Camels Mini

[Ryzza5]

Well at least (it sounds like) you know what you're doing. How much has the car cost in total now with all the parts and repairs? (you don't have to answer of course)

[Camel]

About 3 grand so far. To me it's worth it though just for the enjoyment I get from driving it.

[Ryzza5]

Still a good price for a classic!

[Camel]

All my shinies came today! Couldn't fit them because the tool I need isn't here yet and the hammers wouldn't shock the ball joints apart. I only succeeded in accidentally popping a piston out of the calliper getting brake fluid everywhere, deafening myself hitting the ball joints with the hammer and smashed my wrist... again.

 

But pictures!

 

10 litres of oil because why not?

 

2 new track rod ends because I butchered the old ones, needed replacing anyway.

 

8 ball joints because I only needed 4... Didn't know they came in pairs.

 

Rear tracking brackets for camber an tracking.

 

New brake hoses all round. Current ones looked past their best.

 

4 new pistons for the callipers.

 

2 inner CV joints that connect the driveshafts to the diff.

 

4 KYB uprated gas shock absorbers

 

2 heavy duty tie-rods because I have a tendency of being forced off the road by lorries. :lol: These won't bend

 

2 adjustable lower suspension arms for tracking and camber.

 

Among other smaller things like calliper piston seals, diff oil seals, bushes and brake fluid.

[Guest MrLolololXD]

Sounds like fun, I challenge you to install all those parts over 1 weekend :evil:

[Camel]

Can my weekend start Monday? The tool I need won't be here till then. :(

 

Reckon I could manage it with my brothers help over 2 days. Hoping there are no major issues after I've got the hubs off. Also going to replace the suspension cones that I paid someone to do and they didn't do it. First, and last time that I use a garage for anything apart from my MOT which is due in 5 days. :(

 

So if I don't get it done by Wednesday I won't be able to get it tracked before the MOT or drive it. :(

[Camel]

Looks like I'm going to another £400-500 out of pocket thanks to that garage.

 

Found out today that the gentleman sausage that worked on my car has crossthreaded one of 2 of the main bolts that connect the car body to the front subframe that holds the engine and suspension. This is very bad for a number of reasons.

 

One being that I will need a new front subframe costing £375 + postage which will probably be another£40 or so as they are big and heavy. Or I could get a garage(Not going to happen. Only going to use a garage for MOT and tracking) to drill out the knackered thread and insert a helicoil into the hole to create a new thread on a rather safety crucial area of the car. No thanks.

 

The second being that because the bolt is crossthreaded I can't move the bolt at all. I even sheered a decent 1/2" thick metal extension bar for my 18" torque wrench. And because the bolt is connecting the car body to the subframe, I can't remove the subframe from the car!

 

The third being that because the car has no suspension and I can't refit any due to not being able to remove the bolt, I am unable to move the car and get it to somewhere that has an air impact fun that could possibly remove the bolt or a powerful enough drill to drill through the rather large heavy duty bolt.

 

So whatever happens, I'll be off the road for quite some time. And I can't really do anything to the "mechanic" who did the work because he's about a foot taller than me and about 5 of me stuck together in width. So if I do lose my temper with him it'd probably hurt my hand more than him. Moral of the story, don't trust mechanics especially if they're tall, fat, German and named Ike.

[TimBud]

Crap. :(

[calster17]

Looked like you'd been motoring along with her until this setback. :(

 

Do you have anything to prove they've done the work, paperwork and such? Since they buggered up they should fix it. We had problems with my brothers R25 when it was at a garage getting it's head gasket replaced(im sure they never did it, water was still leaking into the system) as well as them saying it needed a starter motor so they put a 'new' one on(turned out it was a recon, but charged us for a new one! I'm still sure to this day that it never needed a starter). They did eventually do it right though....thats after a mate of mine canceled his MoT that was due and one of my mates was due to get new wheel bearings but changed garage to do it(both saying how they knew a R25 that had been in)

 

 

And I can't really do anything to the "mechanic" who did the work because he's about a foot taller than me and about 5 of me stuck together in width. So if I do lose my temper with him it'd probably hurt my hand more than him.

 

Thats why I always keep a 5 Iron in my car. I'm a golf player...really. ;)

[Guest MrLolololXD]

Whenever you take your car to a garage/mechanic for work, make it very clear when you first take the car there, that when you come to pick it up you want a full list of what they did, all the old parts they supposedly replaced placed in a box and given back to you and receipts for the 'new' parts they purchased, otherwise they will not see a single cent of your money.

[Camel]

I paid some of it on my card and have the bank statement to prove it which has the date. 6 days after that I also had the car tracked and have the printout with the date on it. That shows that he tracked one front with dead ahead with 0mm toe in and the other wheel he put 2.8mm toe in on it and a bit toe in on a Mini can severely effect the handling of the car and make it unpredictable, never mind so much on just one wheel.

 

And the postman also decided to put the missed delivery card through the door before even knocking very quietly on the door so I still don't have the tool I need until tomorrow. How nice of him.

