Project Memoirs from the Hard Shoulder: bASeman's Spot of the Year award.

[wuvvum]

What was it Issigonis said?  You don't need brakes in a Mini, as they handle so well that any reasonably competent driver will be able to steer around any obstacles, or words to that effect.

[Rusty_Rocket]

Minispares is my supplier of choice.  They are the best all-rounders IMO.

 

To get a discount of 7.5%, join the Mini Forum for £5.  It will save you plenty.

 

Regarding brake master cylinders, you'll almost certainly need a complete new one, every single dual circuit one I've ever dismantled has a rusted bore.

Take a gander at the master currently installed on the car.  If it has a yellow tag around it, it's had the replacement item that supersedes all previous ones.  This is good.  If you still have the original black or green tag one, you'll have to fit a new yellow tagged part but also the brake pipes need to be switched around.  *Soz if you already know this*  Many people 'back int day' plumbed in the new cylinder the same way as the old one... which results in the majority of braking to go to the rear wheels instead of the fronts

[Rusty_Rocket]

gmc227 by David James, on Flickr

[BorniteIdentity]

Hey Gang

 

Minor drama yesterday. My wife drove the Chucklebus™ to the garage yesterday to pick up her own car from having an MOT. When I went to put the seat back in order to...you know... actually fit... bad things happened. A cloud of acrid smoke came from under the seat. Having evacuated the wagon of all occupants, I quickly deduced it wasn't actually ON FIRE but that a motor had probably burnt out on the power chair. It will go forward fine enough, but backwards it twists and then stops. You need to be Jimmy Krankie to actually fit in it now.

 

I left it with the garage who took it apart. The motor is fine (i assumed there were two as it works on one side) and the shaft spins but it's not turning the gear that moves the other side.

 

Easiest solution would be to find another seat, although the breakers all listing on ebay don't have a driver's chair.

 

Would a Hiace one fit? It'd look shite, but at least i could drive it. Or would it be possible to modify it for a manual chair?

 

[paulscavalier]

Could possibly be modded by getting a manual base and swapping bits over. I imagine the factory holes in the floor would be similar.

[JimH]

2. Hazards and Indicators dead. Suspect broken flasher units and relay bases.

 

I spent a while trying to find a fault in my Mini's indicators. Turns out that the flasher unit sits under the bonnet in a little clip fixed to the bulkhead. A few years previously BL had gone through a much trumpeted NVH improvement programme which in the case of the Mini had meant gobbing a little foam pad onto the bulkhead. This meant that the top of the flasher unit now pressed against a foam pad which held water bewteen it and the relay. Fast forward a few years and eventually the body of the relay rots through and the whole thing gives up the ghost. It's ony when you pull the relay out of its clip that you find half of it is missing.

[Timewaster]

On the seat, I'd guess either something has come off a runner or there is a foreign object in the mech.

 

Is a worthers original solid enough to stop a chair motor?

[Rocket88]

What was it Issigonis said?  You don't need brakes in a Mini, as they handle so well that any reasonably competent driver will be able to steer around any obstacles, or words to that effect.

 

 

Issigonis was brilliant............and an absolute knob at the same time......his complete disdain for the poor sods who bought cars designed by him is well documented......

[Christine]

A 20p

[alf892]

So one motor drives a shaft.....and shaft turns but gear on one side not?

 

Maybe the smoke was caused by overloading the motor when the runner hit an obstruction......which has sheared whatever holds the gear onto the shaft?

 

Presumably the obstruction remains which is why the seat twists when you try to move it back.....but seat moves ok forward?

Suggest a careful examination of the runners before buggering about further......maybe take the seat out for a proper look.

[BorniteIdentity]

So one motor drives a shaft.....and shaft turns but gear on one side not?

 

Maybe the smoke was caused by overloading the motor when the runner hit an obstruction......which has sheared whatever holds the gear onto the shaft?

 

Presumably the obstruction remains which is why the seat twists when you try to move it back.....but seat moves ok forward?

Suggest a careful examination of the runners before buggering about further......maybe take the seat out for a proper look.

Something like that. I had somewhere to be so had to leave the van at the garage - chucked the keys at the guy and asked him to take a look. My report above is from what he found when the seat was taken apart. I will nip up there tomorrow but I’m pretty sure if it was an obstruction he’d have found it. The next problem is the seat was so far forward that I don’t stand a hope or being able to drive it! At the moment, not a single ‘breaker’ on eBay has one. Not even the specialist guy I’ve bought bits from before. Nada.

[Rocket88]

Stupid question....could you swap driver's seat for passenger seat..........?

[BorniteIdentity]

Stupid question....could you swap driver's seat for passenger seat..........?

No such thing as a stupid question dear boy.

 

That is the next plan. They are manual rather than powered and the arm rest is on the wrong side. If they can be overcome tho then it’s game on.

[AnthonyG]

Only just caught up with the Mini antics, bloody brilliant stuff. I occasionally have a dream where I find one of my parents cars now (usually my mums Peugeot 305 estate I learnt to drive in) but I imagine a half decent Mini has a better chance of survival than most models.

 

Once on the road, this would be a good one to bring to festival of the unexceptional - on the basis of the story alone the car would probably win the ‘people’s choice’ prize!

[BorniteIdentity]

Only just caught up with the Mini antics, bloody brilliant stuff. I occasionally have a dream where I find one of my parents cars now (usually my mums Peugeot 305 estate I learnt to drive in) but I imagine a half decent Mini has a better chance of survival than most models.

 

Once on the road, this would be a good one to bring to festival of the unexceptional - on the basis of the story alone the car would probably win the ‘people’s choice’ prize!

Hadn’t thought of that. To be honest I’m terribly humble about stuff and would feel quite uncomfortable winning an award that someone else deserved - but I would like to get it to FotU.

