Mk2 Cooper

[Callum]

Got the step fully welded at the weekend then started on the repair to the bottom of the quarter, got it tacked in tonight.

[/URL]

[/URL]

[InimiaD]

Fair play to you. That's a major restoration you have going on there and considering it's your first attempt the results so far look excellent.
Regarding the boot floor being a tight fit, I read somewhere that the boot floor pressings were made 10 mm wider between the wheel arches. Sometime in the late 70's early 80's.

[Callum]

Got it fully welded tonight, very pleased with how it came out thought there might be a lot of distortion.

[Callum]

Got the other side tacked in tonight

[Callum]

Finished welding the drivers side at the weekend, still need to linish it fully



Took it back off the spit again so I can get inside to finish welding the floor and arches, and ready for the front
bulkhead repairs. Finally got rid of the horrible bracing too

[Callum]

Finished spot welding the heel board to the boot floor on Saturday. Waiting for my angle die grinder to arrive
before I can finish cleaning to welds at the rear so I started on the front bulkhead. There is heavy pitting on most
of it so would need a lot of different patches making for it to be good again. I don't think I could make a good job
of it so I'm going to replace the whole thing with another one that I have. Cutting it down to just the part I need...









Still needs a bit more work and then sand blasting, don't know if I will do it myself or pay someone else to do it,
I hate sand blasting!

[Callum]

Last week I got the bulkhead tidied up and ready for sandblasting, will hopefully get that done at the weekend





Also added a load of bracing to stop anything moving and a couple of jigs for the toe board and cross member so
everything goes back in the right place. Got the old bulkhead cut out tonight so there's no going back now. Maybe
went a bit mad with the bracing







Then tested the new bulkhead to check it fits which thankfully it does

[Callum]

Got the sand blasting done at the weekend, took all day Saturday





Primed it yesterday, ready for a few repairs now

[Callum]

Had some more panels delivered last week. Been working on the toeboard panel over the weekend, you can only
buy the late type ones and the early ones are slightly different so been making some changes to it, still some more to do

[Callum]

Got the toe board finished yesterday, I made the subframe strengthening plates a bit bigger and out of thicker steel
than they are originally, don't no if that was needed but the original ones don't seem that substantial

[Callum]

Got a few spot welds on the toeboard tonight, it lines up with the jig so nothing has moved. Will finish welding it in
and then start repairing the bulkhead

[Callum]

Been working on the bulkhead for the past couple of weeks, there hasn't really been anything update worthy until
tonight. Welded a plate in at the end where it joins the toeboard/inner wing, forgot to take a picture of it before, needs finishing off when the cross member repairs are finished



Then started on the bottom of the cross member

Before


Repair made up and tacked in


Fully welded, blew a couple of holes along the top might of been a bit thin but probably just down to me still
learning to weld


Linished, got to add the holes for the subframe bolt and hydrolastic pipe




Made a new strengthener for where the subframe bolts pass through the cross member





Repaired one corner where it joins the windscreen scuttle





Thats it for now, cheers

[Callum]

Finished repairing the bulkhead over the bank holiday forgot to take pictures though. Got it welded to the toeboard tonight


Took the skins off the doors over the weekend and they are worse than I thought, the window surround needs
splitting from the rest of the door frame really so I'm going to try and find another pair before attempting to repair
these ones. Some pictures showing the rot

[Callum]

Had planned on keeping the original upper dash rail but it was quite pitted along the windscreen seam so went for
a new one. The new panel is made for a late mini, I didn't know but the heater vents are further apart on the older
ones so yet more cutting and welding new panels

[Callum]

Got the upper dash rail welded in last week as well as the inner sill closing panels on both sides





Finally found some doors so went to pick them up on sunday. They are very good and still have their original skins
which wont need any repairs , came off an early 60's racer and have supposedly never been on the road.







The drivers side is a good fit with an even gap most of the way round but the passenger side isn't so good. The back
edge of the skin touches the B pillar whilst the window frame is too far away. The pictures don't show it very well...





Not really sure what to do with that, is it a case of grinding the door skin lip back and then running a weld up it and keep going until there is an even gap? Cheers

[Callum]

Been working on the drivers side A panel tonight, its cut down and fits now so hopefully can weld it in tomorrow.

[Callum]

Got the A panel welded yesterday, got to turn it around and do the other side now

[Callum]

Got the A panel welded yesterday, got to turn it around and do the other side now

[Callum]

Not been able to do much just recently, I was working on the front but still need to buy the drivers side inner wing
and the scuttle before I can test fit all the panels and carry on welding. But I can't buy the panels as i'm very short
of spare cash at the moment, me and the misses are going through the process of buying our first house :-/
So I can only work with the panels I already have.

Got the companion bins welded in and that's pretty much all I have done. I probably wont have as much spare time either now so work on it will slow down. I wont sell it though!

[Callum]

Not much to update as I'm still working with the bits I have already got. Last month I welded the boot board brackets
in as well as the subframe strengthener things.





This month been working on the rear valance, decided to weld the closing panels to the valance first so I can paint
and seam seal inside before it gets closed off.





Cheers