1989 Austin Mini 'Designer' special edition project + bonus Mini Cooper content

[Remspoor]

On 4/27/2021 at 10:18 PM, Blake's Den said:

So...... I've entered the WD40 Fix It challenge with Project Designer. I decided to include the video of the rear subframe removal as it does feature WD40. However as it's a public vote it makes no difference 😆

So Autoshiters assemble! Please can you vote for me? Here is the link:

 

https://thefixitchallenge.wd40.co.uk/voteme/904629/646671516?lc=eng

 

Thanks 😊

I tried to vote but eh Confirm I am not a robot tick box is not appearing for some reason. I turned off the add blocker and allowed cross site cookies to try and resolve the issue. But I failed. Nothing will make the tick box appear. There are a lot of entries. Most (of what I looked at) are have not got a great presentation. Let us know how you get on.

[puddlethumper]

Chucked a vote on for ya @Blake's Den. Solidarity bruv innit like.

[Blake's Den]

14 hours ago, Remspoor said:

I tried to vote but eh Confirm I am not a robot tick box is not appearing for some reason. I turned off the add blocker and allowed cross site cookies to try and resolve the issue. But I failed. Nothing will make the tick box appear. There are a lot of entries. Most (of what I looked at) are have not got a great presentation. Let us know how you get on.

Yeah, it's a nightmare to vote! It turns out that you need to use your Facebook ID to let you vote. That probably means you'll get spammed with WD40 adverts!

[Remspoor]

11 hours ago, Blake's Den said:

Yeah, it's a nightmare to vote! It turns out that you need to use your Facebook ID to let you vote. That probably means you'll get spammed with WD40 adverts!

I do not do FB.

[Blake's Den]

Hello all

Some more small steps have been made with the rust elimination.

I fabricated a repair patch for the boot floor and I tried to make it look as subtle as I could. Not quite a hidden repair but close to it. It will be hidden by the fuel tank anyway.

Just as I was finishing that off I started poking around at some previous accident damage in the boot floor. There was a small pinhole that I’d thought gob a bit of weld on – bad move! The floor disintegrated and the hole got much bigger. So I ended up putting a patch repair on that part too.

I was quite happy with the end result. As I always say, I’m not a professional 😊

 

 

[Blake's Den]

Thanks to all those who watched my last video.  I'm quite enjoying the interaction that YouTube gives. I'm no hub nut (and never will be!) but it is fun watching the comments and likes come in. 

If you haven't already subscribed then I'd appreciate it if you did. It doesn't cost you anything 😁. I'm having a bit of a push to get 500 subscribers for no reason other than it is a round number.

[Remspoor]

You are certainly not Hubnut............... He does not do welding.😉

 

 

[Blake's Den]

I haven't made much progress lately as I've been busy with other projects. Plus it has been a bit warm.

I had a memory pop up on Facebook saying it had been three years since I last had the mini running. So armed with a homemade temporary fuel tank (the normal one has been removed) I thought I'd see if she'd run. She did and she ran sweetly too. 

Hopefully I'll be making more real progress soon.

 

 

[Blake's Den]

To my surprise I seem to have hit 500 subscribers! That means that 500 random people actually want to watch videos of me making a mess of fixing things 🤣.

Thanks to everyone at AS who has subscribed. If you haven't then why not?!

www.youtube.com/c/blakesden

[Remspoor]

Well done. You deserve it.

[Blake's Den]

Not much to update you on. It has been too hot to think let alone picking up a spanner.

I have done a bit of a q and a with YouTube followers. Of interest to all the AS's  will be the fleet update at the end.

 

 

[Remspoor]

I watched that. It is great that you are doing some audience participation.

I just wish I could have the same enthusiasm for my Westminster.  I have been doing it bit by bit. I don't have a garage just a bit of land open to everything. The latest rust exploration for me may put an end to the project. I just cant get with it. A complicated section where two box sections join with two diffident floor levels. Hard to access areas which need patching. I cant get much in the way of panels and where I can they are so damn expensive,  plus postage cost.

[Blake's Den]

46 minutes ago, Remspoor said:

I watched that. It is great that you are doing some audience participation.

I just wish I could have the same enthusiasm for my Westminster.  I have been doing it bit by bit. I don't have a garage just a bit of land open to everything. The latest rust exploration for me may put an end to the project. I just cant get with it. A complicated section where two box sections join with two diffident floor levels. Hard to access areas which need patching. I cant get much in the way of panels and where I can they are so damn expensive,  plus postage cost.

There is no harm in knowing when to stop. I tend to do the work in bursts but it does help having a garage. I'm very lucky in that respect. I've fixed cars on driveways and on the street before and its just no fun.

What I keep telling myself is that I'm nopt Superman. I can't do everything so don't get grumpy when it goes wrong. I'll give it a go and if I succeed then thats a win.

[Blake's Den]

Evening all

I finally made some more progress at the weekend. I've been quite busy the past few weekends so haven't really been able to get into the garage much.

I decided to strip down the rear subframe. As you can see in the video, it was well rotten! It actually didn't look too bad on the Mini but it definitely failed the old screwdriver test. I'm probably going to buy a refurbished one from ADO Equipment and drop that in. My radius arms are both OK and I'll rebuild the brakes before re-assembly.

