16XE Classic Mini restoration

[Todi-Corsa]

good work pal I take it your spaceframing the front end?

[alexcrosse]

wont be a spaceframe, just a modified / copied mini subframe like this I expect


good work chris, keep it up. Start saving for that subframe

[Captainbland08]

im basing the frame on the allspeed one... got loads of pics of how it goes together and ive got a load of box section to play with so ill mess with my mangled mini sub first and if im not happy ill go running to allspeed with open arms:P haha

[Mike-vec]

Looks like a lot of work required, I have viewed before, but didn't realise just how much work is required.

[Captainbland08]

started pulling my finger out recently now i have some time off work... went down to visit geoff and have a good look at helen (his clubman not his wife) and mustered up some motivation to get cracking on my front subframe...

cutting up my old attempt that i started, i made a fresh more educated start, which will now be arc'd together with my newly aquired clarke 160n, bellow.


then tacked my front bar in place. if made the frame roughly wide enough so that with little moddifying i can go to a large bore vauxhall if i desire.


i then cut some side bars to length, cut a groove in them, bent them slightly and welded them up, basically copying the allspeed design so all the crank pully etc all have good clearance.


then got the basic shape welded up, made a start cutting out the old stuff but need to go buy some bigger grinding discs tomorow.


my good tie bar mount,


and my knackered one from the crash.


more tomorow.

Chris

[gazturbo]

Great work mate

[Captainbland08]

was hoping to get everything cut out today but it would seem there are some hard to reach areas of the original frame, too late to go shopping now but the plan is to get some steel cutting reciprocating saw blades tomorrow and have a good old hack at it with that... should do the trick me thinks!

so no pics today... just doing some biring bits really... cutting out some gussets from 3mm sheet. tacking them in place, then seam welding and gusseting the rear subframe too!

tomorows plan:

cut out old frame.
finish welding tie bar mounts to new stuff.
mock up onto the car.
make lower rails and weld in place.
then test fit engine hopefully.

Chris

[HARBER07]

could do with a plasma cutter!!

[SimonTW]

Looks like an epic amount of work going to be needed on this but results should be wicked!

[Captainbland08]

could do with a plasma cutter!!

was wondering how long it would take you to say that...:/ lol

i would love one but dont have £300 too swing about at the moment oh well... alot of cutting discs and hacksaws it is!

[Gibbo0450]

very nice anythink have to be done to shafts ?

[Captainbland08]

very nice anythink have to be done to shafts ?

yeh im going to have to cut the mini shaft and cut the vauxhall shaft to length, then sleeve and tig them up... thats the cheapest way. i could get some make from scratch if i knew the lengths and dpi of the splines etc... but thats around £300 to do... maybe someday when the car is rolling and i have some spare pennies... but sleeving will have to do for now

[Captainbland08]

didnt manage to get the engine in due to trouble getting hold of crane at the moment... but should be able to get one during the week hopefully.

anyways:
tie bars welded in place for now:


started making the runners for the underside of the frame... make the bends and welded them up


then fabbed another runner and matched it angle wise to the first.


then welded that one up


welded the runners into place

i also made some rear mounts and got them in place too but forgot to get some pics of them so will get them tomorow for you... i basically angled some 3mm so that the subframe bolts to the edge of the bulkhead/floor.

then bolted it in place ready for some trial fitting and trimming and welding of the subframe mounts and towers...




also towards the end of the day i fancied a change of task so i seam welded up my rear subframe.


more in the week

Chris

[Captainbland08]

the anticipation is killing me! ^.^



just waiting on an engine crane off my mate and some 5mm plate to arrive... then it can go in!

Chris

[Captainbland08]

also... does anyone know if i can port out the EGR holes in outlets on the head? looks like i can but i wanna be sure

[Captainbland08]

decided I didn't like my mounts going through the floor pan, and acted on some of yodas advice of sticking with the bulkhead ones. so I made a new brace across the back out of box, and trimmed the length of my runner down...


then i made these out of 6mm


you can see in this pic at the back of the frame how i joined the plates onto the rear brace, same as an all-speed I believe. also trimmed loads of little bits that were fowling the engine on mock up... this is its final state before welding the mounts on.


got the engine to sit in nicely. ready for mounts to be welded up...


crank pulley clearance.


and box clearance


made a start on the mounts... need to finished cutting the 6mm up... and my MIG has also packed up... so I'm struggling with tacking things in place before welding.

Cheers

Chris