73 Mini Innocenti 1300 Export

[Willie_B]

It can leap over small lifts. Buildings are next...

[BruceK]

Good result! 

[94touring]

We are taxed and titled as a 73 as of this morning.  Ended up being fairly painless aside from some penalties for expired registration and all the random fees associated with buying a new car.  We also have some proper vin plates coming to affix to the car, one to replace the atrocity that they did in England and one of the factory tags that would have gone under the passenger seat on the cross member.

[MiniDave]

I've got the backend all back together, I had to pull both gas tanks back out as the sleeves on the rear shocks had slipped down and they will only go on over the top, not up from the bottom. I used some clear silicone sealer to lock them onto the shocks and after letting them cure overnight that seems to have worked. While I was working in the back I found the right rear brake line disconnected, so I redid that too.

I went to bleed the clutch today and found fluid leaking at the fitting where the line joins the flex hose. Looks like I get to remake that line as even tho I can cut off the fitting and replace it, there isn't enough material left to remake the flare as these lines were made to fit.

Good news on the title work! Now we're not only legal, we're correct.

[MiniDave]

I've been gone a lot for the last few weeks so the poor Inno has been languishing in the shop, now I'm home for a bit so I can get back on it - but first I needed to spend some time cleaning and organizing the shop - I already have two engines booked in  to be built, one arrived last weekend and the other is due in a few days so I had to make room even tho I'm not starting on them right away. A third engine and a Sprite transmission are also waiting for me to tell them when to come over. Gonna be a busy winter!

Part of my organizing is also directed at cleaning out the basement, it would be easy to use the basement for engine building, but I have no idea how I would get them up and down the stairs, so for now it will just be for storage.

[gr8kornholio]

Build a ramp that can lift sideways to be stored against the wall and use a winch or come along to get them up or down.  It's only a half staircase right?

[MiniDave]

7 steps, but pretty steep, and narrow....

[MPlayle]

Stair lift chair?

Slightly modified to be more like for a wheel chair - just a cargo platform instead of a seat.

[94touring]

Fiddling with the inno for a bit today.  Carpet in.  Have to cut a slice for the belts before I toss the seats back in.

[MiniDave]

That looks really nice! 

[94touring]

Inno carpet set is nicer than normal too!  Has built in leather flaps along the edges that make it all come together nicer.

[MiniDave]

Once it comes back I'll be excited to get it on the road for the first time! We've had it for over a year and the closest thing we've had to driving it was putting it on the trailer to go back down to Dan's shop!

[MiniDave]

Inno carpet set is nicer than normal too!  Has built in leather flaps along the edges that make it all come together nicer.

Did you use the underlayment too?

[94touring]

Of course not lol, but now that I know that stuff is for floors I'll toss it in.

[MiniDave]

   

[Jimini II]

Fiddling with the inno for a bit today.  Carpet in.  Have to cut a slice for the belts before I toss the seats back in.

That tan interior with red paint looks great and makes a nice change from the black interiors.

[94touring]

I got the brakes done up today.  Leak after leak addressed till my shop floors were flowing with brake fluid.  Had to redo a flare and really work on some fittings.  Nothing stripped so thats good.  Adjusted rear drums, got pads on the front.  Holds pressure and I'll give them a little more bleeding before I send it away. 

[MiniDave]

Dan has been beavering away on the Inno and made real progress.....can't wait to get it back home on Wed so I can finish it up and drive it for the first time!

In the meantime he's gotten the interior pretty much done, door cards and all the hardware in ad looking great!

[94touring]

Seats are comfy and snug too.  Kind of wish I'd done the conversion to my mini. 

[Jimini II]

Seats are comfy and snug too.  Kind of wish I'd done the conversion to my mini.

Looks great. What seats are those?

[MiniDave]

Factory Innocenti seats....

[MiniDave]

Home and dry!

[MiniGene]

So when does this bad boy hit the auction block??

[MiniDave]

I'm afraid - like Dan - I've been consumed by other things since the car came back. I'm hopeful that I can get back on it in the next few weeks.....if the damn weather would just warm up a bit and stay there.

[MiniDave]

Well, between health issues and other drama the poor Inno has been severely neglected....today I managed to get a few things sorted, the front T/S lenses installed and all the lights working correctly.

I had only put a couple of gallons of fuel in the left tank so today I hooked a spare battery to the fuel pump and pumped out the remains as it was over a year old gas and put a couple of fresh gallons in it.

Tonight I'm charging the battery up again and tomorrow I'll see if the engine will make some good noises.

I need to reinstall the rest of the dash and get it screwed in place, then we'll see where I'm at. Dan is coming up Friday to deliver a couple of engines and the 67 S to its new owner, and he'll take the Innocenti back to Tulsa and do some carb tuning.

Friday morning I'll need to pull the 1098 out of the engine stand as it's going with the 67 S to its new home in Bethany, Mo.

While it's gone I'll get the suspension parts ordered for the white Japanese spec car and get Willie B's motor put back together....assuming I'm able to anyway. It's been a rough summer and fall.....I'm afraid my July 1st adventure really took it out of me.

Then starting Jan 5th I'll be out of commission for 6 weeks or so after getting my knee replaced, and hopefully things will be back to normal come springtime.