involved thankfully and managed to drive the car home as is.   Obviously I am totally gutted given the time, effort and money I have put into this car but **** happens as they say.  Cars can be rebuilt, people can't I suppose.  By what I can see I will need a new floor pan, inner and outer sill, a-panel, door/door assembly and possibly some suspension stuff as the rack looks to have taken a fair whack going into the sign. Not too bad parts wise but labour in paint and body is going to be a beatch! So at least I have something to occupy myself in the winter months now!

10-27-2013

Yeh many a swear word was uttered.  I'm just REALLY not in the mind set to even get a quote for the work at the moment.  Fed up spending money on cars and the hassle they bring.  My daily driver needs an engine rebuild (starting with the head but i know for a fact that wont fix it...) and yeh just generally feeling crap about it all.  Had a couple of hard months and its not getting any better

12-7-2013

Righto! Panels (genuine of course...) ordered to repair!  Ordered a couple of other small items that shall remain under wraps until show season. Like the rest of the car, they are subtle changes, yet effective......  Started it up for the first time since the smash the other day. Took a few seconds to get the fuel through (mechanical fuel pump) and started first time.  Strong, original, battery!  Sounded a bit lumpy so will put fresh fuel in before taking it out again. Mini booked in to get sorted 20th January 2014 :)    (Still havent booked IMM ticket yet)

12-10-2013

Well if you insist..... ;)

Bits are finally here.  Week long next day delivery.  Never use UPS.

Floor and inner sill are non gen as MiniSpares dont do genuine. Will never be seen so no great issue. All external panels are genuine. Gauge of steel is much better side by side. Couple other little bits not in the photo but will see them next show season :)

Safely tucked away in the garage ready to fit. Just need the inner door step panel once it comes back into stock. Oh how I have missed getting these deliveries!





The countdown begins...

1-11-2014

Final piece of the puzzle acquired thanks to a friend with too many spares Full Park Lane Door with all internals including glass. Will fully strip it down to a bare door and will possibly use the doorskin I have as its got a few spots of rust around the bottom edge. Its actually in better condition than the door that was on before it got redone Will see how it cleans up before commiting to the new skin though as its a straight panel already.  

Week today it goes in for surgery :)

1-12-2014

Cars ready to go out to Banchory on Saturday now.  Ripped up the front carpet so it doesn't catch fire and realigned the steering rack as it had been pushed over to the left of the car in the impact.  Steering heel is still off as the alignment is obviously far out (man)

Having a look at the floorpan and inner sill.....they don't look like they are going to need replaced. Considering what it looks like on the outside, they haven't buckled at a sharp angle and look (to my untrained eyes) like they will hammer back into place with a bit of panel beating. Could be wrong and I have the panels anyway but if its possible, its a bonus and will save me lots of money!

Realised I still hadn't bought a replacement sportspack arch but managed to find a set of genuine ones for £25 on eBay (they are £400 new....) so they have been snapped up and will keep the rest as spares.  Hopefully by end of the month the car will be back and ready to go for the 2014 show season :)

1-18-2014

Car dropped off at Kirkton ready to go first thing Monday morning.  Plan is to get the door off then use a body jack to see if we can get the sill as close to straight as we can and take it from there.

Identified a couple of other bits and pieces needing tidied up that will be attended to at the same time :)

1-20-2014

First day down, a lot if progress!   First up, get the floor trued up to see what we were dealing with.  Hadn't removed the door since the smash so wasn't sure just how had it was.  The sill is pretty buckled but the floorpan was not too bad at all.  The benefits of using 2mm steel for an inner sill rather than standard panels!

So out with the air chisel and bad bits gone.  

Then with the selection of some precision implements...  

....we got it pretty much bang on.  Needs some minor panel beating but its straightish.  Will line up better once the new doorstep is in place.  

Tried on the new door.  Not too bad a fit.  Wasn't sure if it would need a new skin or not.  Few spots of rust on the bottom edge so rather than leave it we reskinned it to be on the safe side.  Glad we did as the mating face of the frame had a lot of surface rust and a few pin holes.  All taken back with the grinder, holes welded up and then new skin on.    

There really isn't much to a Minis door..... Some of the rust that was between the skin and the frame.  This was only going to show up down the line so better to be safe than sorry!

 Bonded up and then folded the edge over on the new skin and back to trial and error fitting.  Needs tweaking but we will get there. 

 In other news my new arches arrived.  They wont be getting used as they are far too flexible and badly shaped. Glad I didn't pay too much for them!  Tomorrow its truing up the door with the doorframe then prep the surrounding areas for the new panels.  Hopefully have a welded up car again by tomorrow night. :)  Then its back to panel prep before final paint.