1966 Rally Car

[wantafaster1]

I decided to build an older mini due to the age of the previous car, the 1275GT putting me into the post historic category. That's to say, if I don't do the Minisport Cup, I get lumped into the same bracket as a MK1 escort, purely because of the age of the car.

Earlier cars with sliding windows are also lighter, not only do we have to accelerate mass, we have to slow it down and make it change direction too.

So, I managed to sell Satan's chariot in July, and much to my regret I missed out on something else I really wanted by a few days, but that's cashflow I suppose.
However a decent trip to the mainland meant I came home with two cars, one running and on the road, one rolling shell.

No shortage of work in front of me then!!!

[GraemeC]

Needs pictures!!

[wantafaster1]

So the rolling shell got put on the long finger, too much stuff missing, and I decided to plough on with the complete car.
Hydrolastic, magic wand, sliding windows, definitely authentic early mini experience.

Fortune smiled again, chance conversation meant that a fellow with a dry car needing wet suspension got in touch. Just like me he had a run in the car and was very pleasantly surprised at how good it was.
He bought all the running gear and traded in dry front frame.

Another local chap bought the interior. Yet another bought the headlining.
At some point an order for a lot of running gear was placed with Galway Mini centre, that's a 500 mile round trip from me, this time however a car was being delivered to Belfast so the parts came in my direction. Result again.

I had advertised a couple of clubman bits on Facebook and that put me in touch with an autotest man, I then ended up with shocks, driveshafts hi los and a remote for the box, hubs discs and calipers.

Did I mention the third car?
What was supposed to be a donor car for the original shell I wanted on the mainland was re advertised. I bought it. Even more amazingly, I got a logbook for it in two weeks.
No shortage of work at Jeff's house then!!!!

[wantafaster1]

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I was really pleased about having a solid shell. Inner and outer sills replaced with quality panels already, floorpans not so pretty but strong, decided to crack on with the roll cage.

I've gone a wee bit overboard with the size of the plate but better safe than sorry I suppose. Removed the rear pockets and did the same thing. All good so far, the doors opened and even closed again, spent a lot of time tweaking so that the cage sat in place pretty much without anything under stress or tension.

[wantafaster1]

There's always a "but"

Have always heard about double skinned cross member, so bit the bullet and bought a new one. This was the beginning of the problems. Some grinding later............

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Under the box section the floor ended up like a tea bag. Not very suitable for anything really. Had to walk away from it for a bit whilst considering what to do. Some days I even go to work at my real job!!!!

Eventually I couldn't take the nagging doubts any more. And I had to buy a new grinder too, but still, I am always impressed with what our fellow forum members achieve and I ought to be able to do something similar, I can weld and spray after all.
A new grinder later and......

[wantafaster1]

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[wantafaster1]

Well, at this point all the doubts are removed, but the list of problems have multiplied.

What the previous restorer/welder has done is sandwich the old inner sill under the new. I'm guessing one piece inner outer combined assemblies were used across to the first flute on the floor. Therefore the new was only just tacked along the very top edge instead of plugged through.

Worse than that, the funny angled piece that is welded to the inner sill and carries the trap nuts for the subframe trunnion is almost waving in the breeze. So not great for taking off and landing or chucking into a corner at speed.

Bit disappointed, but I suppose that what they were trying to fix is impossible with the rear pockets in place, and the price of the car probably didn't warrant whatever expenditure it would have been.
We can all mock the bodges and guys painting bits with aerosol cans and a brush, but let's face it, somebody did something and that means it has at least survived as far as 2020.

A 500 miles round trip to Galway and back meant that I was now in possession of a full Magnum floor.

[mk1]

Looks like a good project Wana,

It's always disappointing when you find the odd bodge when you are doing work like this, but as you say, the bodges have got the car to this point when hopefully the work will be done properly.

It's not that long ago when all these little cars were cheap & cheerful.

I doubt there are any members who haven't done an "MOT BODGE" in their time. I know I have done a few!

[wantafaster1]

Coming to a Blyton or perhaps a hillclimb near you lol

[wantafaster1]

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You can hopefully see the subframe attachment, the outer and inner sills here.

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And here you can see in the middle, the original inner sill flapping in the breeze all the way up to the seat belt attachment.
Several tacks along the very top edge was all that held this.

[wantafaster1]

My goodness this is soul destroying. Someone glued carpet inside the boot, and paint stripper isn't doing the trick on what's left.

Genuinely, any tips on how to keep going?

[Polarsilver]

Solo working ..I keep going with determination not to be beaten .. with intention to carry out just the "One Job" completed on that day.
Ok does not always work out to the plan..solution there is always another day

[Catmint]

Acetone or MEK, just make sure there is a good breeze blowing through while you are doing it or you will be away with the fairies

[mk1]

Also thinners will work. But as Gordon says VENTILATION! is VERY IMPORTANT!

Glad to see you are still soldiering on. We have all been there at one time or another.

[Oneball]

I had to do the floor of my Corvette. Being fibreglass I didn’t want a strong solvent so used Valetpro Citrus Tar and Glue remover. Soak a rag and place it over the glue for an hour. Still mind numbing but did work.

[wantafaster1]

Thanks for your suggestions, haven't found acetone in a reasonable volume locally. Wife brought a little bit back from Boots though.

Spent a happy afternoon freezing on my back in the boot, wire cup brush fitted to the die grinder, deafened by two compressors. Not completely finished but what I did was pretty good, some fertan applied too.

[Catmint]

Thanks for your suggestions, haven't found acetone in a reasonable volume locally. Wife brought a little bit back from Boots though.

Spent a happy afternoon freezing on my back in the boot, wire cup brush fitted to the die grinder, deafened by two compressors. Not completely finished but what I did was pretty good, some fertan applied too.

Local builders merchants that supply fibre glass roof materials, that is where mine came from, MEK from ebay

[mk1]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/230678665911 ... SwAKxWVxOe

These guys are in Newtonabbey, have used them for years.

[wantafaster1]

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Ok , I thought I should lift the tools again after 8 months or so.

Nearside heritage wing, fit is really excellent up the a panel, seam under the headlight very very good, scuttle good, but I am a bit shocked by the gap here.
I'd wondered about removing the headlamp ring, separating the overlap on the wing and closing that down, but that would probably then mean that the headlamp ring is too big compared to the new aperture.
I've had the wing kicking about for a year, not feasible to send it back for another really.

What's the way forward? Not for a show car, competition car obviously, but I'd at least like it to look like I hadn't thrown the bonnet on from the end of the garden.