My Austin Cooper S replica Rebuild Story

gday all.
I havent said much about my latest project so i thourght it was about time i let everyone no what ive been up to.
i got this car of ebay in the end of june.
its a 1967 morris mini deluxe.



the car was in ok nick for a mini witch had been left out in the weather for some time.
after getting it home i was happy to find not much rust and were it did have rust it was in easy to repair places.



both front floors will be replaced with new ones..too much fiberglass for my liking.
drivers side outer sill will be replaced,battery box,and the rear beaver panel and that is it.
think i was quite lucky.



rear floors were ok so i just took all metal back to bare and repainted everything with red oxide rust guard paint.
all under the car was taken back to bare metal also all done by hand witch took me two months but worth all the efort and given three coats of black gloss rust guard enamle paint.





i removed all the subframes and replaced them with the ones i rebuilt.







i sanded down the whole sheel and gave it a coat of red oxide rust guard primmer just to stop any serface rust getting hold as the car is kept in a cold shed.



i then started to put it back to a rolling state as im only renting so i i need to move in a hurry i need it rolling.

fitted rear frame to car.



front subframe got rebuilt.
and fitted to car along with brakes ect.

i sanded down the whole sheel and gave it a coat of red oxide rust guard primmer just to stop any serface rust getting hold as the car is kept in a cold shed.



i then started to put it back to a rolling state as im only renting so i i need to move in a hurry i need it rolling.

fitted rear frame to car.



front subframe got rebuilt.
and fitted to car along with brakes ect.







i rebuilt the brakes,and got all new ball joints and bearings fitted,new drives shafts, and repainted the ap 4 spot calipers too.








now she is rolling again.





have just started repainting the bonnet and boot lid removing all serface rust.

bot lid done so far.



engine is nealry done..its the 1293 out of my red mini.
just need to fit some bits here and there.

finaly got back into the garage.
xmas was busy but things have setled down at work so ive got time now to spend on the mini.

i finished the bonnet and its now undercoated in the same red oxide primmer as the ret of the car.
engine bay has been painted also in black gloss but might be done later on by who ever paints the car.
also finished the boot lid and fitted the new hinges as well.
i managed to get some new door hinges as well but coulod only get 8 studs for them so im waiting to get some more soon so i can fit the passanger door too.
im fiting these as i want the car rolling as im only renting and we may have to move soon.
plus its good i think just to see how things fit...ive noticed the drivers door fits fine but there seems to be a pritty big gap in between the top of the door and the door seal rubber..the door dosent even come close to tiuching the rubber at the top...im hoping it just needs a little bending here and there????but i gues the panel shop will no whats what in this department.
engine has also been stripped down to nothing and resprayed by urs trully..came up a treat..so ill be fitting this soon just to make it easyier to move.

also waiting on a gear selctor case from llink there rebuilding one for me as my one got cracked in my accident.
also talking to northern minis and they tell me theres a part you can get for this to stop the dreaded rattles comming from the stick...ohhhh thank god as i realy hated this...

once this is all finished ill start getting the stuf for the engine im missing...and then save save save for the body work to be done.


door fitted with new hinges




boot fitted


backseat section and rear floor area reapinted



engine kinda being put back together

well its been ages since i posted any updates on my project.
ive been buying little things i wanted here and there just to keep me happy.
i got some new bling stuff...
engine steady and a braided clutch hose.


im looking at getting two more of these so i can use them for the master cylinders brake and clutch instead of the pipe work.
also got the brake pipe kit from northern made up too and i picked up a new brake master cyinder as well.


it took them one day to make the whole kit up for me and its great stuff as you dont even need a bending tool as its nice and easy to bend buy hand.
ive only fitted some of the pipe work so far and still have to fit the long one that gose from the engine bay to the rear of the car but will wait till i get the new floors fitted witch im hoping wil be in the months ahead as long as my bank balance can handle it.
decided to put of the engine install untill i get this done also as it will get covered in c*** from the panel beaters ....i hate dust...
got my quote for putting in the new metal to and so far its seems ok.
so now its just saving time...
 

