'77 Clubman rebuild
Turbo Mini Forums

Time for another project!

The little blue “coupe” is currently all up together after having replaced the valve springs, but is sat waiting in the garage for the opportunity to get out on the road for a few miles at least before I even contemplate another dyno session. I actually got it back together and started up back on the 6th October, but since then there has not been a single day I have been able to get it out for a drive, and the way it is looking at the moment, I have the feeling this in now going to drop into next year.
I still have to complete the variable length runners and CF plenum, but I’m not in that much of a hurry for that, because they will not get fitted until I have some more results with the 1.5:1 rockers fitted, and I’d rather save all the electrickery and Arduino programming until its too cold to go play in the garage.

So rather than sitting doing nothing other than waiting on the winter blues to shake off, I have decided that the time has come to start a long overdue project – rebuilding my ’77 clubman.




A little history on the car:
My parents bought the car for me when I was 15, so we have had it for 30 years now.
During its time with us it has so far had 2 minor low budget rebuilds, both times funded by my parents – once for me and then again several years later for younger sibling.

Here are a few scanned photo’s from when dad and I (Dad mostly) rebuilt it for my first car.

















Originally it had a 998cc engine in it, but I acquired a 1275cc unit from a friend who rolled his 1275 GT and wrote it off in snow, only weeks after having the reconditioned 1275 unit installed.
I managed to screw up the engine within a couple of years. We think it suffer piston ring failure due to me hammering the nuts off it too much in second, but that never got investigated, because needing a car to get to work (as an Apprentice at that time), I was forced to buy a run about. So the mini was taken off the road, with every intention of rebuilding the engine – but that never happened.
I think I ran it for around 5 years before it came off the road.


From there it sat in storage for several years before we started rebuilding it for aforementioned younger sibling. I never did find out what happened to the 1275 engine, because it was converted back to 998cc.
Another couple of years down the line and it was on the road again, this time wearing a nasty purple coat. It was run as a daily for many years until 2009, when my younger sibling could no longer stomach driving it, being 7 months pregnant. So rather than see it go off the road again, I swapped it for my car at the time, an old S plate Hyundia Lantra.



This is the only photo I have of it in “ford purple velvet”








It was when I got it back that I started playing with the MS2 and fuel injection, basically at a loss for something to do while waiting to start building the clubman coupe (at least coupe is what the DVLA registered the blue one as).
March 12th 2010 I had the fuel injection installed and the car drivable, then the long slog to get it working properly…


Anyhow, I kept the car on the road for another 2 ½ years, but it had started to get the rot badly by then, and so, as it was only a play thing and we had started building the coupe, it came of the road for a “future” rebuild.
Since then it has sat in various places outside: on the lawn, in the flower bed and on the drive, then finally inside, into a small garage, all the time quietly rotting away and waiting on that promised rebirth.

It even got used as a work bench for a few months while building the new garage for the coupe – perfect height for the chop saw…








This year, I managed a staggering 300 odd miles in the coupe, due to a few technical mishaps, but mainly due to the weather not really being that good for an open top. When the sun was out, the car was apart, only to get back on the road when it started raining.
This is getting just a little frustrating if I’m honest, because although the coupe is fun to drive, it’s just not practical and I really don’t like the torque steer. (also it weighs in at ~870kg).
I guess I could sort the torque steer out, now that I know what is causing a big majority of it, but somehow I just do not want to change the way the little blue beast looks, so the plan is simple:

Rebuild the ‘78 clubman and swap out the engine (maybe the whole front subframe assembly) from the coupe into the ‘78 clubman, then build either an NA or mild turbo motor (and front subframe assembly) for the coupe.

I know what colour it is going to be, I know it will have a FG/ CF removable front (I am thinking 2 piece), I know what engine will be going in it and I know (sort of) what wheels I am going to use, but other than that, I’ve not really planned much else, apart from getting the shell solid...

Edited by Graham T on 9th Dec, 2019.

