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 RT M2 1191 reborn (currently 650 views) |
| John_Campbell |
Posted on: June 14th, 2017, 09:14:22
 Attachment: dsc03031.jpg - 118.18 KB (4043 views) |
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Posts: 94
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| Lots and lots of rubbing down, followed by Rustoleum Crystal Clear and more rubbing and polishing, and Hey Presto! look at what we've got. |
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Reply: 30 - 68 |
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| John_Campbell |
Posted on: June 14th, 2017, 09:18:09
Attachment: dsc03030.jpg - 115.39 KB (4812 views) |
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Posts: 94
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| I couldn't have been happier with result (at this stage) normally being a plonker at bodywork I was stunned at my new found skillset, I was the man. |
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Reply: 31 - 68 |
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| John_Campbell |
Posted on: June 14th, 2017, 09:25:01
Attachment: dsc03029.jpg - 160.48 KB (4825 views) |
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Posts: 94
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| I mean who couldn't be impressed by the gleaming vision that I'd created in my backyard with a roller and a tin of industrial exterior paint designed using fish oil by a fisherman who spotted that the deck under where the fish lay, never rusted. Truly awesome. |
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Reply: 32 - 68 |
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| John_Campbell |
Posted on: June 14th, 2017, 09:45:34
Attachment: inpaint.jpg - 137.43 KB (4848 views) |
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Posts: 94
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| Ok OK I hear your deep intake of breath. Now for the 'I told you so' moment. Yes, from about a yard (metre for youngsters) away, it looks pretty passable, but to the observant it does sport several problems. Firstly, through no fault of mine, insect crap (why on earth do they call it honeydew? Yuk), after removal has etched through the gloss and left a matt spot (not good). The points where I'd run out of grey primer and stupidly rescued a tin of yellow from the top shelf, if you look very closely, altered the colour slightly (not too bad). Elsewhere I was too aggressive with my finishing sanding and have gone through the clearcoat in a few places (oops!). A few pinholes that I missed in my euphoria followed by many dings and scratches during its rebuild in the garage. But having said all that, for less than a hundred quid, I'm pretty pleased with the outcome. And so onto the rebuild now. Stop laughing. |
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Reply: 33 - 68 |
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| John_Campbell |
Posted on: June 15th, 2017, 08:11:37
Attachment: heater.jpg - 164.55 KB (4810 views) |
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Minimum Member
Posts: 94
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| Well now we're into my comfort zone, the rebuild. Cinquecento radiator fitted after advice from this site (thanks). In fact it's so good that I can't get the fan to come on, it doesn't get hot enough! The plumbing was one of the most onerous tasks being as all the hose dimensions are different and I wanted a heater. So as I thought (after a trial fit) that the heater was too intrusive into the footwell, I refitted the original, up behind the dash. A Landy expansion tank with the right cap fitted neatly under the bonnet. I worked on the principle of replacing all the perishables and refurbishing all the rest, replacing where necessary. This seems to have worked a treat except for one of the rear wheel bearings which I stripped, inspected, greased-up and refitted, only for it to grumble back at me on the de-bug run (its now on new rollers). |
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Reply: 34 - 68 |
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| John_Campbell |
Posted on: June 15th, 2017, 08:13:38
Attachment: radiator.jpg - 174.71 KB (4796 views) |
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Posts: 94
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| Cinquecento rad |
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Reply: 35 - 68 |
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| John_Campbell |
Posted on: June 15th, 2017, 08:20:44
Attachment: sep15a.jpg - 149.33 KB (4806 views) |
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Posts: 94
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| Most of this was carried out in my new custom built Japanese style garage as 'our' double garage (in length) isn't really for cars, it houses everything but. This would have to change before winter set in. |
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Reply: 36 - 68 |
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| John_Campbell |
Posted on: June 15th, 2017, 08:28:17
Attachment: wiring.jpg - 156.08 KB (2228 views) |
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Minimum Member
Posts: 94
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| Looking back, it all sounds relatively straightforward, but many of you will know how many new expletives one picks up during a Jem build. My profession was electronic engineer so I was actually looking forward to the wiring. I took the donor loom laid it out in situ, stripped off the tape, re-sited various bits, connected up, then retaped. I went through the firewall in the OS corner and ran the rear cable through the sill. Worked a treat. |
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Reply: 37 - 68 |
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| John_Campbell |
Posted on: June 15th, 2017, 08:47:41
Attachment: hinges.jpg - 191.34 KB (2228 views) |
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Minimum Member
Posts: 94
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| Oh yes, ha ha. I did try to make some front bonnet hinges. I designed, mocked up, prototyped and eventually manufactured some beauties out of ali. They didn't fit! they scraped the front of the bonnet, no matter what I did, so I came up with a novel (and far easier) method, bullets and sockets, and they work a treat. |
