As ever progress but not ground braking. Having to think hard, as much as other bits of life have not left much time for the mini I have been on it.
Door cards, I must have mentioned I had reglued the covering seem/edge back down to the reverse of the card. As the door cards are obviously stored lent up against the fish tank in the dinning room! I noticed recently as walked past them a nasty curve between the trim poppers, I expect they have a proper name, the bits that pop into the door skin and hold the card on. As that end was on the exposed end when open, I got back on to the idea of making the cards and re using the covering. It's still in good nick and I like them. After many measurements and second guessing a little due to the partially blown card, I had it all. At work I programmed and cut a prototype which ended up being pretty dam close, add a little BL tolerance with oversizing the holes and we should be good.
The keen eyed might notice the window handle hole is off. We shall just call that one of those moments. Checked it over and just have no idea what I was thinking when programming that, it's noticed and easily sorted.
Checking the prototype on both doors I gentle dug out and later on the lawn, I re noticed the scuffs on the top frame. Poss done when I brought them home in my car? I also noticed the paint going to the window rubber was patchy. A quick clean up, mask up, paint,clear coat and all is good again. Was quite glad it's done, as the temp will be staying low now and I don't want blooming in the paint. So made the most of that bright Sunday afternoon.
At last I got the other calliper off. Went to my friends and used his duga duga, or an impact gun if your posh. One stone gaurd is sandblasted and sprayed the other is in the que
The above is just sandblasted, but what a difference.
The last thing I did was pop round to my parents where the second (stop gap) engine is stored. I needed a fresh look at it. A couple of bolts missing and dirty, of course. But it has all the brackets there, water pump, fuel pump, silicon bypass hose and it's had fairly regular oil changes by the look of the clean rockers. It still turns over by hand, so all was looking good apart from the missing dizzy cap. I then fiddled with the clutch arm, nice and free.... I took the bell housing off and there is zero clutch, yay!
A full kit with fly wheel £260ish, bugar. I have already been looking at caliper seal kits, discs and pads on top of a few other small parts. It was starting to mount up, again, sigh. A few messages with a friend who is cutting back on his parts and I should be getting full clutch, discs bearings and ball joints for £140. Quite relieved and thankfull, I'm waiting to collect the parts ready to attack the next phase.
A ray of light. With my friends parts, that could see the engine together enough to drop it in the car, and with front brakes overhauled, bearings and ball joints. This is getting closer to the right hubs and wheel offset for the first time, as they are metro bubs at present and sit wider than they should.
There will still be all the ancillaries to sort out which some are already prepared and others need sorting. As this wasn't the planned engine it needs some different spec bolt on's. Glad I didn't sell the spares as I now need them! But the to do list after the engine and front hubs might fit on one page... If I write small !