’77 Clubman build thread
http://www.turbominis.co.uk/forums/index.php?p=vt&tid=618189

Siamese 5 port EFI testing
http://www.turbominis.co.uk/forums/index.php?p=vt&tid=611675

So, onto business…

I started stripping out the 78 clubman around mid October, just to see how badly rotted it was before making a decision on rebuilding this shell, or sourcing another shell.




It is fairly bad…


























For a fleeting moment I thought: “Let’s take a look at a different shell that I had been offered previously”, but then I thought about the history of the car and decide no, I will keep this one and do a massive rebuild – apparently a lot of work now that I have got into it…


Having been not too sure where to start, I decided that getting the front solid first would be best before tackling the floor and rear.
























And a coat of epoxy primer to seal it for now.










Hopefully tomorrow I can get the bonnet hinge bracket cleaned up and then start work on the passenger side.

’77 Clubman build thread
http://www.turbominis.co.uk/forums/index.php?p=vt&tid=618189

Siamese 5 port EFI testing
http://www.turbominis.co.uk/forums/index.php?p=vt&tid=611675

excellent... be done in no time !

Medusa + injection = too much torque for the dyno ..https://youtu.be/qg5o0_tJxYM

Good to see a fresh project thread on here! Good luck with the rebuild Graham

On 9th Nov, 2019 robert said:
excellent... be done in no time !

’77 Clubman build thread
http://www.turbominis.co.uk/forums/index.php?p=vt&tid=618189

Siamese 5 port EFI testing
http://www.turbominis.co.uk/forums/index.php?p=vt&tid=611675

Good to see people still posting up projects. I'd post mine, but its boring and progress is very slow

Excellent work. I’ve been trying to remain motivated on my budget resto. It’s always good to see one in worse shape, coming back together.

In the 13's at last!.. Just

Good start!

Where did you get the brush on epoxy primer?

Edited by Graham T on 12th Nov, 2019.

’77 Clubman build thread
http://www.turbominis.co.uk/forums/index.php?p=vt&tid=618189

Siamese 5 port EFI testing
http://www.turbominis.co.uk/forums/index.php?p=vt&tid=611675

Wow, almost a month since the last update and it feels like not a lot achieved…

I have to admit, this is all turning out to be a lot more challenging than I thought it would be.


So, for the last few weeks I’ve:

Cut out the grot on the passenger inner wing/ wheel well










Made up some new panels to rebuild what I cut out












And installed them along with the new flitch panel.




Removed the bonnet hinge mounts, clean then and reinstalled them.









Cut out the dash top rail and the bottom piece of the A pillar (?) from windscreen to roof. this is a shaped piece that meets the dash rail, inner door post/ windscreen surround.
I did not get photos of the mess these area's were in, basically because there was nothing left to take a snap of.






Made replacement parts






I tried bending them to shape as much as possible, but that really never worked that well, hence I ended up making up smaller sections welded together.




And tried to get it all to fit.










It is almost there, but the flitch panels were not the same shape as the A panels and so nothing matched the shape of the door, so I have modified the flitch panels to allow the top of the A panel inwards. It is still not enough on the drivers side, but I think once the A post and door step repair panel gets installed, that will allow everything to move in just a little more.
So basically now I think that lot is ready for welding in.
I’m going to offer up a windscreen next and make sure that the lower windscreen surround is actually the right shape before going any further.

I’ve cleaned up and shot blast the upper bulkhead outside and in and given it a coat of epoxy primer.






So as long as the windscreen fits OK, I think it is ready to weld up, then I can finish off the top lip of the inner wings.

Then I can move onto replacing the toeboard - which was a last minute decision, rather than trying to repair it where it meets the floor pan.




Complete new floor assembly is bought and currently living on our Spare bed, and considering the cost of carriage on that, I also got rear quarter panels for each side and full new toeboard on the same delivery.


