Mk 1 Project Zippy. Looking Like a Car.

[Hans Efde]

(last pic) It's hovering!

[MrBounce]

I had a little thought about the captive bolts for the damper mounts and hated the single washer idea that Midas came up with. Instead I have used much heavier gauge metal (it was once part of the bracket that the old oil cooler was mounted to) and after some careful measuring made 2 small brackets, each with 2 holes in for the bolts. I then went round to my friend Mike's house and welded in some bolts to make them captive. Once of them isn't that great (not enough gas) but once it's in place no-one's gonna see it so I don't care! I have checked and I can (just about!) get them into place via the tower bolt holes in the crossmember.

I then realised just how disgustingly dirty the poor little car had become whilst in the garage so I pushed it out onto the driveway and gave it (and the disgusting heater pipes) a blast with my newly acquired Karcher Pressure Washer (total cost: free). It's come up relatively clean too. The pipes look a bit different - there's no dirt on them now! Once dry (ater a few days baking in the garage...) I hoovered it out. It's a bit cleaner, but not much...

I had a look at my newly machined engine bits. I will start putting it together once I get my hands on a decent camshaft (awaiting funds) and new oil pump amongst other things. In the meantime it will be safely wrapped and dry-stored.

The other door panel was finally removed (now I could actually get to the passenger side of the car) and unsurprisingly there were problems. That old chestnut of the stuck rusty screws reared its ugly head again. This time it was the window winder screw and one of the small screws holding the panel on. I was able to Dremel a slot in the small screw to get a flatblade screwdriver on it which was no problem, but the winder screw was not budging. So I drilled it out. It may take a bit of work to get the stub out, but given the state of the panel holding the winder gear in place, I might convert to electric winders if I can find something small enough to fit.

I continued to look around the car to see if there was anything else to remove; there was an exhaust hanger on the rear valance which was a bit stubborn and the interior wiring loom. This has been butchered a bit - there were strange soldered bits on it with no insulation. I am undecided whether to use this or make a new one from a Mini loom. It all depends how usable it turns out to be.

Captive bolts on brackets. These have now been painted.



Dirty shell



Filthy Pipes



Clean(er) shell...



...and pipes



Beautiful block



+020 pistons fitted to balanced rods



Valves & Springs



Big Valve Head



Door Panel Off



Awful state of window winder panel



Exhaust hanger finally off; this was binned...



Butchered loom. Time to replace or just repair and insulate?

[MrBounce]

On Thursday (which is when I usually go over to my friend Mike's to help him with his various projects) I had Mike over to see if he could help with my badly fitting doors. He has a few years' experience working in a bodyshop and I have come to the conclusion that bodyshop fitters are a resourceful lot, often able to come up with leftfield solutions dependant on the tools to hand. My problem was that the frames stuck out at the top, and from what he could see, they would not easily be rectified by internal adjustment.

No, they needed to be pushed in, but how? The solution was simple, but hopefully effective. Having seen in the bodyshop how a badly sealing Mini door frame can be gentle persuaded into place by gentle but effective bending, we looped a ratchet strap around the whole shell. We spaced the door frames with wood and placed some more wood over the window frames. The strap has been tightened and we will see how well it responds over the weekend. It might not work, but if it does, then problem solved for very little effort! The poor little thing looks like it's wearing a dental brace...

I also took a look at the cylinder head as I realised that being a former Metro head, it didn't have the heater take-off drilled out. So out came the drill and the hoover - I made a nice hole while simultaneously hoovering up the bits so they couldn't go anywhere they shouldn't.

Doors strapped up



Wood spacer & frame protector



I needed this like a hole in the head...



...so I made one

[MrBounce]

Ok, other than a massive tidy-up in the garage (and getting my bike roadworthy so I can start cycling to work), I have managed to do some more stuff. I had a chat with Mike about the remains of the steady bar mount on the front subframe and how they're always breaking. We both came up with the solution of a heavy duty bit of metal bolted to the subframe. I gave him a template and he knocked up something out out decent thick steel during his lunch break - top man. However, there is a bit of an issue with clearance - it's all a bit tight in there - so rather than bolt it in I may instead further my distinctively novice welding skills next time I am over at his.

I spent a good hour cleaning up more brackets and suspension bits; it is now my sole aim in life to make sure that the awful gold Hammerite is banished from this world forever. Horrible stuff.

I also took the ratchet strap off the car to check how the tension had dealt with the protruding door frames. It had done surprisingly well - there's a lot less gap now. The doors will still need a little fettling to fit properly but it is a massive improvement.

Heavy duty steady bar bracket in the making. May be welded in place rather than bolted.



Cleaned brackets & suspension parts awaiting recon and/or fresh paint.



Marked improvement on nearside door frame...



...and on offside too.

[lankyjames]

I may have to give this ratchet idea a go, looking much better!

[Richard moss]

This is a fascinating read - I'm sure that the final result will be impressive. Keep up the good work.

