Massive, uneconomical, rusty project
Turbo Mini Forums

Nice work! Ive started a very similar restoration today. Keep the pics coming, they're helping me to find out what im in for! lol

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www.fusionfabs.co.uk



1/4mile in 13.2sec @ 111 terminal on 15psi

After 2 hours work the lights finally fit the panel. I initially just drilled the holes about 6mm further down so the studs lined up and elongated the large bottom hole. I found the top hole was also slightly too high so had to do the same here as well. This made the lights fit but the right hand one was clearly not straight, measuring it confirmed it was 4mm out at the bottom. This meant I had to elongate the holes I had just drilled until it was straight. The interesting thing is the raised section the lights sit on is spot on which did help with lining them up, I just can't believe how far out the holes are.

Overall view (apologies for the state of my garage)
IMG_0154 by Matt4475, on Flickr
Left hand side:
IMG_0156 by Matt4475, on Flickr
Right hand side:
IMG_0155 by Matt4475, on Flickr
I expect I will weld up the holes I don't need as it looks quite untidy now

Edited by Flame Red on 11th Jul, 2017.

Came to trial fit the heel board today only to find the indents in it are different to those in my floor. I haven't ever come across any mention of this anywhere. It's not difficult to fix but still annoying.
IMG_0157 by Matt4475, on Flickr
I've cut a bit out so it'll fit now but I haven't welded it yet
IMG_0158 by Matt4475, on Flickr
Also picked up a completely rust free Mk1 bootlid.
IMG_0160 by Matt4475, on Flickr

Edited by Flame Red on 11th Jul, 2017.

Not a lot worth mentioning as once again the weather has stood in the way of progress, I'm trying to get the car in the garage but it's going to depend on finding somewhere to store the car that's in there now.

Anyway, I've welded up the holes BMH put in the wrong place
IMG_0161 by Matt4475, on Flickr
I've also added this hole, I must have spent an hour on it before I started drilling as it's really not something I'd want to get wrong. I don't own any holesaws so it took longer than it really needed to.
IMG_0162 by Matt4475, on Flickr

Edited by Flame Red on 11th Jul, 2017.

The weather finally seems to have improved so progress has been made.

Once I'd finished modifying the floor for the new heelboard I offered it up again to find that the curve around the tunnel did not match up, it was probably about 5mm out at it's worst. I decided to hammer the flange on the heelboard flat then clamp it to the floor and hammer it around that, it wasn't easy but I ended up with it fitting even if it dosen't look great.
IMG_0166 by Matt4475, on Flickr
I've also sorted out the seat back along the bottom edge ready for the new boot floor, I had to make up a couple of patches and weld up a couple of small holes. I've spot welded the majority of the bottom edge of the heelboard which wasn't easy as I don't have any clamps deep enough.
IMG_0167 by Matt4475, on Flickr
I've fitted the new door bin on the passenger side (sorry it's upside down, that's the way the car was)
IMG_0168 by Matt4475, on Flickr

I got given a wood rim steering wheel, it is made by Astrali and came with a Mk1 boss and Austin horn push. The varnish was peeling off it so I stripped it off
IMG_0163 by Matt4475, on Flickr
I then polished the metal and sprayed it with lacqure
IMG_0164 by Matt4475, on Flickr
IMG_0165 by Matt4475, on Flickr
I'm really pleased with the result, I'm going to try and modify the Mk1 boss to work with my column so I can keep the Austin horn push.

Matt

Edited by Flame Red on 11th Jul, 2017.

I've managed to get the car in to the garage which will really help. I've finished the welding on the heelboard required to be able to start on the boot floor. I trial fitted the boot floor without the subframe it all appears to line up very well.
IMG_0173 by Matt4475, on Flickr
However, when I tried the subframe the rear holes on the boot floor are too close to the heelboard, I managed to get the subframe on but it was very difficult.
IMG_0180 by Matt4475, on Flickr
I have measured the distance and compared it to the manual and the subframe is correct. If I leave it like that the whole floor is about 13mm too far back and I can't correct that sort of difference. I'm a bit lost what to do at the moment, I have no real datums to work from and I would really like the car to end up square when I'm finished.

Edited by Flame Red on 11th Jul, 2017.

If the floor fits OK and the car is correctly assembled and aligned, then the holes are wrong. Weld them up and drill them in the correct location.

