My Car - 18th Nov 2013
Turbo Mini Forums

I have no idea what to call my thread this time, as it's not a build, but more of a rolling resto.
This is now My car thread of stuff about my car and related things.

The car is a 1275 which I've just purchased from a chap who has owned it since it was just 3 years old.

The general plan is to make it a nice to drive car for our family to use. This is the first mini I've had which we can put Lucy's car seat in, so I'm going to keep it that way, and just try to improve it with a bit more power, better paint, and make it nicer to use.

Spec as of when the car was purchased:
- a 1275cc engine with a few bits and bobs
- a removable fibreglass front end
- a nice, if a little rough around the edges interior, with classic seats and centre binicle
- aftermarket suspension
- early bootlid
- minilites

Issues are:
- Knackered clutch
- Bonnet doesn't fit properly
- Terrible paint
- Rusty driver's door
- Rough-ish interior
- Bits and bobs around the car
- Not a turbo!

My to-do list (which will be updated as we go on):
- Remove inner wings (for better access to the engine gubbins)
- Remove the stupid waste-of-space horn
- Make a better method of holding the sides of the frontend on
- Re-locate the washer fluid bottle (because of the above)
- Re-locate the air vent piping (as I like the fresh air)
- Fix clutch
- Re-fit bonnet using pins/another method for quicker access. I hate the hinges.
- Bleed the Brakes
- Fit new brakes (7.5")
- Fit new wheels (10")
- Replace radiator
- replace fan
- Fit better more focused trackday tyres
- Replace frontend
- Add a single plug for the wiring for the front end, for easier removal
- Fit a new drivers door
- Fit new windows
- Fit new arches
- Fix the paint
- Fit Uprated gearbox
- Fit Turbo motor (around 120-140bhp)

I've attached some photos of how the car is, which is pretty much 'as purchased'.

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Edited by AlexB on 18th Nov, 2013.

I also lucked into buying a load of parts along with the car. Mark, the previous owner, had also planned to turbocharge it, before getting bored. So, it came with boxes of parts, and an engine in a crate ready to be rebuilt for more power.

The engine hasn't arrived yet (I booked a courier to transport it for me as it's too heavy and too big to fit in our cars), but the rest of the parts are here. There's still more to buy, but I feel that we're off to a good start.

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Ha, it's only a 'bit' in the real world. We're over near Basingstoke, so yeah, not far at all :)

I hope it lives up to the old one mate, looking forward to seeing it evolve

13.95 1/4 mile on a 2.95 fd. Carnt be that hard to beat!

What happened to the "inner wings are the first job"?!?

My build thread: http://www.turbominis.co.uk/forums/index.php?p=vt&tid=440970

Ha, forgot to add them to the list.
Did some stuff tonight, so I'll do a full post in a mo.

So, tonight I decided to get cracking with a few jobs - mainly just investigative to start with - I wanted to know how the front end fit together, how to remove it, and what I needed to do to remove the inner wings for better access.

Anyway, hopefully the pictures attached will explain what I've been up to well enough, but if not, tonight I removed the front end, the bonnet, checked what wiring was what, and started to make a list of things I wanted to change/fix/remove.

I've added some items to my to-do list now.

Picture 1: Wiring from the front end to the car (which I am going to make into one big plug)

Picture 2: The frontend removed

Picture 3: Another angle, showing the removed bits

Picutre 4: A nice little feature/bodge by the previous owner, a tiny brake line, which makes dropping the front subframe even quicker, without dropping much fluid.

Picture 5: Frontend, again

Picture 6: The total amount of stuff I had to take off to remove all of the front end. Yep, 8, including the bonnet hinges.

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At least if you fetch the inner wings off it will make access to the clutch easier. When I did mine recently i had more trouble getting the a socket on the puller than anything else. If you are stuck for the tool I know a chap with one I may be able to borrow. I work in Camberley so could pop down with it.

picture 6 looks heavy :p

Look cool dude nice little buy shame about the poor fitted front end though

So, spent a bit more time in the garage today. Chopped off the inner wings, removed the rubbish two-tone horn, and did a few other minor bits.

I also ordered the bits I need to do the clutch, so that's the next job on the list.

I'm looking for some bonnet pin style things, but not bonnet pins, for the rear of the bonnet. I hate the way they look. Anyone got any ideas? I want something classic looking.

Anyway, pics below. It's all back together now, ready to either drive to Ric's to do the clutch, or just move out the way of the engine that should be arriving tomorrow.

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dzus clips or quick release hinges?

gaffa tape

Can the bonnet not go back on its hinges?

blimey you dont hang about :) i dont think there is any truly period looking mount system thing for the rear of the bonnet, you could get the really tiny pins with the R clips, like what i have seen on MIG boot lids? at least they will be hard ish to spot

Yes i moved to the darkside

Instagram @jdm_brett

I think I'm going to leave the bonnet as is for now, but get some quick release hinges when I can be bothered - they look perfect for me - regular bonnety stuff, with an easy way of getting it off.

Ordered some new clips for the front end earlier, and some other bits and bobs.

Just a quick update - a few parts arrived today. Firstly, the welder from Bennyy on here. Then, a few minutes later, my engine arrived.

I'm not sure what to do with it yet - the spec is supposed to be:
A Minispeed 1275 turbo +40 thou with balanced internals and only 10,000 miles since.
The camshaft was a Turbo Piper but there’s another invoice suggesting that a different camshaft was fitted at some time.
Gearbox was exchange recon about 8,000 miles ago.

So, I may just check it over, then fit it with an intercooler and see how it goes.. or rebuild it.

Also, the fantastic Min-its got my new clutch to me today, great service as always.

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Dont let Ric anywhere near the box the engine came in................ you know he will be determined to fit inside!

If you need any bolty bits give be a ring!

You dont hang about do you Alex - its taken me 3 months to do brakes, suspension and a subframe on Ann's!! Oh I did paint the engine as well!

Ha ha, thanks Rob. Feel free to pop around if you're feeling noesy.

Nice to see you with a mini again. It is difficult to ignore how much fun they are, fast or slow its always an adventure.

http://www.twin-turbo.co.uk
http://www.hillclimbandsprint.co.uk/default.asp

A man without a project is like a like a woman without a shopping list.

I'd be pulling the engine apart for a once over at least.

In the 13's at last!.. Just

I think the plan will be to take the engine apart, check the condition and go from there. Unless it's looking great I think I'll probably opt for a rebuild, as I'm not in any rush to do the conversion, and I'd like it to be drivable and reliable.

I am also considering not using the bulk head box, and getting a different manifold - I quite like the idea of not hacking a big hole into the shell for no real reason.

Just adding a few more photos - one of the almost-new carb, and a couple more of the engine-in-a-box.

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