Mini ST Hotrod

Started by MiniDave, May 21, 2023, 10:42:51 AM

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MiniDave

I decided to start a new thread for this one......

Dan brought the shell up to me (on the only rainy day we had this weekend!) and it did wash off a little bit of the "barn find" that was all over it from sitting in his shed for several years.....but it still needs a lot of cleanup and smells horribly! I have no idea what it is that reeks so badly, it does not smell like cat or mouse pee but rather more like mold or something.

There's no front subframe in it although the back is on wheels, I need to figure out how to get it mobile so I can get it out in the front drive and see if I can wash it down some more. If that doesn't do it I'm going to look into one of those mobile blasting outfits and have them strip the shell. I'll need that done anyway, so why not get it done up front?

So, that's where I'm at right now, the engine is here and running, preliminary measurements show that it will fit, next I need to strip it down to a bare shell and see if I can borrow a rotisserie so I can work on the bottom - my scissor lift is not conducive to bottom work.

I'm also having a 10X16 shed built in the backyard for storage of all my yard equipment and the extra parts I won't be working with for a good while....that will help me get some more working space in my tiny garage.

Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

94touring

I believe it's a racoon and opossum medley of odors.

MiniDave

Whatever it is, I don't like it!

I've contacted a couple of places to see what it would cost to get it blasted here in my driveway......and I'll also ask what it costs if I trailer it over to them, just for comparison.

Anyone have any idea what this will cost?
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

94touring


MiniDave

No one has asked how I got a pic of Dan towing this car up to me in the rain?
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

94touring

Quote from: MiniDave on May 21, 2023, 05:18:38 PMNo one has asked how I got a pic of Dan towing this car up to me in the rain?

That is a good question. 

MiniDave

NO guesses?

One of the local MINI club members saw him and posted the pic on the club's Facebook page.....

So, I found out what the horrible smell was - I guessed it was something like this, but not to this extent! Turns out here were large mounds of poop, and driving up in a rainstorm got them "activated" again.....I spent all of today so far removing, cleaning, drying, vacuuming and so on.....it's still a mess but once I have everything stripped out I can go after it with the pressure washer - I just have to figure out how to roll it outside. Getting it back in again is less a problem cause I can just hook the winch to it and drag it back onto the lift.

I can't do a whole lot of work to it yet as I just don't have anywhere to put the stuff I remove from it. Once I get the shed built then I'll have a little more room to work, so the next two weeks will be doing site prep for the shed - they say two weeks, but I'll be very surprised to see it that quickly.

There's also a lot more rust and holes than expected, but some of it will be removed anyway to make room for the motor - I do have to replace the right sill and do plenty of patchwork on the floor corners and such. My plan is to do all the metal work so when it goes to Dan he just needs to sand, prime and paint it. I'm sure there will be some filler work needed too, but hopefully it will be minimal. I def need a rotisserie!

Rose has renamed it from the Hotrod to the "Poop car". <sighs>

Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

94touring

What were the blasting quotes?

MiniDave

Didn't get any replies....
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

LarryLebel

You're a brave man to tackle that POS.

MiniDave

Thanks Larry.....it will be a challenge, no doubt - but I've seen worse - and fixed worse! My 69 E-Type coupe was way, way worse and it turned out nicely.
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

94touring

Well any rot on the rear end is basically non issue as Dave will be cutting it all apart for custom framing and the engine install. The front end is all new including inner wings if Dave decides to keep the wings depending on some ideas he has.  Things yet to do would be outter cills and I'm going to assume some inner cill repairs here and there, front pan sections, and some door skins on at least one door.  Really not much in the bigger scheme of the project. 

MiniDave

Mobile sandblasting -  1st place.....$2,000 -2,400, 15-18 if I took it to them
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

94touring

You could have used my wet blasting kit down at my place in the yard for the cost of a 3000lb pallet of fine sand!  About $250 and the worst time you can spend in a day lol.

MiniDave

I have a sand blaster - I did my entire Jag with it but I had the perfect place to do it - a dirt lot with all the clean dry air I could use. I think I only used about 10 bags of sand total. I'll just go ahead and repair all the rust and holes, then figure out what to do about the rest, I can always chemical strip it too.
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

MiniDave

#15
Made the first parts order of many with MiniSpares.....this one is mostly just sheet metal parts to fix all the rust holes.

Still working on coming up with a rotisserie.....may wind up making one tho I really don't want to do that.

At this point I have the body mostly stripped out, all the poop and the hundreds of mud daubber nests cleaned out.....I'd really like to get it outside and use the pressure washer on it but I may just go ahead and remove the rear subframe and go on with the welding, then clean it all once that's done.......dunno.
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

cstudep

If you build a rotisserie what avenue were you going to take, an skmini version or a pipe through the middle version?

