Project Memoirs: Mini on the Move.

[BorniteIdentity]

Never ever take a car off the road. Ever. Whilst, admittedly, we live in turbulent times - I’ve lost three jobs and we’ve changed prime minister since the bASe last turned a wheel in dismal anger.  I know better than most that life can get in the way. Please learn from my error - take out an overdraft, borrow money, sell your body or the parts within it - But do not ever, ever, take a car off the road. 

My biggest concern today wasn’t whether the head had been rebuilt to a satisfactory standard, or whether Alf892 would have the skills to put it together. The weather was irritating but not a chief concern, and nor was I particularly bothered about how bored my children would get whilst their oaf of a father stood and stared at two halves of an engine.  Nope. The sole item on the worry list was my complete inability to remember where I’ve put stuff. It’s beyond the usual “stupid bloke” stuff; my mind simply can not map where I put things down. I suspect, if I was a child today, I’d be diagnosed with ADHD. As it is, I’m just an overgrown child with no diagnosis and an awful lot of bits to find for a Pinto.  Bits I definitely DID have, but was concerned would halt proceedings at the most inconvenient of times. 

In reality, everything followed Alf’s painfully detailed plan of events. 

 

On the basis that refitting is the reverse of removal, have some photos.

Does it go? 

Yes. Extremely well. I only wish it stopped as willingly! The brakes have certainly not benefitted from 15 months of unemployment, but they’re good enough which is - in fairness - a metaphor for the entire car.  The manual choke cable needs running into the cockpit and affixing discretely, which is a job for another time. Meantime, I can just hold it open and get the wife to start it for me (!)

Alf is concerned that it’s a bit Cammy. I have to say that, at full throttle, it sounds wonderful; a real parp erupts! It is now wonderfully responsive and, best of all, dry as a bone. 

As always, my thanks to Alf. I’m not sure why he suffers a fool such as me so gladly - but I’m forever grateful that he does. 

[BorniteIdentity]

It sounds loud; I think that iPhones use a AGC and some dynamic compression - it’s actually very quiet. 
 

Hit play for video!

[LightBulbFun]

Woop! happy to see its up and running at last  

I look forward to seeing it back on the road

[Skizzer]

HAPPY DAYS!

[Matty]

On 10/25/2019 at 5:00 PM, BorniteIdentity said:

After about an hour of pushing and pulling - and me not realising my son had put the fucking handbrake on - we got it in!

I thought you were mending that garage door ?

[BorniteIdentity]

22 minutes ago, Matty said:

I thought you were mending that garage door ?

The whole garage is Donald Ducked. Needs a new roof, new woodwork and new doors. I prefer to ignore it now! 

[Matty]

I'd love to knock mine down and build one I could actually get a car in. Don't have room to make it bigger though which defeats the point ?

[LightBulbFun]

6 minutes ago, Matty said:

I'd love to knock mine down and build one I could actually get a car in.

Do what Zel did with his smaller than normal car sized garage

and fill it with Invacar  https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C1146777

(sorry @BorniteIdentity )

[Eyersey1234]

Great news about the bAse

[brownnova]

Whoop whoop!!

Great that it’s going!! 

[Noel Tidybeard]

6 hours ago, BorniteIdentity said:

Alf is concerned that it’s a bit Cammy. I have to say that, at full throttle, it sounds wonderful; a real parp erupts! It is now wonderfully responsive and, best of all, dry as a bone.

its a pinto- fraud built them with square camshafts! ?

[Noel Tidybeard]

this is what a pinto should sound like

 

[BorniteIdentity]

7 hours ago, Noel Tidybeard said:

its a pinto- fraud built them with square camshafts! ?

This is a brand new Cam Shaft! It’s a genuine FoMoCo item - exactly the same part number - and came all the way (in its original box) from Eastern Europe. I was absolutely delighted with it - hoorah for the internet!

[BorniteIdentity]

First short run!

Boom.

[Mrs6C]

37 minutes ago, BorniteIdentity said:

First short run!

Boom.

Huzzah!!!

Well done @BorniteIdentity and @alf892

[ETCHY]

Superb, glad it's now running, great thread.

I can remember the Sierra being launched all those years ago & seeing the base model with its weird black front in the "Ford Cars" brochure but I genuinely don't think I ever saw one in the metal. There was a Ford dealership in my home town & there were a lot of L's & GL's (even the odd Ghia) floating around & also in the showroom (which as a kid I was forever being kicked out of) but I never saw a base model.

