Customer FIA Race Car 1293cc

[Mike]

The rather ropey Mk1 shell I bought through the forum last year has had a complete proper panel job done, including new floor, and a T45 cage fitted and seam welded.

It is now owned and being built for my friend and co-driver Paul Tarry and will be fitted with the power plant we used this year in my dark blue car.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mike_youle ... 181037981/

In smoke grey, it now has a distinctive bright orange roof and bonnet stripes.

All subframes are assembled and the car will be finished before Christmas.

[tomkidd]

I saw this on Flickr Mike, it looks awesome

[ferret]

Looks fantastic and I think what you have done with the doors to make them fit around the
roll cage is really top notch

[IAIN]

very good job. Its great to see new clean metal and no rust. I wouldn't want to take that apart again.

It makes me want to get my tin opener and angle grinder out, but don't have the time at the moment.

What colour is it.

[Mike]

Smoke grey and since the main colour was repainted, the roof is now bright orange, just to be different and for identification purposes.

We started with a shell that was advertised as completed and ready for use. This was far from the case and the description massively exaggerated. However, as I committed to buy over the telephone I stuck by my word where others who know the story have opinioned I should have walked away. Beware of Robert Fenn who cannot be trusted.

The reason I have explained this is that we have repaired rather than started from scratch with this shell, flatting off the paint job we inherited rather than stripping completely.

We have another in build, for a different customer and that is being chemically dipped and will not be seam sealed (as Paul requested on his car) so should be even cleaner.

[guru_1071]

very nice mike

i like the attention to detail on the rear parcel shelf!

[Mike]

Thanks Rich, wait until you see the rest.

I am using one of Bob's dashes, they are absolutely superb.

The second car will be even better.

[YMJ]

Looks fantastic and I think what you have done with the doors to make them fit around the
roll cage is really top notch

Yep, good mod that!

Mike, for heaven's sake give me a call about chemical dipping before you commit. I'm having real problems om one of my cars, 12 months on!

[Mike]

I've heard today of a few bad reports so will revert back to bead blasting.

PM sent YMJ.

[Mike]

Roof and bonnet in orange......

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mike_youle ... 181037981/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mike_youle ... 181037981/

Unusual but client's choice and very distinctive and better in the flesh than these poor images.

[Richspec]

Looks fantastic and I think what you have done with the doors to make them fit around the
roll cage is really top notch

Yeah, Im loving that as well

I think its the solution to my problems

[sracing]

That cage is superb, it shows its really worth taking the trouble and doing a proper job.

[ceejam]

Where did the cage come from Mike?

Looks like a decent cage, but a lot of shell mods to fit round the cage though?

[Mike]

Hi Ceejam,

You may have read another post about the episode of the cage.

In all my other cars I use Gartrac, superb job, never a problem except they are busy.

So, due to time constraints we bought a T45 cage from Custom Cages. Absolute disaster, terrible service and the rear part of their cage was made up of a multitude of short length tubes. In short it is a fiasco and i would warn anyone off using them.

Fortunately, we had an ex-Safety Devices welder installing the cage and we just got some T45 tube bent as required to replicate the cage Gartrac had put in my own car.

Lesson learnt, reverted back to Gartrac for both the Anglia and other customer Mini we have in-build.

[minitravellerman]

Looks fantastic and I think what you have done with the doors to make them fit around the
roll cage is really top notch

Yeah, Im loving that as well

The recess detail at the door pocket to allow the door to close around the cage is first class. Top job.

[Vegard]

Looks fantastic and I think what you have done with the doors to make them fit around the
roll cage is really top notch

Yeah, Im loving that as well

The recess detail at the door pocket to allow the door to close around the cage is first class. Top job.

I was looking at this and I'm impressed, but is it legal??

[mk1]

Another example of the superb work you carry out Mike!

Its great to see someone who isn't prepared to compromise.

[steve1071]

Looking fantastic, the attention to detail is superb.

Where did you get the Broadspeed binnacle?

[mk1]

The broadspeed Binnacle is available from either our own 1071Bob ( viewtopic.php?f=9&t=38 ), or from Paul Stanworth http://bmccomps.co.uk/

The former is in vac formed plastic with a modified back plate like the "Standard binnacle" the latter in in GRP like the Broadspeed item.

[Matty]

Top work! I really like the design of those door pocket cut outs.