[Mb]

I feel your pain Camel. My Pug recently had some maintenance/work done. Set me back about 2k :ill:

[Camel]

Made some headway today. Got the ball joint splitter so managed to get the wheel hub off, bottom suspension arm, and tie-bar are almost off. Managed to reseat the rubber cone spring with the main bolt still in. Also got one of the driveshafts out of the diff along with the inboard V/pot joint with subsequently decided to pretty much explode, covering everything in old thick black including my entire face and hair. :lol:

 

It shouldn't have oil in it anyway! Good job I planned ahead and had got the new oil seals that go behind the pot joint. That will be where most of my oil too as I had been using half a litre every week or two.

 

Also got stuck under the car. I have quite broad shoulders and well, the car is small so the axle stands are fairly close together. I managed to get between them fine and get my arms though but could I get out? Hell no. I couldn't keep going towards the back or side of the car because the exhaust downpipe was in the way and I couldn't get my arms back through between the axle stands without hitting them and possibly making the car fall on me. Over half an hour and many cramps later i got free. :lol:

[Camel]

Update!

 

The subframe wasn't crossthreaded so that's awesome. And I've now got all of the parts I need(I hope). Also starting to put the new things on the nearside of the car now. Just finished changing the suspension rubber cone(car doesn't use springs) and upper suspension arm. Got a few things left to remove on the offside but that shouldn't take too long as I know how to do it properly now.

 

Suspension cones

 

Front shock absorber(same on both sides)

 

No wonder the ride was appalling. The cones are far too squashed and the shock absorbers did nothing, once they were compressed they stayed compressed. :lol:

[Camel]

Here's one for patch.

 

 

Cold start that sounded really rough. The exhaust was full of rain water and the tappets need setting again. I think I knocked the dizzy too which means the timing is out causing engine knocking and the breather hose also split making it run without a vacuum and also a bit leaner.. >.< But it runs!

[Ryzza5]

Video is private, Genius

[Camel]

Yea, I forgot not everyone is a genius like me. :D

[Ryzza5]

Haha so cute (the video). Not sure if it's just the camera mic but I reckon my lawnmower sounds more....... stereo? powerful? can't think of the right word.

[Fear Deer]

Nice vid mells :) sounds like a fun car ahha.

and ryzza lovely avatar.

[Camel]

Yea, it doesn't sound like that in person. Especially not when driving. This was right next to a garage with the door open which made it worse.

 

Look for my old driving video for what it really sounds like.

 

Need new wheel hubs that the bearings sit in and ball joints are connected to. Ball joints have rusted into these ones and are impossible to move. £50 each. >.<

[Fear Deer]

I watched your old video of you driving it, it sounded very fun ^^

I'm sure that car gives you a lot of smiles when being driven :)

[Camel]

I've been a busy Camel!

 

Almost ready to remove the rear subframe. Just need to wait for my brother to get a cargo pallet to support the floor of my car. Then I can remove all the old underseal, grind out the rusted areas and weld new metal in it's place getting rid of 100% of the rust. Then give it a few good coats of underseal to protect the new metal from rusting. The same with the subframe, gonna use a sanding disk to get all the surface rust off then coat it with underseal before putting it back on the car followed by putting on the new brakes.

 

Then onto the front of the car. Going to life the car body over the top of the engine so the engine and front subframe are out of the car. Cut out all of the rust on the front end of the car and weld new metal in and also weld on the front wings and front panel as they weren't even welded before. Just held on by filler and 3 small blobs are crappy weld by the previous owner... Under seal the front of the car and paint the engine bay matte black or blue(still unsure).

 

Then onto the engine, taking the sanding disk to it to get all the rust off then I'll be painting the whole thing blue as well as cleaning the rust off the subframe and painting painting that black again.

 

Then once both subframes are back in the car I'll be cutting out the old floors, sills and doorsteps to weld in new rust free ones in their place before under sealing the middle of the car. Then it's time to prep all of the body work ready for it to be painted properly inside and out.

 

And then all that's left is to put it all back together again which I imagine will take several weeks and several thousand pounds to buy all the new parts that I need.

 

Pictures!

 

Rather bare looking engine bay. Just finished taking most of the engine ancillaries off along with the exhaust and intake.

 

Hole in the boot floor under where the petrol tank sits.

 

Two pieces of metal completely rusted away. They were both solid 6 months ago but it just goes to show how fast rust can destroy metal if not treated properly

 

The front wing should be welded on all the way around. However both of them had 3 small blobs of weld and the rest was just filler.

 

This A pillar is also supposed to be spot or seem welded all the way up. No weld at all, just small metal clips.

 

This isn't supposed to happen. Supposed to be welded, not stuck together with filler.

 

 

Tl:dr

 

I went crazy with a mallet and chisel poking holes everywhere.

It's going to cost a lot of money to put right because I'm doing it the proper way.

I still love my car. <3

At least 2 more months to go, maybe 3 or 4 or December if I'm unlucky.

 

Photo Album Of Restoration

[RX_37]

Well they had to save weight somewhere :D AS long as it hold together it was probaly fine :lol:

[TIMELESS]

Advice: put the TL;DR section at the top. *flaps after checking mirrors*

[TimBud]

Ah the classic midlands build quality. :)