Ive read on another thread that someone else had a similar problem. Maybe there is a problem with the panels?

I'll hopefully have my boot floor on Saturday, so I can take some measurements from that if you like?

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www.fusionfabs.co.uk



1/4mile in 13.2sec @ 111 terminal on 15psi

I'm going to see how it lines up with the brackets that fit either side of the boot floor and go from there. The centre of the first rear subframe mounting hole is meant to be 599.28mm from the heelboard but I can't acheive that without everything else being too far back. I don't want to assume the holes are in the wrong place until I can be sure I can do that without causing further problems. I do remember that with the old floor the holes seemed too far forward and it was very difficult to fit the subframe, I don't know quite what that proves but it does reassure me a bit.

Matty is correct there was a problem i sent all of our rear panels back to heritage.

Gav - Any chance you have some more in stock at Potters bar? I was hoping to come and get a boot floor and rear arches on Saturday?

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fusion-Fabri..._homepage_panel

www.fusionfabs.co.uk



1/4mile in 13.2sec @ 111 terminal on 15psi

I must have spent hours measuring this but I just couldn't make sense of it, I had almost assumed the car was not square. Then I measured the distance from the rear subframe mounting hoes to the rear edge of the boot floor, there is a 1/5" difference between the sides. It's not enough to be able to see but explains why I couldn't line the panel up by them. Therefore as suggested I'll align the panel with the car and redrill the holes.

Out of interest does anyone have a link to another thread where someone has had problems with a heritage boot floor?

Matt

Here you go...

http://mk1-forum.net/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=4...oot+floor#p2947

I picked my floor up on Saturday which is supposed to be the corrected version. Let me know if you need any dimensions.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fusion-Fabri..._homepage_panel

www.fusionfabs.co.uk



1/4mile in 13.2sec @ 111 terminal on 15psi

Thanks for that, that is exactly what mine looks like. I don't know why heritage can't put holes in the correct place, it's not the first panel I've had this problem with. It's annoying that all the dimensions use the rear subframe holes so I'll have to align it by eye using what's left of the old panels.

is there any panel that has not been replaced? congrats on the welding though everything is looking very good...

looks like you have made your own longbrigde plant

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CkTDCOQB-rg


but i think the rust proofing motor dip was out of order when they produced mine...and yours as well apparently

here's part 2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3jcIBPmYpY

Edited by pieter on 4th Oct, 2010.

They can't have rotodipped later cars I don't think as there was no hole in the rear bulkhead. My 69 cooper is in a much better state than the one I'm doing at the moment but I think a lot of that is because it's less bodged. Interesting videos though, I wonder how much it had changed by 2000.

there is another one on youtube from the oxford plant somewhere in the mid 80s

I have spent a lot of time working on this over the past couple of days although it doesn't look that much different. I've welded most of the boot floor in, it attaches in a lot of places which makes it very time consuming.
IMG_0187 by Matt4475, on Flickr
I then moved on to the passenger side wheel arch, I decided that the flange of the rear seatbase that attaches to the top of it was too rusty to repair so I just cut the lot out.
IMG_0188 by Matt4475, on Flickr
IMG_0189 by Matt4475, on Flickr
Making a new piece took a long time due to the compound curve but this was the end result.
IMG_0190 by Matt4475, on Flickr
I couldn't work out why it wouldn't weld very well until my welder stopped feeding wire altogether and I found it had all bunched up in the tip, changed that and it was transformed.

Once that was done I got the new wheel arch fitted, it's spot welded all the way round the outside but there are still a lot of bits which need welding up. The closing panels are quite tricky to fit and require a lot of welding in awkward places.
IMG_0191 by Matt4475, on Flickr

Edited by Flame Red on 11th Jul, 2017.

Looks really good! Have you sorted the rear subby mount holes out now?

Its amazing how much time is spent fannying about! lol
I spent 6 hours working on mine the other day, and it looked nearly exactly the same as it did before. Did your shell have about 2-3" of sideways play at the back once all the arches, boot floor etc.. were removed? Mine has and its quite concirning! lol

Where did you weld first?

I was thinking a few spots on rear panel, then a few spots on the heel board, then (as I can't get a spot welder in) a few mig'd spot welds on the bulkhead?

Im still trying to work out how to align the arches without the quarter panels fitted?

