Back on the Mini

Had a little break from the norm last week, I was in San Francisco for business and got to put in a couple of rides. The weather didn't really cooperate, and I ended up getting really cold and wet. I managed to stay healthy, and now can cross off  'ride over the golden gate bridge' from my to-do list. Got some nice rides in by the coast as well-it is really beautiful there.

Northern California Coast-by bike!

I've been working on the body of the Mini some. I started on the bootlid; my new/old shell came with a nice double-skinned MK1 bootlid, and I really like the look of it, especially the inside. It was pretty much the only rusty part that I got from that deal, so I got to work fixin' it up.

Rusty MK1 bootlid

Got out the grinder and cut out the rusty bit. Traced a replacement patch with a piece of paper, transferred it onto some sheet metal and cut it out. After a bit of grinding it fit OK, and I welded it in place. Ground off all the splatter and mess that I made with the welder, and welded some more. After about 3 cycles, I ended up with:

Rust gone, botched patch in!

Now I've got a rustless bootlid, just need to break out the filler to clean it up. Next step is to tackle the shell. It was sandblasted, and had all the rusty metal replaced, but still needs cleaning up. I will start on the underside, with POR 15 and urethane seam sealer to make sure it is rust-free, sealed and strong.

1967 MK1 mini shell

Simply clear out a space, put some old tires on the garage floor, and flip the car onto it's side:

under the mini shell

I'm pleased with what I found. Looks like it has a new boot floor, new front floors, new sills, valence, a-panels and wings. There are a couple of holes and bits that I am cleaning up, so I started by grinding off the primer and filler where I needed to work. Next, I welded up any gaps and little holes that I found. Now I will have to POR 15 the areas that need it, fill the cracks and seams with Pro Form PF224 urethane sealer/adhesive. I will also use this to seal around the wings at the scuttle joint, and at the front seam under the  headlights. Right now it'll have to wait for another night...