My Mini Project
 

Hi guys,
I thought I would share my project with you. I have always wanted to 'do-up' an old car and finally got myself a project earlier this year.

The hunt was on for either an old Holden (pre-Commodore), a VK/VL to be done as a Brock replica or a Mini. As the title suggests, I found a Mini.

It is a 1973 Leyland Mini, originally purchased from Winterbottom Motors in Adelaide Tce on the 2nd July 1973 by a little old lady. I have the original delivery paperwork and booklets :).

When purchased, the car was Arianca Tan (kind of like a caramel colour) but has been painted yellow at some stage. This is what she looked like when I got it.
[IMG]http://i1167.photobucket.com/albums/q627/BToni/270320122028.jpg[/IMG]

Yes, it makes the GC8 look big.
[IMG]http://i1167.photobucket.com/albums/q627/BToni/270320122026.jpg[/IMG]

The interior is pretty good for a car that is almost 40 years old. Only the driver's seat requires some retrimming.
[IMG]http://i1167.photobucket.com/albums/q627/BToni/080420122078.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i1167.photobucket.com/albums/q627/BToni/080420122079.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i1167.photobucket.com/albums/q627/BToni/080420122080.jpg[/IMG]

The original dash:
[IMG]http://i1167.photobucket.com/albums/q627/BToni/280320122033.jpg[/IMG]

Got to have Superlight's
[IMG]http://i1167.photobucket.com/albums/q627/BToni/280320122031.jpg[/IMG]

The boot is in pretty good shape, but I took almost 10m of speaker wire out of the car, that is a lot for a Mini.
[IMG]http://i1167.photobucket.com/albums/q627/BToni/270320122025.jpg[/IMG]

Original engine, and original colour inside the bay:
[IMG]http://i1167.photobucket.com/albums/q627/BToni/270320122021.jpg[/IMG]

And the work begins. Stripping areas of rust/bubbles.
[IMG]http://i1167.photobucket.com/albums/q627/BToni/090420122091.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i1167.photobucket.com/albums/q627/BToni/080420122090.jpg[/IMG]

Interior out:
Front seats are fixed in place with 2 wing nuts each from the factory.
[IMG]http://i1167.photobucket.com/albums/q627/BToni/080420122082.jpg[/IMG]
As is the rear seat.
[IMG]http://i1167.photobucket.com/albums/q627/BToni/080420122081.jpg[/IMG]
Given the age, the interior metal is in very good condition with little to no rust or damage.
[IMG]http://i1167.photobucket.com/albums/q627/BToni/100420122115.jpg[/IMG]

Doors and panels off:
[IMG]http://i1167.photobucket.com/albums/q627/BToni/100420122113.jpg[/IMG]

At the moment, I am still stripping bits and fixing them as I go.

By no means am I a pro, and I know that I am doing some things arse-about, but it is great fun and I am in no great hurry.

Will post up more pics as I strip/fix more.

Thanks for reading.

Like this A LOT. Always wanted to do up a mini myself.

Awesome Project Toni!

So awesome! love the old skool interior.. but i do hope you can shave off all those drip rails :)

Love these old school builds, are you going to do anything to the motor(freshen up, carbies?)

inb4 Mr Bean.

[QUOTE=SyncSubaru;687969]inb4 Mr Bean.[/QUOTE]

haha!!

made me think of this picture:
[IMG]http://www.mrbeanvideos.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/mr-bean-army-cadets-mini-car-8.jpg[/IMG] :D

I love those old Minis. My parents had one when I was a young fella. Unfortunately it was written off by some prick who put my Mum into a month long coma at the same time. I'd love to do one up myself one day and will be keeping an eye out for this thread.

Cheers guys.

I know a Mini amy not be everyone's cup of tea.

The plan is to fix the rust and get the bodywork/panel/paint done by the end of the year. Undecided on respraying it the factory tan colour or keeping it yellow or perhaps Porsche GT3 green.....
Body mods Muggz?...... maybe, depends on how confident I get. I will need to get a new sill panel welded in so am not ruling it out.... yet.

The engine runs well, but needs a good tune. May look at giving it a freshen up and convert the head for unleaded fuel too.

It is not the most powerful car to drive, but feels like a go-kart and is so much fun.

I had a mini project when I lived in the uk but the mrs took it when we broke up :-(

Awesome cars to work on (especially for a non mechanical person like
Me) plus parts are so easy to come by on eBay etc (in the uk, would hope so here too) plus people are always selling refurb'd or pattern parts.

Plenty of funky stuff available too if your into chequer plate, or even leather etc.

Subscribed - good luck with the restoration/build :-)