I was going to build one like skmini, just have not had time to do it yet. Maybe I could split costs and come help you build it and then once you are done with it I could use it.

Or if you end up building one I could buy it from you when you are done with it. I don't foresee me having time to start on mine any time soon.

We could probably come to some sort of terms one way or another so you aren't stuck with it once your done with it.

MiniDave

#17
OK.

Not sure of the style yet, considering the old 2 HF engine stand style......I was hoping to just borrow/rent one long enough to do this job, but I'm not finding anything remotely local.

Funny thing - I found one for $500 in (nope, not kidding) Harrison Arkansas - right where we were the last week!

All the pre-built ones such as from Eastwood are fairly spendy.....most are closer to $2K and still would need modified to work on the Mini
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

cstudep

That was basically my experience when looking for one and why I decided I would just build on instead.

It was actually cheaper at the time to order the one from the uk specific for the mini like the one skmini built than it was to buy a universal version like from Eastwood that you still had to modify to work.

Too bad the one you found is so far away. I found one a while back within 100 miles but it was sold by the time I saw it and asked about it.

MiniDave

Not a lot to report on this build so far, I have the car completely stripped down to a bare shell, and I have been measuring and figuring for various parts - I reinstalled the bare front subframe for example, so I could figure out the fuel tank and radiator and A/C condenser locations and size.

I ordered a fuel tank, and the first order of panels to repair the rust in the front of the car/sills should arrive by the end of the week, according to DHL.

Just in time for typical Kansas summer weather to arrive - hot and oh so muggy! Time to switch the shop unit over from heat to A/C!

I got a small bench top media blaster at a garage sale and decided to try it out on an upper control arm - it did great, but I made the mistake of leaving the air plugged in. I was upstairs having lunch and I heard the air compressor kick on - usually it takes about a minute to recharge the tank but it seemed to go on and on, so I headed down to see why it was still running. When I opened the door to the shop the air was full of dust - the hose inside the unit had popped off and it was blowing the media around inside - forcing the dust out around the seal for the window! I popped the air off the connector and gave it an hour for the dust to settle so I could see again.....not a lot of media got out, mostly just the dust but I think in the future I will roll this thing out on my hydraulic table and use it outside!
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

Willie_B

Do you have a vacuum cleaner hooked up to pull the dust out? Does make a difference with the dust level. It is always nice to have clean parts.

MiniDave

Yes, just a shop vac....it would be better if it were a Hepa filter vac but I don't have one of those.
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

cstudep

Get yourself one of these. I have used similar ones for years on my blast cabinet and wood tools. Home depot started carrying this ones that just snaps onto a bucket and it is a lot lower profile and cheaper. I have one rigged up to my big shop vac I take places. These will even keep sheet rock dust from clogging your filter up. If you have ever done any sheet rock work you know you can completely plug a shop vac filter in about 15 minutes. With one of these I have had the same filter in my vac using it on sheet rock dust, table saw dust, chop saw dust, etc.. for over a year now and I have filled countless 5 gallon buckets with dust.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Dustopper-High-Efficiency-Cyclonic-Dust-Separator-12-in-Dia-with-2-5-in-hose-36-in-long-with-2-Sweep-Elbows-HD12A/315749552

MiniDave

Buncha stuff showed up yesterday, a box full of panels and later my gas tank.

I got new front floor pans, door step, both sills, all the repair panels across the back including a new valance and a set of louvers to help vent the front compartment. The radiator and A/C condenser will be in the front, so I wanted plenty of openings to get the hot air out of the front compartment.

The gas tank came in and I'm really impressed with the quality - especially for the price I paid for it. The welds look almost machine done rather than hand done, and it came with three -8 fittings on top - one is the fuel pickup, one is the vent and one is the return line. It also has the sending unit and of course the cap. Too bad I'm going to have to shorten it to fit in the space in the front, but I know a guy who's a wiz with a TiG - we'll see how he does in comparison. It's 17 gallons now and it'll be 10 when I cut it down. $125  and free shipping!

Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

MiniDave

#24
I've been working on the fuel tank, first I cut the end off so I could figure out how to mount the pump and pick up. I'm also going to have to relocate the fuel sender so I'll need to drill some holes in the top. Once I have all that done I may engineer some baffles - one around the pump pickup to act as a surge bowl, then another somewhere about half way to keep the fuel from slopping around as I drive.

Once I had it cut down to size, I could look at how to mount it in the front and how I'm going to strap it down, or maybe just make some angle iron holders for the top and bottom to locate it. Dunno, still working that out. I also have to find a gasoline proof bulkhead fitting so I can bring the wires out of the tank for the fuel pump.

Because the bulkhead bends in a bit in the center, I'll have room to run hoses down between the tank and the bulkhead - I plan to run all the brake and water pipes and tubes in the center tunnel, since there won't be an exhaust system in there anymore.
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad