Lightweight, uncomfortable, minimalist, fun.
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Thats quite proper.

Just a quick to do list for myself:

1) Cut and shape inner wing overhang--------Done
2) Cover Inner wing holes------------------------Done
3) Weld up scuttle holes--------------------------Done
4) Fit Scuttle-----------------------------------------Done
5) CAD mig box. ------------------------------------Done
6) Repair Door step (found some rust :( ) ----Done
7) Remove all wiring Tabs from shell-----------Done
8) Seam seal new panels------------------------Done
9) Remove bracing--------------------------------Done
10) Paint the inside------------------------------Done

Ready for the cage

That needs to be done by my week off in august so as that i can get the cage fitted in that week.

Then i can finally move onto something interesting! Driver position! Unfortunately this is where it starts getting expensive! With seats, Steering wheels, pedal boxes, roll cage, fiberglass/carbon panels! time to get a second job!

Edited by James_H on 31st Aug, 2009.

Well, i was out there on saturday!

cleared the garage out, trial fitted the scuttle. Punched out the holes to plug weld it on. Cleaned up the mating places. Got it all clamped back into place.

Then my mate turns up, Have a little chat, another mate turns up, chat for abit longer, another mate turns up and all of a sudden its 5 o'clock and ive still not got this panel fitted! and im meant to be going out at 7:30 for 2 of my mates birthdays, Bad times!

Managed to just about get it all welded up and the gusset panels in, before quickly putting everything back in the garage.

All in all a very slow day!! Thought id get out there today and catch up with what i didnt do yesterday! uhmm no!

Major hangover! Last night was messy!! And the worst part! I got a taxi back with a nice lady who i thought i'd been working some pretty good magic on earlier in the night.....Blown off at the door! Left to get BACK IN THE TAXI....ouch!

Enjoy this pointless update! I'm pretty sure the only reason i've written it all up is because im either seriously bored (Tick) or still pretty drunk (highly likely!)

Haha! yeah i suppose Nic, i didnt think of it that way! I am clearly in need of some perv lessons fromt he master.

A couple of quick pics:





EDIT:

Notice the gap in the R/H A-pillar, i had a scuttle corner on there before i decided to replace the whole thing and the repair corner actually joined higher up, so im now left with that gap. Thats not going to be an easy patch to shape up and get looking right...

Edited by James_H on 20th Jul, 2009.

Looking good.

Cut the repair out of a scuttle corner repair panel. Much easier then messing around making patches

unfortunately thats long gone...

Think I've got a pair knocking round...

How many of the queens finest would give me the ability to call myself the owner of the R/H one?

The cost of postage plus 1 pint.

A pint of my choosing? (read absinthe)

Ill PM you my man.

Lager will do

Well, got the inner wings shaped and tidied up on sat. Then got drunk and really wasnt up for moving out of bed on sunday!

But i did buy some lovely Titanium bottom arms last week, and today i ordered a load of paint so as that i can spray the inside before the cage goes in. Then ive just got to clean the small patches where the cage is going to weld too and repaint them. Also got some colour for the cage.

So just awaiting some deliveries this week. Oh and i missed out on a set of carls old wheels. :( oh well, maybe i'll go 13's....

Not all that much to do before im ready to have fun with the cage. A proper solid days work should make that list disappear. If i can make myself do a solid days for ATM...

Good jobbages!

Build Thread Click Here

Been out for abit of mid week fun:











Cheers!

cracking work there bud!! but im not sure card and masking tape is going to be strong enough!! ha ha

luke

Want me to save some toilet rolls for when you come to do your exhaust?

Its good to see some of those wide open spaces being filled up at last. Keep up th good work

Actually got rather alot done yesterday! Lots of little bits, just making things neater and finishing off little jobs etc etc:




Still need finishing off and a few more holes drilled. Its getting abit anal now...


