My 1963 Austin 997 Cooper

[mnicoop63]

It is so good to see another 997 returned to the world. It is all coming together beautifully. Like you, I have a choice of engines, a modified 997 and a 1275 S. Don't dismiss your 997 engine. They are very good for torque and respond nicely to a better flowing head. I have decided to fit the 997, to start with at least.

Keep pegging away.

D

I haven't dismissed the 997 engine and actually have a few of them but decided to run the 850 first. It has always been a great running engine and I figured I would run it first and get the car driving well. Then I will swap in another engine. I have a low mileage 1275 I plan on selling at some point and figured I might install it since it will probably be easier to sell running than sitting on the bench. I am also building a 1275 and have had all the machine work finished and hope to assemble it sometime in the near future. It is somewhat on the "back burner" at the moment as I just want to get the mini assembled and drive it! It has been sitting since 2008. At some point I will probably run a 997 in it but for now I am just happy knowing I have that option. Thank you for the kind words about my Mini. There is no question that I am an amateur and probably would have been better off paying to have the car built by someone who does it everyday but I wanted to do it myself. It's finally taking shape.

[mnicoop63]

Assume its still in primer and that isn't the finished colour? Unusual way to do a build im thinking

Yes the outside is still in primer. I plan to have it sprayed last because I have a few engines I want to run in it and am afraid I will scratch it and since paint work isn't exactly cheap it is how I have decided to do it. Trust me I wish it was all painted and fancy but I don't want to worry about scratching it or getting a little ding it while I swap out motors and drive it. After I have it all dialed in and am finished tinkering with everything I will have the outside painted. I can't be the only person who has waited to have the outside painted till the end. It just seems to be the best way for me. Unusual in some circles I suppose but that's fine by me.

[Dearg1275]

Assume its still in primer and that isn't the finished colour? Unusual way to do a build im thinking

Yes the outside is still in primer. I plan to have it sprayed last because I have a few engines I want to run in it and am afraid I will scratch it and since paint work isn't exactly cheap it is how I have decided to do it. Trust me I wish it was all painted and fancy but I don't want to worry about scratching it or getting a little ding it while I swap out motors and drive it. After I have it all dialed in and am finished tinkering with everything I will have the outside painted. I can't be the only person who has waited to have the outside painted till the end. It just seems to be the best way for me. Unusual in some circles I suppose but that's fine by me.

The idea of painting last of all once the car has an engine and some road miles has its problems. Currently your primer is essentially clean and dry. Get it out on the road and it will get wet and dirty. Not all primers are resistant to absorbing water (epoxy is pretty good though) so you could well be trapping moisture beneath your finish coat. The other issue is road film. This comprises dust, oil, rubber and anything else that gets spilt on the road, and in the UK salt. You know how difficult it is to get this off your windscreen. Yes it can be washed away with water and solvents and the car will be blocked back before the final paint but why run the potential risk?

I would say, yes get the engine in and running but get it painted before you venture out into the big wide dirty world.

D

[mnicoop63]

Assume its still in primer and that isn't the finished colour? Unusual way to do a build im thinking

Yes the outside is still in primer. I plan to have it sprayed last because I have a few engines I want to run in it and am afraid I will scratch it and since paint work isn't exactly cheap it is how I have decided to do it. Trust me I wish it was all painted and fancy but I don't want to worry about scratching it or getting a little ding it while I swap out motors and drive it. After I have it all dialed in and am finished tinkering with everything I will have the outside painted. I can't be the only person who has waited to have the outside painted till the end. It just seems to be the best way for me. Unusual in some circles I suppose but that's fine by me.

The idea of painting last of all once the car has an engine and some road miles has its problems. Currently your primer is essentially clean and dry. Get it out on the road and it will get wet and dirty. Not all primers are resistant to absorbing water (epoxy is pretty good though) so you could well be trapping moisture beneath your finish coat. The other issue is road film. This comprises dust, oil, rubber and anything else that gets spilt on the road, and in the UK salt. You know how difficult it is to get this off your windscreen. Yes it can be washed away with water and solvents and the car will be blocked back before the final paint but why run the potential risk?

I would say, yes get the engine in and running but get it painted before you venture out into the big wide dirty world.

D

I do see your point David but don't plan on putting too many miles on the car before I get it painted. It's not like I am planning to drive the car for a few years before I get the outside painted. I did in fact spray the entire shell with 2K epoxy primer/sealer. It has not been blocked sanded at all and I'm sure there will be areas requiring a coat or two of high build primer to get everything nice and even. I live in California so salted roads are not an issue but road grime certainly could be I suppose. The mini will probably see more moisture from wet sanding than it will from driving unless I get caught in a rain shower. I do plan on driving the car once it is all finished. Not daily like I used to years ago but I want to enjoy it instead of look at it. I do appreciate your opinion and agree that the sooner it's painted the better. It is however going to get some good weather miles put on it before that happens.