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Reply: 38 - 68 |
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| John_Campbell |
Posted on: June 15th, 2017, 08:57:15
Attachment: jcs_engine.jpg - 185.23 KB (1856 views) |
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Minimum Member
Posts: 94
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| So, subframes fully loaded and fitted, engine in, cooled, fuelled, oiled and powered. Electrics connected and tested, and five hard years of toil described in one sentence. And we've yet to talk about the interior consuming another year of my fast declining quota. Anyway here she is. |
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Reply: 39 - 68 |
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| John_Campbell |
Posted on: June 15th, 2017, 09:25:00
Attachment: jcs_engine_ns.jpg - 172.35 KB (4816 views) |
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Minimum Member
Posts: 94
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| Just a final word referring back to the bonnet and new found bulge. When replacing the bulge with the original, I hadn't spotted the thread on here about different bulges for different engines (oops!). Also when I got the Jem, I mistakenly assumed (never assume, John) that it had been running with the after market exhaust/inlet configuration, so when I fitted my HIF carb, yes you got it, it stuck up a mile. AND the damned thing wouldn't clear the thermostat housing or the rocker cover. That was a sad, sad day. So, added additional bulge for the carb, fitted low profile thermostat housing, fitted ali rocker cover and filed off a few fins and she just slips on nicely (good job John, nice one, your the man) Phew! |
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Reply: 40 - 68 |
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| John_Campbell |
Posted on: June 16th, 2017, 09:16:54
Attachment: int2.gif - 169.47 KB (4789 views) |
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Minimum Member
Posts: 94
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| And onto the interior. Dash first, and I went for a minimalist look being as I had virtually no space now that I had the heater installed. The factory dash had been cut out and replaced with an sheet of ali and the original dash was an additional sheet full of gauges. I set the controls centrally so I could (just) reach them. How does anyone manage to get a seating position where your head clears the roof and you can get 1st gear without leaning forward, and your knees aren't under your chin? Hah! the seats. I measured carefully, height & width (v small) and trawled eBay for some decent seats. Hurrah, I managed to get some MG TF seats with integral seat belt anchorage. What I hadn't spotted was that the roof line curves sharply down to the side. Oops, don't fit. Lucky my VW T2 needed new front seats. Next came a lovely pair of Mambas which also didn't fit the bill. Finally after examining many pics of Jem/Marcos interiors, I managed to find the smallest seats in the world and get them installed using cotter pins for quick and regular removal. |
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Reply: 41 - 68 |
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| John_Campbell |
Posted on: June 16th, 2017, 09:18:59
Attachment: int3.jpg - 150.62 KB (4798 views) |
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Minimum Member
Posts: 94
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| You can also see the demister vents here, which took a lot of judicious plastic welding to get fitted. |
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Reply: 42 - 68 |
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| John_Campbell |
Posted on: June 16th, 2017, 09:33:08
Attachment: int1.jpg - 181.06 KB (4790 views) |
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Minimum Member
Posts: 94
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| So seats in, dash in, headlining next, ha ha ha, tee hee hee, now if you want a good laugh, try sticking a floppy sheet covered in glue to a sticky roof, on your back in a box full of noxious fumes. Then after a couple of weeks redo the bits that didn't stick, then after another few weeks really get enough glue in there that it soaks into the foam and peeks through in places, Grrrrrrr. Carpets are a piece of cake after headlinings, even if the damned floor was designed to frustrate all attempts at a good finish. I decided to make a frame to cover the tyre well, battery etc. and make some trays to compensate for the lack of storage. |
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Reply: 43 - 68 |
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| John_Campbell |
Posted on: June 16th, 2017, 09:58:02
Attachment: studs.jpg - 102.48 KB (4040 views) |
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Minimum Member
Posts: 94
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| Again the observant amongst you will have noticed that I had the clutch propped open whilst all this was going on and I thought I'd mention a mod I needed with the clutch master cylinder push rod. As the master cylinder was originally sitting on the thin metal top of the Mini firewall, and we've added about 8mm of glass between the metal and the cylinder, the push rod has lost 8mm of movement. This prevented the clutch release lever from fully releasing the clutch, so I had to get 8mm welded into the push rod shaft to compensate (no pic). One last thing then for today, while I remember. I've fitted wheel spacers with extended studs (obviously) and whilst giving one that last oomph, to make sure it's tight (you know what I mean), it sheared off (damn my superhuman strength!). So I ordered a replacement, pulled the hub, fitted the stud and refitted the hub. Only then did I notice that the threads were too short. Duh!!!! I contacted the supplier and they checked stock and all were too short. he reckoned that the suppliers all used the same source so they all could be the same. And he was almost right, it took many calls and checking and explaining that I'm not an idiot and know what I'm talking about until I found a good one. So, off with the hub, out with the .................... |
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Reply: 44 - 68 |
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Mini Marcos Forum > General Boards > Mini Jem > RT M2 1191 reborn
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