2009

well the mini went off to the panel beater just b4 xmas last year.
ive been going to see it on a regular basis and its comming along well.
has taken a long time as the panel beater i chouse to put the new floors in only has one guy who does old school welding and panel beating...and hes been off fighting the fires...
last time i went to look at it its beaver panel was on...and the front floors were inplace but not welded in and the outer sill on passanger side was off..
cant wait to get it home...i go into the garage to tinker and i cant..
will post photos once i get her home.

finlay got my baby home all safe and sound.
it was at the panel beaters for over 5 months.
they did an excelent job...very neat and tidy.
this shell has been given a good going over and now i can say im 99% sure its rust free.
floors turned out great ..as did rear beaver panel plus other areas.
ill have photos soon.
now its saving time to get her painted.
 

june 8 2009

well the motor went i yesturay.
as i said in other post...and thanks for the replys....they all helped ..
it was a c*** job...will never do again..unless i have too...ie engine dies ...

still need to pull the boot covers over on the drive shafts....and tighten some bolts here and there....have left extracotrs off for now...as the brownwigs are a pain in the a** to fit so im leaving this for link..as well as some other stuff i cant be stuffed doing.
over all....busy day....lots of cuts...and a smashed my hand with a hammer to..

june 16th 2009

Havent done much the last month or so.
Ive been concentrating on things that are easy and dont cost much at present so i had a go at the exhaust.
as its quite hard to get a new collector pipe for the Brownrigg extractors i decided to use my original one but modify it so i can use it for two exhaust set ups i want to run.
One will be in stainless and for everyday use and the other will be the stell one i all ready have but its a lot quitier and runs a rc40 etc.

the stainless one will be straight threw and will run the first rear box i had on my first mini...a stainless twin dtm style muffler..
it privieds a great note.

so i cut off the collector pipe and had welded on a new flange onto it so i can swop exhaust if need arriese.

the collector pipe was sanded and wire wheeled and then given nice coats of
extractor paint in metalic sliver so it will match the jet hot coating on the extractors.
the end result was quite good and i even gave it a couple of coats of heat proff clear to make it nice and shiny.



next will be to get the new 2 inch stainless pipe made up.
witch will be done in the comming month.
 

well it was back into the shed today to work on the exhaust system for the mini
the collector piece fitted nicely..looks great but now im worried the new flange will hit on the gear selector casing ..so i might have to relocate it closer to the engine so it misses..
i got my new muffler as well.....small twin dtm style.....its as light as bugerey and not sooo good in quality iether but it will do i think...for only $45 posted im not too woried.

I also took my rc40 mufler to my muffler man and had it modified to suit my needs.
a new flange was welded to its end for easy on and off ...as i want to run two mufflers one loud and one quite when the need suits me....just my personl taste....
it was originaly a side exit but i had the tip cut off and a new slightly biger tip welded on.
the whole unit was sanded down cleaned and given some nice paint.
paint used is extractor paint....high temp stuff...proberly over kill but im not worried...
came up ok....its cold as h*** in melbourne so i painted it with a lamp on it to heat it up as its too long to fit in my oven.

paint used was vht....the other stuff was bourght just in case i ran out ..
clear coat high temp was vht as well

new twin style dtm muffler to be used also.

also i have decided on the type of stainless steel i want to use for the system.
ive chousen marine grade highly pollished stainless steel in 316 type..

so it should look great under the car....its not too dear iether at $45 per metre and I only need 1.5 metres so its sweet and i think it 1.6 mm thinck...

im making it suit to mufflers as i have a d.b problem....
as im runnnig 2 inch system....plus brownwigg extractors etc shes pritty loud...last time i ran a dtm muffler ..a bit longer than that one i just bourght she was way over 120 close to 130 db well so i was told....it was pritty loud....

i remember getting petrol on day...police car rocks up....two iels down from me....so i sit as i know if i start it they will ping it for noise polution....
I wait ....they wait....i was there waiting for over 15 min untill i said stuff it....started it up
and week later got a ticket asking me to go get it db tested as they thourght it was too loud..

the rc40 makes it just quite... right on the 96 db mark....last time it hit 96.1 but they passed it...
the rc40 i feel is great but i dont realy the note it produces iether....but it passed last time hence why its going on again.

this car wil be a weekend only car but i allways liked having two systems on my last mini...it worked well....one for every day quite....and one with a nice note....for weekends and cruises etc...

