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hi d
well the first pic of car it looked good but the inside was a surprise but your roads mob use salt over there my clubman sat on the roof of the building they were using for their spares business when i bought it we sat it on a 6ftx 4 ft box trailer and drove from newcastle to wingham about 200k
the only rust is in the floor at the bottom of the a pillar drivers side and about 2" square and a small bit in the sillin the same area and a bit in the right guard around the light when i make the spit i will fix the rust
i guess you will have a white christmas ours looks like hot wet and humid all together
cheers roger mcnab

Dearg1275 wrote: ↑Tue Dec 21, 2021 4:28 pm

The Firsat mystery is solved.

2A8A86A0-E39B-4361-9563-A1892D6C1AF3.jpeg

It would seem that the pattern parts supplier VENG were importing Firsat subframes and undercutting BMC/BL/UNIPART. cheeky!

D

Veng panels were always really good, a cut above the cheap rubbish and they always fitted. Long gone now sadly.

Costafortune wrote: ↑Wed Dec 22, 2021 10:44 am

Dearg1275 wrote: ↑Tue Dec 21, 2021 4:28 pm

The Firsat mystery is solved.

2A8A86A0-E39B-4361-9563-A1892D6C1AF3.jpeg

It would seem that the pattern parts supplier VENG were importing Firsat subframes and undercutting BMC/BL/UNIPART. cheeky!

D

Veng panels were always really good, a cut above the cheap rubbish and they always fitted. Long gone now sadly.

I have been looking at the replacement panel in the drivers foot well. It is well pressed and the depressed section is in fact the correct size and shape for a ‘73 car. The pressing is nice and crisp. It may also be Veng. If I can lift it without damage it may well get reused. It’s always best not to rush into things. It is too easy to destroy stuff that’s useful and better than is now on offer.

D

Minis were so easy 20-30 years ago. You just went down to the BL dealer, ordered stuff and what wasn't in stock arrived next day. No ifs, buts, warranty nonsense. It just fitted correctly and worked.

This afternoon I built up the hubs, callipers driveshafts etc. It’s easier to put them away for later once assembled. It also gives the illusion of progress. One of my routine jobs now when I have new discs to fit is to check the studs are home fully. I had a wheel come off another car because the wheel nuts appeared to be at torque but once rolling the studs allowed them to slack off.

First I measure the length of stud showing.
Then I use a bored out nut as a spacer and a wheel nut to tighten down to 45 ftlbs. You can feel the stud move.

Then check the length.
The studs often move between 0.25 and 0.75 mm.

If you have wheels with sleeve nuts and the weight of the car is on them when you finally torque them up the frictional resistance between the wheel and the nut can be enough for the new stud not to pull home.

D

An indoor experiment in trying to save some more stuff. The C pillar trim. On this ‘73 car it is of the welded “sealed” vinyl front and rear type. It hasn’t worked to keep the moisture from buckling the card.
With the back slit open this was the state of the card.
After soaking in warm water for 15 minutes and then ironed flat.
Then brushed with PVA glue and sent off to the airing cupboard to dry out before treating the other side.
Who knows? It might work.

D

I’ve used plastic sheets in the past to stick the vinyl on. Once fitted into place you cannot see the difference .

Andrew1967 wrote: ↑Mon Dec 27, 2021 6:22 pm I’ve used plastic sheets in the past to stick the vinyl on. Once fitted into place you cannot see the difference .

Cracking idea and it wont move about or shrink……presumably thick plastic sheets?

Andrew,

I had considered that as a fall back. The vinyl itself is in good shape and seems to have avoided heavy smokers. W

What was your source of plastic card, what thickness, what material?

D

Model Shops are a good place to get what is known as "plasticard". It comes in various sizes and thickness'. There' loads of suppliers on the interweb.

We get it with our air conditioning kits at work.

I think I might have a sheet or two in the garage. Will look and get back to you in the morning.

It’s quite thin, maybe 1mm or just under) and I bonded two together and the put the vinyl on.

It did work really well.

I’ve found some pics that I took, could post them up if that ok with you David ?

Andrew,

Of course post them up. That way we all learn.

D

Here they are David.

The only issue was I had to hold it into place with bulldog clips as it wanted to return its flat state.

However, a couple of the original clips to hold it onto the rear quarter aperture lip and then careful fitting of the rear screen seal over it soon kept it in it's place.

Andrew,

A bit of pre-curving with a hot air gun may have made matters more predictable? Put the substrate in place heat it up, let it cool and then cover it.

Is this forum the place to be or what?

D

That could well be the answer David, although it wasn't too bad to fit, being quite thin.

Knowing me I'd go just that much too far and melt it

I'll let you know if I find some .. the last lot we had at work was taken by someone else for different sort of 'Homer' as we don't use it for its actual intended use.

well d and andrew
that is a interesting idea as i have to do all the interior cards for my clubman i was thinking of thin plywood but the plasticard looks interesting
cheers roger mcnab

This is the stuff, it's 1mm thick so I stuck two pieces together with quick tack type spray glue.

This is going spare if you want to give to a try David. Easily enough to do both C post trims.

Andrew,

PM sent.

D

The experiment results.
A huge improvement but not completely wrinkle free. The card has certainly stiffened up. I will go the plastic card route I think rather than try this and mess up the vinyl with adhesive and then have to restart. At least I now have a good pattern to work from so not a wasted effort.

D