Well done for preserving it.

 

[BorniteIdentity]

Quick clean up during lunchtime. Wants washing again tbh but that can wait until we’re roadworthy.

There’s so much water in the offside rear cluster I had to take it off to drain it. It was half full! It’ll get siliconed now, with a view to getting a new pair of MATCHING lenses (crazy fool)

I need to do something about the door cards. I think some carefully applied glue and tape might be progress; finding base door cards will literally never happen. They might end up getting upgraded*

 

Still. Looking alright!

 

[alf892]

It actually looks respectable in that picture!

 

so where is the write up on fitting a choke cable?

[BorniteIdentity]

1 minute ago, alf892 said:

It actually looks respectable in that picture!

 

so where is the write up on fitting a choke cable?

We’re still using the “two man method” atm! 

It will be fitted this week. Promise!

[adw1977]

Looking good!

I think it would be a shame to upgrade the door cards, their bleak plastic greyness is integral to the base model experience!  (But then I don't have to look at them every time I drive to the shops)

[Zelandeth]

Would it be possible to recreate the door cards?  Not knowing what they look like it's a bit hard to know...

Got a photo handy?

[bezzabsa]

Oh the sound of a pinto.....

I still have the tool for tightening the headbolts.....not owned a Pinto since 1994 ?

[BorniteIdentity]

Although let's not celebrate too vehemently.  You know how it is with the Car Gods, they have to move to restore equilibrium pretty quickly.

The clutch is now as slippery as a housing estate loan shark.  There's plenty of clutch (if that makes sense) but it's slipping like mad.  My money is still on contamination but it's all irrelevant.  The cure is the same.  Anyone got a clutch kit for a 1.6 pintosaurus, or can recommend me one?

 

 

[Angrydicky]

1 hour ago, BorniteIdentity said:

Although let's not celebrate too vehemently.  You know how it is with the Car Gods, they have to move to restore equilibrium pretty quickly.

The clutch is now as slippery as a housing estate loan shark.  There's plenty of clutch (if that makes sense) but it's slipping like mad.  My money is still on contamination but it's all irrelevant.  The cure is the same.  Anyone got a clutch kit for a 1.6 pintosaurus, or can recommend me one?

 

 

I bought a clutch for it and it was in the boot when I dropped it off. Unless it was wrong?

In fairness, with regular use it did stop slipping so as you say, probably contamination.

[BorniteIdentity]

9 minutes ago, Angrydicky said:

I bought a clutch for it and it was in the boot when I dropped it off. Unless it was wrong?

In fairness, with regular use it did stop slipping so as you say, probably contamination.

Hmmm. Let me have a better look. I’ve about a million brown boxes in my garage with various car parts (I already had a water pump but forgot that and bought another!) 

 

[Dick Cheeseburger]

Amazing to see the bASe back up and running again, even with slippperiness. 

Coincidentally, I've just watched this video discussing the range of Sierras at launch with William Woolard. 

One of the Sierras he reviews...is a red base!

I feel like I'm on the spectrum tbh - my fiancée showed interest and then I had to show her my AS mug and explain all about the base. I still can't work out if she's quietly worried about me, or whether she likes my enthusiasm for oddities. 

Enjoy! 

Go to 15.30 (not sure how to link direct to that part...)

 

[Zelandeth]

Looking at the door card in that video still above, you reckon it would be possible to recreate that in glass fibre?
 

The plastic/rubber finish on the inside surface could be sprayed on and should look pretty decent if done properly...Better than disintegrating fibreboard at least.

 

[LightBulbFun]

2 hours ago, Dick Longbridge said:

Go to 15.30 (not sure how to link direct to that part...)

 

when your at the time you want to link to, right click the youtube video and click "copy URL at current time"  

like so

 

but its always worth mentioning the time your linking to, incase the link does fail to advance the video to the specified time!

[holbeck]

Strangely I was looking at that vid today and was  about to link it to Bornite's thread ( honest!).

[Parky]

Has it occurred to anyone that Woollard might actually be in The Base in that promo video?

He almost certainly isn’t bearing in mind Ford probably had a gajillion knocking about at the time but maybe, just maybe, the mere suggestion that a guy on the internet believes that this car might be the one used in Fords promotional video has possibly just added £100 to its value...