 

What I desperately need right now is money. Normally I would just spunk it in gay abandon onto the credit card, but with a bit of uncertainty around work right now I don’t want to get too deep too quickly. I’m desperately trying to avoid selling a car because 1. It’d have to be my w201 to make enough money to be worthwhile and 2. I’d probably never be able to get one as good at the price point. I also know that 3, in a few months, things have a habit of looking a lot better and then I’d just me mad af at myself!

 

I briefly considered a crowdfunding thing but, within seconds, decided it was vulgar and in poor taste. If you can’t afford something, or the repayments on something, then imho you don’t have it.

[alf892]

Fit a Mini seat

[GrumpiusMaximus]

The Mini isn't going to cost you any money sitting there (provided it doesn't dissolve!) so you can afford to take your time with it.  I know you know this but sometimes stating the obvious is a modus operandi.

[AnthonyG]

Yeah, as long as it’s tucked up nice and dry somewhere it’ll be fine.

 

With regards to the Granvia, does the seat need to move much? Can you remove all the electric gubbins and just use the runners/bottom frame from a Hiace one or something?

[BorniteIdentity]

Yo.

 

Been up the garage to fetch the paedobus. Having seen the seat base out, it’s a strange set up. One motor which spins a propellor that runs horizontally across the seat base, that spins a gear which moves the chair back and forth along what is a pair of very long threaded...errr... bolts effectively. The gear looks fooked.

 

Fortunately sticking a 12mm socket on the end of the bolt allows you to manually move the seat. I asked them to take it to the rear most position on both sides which, whilst slow, has worked. I now need to disconnect the switch before I accidentally lean on it!

 

In other news, got a shitty letter from DVLA. Completely forgot that a change of owner means you need to tax or sorn. In the excitement of purchasing the mini I neglected to attend to this. The exciting thing which, fortunately I thought of before doing the sorn process, is the DVLA website has now been updated. Previously it was just ‘car unknown’. Details were also sketchy as to when the car was last properly on the road. Wonder no longer.

 

 

So it managed 15 years on the road before retiring for 20. Fantastic.

 

I’m thinking of organising a tinkering day at mine where we try and make some proper progress on both the Mini and The Sierra. Happy to put on a BBQ and lager beer if anyone is interested. Will wait until we have evening daylight tho.

[Sheefag]

The cushioning on HiAce drivers seats has a habit of disintegrating. With the addition of a couple of bits of unistrut, you can fit pretty much any seat from any vehicle. I'll get some pictures up tomorrow if you think it may help.

[BorniteIdentity]

The cushioning on HiAce drivers seats has a habit of disintegrating. With the addition of a couple of bits of unistrut, you can fit pretty much any seat from any vehicle. I'll get some pictures up tomorrow if you think it may help.

That’d be great, man. Much obliged. Long term we need something with a bit of the old ‘fore and aft’ because I’m 6’1 and my wife... isn’t.

[dozeydustman]

I’m thinking of organising a tinkering day at mine where we try and make some proper progress on both the Mini and The Sierra. Happy to put on a BBQ and lager beer if anyone is interested. Will wait until we have evening daylight tho.

 

Money and having working wheels at the time permitting, I'd be up to lend a hand.

[NorfolkNWeigh]

That’d be great, man. Much obliged. Long term we need something with a bit of the old ‘fore and aft’ because I’m 6’1 and my wife... isn’t.

Have you considered obtaining a taller wife?

[BorniteIdentity]

Have you considered obtaining a taller wife?

I’ve always gone for shorter girls. I think it’s because it makes my willy look bigger.

[barmatt]

I’m thinking of organising a tinkering day at mine where we try and make some proper progress on both the Mini and The Sierra. Happy to put on a BBQ and lager beer if anyone is interested. Will wait until we have evening daylight tho.

 

I'd be up for a bit of tinkering, be nice to see the mini getting some love and meeting the Sierra. I'm not averse to a burger either

[Sheefag]

I had to read that last bit twice.

[Brodders]

I’m thinking of organising a tinkering day at mine where we try and make some proper progress on both the Mini and The Sierra. Happy to put on a BBQ and lager beer if anyone is interested. Will wait until we have evening daylight tho.

Consider me interested too. I am not great at mechanical stuff but an extra pair of hands might come in handy for something.

[Rod/b]

I’m thinking of organising a tinkering day at mine where we try and make some proper progress on both the Mini and The Sierra. Happy to put on a BBQ and lager beer if anyone is interested. Will wait until we have evening daylight tho.

Lager? I’m OUT.

[BorniteIdentity]

Sit rep then.

 

Trusty, faithful Avensis failed the MOT this morning. 247,110 miles showing. It’s disappointing but not entirely unexpected. The frustration is this rear brake pipe is right beneath the exhaust and the fuel tank. Hopefully there’s a gap to get a joiner on it - otherwise it’s Heartache Avenue. Second irritation is one of these CrossClimate tyres has gone out of shape which is a frustration as it’s only 3 years old. I suspect that last years heat and the fact it’s an M+S tyre has conspired against us.

 

 

Granvia still plodding - nothing to report.

 

Mercedes 190 has a couple of minor issues but is 95%. Took it to Earls Barton Meet last night.

 

 

The Sierra is quite patiently waiting. It makes me a bit sad to see it laid up, but it’s my own fault for not taking my own advice. Never take a car off the road, just fix it immediately or sell it whole.

 

The Mini will need it’s own fucking post!

[HMC]

Good to hear about the fleet latest, I’ve been going over your old posts to see what life is like with an avensis as I’ve just bought one. I thought it was now part of the Toyota heritage fleet?

 

Glad to see tony masons mug about the place again!