1960 Austin 850 Project

Started by tsumini, May 22, 2014, 06:45:40 PM

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tsumini

I had an upholsterer bind the carpet and asked about the leadliner. I brought it in and she showed how she would tighten it up with stitching so I had her do it for $150. Looks 100% better and sytyed that way after install. Top photo after.
So that's a lot better.
Now on to finish carpet door cards and interior. Going to colorado for a month so will have to wait (again)

tsumini

I had tried installing the sliding windows a while back. LH windows weren't sliding very well and hung up. I installed the channels for the RH door but sandeed down channel surfaces as in photo. That seemd to help and RH windows slide fairly good. I ordered a new set of channels and thy came in a couple days ago. Ripped the old one out. It was mangled from trying to trim while installed. I sanded down the three surfaces of it and installed. Looks like windows will slide ok.
It seems as if thePhoenix trim chsnnels are about .020 to thick on each side so. Maybe the door channels are too narrow. Wondering if early  doors on the '60 had narrower channels. ANyway looks like window install will work.
Next up is builpd up door cards and install hardware. Then install carpet and rst of interior.
Having a liitle trouble getting motivated in the Texas heat compared to Colorado cool but then had altitude problems.

MiniDave

Glad you got that sorted.....I wonder if you might be right about the channels being narrower? My buddy has a Pup (no idea what year) and he put a set in and they fit perfectly.

I hear you about the heat - you need to get some A/C in your shop/garage. Being in Kansas, we deal with the heat and high humidity - I put the biggest window A/C unit in I could find - 18,000 BTU - and it cools it nicely. I couldn't work in my garage without it.....

In a couple of months you'll be driving it, just in time for the cooler (well, relatively) weather.
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

jeff10049

Quote from: tsumini on August 02, 2019, 07:14:08 PM
I had tried installing the sliding windows a while back. LH windows weren't sliding very well and hung up. I installed the channels for the RH door but sandeed down channel surfaces as in photo. That seemd to help and RH windows slide fairly good. I ordered a new set of channels and thy came in a couple days ago. Ripped the old one out. It was mangled from trying to trim while installed. I sanded down the three surfaces of it and installed. Looks like windows will slide ok.
It seems as if thePhoenix trim chsnnels are about .020 to thick on each side so. Maybe the door channels are too narrow. Wondering if early  doors on the '60 had narrower channels. ANyway looks like window install will work.
Next up is builpd up door cards and install hardware. Then install carpet and rst of interior.
Having a liitle trouble getting motivated in the Texas heat compared to Colorado cool but then had altitude problems.

I don't recall having any trouble on mine is it just the bottom or all around that is giving you trouble? is the glass original?

tsumini

Jeff,
All glass is original with single holes and '59 date codes except left front was missing so I replaced it with later two hole glass. The new one is no problem. Channels measured about .040 smaller than rubber channels. I believe I could have built a tool to spread the channel but found than trimming down the rubber was easier. I now think maybe the door channels are too narrow.
After hearing the good things about Phoenix trim i was disappointed in seal fits; door and window. Door seals I had to bend the bodywork inward and trim with a knife as the doors wouldn't shut.

tsumini

So continued to have sliding window channel problems. Had tried to trim "in situ" but succeded only in damaging the channels so got new channels. I rigged up a drum sanding tool to remove about .025 from both sides and bottom and lubed with graphite and installed. Sliding glass now slides easily as one would expect so sliding glass and window catches are done. Now to complete doors with door cards and hardware.

tsumini

Hopefully completed everything in the back seat area before installing rear screen and side window so I had access through the windows so worked on side window and seal install.
Again ran into issues with the seal. Found that the seal Minimania ALA5897 wasn't large enough to capture and sandwich the C pillar trim no matter how much I pushed and shoved. I was simply too small. 1st photo shows comparison of new one and the one I removed. Obviously the one removed is largeenough to capture the trim.
I asked Phoenix Trim for suggestions and also studied the problem. I noticed the the old one was very similar to the door seal Phoenix Part DX 73 which I had installed on the doors. I pulled one of the door and installed it with the flap inward. See 3rd photo for comparison.
I found that the seal fit perfectly and captured the trim. I then installed the window and found a near perfect fit; closed firmly and snugly. The flap is to the inside. It doesn't look bad and didn't think i could trim it without making it look worse so left it.
I have discussed the problem with Phoenix Trim and suggested a design that would eliminate the flap and add molded side "feathers" at window frame interface. This would make an excellent seal for this app.
Phoenix advised that the seal SRS127 (same as ALA5897) was the only thing available and thought that the seal was different in some export Minis (mine is export model) and had never seen the the one I removed from my car. It was hard and brittle when i removed it so am certain it is original.
I have ordered DX 71 door seal to use (it is the same as DX 73 except ther is a bubble instead of a flap to the inside.

