79 Canadian Mini

[skmini]

The whiskers took a bunch of fiddling, but they also forced me to get the moustache exactly right.  Also, drilled the holes for the bonnet badge.  I'll have to weld up the three holes that come pre-punched for the newer badges.  Also got the door mirrors on.

[Jimini II]

Looking good.

[skmini]

I re-added pictures that went missing and now re-addng some posts that went missing.

[skmini]

Being dissatisfied with my welding job on the mk1 tailight plates and not wanting to have too many regrets, I got the heritage rear panel with the mk1 tailights and newer window opening.

[skmini]

In addition to filling in the large variety of holes left in the bulkhead by various modifications over the years, I also filled in the RHD wiper holes in the scuttle.

[skmini]

Took all the rusty leftover metal and arranged it artfully in the scrap metal section of the landfill

[skmini]

I got a new fancy wood-rimmed steering wheel from Steveston Motor and figured out I actually would be able to use a Monza-style gas cap with my Canadian tank if it was the type that fit to the outside of the fuel tank neck.

[skmini]

Bringing things a bit more up to date, once I got the Mini on the rotisserie, I was able to weld up the closing panels between the rear wheel wells and the heel board.

The left floor had quite the oil can in it.  The panel was a bit twisted when I got it, but I welded it in anyway, forcing it into place as I went.  It would pop in and out by about 1/2".  So, I took a look at a few shrinking videos on YouTube, thought "how hard could this be" and went to town with the oxy-acetylene torch.  It worked!  The floor is straight and no longer oil cans.

[94touring]

Being dissatisfied with my welding job on the mk1 tailight plates and not wanting to have too many regrets, I got the heritage rear panel with the mk1 tailights and newer window opening.

I remember you posting pics of the rear light patch panels.  How difficult would you say replacing the whole rear panel was?

[skmini]

I remember you posting pics of the rear light patch panels.  How difficult would you say replacing the whole rear panel was?

Easier than most of the panels, and easier than the lower rear panel.  It's spot welded to everything else and no butt-welds are required.  Not as much fiddling to get together as the front end.  Once you get the corners to line up the rest falls into place.  Welding to the roof panel was likely the trickiest, mainly because I started doing that with the spot welder.  Getting the tongs in the gutter without touching the sides of the tongs on the roof, gutter or rear panel was not straightforward.  Would have been easier to do plug welds, which is what I ended up doing on part of it.

[MiniDave]

Don't forget the seam sealer when you're done welding.....

[skmini]

Don't forget the seam sealer when you're done welding.....

I am planning on doing the seam sealer after doing the filling, priming and blocking.  Basically, just before the paint goes on.

[MiniDave]

I don't remember for sure, but I thought the seam sealer went on before the primer?  8.gif

Are you painting the car yourself?

Do you have a timeline for when you think you'll have it done and back on the road again?

"I love deadlines! I love the whooshing sound them make as they go by...."  Was that Douglas Adams that said that?

[skmini]

I don't remember for sure, but I thought the seam sealer went on before the primer?  8.gif

Are you painting the car yourself?

Do you have a timeline for when you think you'll have it done and back on the road again?

"I love deadlines! I love the whooshing sound them make as they go by...."  Was that Douglas Adams that said that?

As far as I can tell, seam sealer goes on after primer.  It isn't recommended to be put on bare metal and you generally don't want to sand it.

I am planning to paint the car myself; another learning experience.

I was hoping to get it back on the road this year, if only to free up room in the garage before next winter.   ;D

I'm not sure that's Douglas Adams, but sounds like something he would have written.

[94touring]

Depends on the seam sealer. Some is designed for bare metal. I'd primer over it though before painting.

[skmini]

Trying to get the roof as close as possible before filler.  There were a few small dents I added myself when I had it upside down and dropped the occasional tool, but the roof always had a bunch of dents in it.  There are also a couple of small dents in the right front fender that i assume I added at some point.

[BruceK]

It's funny, when the car is on the ground the roof really appears to be symmetrical front back, but in that photo you can really see how much wider it is at the front.

[skmini]

Still working on it.  Filling and block sanding the sides with the doors on.

[skmini]

After spending a bunch of time trying to get the roof straight and get the various oil cans out of it (the middle of the roof went in and out a couple of inches), I decided to just replace it.  The worst part of the job is getting the old roof lip out of the gutters.  One side came out relatively easily, the other side not so much.  I used pneumatic shears to snip most of it out, a chisel and grinder to get the remains out of the gutters and then plug-welded the new one in.  Ben_O (Mill Road Garage) on theminiforum recommended plug welding from the bottom because it's relatively easy to get to the bottom to clean up the welds.  It's also easier to drill all the holes in the gutter.  The roof skin all by itself is flimsy.  The new skin wasn't completely dent-free and it also has a subtle crease in it that I think I mainly got out.  Now that it's welded in, it's much more solid than the old roof.

[94touring]

I feel like you've almost replaced every panel!

[skmini]

Me too!  This project has deviated a long way from "replace the rockers and rear valence".

[skmini]

Seam sealing!

[skmini]

Primer!   71.gif The plan is to do the underside and interior while it's on the rotisserie.  Figured I'd start with the underside since it won't be seen.  Neither will most of the interior.  I did the rear valence too just to see what something more finished would look like.  The most painful part was inside the front fenders.  There's not much room in there to accommodate the cup/gun/regulator/filter combo.  I was thinking a 90 between the gun and the regulator would help but haven't seen anyone do that.

[94touring]

You need the throw away cup system I use that gives you the ability to use small cups and use them upside down for areas like the front fenders.  You hate painting those but wait for the interior slinging a big cup around that you can't go inverted with.

[skmini]

I am using PPS cups, which are half the height of the cup that came with the gun.  I can spray inverted, although being able to turn the Mini while painting helps with that bit.  And yes, anticipating interior and boot being fun.