[MrBounce]

Haven't done that much recently (been working hard and also enjoying the nice weather); managed to find a new-old stock Allegro headlight on eBay although I have also found someone who is selling new-old stock Halogen Bedford Rascal Lights. They are the same size so I may invest in a couple of them when funds allow.

I have been thinking about the ridiculous bolts that held in the pedalbox. These had been cut and ground down to within an inch of their lives and were a nightmare to undo/remove as they sit just under the front bulkhead/crossmember. What was needed here was a plate with captive bolts. So I dug around the bits box and found a broken brake disc shield. Some, hacksawing, hammering and bit of vice work had a plate bent into shape. I took it over to Mike's and welded the bolts in place. It's not pretty, but once again no-one's going to see it so I gave it a coat of paint along with all the other bits that needed it.

I have finally got round to removing the bracket for the steering column as well. This was no fun as the bolts had been sat below a leaking windscreen for a number of years and had turned into rusty amorphous blobs. I managed to undo the nut on one whereas the other required more brutal methods, namely Molegrips and a hammer (NOT a Dremel for once!). Everything will be cleaned up and reconditioned. You'll be pleased to know I have put the bolts in the bin.

Finally the petrol tank: Having failed to find a used tank at a realistic price, I am looking to have mine repaired. I am led to believe there is a place fairly nearby who can weld tank seams, so this will be on my list of things to try first. I also removed the sender unit, as I was sure it was probably past its best. Amazingly, it wasn't as bad as I'd expected, but it was still pretty grotty, especially the electrical contacts. Time for a new one.

New-old stock Allegro headlight; a snip at £9.



First coat of paint for more suspension parts & brackets



Steering column bracket, spacers and bolts. Now cleaned and ready to be re-used.



Pedalbox captive bolt plate - made from an old disc shield!



Sender unit removed from tank. Doesn't look pretty...

[kelvink]

Oooh I'm doing almost the same parts on my Bronze too and I've also sworn at the pedal box Not too sure what I'm going to do with it but I recently invested in a pair of nut crackers which has already seen off a number of stubborn rust riddled nuts.

Your headlamp find seems to have been a result I'm doing something a bit different with mine and will let you see sometime what I've come up with, though I'm not fixed on which of the various options I'm considering just yet.

Also been doing a bit of suspension tidying up too but still taking bits apart and cleaning etc though I have de-rusted and primed a fair few parts.

[MrBounce]

Haven't done a massive amount recently due to being too much of a social animal amongst other things, but have managed to get a couple of things sorted. I have also painted numerous brackets etc which is not the most interesting thing to either write about or take photos of...

The revised steady bar mount at the front of the subframe is now complete (except the paint!). Mike was able to weld up the steel template during his break at work due to the works welder having much better penetration. I don't quite know what the thickness is not having measured it, but I believe it is what ships are made of. It is also very hard. I don't have a mains drill (as I don't do much drilling!) but I went through 2 drill batteries before I had completed the 5 holes I needed...

I then was able to grind off the remains of the old bracket on the subframe (somewhat puny in comparison) and test-bolted everything up. It all fitted beautifully. It's now being painted.

The handbrake bar is not in such good shape. It is extremely bent and as a result trying to cut a new thread on it resulted in disaster. I will have to sort a new one, but then again a bit of straight circular bar with some thread on it should not be too difficult to sort.

The final job I've sorted was to scare myself. I walked around the car armed with a Sharpie pen and drew round everywhere that needs some sort of attention. My car now looks a bit like a Dalmation. Oh dear.

Old subframe steady bar mount - mid-grind.



2 drill batteries used and still not through!!



Test fit and solid as a big tough metal thing. I will be replacing these bolts & nuts...



Handbrake bar. A bit more bent than I first thought.



All the dodgy bits outlined. Too many...

[MrBounce]

Have not been out into the garage much recently due to mainly not having the parts or equipment to do stuff, nor the folding stuff either. Saving for a holiday takes too much car money!

I have however come to the decision that the single line brake system needs upgrading. The Master Cylinder that was on the car when I bought it would have needed a full rebuild anyway so it seemed a perfect time to upgrade. I bought a "Yellow Tag" item for an 80s Mini - I had 3 Minis with this set-up (with 8.4" discs and no servo) and they all had excellent brakes.

However, a trial fitting showed up a problem: it was too tall. The new Master Cylinder stands 193mm above the bracket it sits on, and I had roughly 184mm to play with. I had to options: get a smaller Master Cylinder or find some way of making it fit. Not one to mess about, I put a small blob of grease on to its highest point and carefully shut the bonnet. This then left a mark on the "stiffening ribs" which was where it was fouling. The ribs are about 12-15mm so I marked out in chalk where I needed to cut then cracked on with the Dremel. A couple of small adjustments and some tidying up and all fitted perfectly. I will be able to finish it off properly once I get some fibreglass matting & resin. I will also sort out a front to rear proportioning valve for the bulkhead.

New Master Cylinder - needs a clean. And it doesn't fit properly...



A blob of grease showed exactly where it wouldn't fit.



Chalk: ideal for showing where you need to cut on a black background...



There's plenty of clearance now!