jeff10049

I had problems with mine as well they covered fine inside but the window does not fit down inside them as it should I can mess with it and get it in so I just don't open them.
I'll pot a picture of how the seal surrounds the glass.

My seals were from mini mania and were plenty deep enough to capture the trim they must have changed them since then.

Also, Phonix has two different thickness door seals to help with tight-fitting doors.


tsumini

I ended up trimming the flap to about 1/8 in. I'll reverse the seal and put the trimmed edge on the outside next to the window frame. This looks acceptable
Mini mania advised that the ALA5897 iss the only seal they provide for this. Phoenix said others have had the same problem and had good succes with DX 88 Doorseal similar to my flap airseal but having a bubble instead of the flap.
I need to replace the doorseal I hacked up so may try the DX 88

Miniac

AWESOME! A Diamond in the rough!
1990 Rover Mini black

tsumini

Got some new seals from Phoenix Trim witth DX 88 (alternate door seal) profile with bubble.  this one was able to enclose the trim cards as noted in previous post. The bubble sealed to the window frame perfectly and window shut with perfectly.

jeff10049

 77.gif I might change mine to that.

tsumini

  easy peasy. Just open the window, take the old one out and install new.
I could send you part of the surplus piece if you want.

tsumini

Just  catching up with progress update. Have been pecking away at the to do list. A little most days unless i get distracted  which happens too often.
Decided to try the Phoenix D88 trim fgor the doors and ordered two sets. Un fortunately they were too thin so they didn't work very well. I did find that the required thickness varied a lot from top of door gap to gap at the bottom of door. I just trimmed the flap on the one I had. I can open the door without it being too tight now so will leave it for now.
Actually made quite a bit of progress. The end is getting nearer. I just have posted the done list but will do shortly.

tsumini

Just wrote down some things I did since dealing with the door seals.
Most was interior work. I had purchased the reproduction cloth that was original to this car. Since newton does not do this fabric I made all the cards and lpocket liners. Fortunately I had som decrepit ol ones for a pattern and were fairly easy to make, cover and install.
Installed the door cable pull. The pull was cracked and checked ( early no ribbed kind) so I encapsulated it with heat shrink tubing.
Installed horn daterd 11 59
Glued dowm carpet pad. Ready fo carpet. Put in one of the las things.
Painted number plate, refurbished the lamp and installed.
Painted air filter box. Just need the Coopers decal.
Installed windscreen wipers. Wiper refill still avalable in 10 inch.
Installed washer nozzles and plumbed to the Wingard hand push pump.
Also worked on the steering column and directional signal. Had som e difficulty fitting the signal stalk shroud. I found out that the ears on the steering outer coulumn were off so the shrouds wouldn't fit. It was the original steering column but the bottom shroud was missing. I got an old shroud from a 1960 Morris mini to replace it. I think it was damaged and didn't know it until I tried to fit it. To correct the fit the tabs have to be bent to fit. Bendin broke one so had to remove the column and weld it up. Relocatint he tabs on nthe collumn is a PITA. Finally got it after several trries the discovered that the top felt bushing was worn out and allowed the steering column to rattle. I've had the column out several times and still have a flasher issue.
Anyway working more diligently lately so should go faster.

MiniDave

I don't think I've ever seen that material before.....interesting.