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fusion-Fabri..._homepage_panel

www.fusionfabs.co.uk



1/4mile in 13.2sec @ 111 terminal on 15psi

Boot floor looks good.

I put the arch closing panel in before the arch and used it to line the arch up, much easier that way but still a PITA.

I haven't sorted out the holes yet, I'm going to get the arch done on the other side so it's solid and then offer the subframe up and redrill the holes.

I have found I've spent so much time welding this in but there is not point taking any pictures as it just doesn't look different enough.

I found the floor had loads of play, even putting the heelboard on didn't make a lot of difference. I did find that once the boot floor was slotted in even before it was welded or clamped there was almost no play at all.

As I'm replacing the rear panel I couldn't weld to that, I first welded it to the quater panel, then the seat bracket, heelboard and then the rear bulkhead. If you don't have any arches you can spot weld the bulkhead through that gap.

I am replacing the drivers side quarter panel as I'm not happy with the fit of the pattern repair panel I've used so I may have the same problem with the next arch. It would be easy to just cut it off with a bit of the quarter panel but I think I'll try and leave at least some of it.

I don't think it would make a lot of difference whether I had put the closing panel in first or not, it still wouldn't be possible to clamp it to the arch which is what I really would like to do. I might try it that way on the other side though.

looking great, keep up the good work. You are so right Matty, you go into the garage and 4 hours later you tack something. Preparing the panels takes the longest time and getting your head around modding so called repair panels.
M

I finished welding up the passenger side arch and closing panel last week. There are still a few bits which need seam welding but I'll do that altogether once the back end is finished. I used a self tapping screw to draw the closing panel to the arch as there was no way to clamp it, it worked very well.

I had the wire feed too high when I plug welded around the arch, it looked a complete mess and I ended up with large mounds of weld to grind down. I really need to learn to stop welding when it isn't going right! Anyway, after a lot of grinding I got it to look like this which is about as good as it's going to be.
IMG_0193 by Matt4475, on Flickr

I've now moved on to the driver's side, I wasn't at all happy with the doorstep repair, partly down to how I welded it but also the panel doesn't fit well. I want to keep the first part of the repair as that's ok, the bit along the quarter panel is what I need to replace. I've decided to use the whole panel rather than just cut out what I need as I don't want to risk warping the panel by welding along it's whole length. It's a shame to cut out such a large panel with no rust but I think it'll make the job easier. I have removed the arch and the quarter panel together, I haven't yet decided what order to put it back together in.
IMG_0195 by Matt4475, on Flickr

Edited by Flame Red on 11th Jul, 2017.

I've put quite a few hours in on this over the past 3 days so I thought I had better update it even if it doesn't look too different.

Work has stalled on the quarter panel as I've found the curve on the repair panel I've used on the door step is 3/16" too shallow so it won't line up without bodging it. I've decided I'll replace the whole doorstep with a genuine one, it means undoing a lot of work but I'm just not happy with it how it is.

I've got the wheel arch and the closing panel on the drivers side fitted now, it was so much easier without the quarter panel in the way.
IMG_0199 by Matt4475, on Flickr
IMG_0202 by Matt4475, on Flickr

I got the subframe mounting holes in the right place and fitted the subframe closing panel although I forgot to get any pictures.

Today I've removed the rear panel, it involved a tedious amount of spot weld drilling followed by 4 hours of grinding and sanding to remove the remains of the roll welded seams.
IMG_0205 by Matt4475, on Flickr
The rear edge of the parcel self is going to need some repairs, I think the same might be true of the very edge of the roof skin in a couple of places as well.
IMG_0203 by Matt4475, on Flickr
I've realised I should have welded the arch to boot floor reinforcing brackets before the valance closing panels as I'm now going to have to plug weld them. I also need to find out where the tank stand should go as the jig prevents me from trial fitting the tank.
IMG_0204 by Matt4475, on Flickr

Edited by Flame Red on 11th Jul, 2017.

The tank stand sits 40mm away from the arch (measuring from the raised part not the lip) and the end of the stand finishes exactly in middle of the the rear subby holes. This is where I fitted mine on the passenger side anyway, not sure if its the same for a RH tank?

Good going so far, 4 hours is good going for that size panel!

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fusion-Fabri..._homepage_panel

www.fusionfabs.co.uk



1/4mile in 13.2sec @ 111 terminal on 15psi