Author Topic: Project Zippy (Midas Mk1 Coupe) Engine In! (Read 64850 times)

richw911 · « **Reply #70 on:** 14 August 2012, 12:02 »

Amazing work - repair the loom

MrBounce · « **Reply #71 on:** 17 August 2012, 21:51 »

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 gently persuaded into place by light 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

VR6_Wherry · « **Reply #72 on:** 21 August 2012, 13:13 »

ONly thread i will actually read and not just look at the pictures!

MrBounce · « **Reply #73 on:** 26 August 2012, 21:10 »

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.

MrBounce · « **Reply #74 on:** 09 September 2012, 15:08 »

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...

MrBounce · « **Reply #75 on:** 30 September 2012, 15:37 »

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 been 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 · « **Reply #76 on:** 20 October 2012, 14:34 »

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!

MrBounce · « **Reply #77 on:** 03 November 2012, 16:49 »

I have turned my attention to the bodywork now that most of the mechanical bits are off the car. There is an alarming amount of cracking by the bumper/front panel/front wings and I have no doubts that this car has been driven into something at some point. The attempts to repair it have been rather poor, with lots of filler and the total disregard for any crack rectification.

I started with grinding out the cracks on the passenger side wing by the headlight and where the repeater used to sit. I don't like repeaters on the Midas - I think the ones that were on my car came from a Maxi or similar and were so knackered they went straight in the bin. I will probably replace them with something else small, maybe from a Fiesta or something. Suggestions welcome! Then again, I might not fit some at all... There were a large number of cracks but they have ended up making a pretty pattern. It looks like a map of a large Motorway junction now...

Then I moved to the front of the car. Initially I thought there was an enormous chunk of filler in the front but it was difficult to tell because it had been primered and/or repainted really badly. I spent a few minutes sanding it with some 60 grit, and I was greeted by some good news and some bad. There wasn't as much filler as I had expected (a lot was primer which sanded off) but there were at least two applications and not all of it was blended properly. There was a massive crack where the filler met the fibreglass - some of the fibreglass actually fell out with minimal persuasion. I have ground down the first load of cracks that I can see but I am undecided on the best way forward for the front end. Do I keep what is there and work with it? Do I grind out all the filler and start again? I will take advice and decide later.

Finally I dealt with the chunk of filler on the bulkhead - I had a bit of a prod and a poke here - it turned out it was covering a hole in the bulkhead but I am not sure why or how the hole was made. I shall be attacking this with some fresh fibreglass in the future.

Cracks in front wing - lots of 'em!

First crack ground out (still a bit to do...)

Looking like a motorway junction...

Sorry looking front end

Sanded down. Some fibreglass broke off without much help

Close up, at least two filler applications

Most of the cracks ground out. What to do from here?

Wad of filler on bulkhead hid this. How/why was the hole here?

MrBounce · « **Reply #78 on:** 09 December 2012, 16:55 »

Well it's been a little while since my last update. Mrs B had an operation (she's fine - nothing to worry about) so a lot of my evenings and weekends in Novemeber were spent looking after her and the house. Plus there's also the fact that recently it has been a little bit chilly in the garage... I have however been acquiring some more bits and bobs from various forums and the good ol' bay of E. I have managed to get hold of the following: two longer track-rod ends for my Negative Camber bottom arms, an LCB (my old one has a dent in the centre pipe), a brand-new Mountney D-shaped wheel along with a secondhand boss, one of the two new rubber doughnuts I need, and in my quest to avoid any likelihood of ever using a Mini heater again, an heater unit from an MGF complete with controls (Many thanks to Rob Bell for the above). I WILL make it fit!

The front end had not got any better since I last attacked it so I thought I would have a look at the filler. I made two vetical incisions through it then attacked it with a screwdriver. Yup, off flicked great chunks of it. Whoever had "repaired" it after the crash had not done a good job at all. I don't know a great deal about bodywork, but just slathering wads of filler over cracked and broken fibreglass is NOT the way forward. I spent the next half an hour chipping of great chunks of it (some of it the size of a custard cream biscuit). I then put a sander on the Dremel and ran that over the damaged fibreglass underneath. This also revealed more cracks. All of these will be properly ground out and carefully repaired.

I am not sure what the car hit, but I can only assume it was something fairly solid and immovable, like a wall - or possibly a cathedral. There are cracks all over the front end (probably due to the impact) so it is going to take an age to clean it all up. I am determined to do it properly as I want it to look half decent! Thre may well be more updates to follow which involve a great deal of Dremel use and sanding. For that I can only apologise...

Front end hiding obvious horrors.

Two small grooves then flick out the crap with a screwdriver...

Amazingly, there was gelcoat under it all. What a bodge!

Big chunks of filler. Yuk.

I am left with this...

...and this...

Front end looks ugly right now. To paraphrase the 6 million dollar man, "We can rebuild him!"

LCB - needs a clean up and a coat of high temp paint - only cost a tenner!

MGF heater. Am looking forward to the challenge of fitting this!

Funky "D" shaped steering wheel and boss, all for under £35...

MrBounce · « **Reply #79 on:** 16 December 2012, 14:40 »

Back in the Manroom for yet more body horrors, I kept my attentions on the nearside front corner. Closer inspection reveals that this side has also been smacked about by something solid. Whoop-di-do. The area surrounding the sidelight/indicator recess has been made up from a selection of remaining bodywork and standard body filler, so that all needed chipping out. The hammer & screwdriver have become a useful pairing here. And yes, I did manage to make at least one hole. Where the bumper sits is a mass of badly applied lumpy fibreglass which I will eventually try to smooth off. Beneath the light recess is a nasty myriad of cracking (worse even than by the headlight area) so I am going to deliberately avoid this until I can get the car on its side - that way I can work at a decent height. It also (of course) goes under the bottom of the spoiler (as it's an early 80s car do I call it an "air-dam"?) so all of it will need to be re-done. I guess I am going to learn a fair bit about repairing fibreglass.

I spent the rest of the afternoon avoiding the front end and doing a bit of sanding; the front wing top, roof and pillar area and the heat affected bulkhead were my main targets. It's amazing what a bit of 60-grit will do to a surface to clear away the crud. The whole body will be resprayed anyway so I will of course be using finer grit then eventually wet & dry to get a better finish! I also have numerous holes and gouges to fill in so it is all going to take a while. More soon.

Full of filler & other assorted rubbish...