I’m looking forward to doing the mechanical bits more than I was for the bodywork. I've still got a few little bits of welding to do on the body but I've definitely broken the back of it.

 

[Remspoor]

I have not got around to viewing it yet, sorry.

[Blake's Den]

11 hours ago, Remspoor said:

I have not got around to viewing it yet, sorry.

No need to be sorry at all 😀

[Remspoor]

Got there in the end a few hours ago.

Yep a subframe like Swiss cheese it looks like the end of that one. Nice change of wardrobe part way through. 😁

[Blake's Den]

1 hour ago, Remspoor said:

Got there in the end a few hours ago.

Yep a subframe like Swiss cheese it looks like the end of that one. Nice change of wardrobe part way through. 😁

Well done on spotting the continuity error! I started off in the overall but got too hot, hence the costume change 😅

[Blake's Den]

Hello all

No real progress to report on the Designer unfortunately, I've been distracted by other projects. I need to get my finger out!

But I have had fun* playing with my other mini, a 1997 Cooper MPI (multi-point injection for those not in the know). It developed a random starting problem where it would occassionally fail to crank, usually at the most inconvenient time. I did some fault finding on the ECU and immobiliser and then found out that the wire to the starter solenoid had failed.

Here is the full fault finding video if anyone is interested:

 

[Remspoor]

Watched that. Last week the one about your 'Rover  too.

Nice to see you have James as a follower and commentator too.

[Blake's Den]

1 hour ago, Remspoor said:

Watched that. Last week the one about your 'Rover  too.

Nice to see you have James as a follower and commentator too.

Thanks.

Yes, I've known James for years. He is a really popular guy!

[Remspoor]

He is now Matt is corning him for information and help.

 

[Blake's Den]

A small bit of progress has been made. I wanted to fit the rear valance. However in doing so I found some more rust that needed chopping out.

When I finally got around to putting the valance on I realised that with it in position it is going to be very difficult to paint the boot floor. So I'm leaving it off for now until I've tidied up the underside of the car. It is getting painted in Bonda rust primer and then Upol gravitex.

 

 

[Blake's Den]

Thanks to the bank holiday I managed to sneak in a few more hours in the garage today.

I stripped down the passesnger side rear wheel arch and removed all of the underseal / stonechip. It was a job that I had been putting off for some time so I'm glad that it went well! I got down to the original primer and then back to shiny metal. Its amazing to think that the underseal had been on since 1989; I'm pretty confident that the wheel arch is original. There was quite a contrast between the areas where the underseal had failed and where it was still quite thick. Thankfully not much rust and only a couple of small holes to patch.

 

[Remspoor]

Progress, it is satisfying.

I prefer the shorter videos.

 

[Blake's Den]

23 hours ago, Remspoor said:

Progress, it is satisfying.

I prefer the shorter videos.

 

Thanks. It is very easy to get carried away filming. I don't like to cut too much out. I think I'll go for the less is more approach.

[Remspoor]

Just watched the canvas 'Rover video

This one looks  very similar to the ones we had in the army. Pre Defender. We only had canvas roofs for the drivers compartment too. All the buckles and belts are the same. Is this a cut down tilt for a 'over with a canvas drivers roof too?

Looking online there are some images of special guttering for a tilt and a cab. I except you could make something up. It would be a lot better than a bit of plastic guttering.

Prices new are not exactly cheap for what looks like a piece of channel made out of metal.

https://www.allwheeltrim.co.uk/LR110.html

 

An American Site with also an illustration. This one is for a series but the principle will be the same. Parts 14,15 and 16

https://www.roversnorth.com/category/836_land_rover_series_ii_iia_iii_hoop_sets

[Blake's Den]

Thanks for that.

I suspect that I have a farmers special - the hoops off a 109 and the canvas off an 88. I believe that they are called 3/4 tilts as opposed to the full tilts which cover the cab.

Agreed, the channels would be better than a bit of old guttering! I only really use that when it is parked up for a long time. I'll add it to the to do list along with the radiator and rear cross member. And finish project designer of course 🙂

[Blake's Den]

Hello all

No real progress on Project Designer to report - I've been too busy fixing my Defender, Santa Fe and Cooper. Definitely a first world problem!

As spring has now sprung it is time to get my 1997 Mini Cooper MPI out of hibernation. I don't like using it in the winter when there is salt on the round, it is very much a fair weather car. Anyway, I decided to get it out and investigate an oil leak - conclusion was that I couldn't see anything obvious so proceeded to change the oil, 5 litres of Millers Classic Mini oil 20w50. I've been using this oil for some time and I'm really happy with it. There is a lot of different opinions when it comes to what oil to put into a Mini.

I also replaced the tiny battery which was only ever supposed to be an interim solution to an 075 which is about the biggest that will fit in the battery box. When it is cold, the thich oil does make it hard to start and the old battery was showing signs of stuggling. I keep the Mini on a CTEK charger when it is in the garage but even with the old batery fully charged it still wasn't 100% happy.

MoT on Tuesday - wish me luck!

 

[Blake's Den]

MoT successfully passed on the Cooper today - only two advisories too! I toom it for an Italian tune up prior to the test and it was running really well. Putting in some Sheel v-power before hiberation obviously made a difference.