Last time if i remember correctly..i even had the rc40 packed with steel wool to make it even more quite just so it would pass...

aug 14th 2009

well my stainless steel arrived and it was of to the exhaust shop to get it cut and to have some flanges welded on for easy on and off aplications.

the center piece came up well but i couldnt get stainless flanges so i had to use normal steel so i ended up painting the ends in a grey matalic header paint .
they came up well im happy.

also had the rear rc40 rear end extended as it was short buy 6 inchs.....
ill be geting this made in one peice later on but for now it will do...
ive still got to messure up the twin dtm muffler witch ill do this week and hpefully have it test fitted soon after.

her are some photos of the steel welded up and ends painted.

will take some once on car tomorow for you all.

aug 23 2009

well i finished the exhaust system...2 inch stainles steel marine grade...
had to add a 2 inch flexi section as the whole system was just to tight and i could not get the rc40 to be dead centre with out putting some kind of bend in it...this was the most exspensive solution but better overall.

also went about installing the new alloy radiator as well.
my inner radiator shround....the one thats wellded to the guard had to be removed...
mine was pritty bent anyway so i just cut it off.....ill be adding a custom shroud later on if i need to...

here are the photos of the exhaust system..and my mok up install for the radiator.
i used rubber monts for the radiator to stop vibration....
also got my blue top hose silicone and i orderd the bottom one today as well from mini spares..
plus some other bits....
new oil cooler and braided pipes was bourght as well ..no photos of this but you all no what it looks like...
 

next is to finish installing the gear selector ..fingers crossed the first flange on the exhaust dosent hit it..
fit oil cooler....

well my new stuff arived from uk today...new blue silacone bottom radiator hose...
1/2 moon seal for gear selector case....or what ever ya call it....and the big plug that seals the part you grease threw ...

i had to repaint the case as link accidently wiped over it with some sort of cleaner and the paint got stuffed....ill be installing this soon.
also finished the install of the radiator....just need to tighten up the hose clamps and its all done for now....
i tried to get the bottom hose without the litle pipe that goes to the head but couldnt so i just cut it off and pluged it ....like ive did last time..

oct 28 2009

well i started fitting the fuel system stuff today.
new fuel pressure regualtor
new earls fittings and hose etc.

regulator is fitted due to lots of different views on my facet pump...some saying its too powerfull for the webber some saying its not...so i fitted it and the machanics can sort it out if its required or not...if anything its just another bit of bling in the engine bay.

i picked up all the fittings from my local earls supplier in melbourne.
and went to work.

end result is good..im happy....
there is plenty of slack in the hose also to compensate for the engine rock as i was told this may be a problem and undo the bolt on the banjo fitting on the webber.
wel i got my new earls fuel filter.,
ended up only costing me $47.00
not bad....looks good too.

fitted it too car....still havent decided if im going to fit more earls 90 deg angles on the ends to make the line nice and neat....supose its only another $100 but it can wait till another day as this setup will do for now.




engine bay is looking good now...nice and clean....and neat....




i bourght new earls braided hose for the fuel pump end section too...and added earls end fittings to finish it all off.
these are a rip off....$9.00 each for a blue alloy cover but they seem to close up better than the cheaper ones you can get else where.
 

jan 25 2011

gues its time for an update.

Ive been unable to log on for some time due to log in details beig wrong..but its all fixed now....thanks gafmo....much aprecated...

Ive been buying small things again....just to keep me amused for now.

latest buys..

new small stack ram tubes with mesh filters.
I got these becaause I liked the look of them....plus they clear the firewall easy.






Also bourght some new mirrors too.
These are quite small so not sure if they will pass roadworthy but ive seen the same size on vw bettles so I hope they will be ok..







also getting ready to order new arches from uk too in carbon fiber.



And I have allready got the rear no plate light in carbon fiber look too.



and continplating on getting the front and rear bumpers in carbon firber as well...but thinking it may be too much so will see.