Some 1p pieces filled the scuttle holes nicely!


yes more gone! The cross member will be replaced by some T45 tubing running from sill to sill, notched over the tunnel (welded to it aswell) and then also tied into the sill bars of the cage! There will be two bars running across and the idea is to have those in the positions where they will pick-up on the seat mounts. Theoretically meaning i won't need extra bracing for the seat mounting, and in turn reducing weight...





Just welded a plate in that one hole, the fresh air ones will be covered with carbon sheet, lighter than welding them closed.

as per usual though, a hang over stopped me working today. Im going on a detox for a while!

Thanks for looking, James.

Edited by James_H on 2nd Aug, 2009.

Well done James. This really is going to be one lightweight shell, keep it up. I can sympathise with the working on cars while hangover thing is not pleasant. The other day I did an hour then had to go to bed.

Looking good.

I took a mini for mot yesterday with a hangover. Bloody thing broke down and had to be pushed onto the ramps. I ended up swapping the coil on the ramps.... not good

Well, Shit weekend.

Was aiming to get the rear shock mounts turreted, the rear-most subframe mounts out, and the passenger side lower front subframe mounts plated over for more strength. That was the plan for saturday.

Sunday was meant to be cleaning everything and spraying the inside of the car so as that ive only got to spray the cage when it comes and then i can spend next weekend and MITP and the following week (week off) fitting the cage.

SATURDAY.

Straight away i couldnt find a pen...not a big deal, made a scribe from an old screwdriver.

Marked up the caps for the tube i made the turrets out of, then went to mark up the tube. Left it at work, Awesome! Trip to work for the tube! Get home with the tube and mark it up for cutting.

Went to get the hacksaw....Gone....OK then, angle grinder it is, went to get that......GONE.....searching for about an hour and i find it, good news!

Cut the pipes and make a mess of the top caps, but good enough to neaten up later on.

Weld the top caps on and my welder is pissing about giving poor wire feed and shit welds. Rubbish.

So i move on, plate over the subframe mounts, cut the plate to shape, clean up the area, start welding. Out of wire....this is now beyond a joke!

So im off to work again to get a spool of wire.

Get home with a spool and finish the plate...going well...



Grind the top caps to shape around the tube so they actually look decent, then reweld them so they actually have some strength in them!

Its now 7pm and all ive effectively done is weld a plate into the shell, and cap off some tube. Great. Im late for a BBQ, starving, and am probably going to get talked into going out which means i will be hung over and not want to work on the mini in the morning...

SUNDAY.

I managed to stay in! Will power is there, but holy shit its boring!

Start with a trip to the dump, so its about 2 by the time i get started.

Crack staight on with cutting out the old shock mounts. The angle grinder makes a messy job, because i forgot to get the airsaw from work. Anyway, it took a while but i managed to get both sides in a welded up.







Now that they are in i can remove the subframe mounts. Cut the main bulk of the out, then drill out the spot welds, not quite free, so change from a cutting disc to an abrasive wheel, push the button in, go to take the disc off, BALLS! BROKEN THE GRINDER! Must have bent the stop pin because it locks up in one direction and doesnt in the other, which just so happens to be the way i need it to lock up.

Cant go to work yet as there is loads of stuff from the garage on the drive way so as that ive got room to work in there, and im not putting it back in! So i have to wait until someone comes home before i can leave.

So i set about clearing the entire contents of the garage onto the driveway so i can sweep up and reduce the dust in the air for when i paint the inside.

Finally someone comes home and i got to work to get a grinder.

With the grinder i can finally get the rest of the mounts out, then i chucked the car on its side and swept all of the dust out from in there.

Its now 7:30pm and ive still got to put the entire contents of the garage back. Ive not sprayed the inside. Ive still got to wash the inside down before it can be sprayed. I've realised i still need to get the miglia box made up and fitted before i spray the inside. And i just have generally had a shit weekends work, got fuck all done, and missed out on all of the sunshine.....GREAT.

Enjoy, James.

Sounds like a normal weekend tbh.
Keep it up!

FEW!!
Its starting to look like a car again