Mini ST Hotrod

[MiniDave]

Got a start on the welding in of the front floor....lots more to do but I'm glad to get a start at last. I've got a little gap to fix at the front end of the tunnel.
Once this one's in and solid I'll do the back half, then I'll put the subby back in and get it on its wheels.

[MiniDave]

A friend asked if I seam weld where it's not punched for plug welds and my answer was - sort of. You spot weld it, one spot at a time, but you completely weld the seam. If you try to run a bead you'll simply blow thru this thin metal. If you do manage to blow a hole, you just do a spot past it and one before, then use those to fill in the hole from one side to the other. Even tho you have to pause for a moment in between each spot, and it seems like it would take for evar, but this line only took a few minutes to do. I pass a bright light behind it once I'm done and if I missed a spot or two it's easy to go back and fill them in. Once done I run a flap disc over the welds to take down any high spots, but I don't go so far as to blend them in since it will be under the sound deadening and carpet.

[MiniDave]

Progress....not the final fitment on the door, but I just wanted to make sure it fit the hole!

Still tons more to do.

The door was a struggle, they're really heavy and I could not hold it and guide the studs into the holes - the hinges kept moving, so I drug my lift table over to hold the weight then I was able to fit it up. Before I could do that one of the hinges was rusted solid and the studs were broken off, after a fight I managed to get it off the door and moving again, then I had to do the old weld a nut onto the stud to get it out. I just used bolts for now but I'll go get some studs before I'm done with it.

[MiniDave]

Unfortunately the door is in worse shape than expected. I took the angle grinder with a wire brush to it and found this, I didn't bother doing the rest of the door. There is also about an 1/8" skim of body filler all over the door, and probably the rest of the body too!

So I'll order a couple of door skins - I've done this before, on my E-Type Jag - those doors were even worse than this one!

So, I went back to working on the floors, I cut out the back half of the right side and now I'm in the process of trimming and fitting the new panel, once I'm happy with the fit I can start tacking it into place, then welding it all up. I've made a panel to fit in the hole where the companion bin sits, these are repair panels so I guess they were only made to butt up against the companion bin, not go under it. In my experience, if the floor is rusted out with holes in it, so is the bit in the companion bin!

[blaked]

Looking good, enjoying the updates. I ran into the same problem with the rear floor repair panels. Ended up going with FS006R from mini spares to get the inner sill.

[MiniDave]

I just went ahead and made a fill in panel...I don't have it tacked in yet, just doing the final trimming to fit. I added an extra brace to locate the leg that the subframe will bolt to, to make sure it was in exactly the right place when I weld this last part in ....I didn't realize the back was as bad as it was till I started cutting out the hole for the rear subframe - so I had only ordered the front floor pans. Later I was able to come across a set of rear repair floor panels too.

[MiniDave]

Patch panel fettled  and tacked in place, now to weld it and the entire rear panel in place. Slow, but more progress is good....

[MiniDave]

A little more done....next up is the outer sill.

[MiniDave]

Sportspak flare still fits....

[MiniDave]

Sort of a milestone.....on some of its wheels, and on the ground!

[BruceK]

Nice progress!

[MiniDave]

Test fit of the entire subframe and cage. Looks like it all fits where it's supposed to, there's some fettling to do to get it exactly where it will finally go but at least it all seems to line up OK.

Now to see what seats will fit in there.....

[MiniDave]

I don't think my Subie seats are going to fit - even on the "wrong side, this is the driver's seat - the door bar keeps it from sitting down flat on the floor. And of course I wouldn't be able to operate the handles for seat back angle or height. I guess the work around for that is either don't use the door bars and pre adjust the seat angle, or just don't use these seats. Even without the door bars it looks like the bolster would be right against the door jamb.

I have two other sets to try, but I may end up with Miata seats. That would be unfortunate as I really like these seats - they're comfortable and fit me well and the side bolsters and cloth covers mean you don't slide around at all.....

[MPlayle]

Could you reshape the door bars to let the seat base fit under them?

[MiniDave]

Yes, that was my thought as well. Taking the door bar out allows the seats to fit just fine, but before I go that step I probably want to refit the door and see if there's room for a door pocket too. Or.....how to build a bar that allows both the seats and a door pocket. All the seats I have are pretty much the same width.....

With the door bar out I'll need to try the Subaru seat back in there, but my back is done for today!

Binky put an extra reinforcement bar in the outer sill, and as I haven't closed it off yet, I could do that too....and not run this door bar.