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Keyser's Mini Adventure. Update 30th June


Keyser

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  • 2 weeks later...

Good evening to one and all :wave:

 

I know It's been a while but I've been busy with photo shoots and ICE installs as well as being Dad and my day job!

 

But I feel my avid readers* need at least a small update

 

So the last few hours on the Mini have been spent fixing what I thought was a very minor problem -

 

DSCF2838.jpg

 

just a little rust in the corner (I wish!)

 

Made a plate

 

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Wedged in from behind

 

but I noticed this on the inside of the wing

 

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When I cut the rust away I found the whole corner had rotted out

 

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So another plate made

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tacked in

 

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Not my neatest welding and the top left corner was so thin it just would not take a weld - just blew through

 

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So not to be beaten I plated it again over the top - it may not be neat but it's probably stronger than new now :thumbs:

 

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gotta finish the rear valance and fabricate some seat runners then I can actually start on the rust seal, so more welding this weekend.

 

*avid readers = Papa Smurf & Stew :lol:

 

 

 

Stay Tuned for the next exciting episode ......................

Edited by Keyser
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Hello everyone and Jim - thought he had run away but apparently he still keeps tabs on me :wave:

 

So I had the afternoon off so back to the welding :thumbs:

 

Thought I would tackle the rear valance today and get rid of the old fog light plate, Now I could have got a replacement but as I'm fitting a body kit that will cover the valance I thought I may just as well make it structurally sound and leave it at that

Fog light plate

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another hole

 

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underside

 

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Rust cut out and paint removed

 

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first 2 plates underneath done

 

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Now the big hole

 

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Bit of rust in the middle plated

 

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Cleaned all the welds and loose paint underneath

 

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Next in the engine bay we have this

 

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when the shell was rally prepped this was welded up - it is the intake pipe for the heater so needs to be opened up - It was never going to come out easy as it has a lip on the back for the pipe to fit on to

so ..........

 

DSCF2863.jpg

 

I cut it out :scare:

 

I had of course already cut the old one out of the donor shell, now Bob had shown up at this point and was whinging about getting the crappy jobs and how he would have to hold the plate while I welded it in!

Then he decides I should hold it while he welds it OMG

 

Can you weld? I ask

 

"I'll give it a go" He says !!!

 

So

 

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and the answer to the question "can you weld" you decide

 

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and close up

 

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In his defence the hardest weld you can do is a butt weld on thin metal (I told him this after :lol: )

 

But fair play for having a go and I will let him do some more - may give him some pointers next time :thumbs:

 

I welded the other side

 

DSCF2869.jpg

 

then I cleaned the weld in the engine bay (maybe I touched up Bob's work a little as well ;) )

 

DSCF2870.jpg

 

Stay tuned for the next exciting episode ...............................

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I am loving this thread! Can I ask why you have gone to all the trouble of plating the wings and rear valance instead of just replacing the panels? Really admire your hard work on this project. Top job!

 

A minis bodywork is like an iceberg. You notice a bit of rust on the surface and uncover a whole load more underneath.

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Another awesome thread.

 

A question though as I'm a noob. Are you tigin or migin and why? Tig or mig welding incase you didnt get that.

 

I ask because I'd love to be able to do stuff like welding but currently I dont really understand it to well. I'l do some youtubing tonight.

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Most likely mig, and on my phone it actually looks like an arc welder. Tig is more for things like aluminium. As mig tends to just burn holes in it. Or for stainless as mig welds would rust out due to the feeding in metal. Think of it a bit like soldering, just higher temps and different bonding materials.

 

Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk 2

 

 

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Most likely mig, and on my phone it actually looks like an arc welder. Tig is more for things like aluminium. As mig tends to just burn holes in it. Or for stainless as mig welds would rust out due to the feeding in metal. Think of it a bit like soldering, just higher temps and different bonding materials.

 

Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk 2

 

Cool cheers.

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I am loving this thread! Can I ask why you have gone to all the trouble of plating the wings and rear valance instead of just replacing the panels? Really admire your hard work on this project. Top job!

 

A minis bodywork is like an iceberg. You notice a bit of rust on the surface and uncover a whole load more underneath.

 

Purely down to cost - The wing itself is fine its the inner bit that had gone which is really shell - of course it was supposed to be a small bit :surrender:

 

And you won't see the rear valanve when the body kit goes on.

 

Having met Keyser yesterday, I decided to read this thread. Chris, you are one incredibly talented and mad man. Can't wait to see how this ends up. GLWTB.

 

Thanks mate but less of the talented ;)

 

Most likely mig, and on my phone it actually looks like an arc welder. Tig is more for things like aluminium. As mig tends to just burn holes in it. Or for stainless as mig welds would rust out due to the feeding in metal. Think of it a bit like soldering, just higher temps and different bonding materials.

 

Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk 2

 

Cool cheers.

 

What he said - Mig is easier ARC is to heavy (hot- it will blow through) for this work and TIG is harder and a lot more expensive, gas is an option but my father in law has the bottles.

Edited by Keyser
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Suppp ....... Dunno where to start lots of little bits going on,

 

OK First a huge shout out to Buster he's da man :thumbs:

 

On his travels he found and negotiated me these at a bargain price

12" Mini Mags (or I think that's what they are :lol: ) don't care they are perfect

 

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In very good nick just need a paint

 

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and with a set of nearly new tyres

 

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Did a bit more on the new hole

 

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Next I assaulted this

 

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This is where the heater feed comes back into the car and of course it has been plated

 

So I beat it with a hammer until it gave up

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so inside is good

 

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got to clean up the outside under the wing

 

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Then onto the dash, this is not perfect anymore due to a modification (when rally prepped) for the steering rack

 

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It's quite bad

 

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So you know me ............ yes I cut it out :)

 

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I'm a big man (not really but) I'll hold my hand up to this - I made a bit of a booboo :blush:

 

Just a momentary lapse in concentration while using the big angle grinder and it kicked on me taking a chunk out of the upper dash :doh:

 

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I'll sort that later :bangin:

 

cut the dash from the donor shell and popped that into the new shell

 

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only had time to finish the first weld but it's looking very acceptable :)

 

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Think Bob is round to carry on his bumper tomorrow but -

 

Stay tuned for the next exciting episode ...............................

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  • 1 month later...

Hello again :wave:

 

Apart from Busters bumper and a few other things as well, one of the reasons I've not updated this thread is because I was waiting for my daughter to get her Christmas present so I could do the last bit of fabrication.

 

Her present (there are 2) -

 

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A mate has recently bought some bucket seats for his 200 and they came out of a Mini so he gave me the mounts, so I'm gonna try them to see if they fit OK if not I'll make my own.

 

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First job was to put some bolts into the runners

 

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But they rub so I ground 2 sides down

 

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The boss cleaned up some old angle Iron I had laying around

 

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Then I slipped :blush:

 

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Tack welded in place

 

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My first thought is they sit to high and although they are where the standard mounts go I'm thinking of moving them back as there are no rear seats to worry about.

I'll compare them to a stock seat and see how I feel - may be some custom mounts made up tomorrow.

 

 

Stay tuned for the next exciting episode ...............................

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