Progress is always good!
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

tsumini

Yeah forgot to mention; Cloth is from 59 Mini Register and expensive. $75 a running meter.

tsumini

Afew more items checked off.
Tried the arch trim with chrome plastic trim from Phoenix Trim. Firstb try got it over the treaar arch but bending it around the smaller rqadius going forward I crumpled it. Put it in warm water but found near bioling was very wrong and it came outlike a pretzel; all deformed. Ruined half the trim and I had gotten extra but about 4 feet too short of doing both so had to order another 8 feet.
Took a little more care and tried a couple of things. Found out that the coil of trim has a permanent "set" and it has to be unrolled in a specific direction. Starting from the rear it has to be unrolled so the permanent "set" is opposite to the wheel arch. That way when it is unrolled to go around the small radius where the wheel arch blends into the straight sill the permanent "set" will be closer to the small radius. This worked pretty well and didn't take too long. If this makes any sense.
I had installed and secured the gas tank without installing the neck donut so I had to loosen th3ew strap enough to pell the tank out enough to get the donut on which required taking the bolt out. I recalled having difficulty linging up the bolt to start the threads the first time and had the same problem again. After about ten minutes of that i got smarter and looped a tiewrap around the nutplates and cinched it down to align. Ten minutes turne into ten seconds. Worked great.
Installed mustach and grill. Found out slam panel was about 1/4 inch too low so ahd the pry the slam panel up a little. Fortunatley didn't have to move it much. Had to learn how to install the whiskers and ended up breaking one of the clips so had to call minimania and add to a backorder. Nothing worse than paying $10 to ship a 50 cent part.
Fired up the car, hadnt run for a couple months and battery was down so had to jumper it. It started as usual and smoothed out after it warmed out. Up and down the street three or four times the got a rubbing sound like brakes rubbing so pulled it into garage. As i set the parking brake i foud that the lever was about half up. Left Rear rims were warm but not smoking. Right rear not so warm. Took it back out for a spin and noise was gone and not surprisingly had more pep.
So couplke more weeks and should be fairly complete.

tsumini

Well two weeks later and some progress. Got the trim clip for RH whisker. Little tricky to install. Inside of whisker popped off its clip when outside clip secured. Happened several times so squeezed the end together but squeezed too much so it wouldn't slip over the clip so had to open it up a little. Then outside  didn't want to fit right so had to tweak the contour a little. These are a little tricky to install, can't tweak too much.
Put on new Pedal covers.
Painted start switch cup.
Installed dash cam with rear camera. It would  have been easier to have installed the wiring with the loom so had to tuck the wiring under headliner frame.

MiniDave

Look how far you've come! You're in the home stretch now, won't be long till you're going to shows and on drives with it!   77.gif
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

tsumini

Yeah my punch list is about 15 items. Bonne install probably the hardest. Saving that till last so I save my head from bonnet dings.

MiniDave

Once you start driving it the punch list will grow again if my experience counts for anything!
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

drmini

I noticed in the photos that at least a couple of your wheels are the rivitted kind.  THOSE ARE DANGEROUS!  Do not attempt to use them to drive on.  For those who don't already know, when they first built the Mini they made the wheels out of 50 thou steel and rivitted them together.  After they had been on the road for a short time they started experiencing cracks throughout the wheels.  Several folks have had wheels break apart on them (including me at 50 mph) and trust me, it is not a fun experience.  Once the BMC people recognized the problem they increased the thickness to 120 thou and welded them together.  So, the rivitted wheels are worth keeping if you want to restore an early car to original specs and show it, but whatever you do, do not drive on those wheels.

tsumini

Hmmm... Backtracked to find the photos. Found on page 1. Photo below is reposted here.
I'm am aware of the riveted wheel problems. The four wheels in the foreground came with the 1960 Morris parts car I bought. The ancient tires are NFG and won't even hold air. They may make good show wheels. The others are wheels I got somewhere but found that one was cracked three places so scrapped it. (I wasn't a good enough welder and the right welder to weld repair the cracks. I have four new tires mounted on the four good bare rims in the photo. I'm looking for another wheel to mount my spar tire.)  I may use a riveted wheel for it.
Anyway thanks for the headsup but was aware.

tsumini

Got the bonnet installed. Now I'll have to watch my head. Unfortunately got thr paint chipped while adjausting. Tried to move the bonnet back a little and moved it too much and didn't see the interference untill too late after I raised the bonnet. Just a bad spot.
2nd pic of front end.
Left to do.
Steering wheel and horn
Install carpet
Install front seats
Battery cover
Air filter decal
Find some seatbelts.
Alignment?

Not sure about bumpers.
Original bumpers are the long bumpers but not very good condition. Need repair and re-plate. May just buy some new ones.