Time lapse full metal Broadspeed GT restoration/transformation

[Fanfaniracing]

Thanks Doc! Will try it out!

[Dr.Mabo]

One of the first things to be installed in the empty bodyshell is the wiring loom. In this state, it is easily possible to thread it in, out and around.

Now it’s also a good time to eliminate possible vibrations in the bodywork before they can start. So I covered the door skins, the side panels, the boot area and the roof with sound deading mats. This is not for weight fetishists, but it makes driving much quieter and more relaxed.

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[surfblue63]

Hey, you could've cleaned the battery!

I always look forward to the weekend and the latest instalment of your build.

[Dr.Mabo]

Hey, you could've cleaned the battery!

Hmm, I'm not sure yet. Possible thiiissss batterie won't stay in there. It's just a balance weight while the shell stays on jacks

To be honest, while installing a brand new loom I prefere a low voltage batterie. And my experiance tells me, low voltage batteries must be dirty

[olfrjf]

Before the assembly, I brushed the area behind with Mike Sanders, sealed the edges with body plasticine and screwed the covers in from the inner wing.


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What a good idea

[Peter Laidler]

What looks like another VERY good idea from Herr Doc........ 4th photo from the top (or bottom photo), above, the door internally. Is that a small strengthening or reinforcing strip that I can see spot welded (?) to sit underneath the hinge area. A good idea for anyone in the future and can't do any harm either!

[GraemeC]

What looks like another VERY good idea from Herr Doc........ 4th photo from the top (or bottom photo), above, the door internally. Is that a small strengthening or reinforcing strip that I can see spot welded (?) to sit underneath the hinge area. A good idea for anyone in the future and can't do any harm either!

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[Peter Laidler]

I wondered if it'd been mentioned before I mentioned it! But a good idea anyway!

[Dr.Mabo]

To match the leather-covered dashboard, I have now also covered the A-pillar trim and the lower dash rail with leather for the first time. It is such a pleasure to bring the leather into any contour, compared to vinyl. I used to struggle to get the vinyl into the desired shape without wrinkles and it rarely worked.

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Leather, properly wetted, is almost as flexible as rubber. Then let it dry in position and it simply keeps its shape. This way, the dried piece can also be cut to final size later on without having to chop away at the paint. Then glue it in place and everything fits perfectly.

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[Fanfaniracing]

Perfect as always !

[roger mcnab]

hi doc
your doors have deep boxes on them over here in australia ours are shallow by comparison about 100 mm deep i suppose that is so we can not put to much junk in them
your leather work is interesting what thickness do you use as i was thinking of doimg the dash in my ford laser as well as the clubman as i feel that it will last better than vynyl in our constant sunshine
great job on car
cheers roger mcnab

[Dr.Mabo]

hi doc
your leather work is interesting what thickness do you use

I bought a complete leather skin. The thickness of the leather varies between 1-1.5 mm. Of course, it varies again when it is pulled and stretched or has to be compressed in corners.

[Dr.Mabo]

Assembly is actually very unusual work for me. I have to constantly make sure that my hands are clean. During the endless hours before, it didn't matter at all how black my hands were. But that's how it is when you're on the finish line.

For me, the most beautiful and absolutely typical covering material for a sliding window Mini is and remains grey/gold brocade. Now it's time to install the first brocade coverings. To make the wheel arches feel less hard, I put a layer of felt between the sheet metal and the cover.

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The 60s Britax seatbelts are also part of it for me. I had already welded a suitable mounting plate into the inner sills for the installation of the belt reels.

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The loudspeakers and chrome trim from an old Jaguar may not be a big hit acoustically, but they are contemporary and fit perfectly into the later overall picture.

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And finally I was able to install the switchless Broadspeed switch panel.

If I didn't waste so much time with watching and being excited, I would be much faster.

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[InnoCooperExport]

Sehr schon. I have to ask where did you get the chrome/silver strip that goes over the front of the rear seat base. I need one for my Innocenti and haven't found one yet...

[Dr.Mabo]

Sehr schon. I have to ask where did you get the chrome/silver strip that goes over the front of the rear seat base.

It's actually an old strip that I've refurbished.

[minibitz]

Sehr schon. I have to ask where did you get the chrome/silver strip that goes over the front of the rear seat base. I need one for my Innocenti and haven't found one yet...

Would you not be able to use a piece of the flat sill trim as a substitute?

[InnoCooperExport]

Moved to here

viewtopic.php?f=5&t=33403

[Dr.Mabo]

Even if it is incredibly tempting to directly install all the beautiful and large parts in a freshly painted shell, the eye and care for the little things must not be lost.
There are numerous technical solutions from BMC that I have never understood from a craftsman's point of view. And so I have rethought these technical solutions in many places on the Broadspeed and solved them in my own way.

One example of this is the attachment of the door handles. These are screwed to the door skin from the inside with two spacer sleeves. But why use square spacer sleeves when they are attached to a angled surface? They only rest on the upper edge and, in the worst case, deform the sheet metal nicely while pulling tight.

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So I made angled spacer sleeves with on one end. This way they can rest flat on the angled door skin and fix the door handle much better.

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My Broadspeed also gets a classic rod areal. This is motor driven for retraction and extension. The old Becker radio does not control the antenna directly. So I have to operate it with a separate switch. I would need 2 of the classic LUCAS switches. There is an aftermarket switch available that has a toggle function up and down and has the LUCAS design, but it is supposed to cost about 30 GBP. So I bought a switch for a few cents from an electrical shop and just changed the LUCAS handle. With a little heat, you can pull off the LUCAS handle. I ground the metal pin from the new switch into the right shape and then glued the handle in place.

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I also wanted to use a LUCAS 608 interior mirror for the Broadspeed. However, these rarely have a suitable mount for Mini. So I built them myself from a square steel tube. I wrote a treat about this years ago viewtopic.php?p=50301#p50301 And that's exactly what I did again.

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[mk1]

Wonderful details. Nothing less than I would expect in this wonderful build

[Old English White]

Very time consuming all those little details........but DON'T they make all the difference between a decent restoration job and an outstanding one