I really have no idea yet how to cut out the whole floor to put the new one in, but I guess its brace up everything and try to jig the shell as solid as possible before attacking with an angle grinder.

Edited by Graham T on 9th Dec, 2019.

’77 Clubman build thread
http://www.turbominis.co.uk/forums/index.php?p=vt&tid=618189

Siamese 5 port EFI testing
http://www.turbominis.co.uk/forums/index.php?p=vt&tid=611675

(oh and I have changed the thread title slightly – the logbook says the car is 77, not 78…)

Edited by Graham T on 9th Dec, 2019.

’77 Clubman build thread
http://www.turbominis.co.uk/forums/index.php?p=vt&tid=618189

Siamese 5 port EFI testing
http://www.turbominis.co.uk/forums/index.php?p=vt&tid=611675

Neat panels being made there 👍

Just a little more done now.

Toe board welded to Bulk head, but as yet not welded to the Flitch panels – I’m not happy with how it sits against the old floor, so for now it is held in place with screws and will be finished welded when the new floor is in – just in case is needs any adjustment.

I’ve made a cradle to hold the car upside down and added lots of strengthening before it was turned over.








Now I can see the underside at the back, I have decided to get a load more panels.
Whole boot floor, rear wheel arch assemblies, stiffeners, strengtheners and all the parts to completely replace the floor.

















So, now its proper flintstone-esque…


















Obviously still a fair amount to chop out before I can try to fit the new floor, but its moving a bit quicker now…

’77 Clubman build thread
http://www.turbominis.co.uk/forums/index.php?p=vt&tid=618189

Siamese 5 port EFI testing
http://www.turbominis.co.uk/forums/index.php?p=vt&tid=611675

And a bit of a basic question perhaps:

Do people generally remove the paint that new panels are coated in?


Most of the panels I have bought are Heritage, but some are not.
I am not sure if it is worth stripping all the panels back bare, or just keying the existing paint?

I’m now undecided if I am actually going to send it away for shot blasting.
Originally I was going to, but as about 80% of the shell will be new metal, and I have a small shot blast device to get to the un-replaced parts, I’m thinking not.
So if I can spray over the existing paint of the new panels (after keying), then there is even less point having it blasted.

’77 Clubman build thread
http://www.turbominis.co.uk/forums/index.php?p=vt&tid=618189

Siamese 5 port EFI testing
http://www.turbominis.co.uk/forums/index.php?p=vt&tid=611675

holy moley !!!!

Medusa + injection = too much torque for the dyno ..https://youtu.be/qg5o0_tJxYM

Looking good. I left the coating on the heritage panels, just keyed it before priming, but removed it from the non geniune ones

Thanks for the feedback – I’ll leave it as originally planned for now: to have it completely blasted and then manually remove whatever paint is left after that.

’77 Clubman build thread
http://www.turbominis.co.uk/forums/index.php?p=vt&tid=618189

Siamese 5 port EFI testing
http://www.turbominis.co.uk/forums/index.php?p=vt&tid=611675

EXCELLENT .

Medusa + injection = too much torque for the dyno ..https://youtu.be/qg5o0_tJxYM

Looking sweet

I run a supercharger and I don't care the TB is on the wrong side.
VEMS + 12 PSI + Liquid Intercooler = Small Bore FUN!

Looking good , the full floors make such a better overall job .
Yes I’d leave the coating on the gen stuff but definitely needs to come of the non gen stuff .

That’s coming together really well!

In the 13's at last!.. Just

cost so far ?

Medusa + injection = too much torque for the dyno ..https://youtu.be/qg5o0_tJxYM

Edited by Graham T on 31st Dec, 2019.

’77 Clubman build thread
http://www.turbominis.co.uk/forums/index.php?p=vt&tid=618189

Siamese 5 port EFI testing
http://www.turbominis.co.uk/forums/index.php?p=vt&tid=611675

I think turbo nick on his rebuild tried a carbon fibre front end and didn't get on with so switched back to a metal one.