"Gillette" Austin Cooper 1967

[Brett]

Today, I've taken the engine out of the subframe and removed the grease with high pressure hot water.
Tomorrow, the engine leaves the garage for a complete rebuild.

[roger mcnab]

hi brett
what are the red and white cars in the background also that hoist is a handy bit of gear
cheers roger

[Brett]

The 2 cars are Mini based 3 wheelers called Mosquito.

You will find all about these kit cars on my website : www.mosquito-triad.com

[Brett]

The body is back from sodablasting.

Quite a lot of work...
No, I won't buy a new shell. Regarding authenticity, I prefer restoring this one.

[Andrew1967]

Don't worry Brett, we prefer original shelled Coopers where possible on here (as opposed to Facebook !), even if it means a lot of new panels

Cracking project and with its history, originality where you can is all important.

[Peter Laidler]

From the photos and considering its age, it looks like your shell has done well. Survived to be a fairly (?) simple (?) restoration. A restoration worth following now that HOY and the good Doc Mabo's Broadspeed are nearing the end......

[roger mcnab]

wow
what a job be careful that you do not get weldingitis with this massive task it will keep you of the street and close to the poor house but there is always light at the end of the tunnel or is it a train
good luck and happy paneling
cheers roger mcnab

[Brett]

Today, the subframes have gone for sand blasting and powder coating.
I've noticed the front subframe is stamped MOWOG while the rear one is stamped Firsat. The original MOWOG seems to have been replaced.



















I've also worked on the carbs. They've been degreased, the outside has been bead blasted while the inside has been ultrasonically cleaned. They're now being rebuilt using a full rebuild kit.













I'm busy cleaning, degreasing and bead blasting parts. Today I've done the radiator fan. After searching for the information, I've found the paint code (Inca Yellow, FAB/94) on the forum. You guys are a real Mk1 Mini encyclopedia!

[Brett]

Engine is back from complete rebuild and has been painted last night.

[stu69]

That fan's come up well and will look nice alongside that engine

[Brett]

Thank you very much.

[Peter Laidler]

Your rebuilt engine is a work of art in itself...... pure poetry in motion.

Everyone knows my views on that tough unbreakable little 998 engine. They're like BEAGLE pack dogs that my wife and I used to run with. Take whatever you throw at them, sop it up and still come back for more! And they'll still be there panting when you're almost dead on the floor

[Brett]

Thank you so much Peter.

[Brett]

Some more work done on the engine.

Before


After

[Peter Laidler]

I know that I'm a bit of a woos and an old softy when it comes to that remarkable and tough little 998 engine. But the last picture is my screen-saver for the next 6 months or so.

A pleasure to feast my eyes on it every day......... I am in the throes of purchasing a very late '70 reg 998 Cooper and that's what I'll be aiming for.

Off at a bit of a tangent regards to engine paint. When I was doing mine several years ago, the techie people at Glasurit-Beck, the big paint people advised me to ignore all the sales talk and paint my engine directly, without primer, with heat resisting household radiator paint. Maybe one of the forum paint pro's could comment

He did explain why but I won't go into it here.........

[1071 S]

I wouldn’t consider myself a paint pro.... However, when I did my engine about 30 years ago I took the advice of a local.

Caustic bath, etch primer and normal “spraying enamel” (thats what it says on the can) and 150Kodd miles and a couple of partial rebuilds and it still looks quite respectable.. I couldn’t buy engine paint in the correct colour but I was told that, if the engine ever got too hot for the ordinary paint, then paint would be the least of my problems...

Cheers, Ian

[roger mcnab]

hi brett
in your before pic is that a unipower in the background
cheers roger mcnab

[timmy201]

hi brett
in your before pic is that a unipower in the background
cheers roger mcnab

I think they are the Mosquito Triads he'd restored prior

[roger mcnab]

hi timmy
very interesting i will have to look them up
cheers roger

[Brett]

hi timmy
very interesting i will have to look them up
cheers roger

Roger, you'll find more information on my website: www.mosquito-triad.com