That looks absolutely brilliant, I'm working on my son's '86 Mini and it'd be so much easier if I could get it on a spit. You're progressing at quite a rate! What is the original colour?
If rebuilding the engine, don't do it in an unheated, freezing cold garage and then drop the distributor drive shaft into the sump/gearbox! Been there - done that!
At the risk of boring you all (but hey lockdown has some benefits) we're going to finish the shell then epoxy undercoat followed by raptor underneath. Then everything back on/in except the seats which i think will be last. The original high back recliners are somewhat shot. Newton do new seats and also re upholstery kits and i just can't decide which way to go. New seats are £700 a pop (gulp) but my reupholstery skills are somewhat untested (maybe my OCD will be useful at last *rofl*) I may go buckets from ebay temporarily whilst i save/decide
We've had to adapt the boot floor to make it original spec but the rear bulkhead hole is going to be left filled in on the replacement panel as to put a new hole in is a huge amount of work (i know who'd think that for a hole). The rear subframe is shot and i'm spending the extra on a heritage frame (screw buying Chinese) because it's so much better quality and as original as i can manage. There are some decisions that have to be made on making the car fulfil it's purpose which is a damn good thrashing so there is no point in having a garage queen but at the same time you have to do things as right as you can within the budget constraints and aim. My one concession is that as of today's thinking i am going to MK1 lights
1) Because many MK2's left the factory with MK1 lights as BMC used up stock
2) They look sooo much better aesthetically (IMHO)
3) putting the originals back in is not a huge cost on a car worth a reasonable amount (not as much as b4 the crash obvs)
4) I'm keeping it
5) Its my car not a clients
I'll post more pics in the coming weeks if anyone wants
Reply to 22 I may well go the retrim by them with Newton kit but we are some months off that i think!
One of my friends bought PBP 189K brand new from Wadham Stringer in Chichester. He says it was one of the last 17 made. He sold it many years ago to another friend of ours. It has not been taxed since 1982 so no idea what happened to it. It was a Mark 2, 1275 CC with twin tanks. I made many trips in it from Emsworth to London and it was fast. Worth a fortune now. We removed the Cooper S badge and fitted a Mini 1000 to make it a real wolf in sheeps clothing.
Wow, looks fantastic! I'm about to start my 1275 GT and need to replace most of the rear end as well as sills and front floors (one through rust and one poorly fitted old repair).
I'm also replacing the boot floor panel and thinking about the modifications. I assume you did the MPI fuel line hole and lhs seat base? How hard was the seat base to do? I'm in two minds about whether to modify it to correct older spec or steer clear of chopping up a brand new panel that you can't normally see.
Moz, how much work do the inner sills need particularly rear of the cross member? If you need to replace them you'll likely need to take out the companion bins in which case you're half way to doing the full boot floor and seat base ... project scope creep!
Stu.
Caterham and Lotus Seven Club Leadership Team Member
The register for all numbered limited-edition Caterhams ....... www.thecaterhamregister.net ...... www.instagram.com/thecaterhamregister
Moz let me see if i can find a pic of the job. Depends if your any good with metalwork i suppose. It was done for accuracy because of what it is but as said above it's finding the line between what you want/the market value being retained/your use of the car. Each section has to be thought about. If i was restoring a more recent MPi my view might be different. I don't know enough about the 1275GY to offer an opinion i'm afraid. The only concessions i've made against my original wish (so far) is the rear lights and dip instead of bead blast but who knows if that will work out i just have to hope. I just hate those Mk2 standard lights cant help myself.
That looks absolutely brilliant, I'm working on my son's '86 Mini and it'd be so much easier if I could get it on a spit. You're progressing at quite a rate! What is the original colour?
When I get round to trim for my project I plan to use JCS Custom Trim in Bridgenorth, I've heard a lot of positive comments about Jason's work: https://m.facebook.com/jcscustomtrim/?locale2=en_GB
Stu.
Caterham and Lotus Seven Club Leadership Team Member
The register for all numbered limited-edition Caterhams ....... www.thecaterhamregister.net ...... www.instagram.com/thecaterhamregister
Stephen
Democratic dissent is not disloyalty, it is a positive civic duty
If rebuilding the engine, don't do it in an unheated, freezing cold garage and then drop the distributor drive shaft into the sump/gearbox! Been there - done that!
At the risk of boring you all (but hey lockdown has some benefits) we're going to finish the shell then epoxy undercoat followed by raptor underneath. Then everything back on/in except the seats which i think will be last. The original high back recliners are somewhat shot. Newton do new seats and also re upholstery kits and i just can't decide which way to go. New seats are £700 a pop (gulp) but my reupholstery skills are somewhat untested (maybe my OCD will be useful at last *rofl*) I may go buckets from ebay temporarily whilst i save/decide
We've had to adapt the boot floor to make it original spec but the rear bulkhead hole is going to be left filled in on the replacement panel as to put a new hole in is a huge amount of work (i know who'd think that for a hole). The rear subframe is shot and i'm spending the extra on a heritage frame (screw buying Chinese) because it's so much better quality and as original as i can manage. There are some decisions that have to be made on making the car fulfil it's purpose which is a damn good thrashing so there is no point in having a garage queen but at the same time you have to do things as right as you can within the budget constraints and aim. My one concession is that as of today's thinking i am going to MK1 lights
1) Because many MK2's left the factory with MK1 lights as BMC used up stock
2) They look sooo much better aesthetically (IMHO)
3) putting the originals back in is not a huge cost on a car worth a reasonable amount (not as much as b4 the crash obvs)
4) I'm keeping it
5) Its my car not a clients
I'll post more pics in the coming weeks if anyone wants
Reply to 22 I may well go the retrim by them with Newton kit but we are some months off that i think!
One of my friends bought PBP 189K brand new from Wadham Stringer in Chichester. He says it was one of the last 17 made. He sold it many years ago to another friend of ours. It has not been taxed since 1982 so no idea what happened to it. It was a Mark 2, 1275 CC with twin tanks. I made many trips in it from Emsworth to London and it was fast. Worth a fortune now. We removed the Cooper S badge and fitted a Mini 1000 to make it a real wolf in sheeps clothing.
Piers
Wow, looks fantastic! I'm about to start my 1275 GT and need to replace most of the rear end as well as sills and front floors (one through rust and one poorly fitted old repair).
I'm also replacing the boot floor panel and thinking about the modifications. I assume you did the MPI fuel line hole and lhs seat base? How hard was the seat base to do? I'm in two minds about whether to modify it to correct older spec or steer clear of chopping up a brand new panel that you can't normally see.
Moz, how much work do the inner sills need particularly rear of the cross member? If you need to replace them you'll likely need to take out the companion bins in which case you're half way to doing the full boot floor and seat base ... project scope creep!
Stu.
Caterham and Lotus Seven Club Leadership Team Member
The register for all numbered limited-edition Caterhams ....... www.thecaterhamregister.net ...... www.instagram.com/thecaterhamregister
Moz let me see if i can find a pic of the job. Depends if your any good with metalwork i suppose. It was done for accuracy because of what it is but as said above it's finding the line between what you want/the market value being retained/your use of the car. Each section has to be thought about. If i was restoring a more recent MPi my view might be different. I don't know enough about the 1275GY to offer an opinion i'm afraid. The only concessions i've made against my original wish (so far) is the rear lights and dip instead of bead blast but who knows if that will work out i just have to hope. I just hate those Mk2 standard lights cant help myself.