There are some solar shed lights that they sell these days - not sure how powerful they are but could be helpful - you stick the solar panel on the roof and run the lead inside to the light, so you can mount in on an overhead rafter or what have you. Also check out the rechargeable lights for under the bonnet (not sure what the correct name for these is: under bonnet light / inspection light / mechanic's light).

EDIT: Or Simon K's suggestion - we've all been there!

Good luck, a fella needs his shed!

_________________

Is that using a hammer to make fine adjustments!



that's what I do to the carport.. I don't even have a garage.. just a gravel floor, tin roof, tarpaulins for walls, extension lead, power board, and some $38 workshop halogens from bunnings. These lights are the best buy ever, and they double as heaters during the colder months!

_________________
tim
68 Deluxe 1293, HIF44, megajolt/EDIS4, daihatsu alternator..

'a mini is for life, not just for christmas!'

And If you do decide you need a mechanic to look at it, find the oldest guy around thats supposed to be retired who used to work on them all the time to look at it. Being a mechanic myself i know what 99% of us are like, and they just aren't interested in working on "junk" even though its a million times simpler and often easier then what they whinge about all day long.

And if there aren't any old working mechanics then maybe there are some friendly retired mechanics you can mow their lawns for advice

I have four vehicles. One is a five tonne truck, which gets religiously serviced by a truck mechanic, I don't even look at the engine, except to check oil and water.

My Kawasaki ZX-14 Sports/tourer intercontinental ballistic land barge.Other than changing the oil, adjusting the chain, doing the plugs and a few other little things it gets looked after by our friendly Race team Mechanic. He does things like changing the shims for the valve adjustments and anything else that makes me curl up into a ball and cry myself to sleep on it.

I have my Range Rover. I've had to learn how to fix most things myself because I got sick of handing over at least $1000.00 everytime I took it to a mechanic, but it took awhile and because most of it is computer controlled special software and connections have to be used to diagnose certain problems and to reset error codes.

Then I have my Mini. She does not scare me at all, I can open the bonnet and not panic. I can do a service on her and it won't cost me nearly a weeks wage, she's still looking a bit shabby but she's a work in progress and she best of all she keeps me sane. These older cars are special mainly because they are different to everything else available. Coincidentally I'm actually typing this from the front seat of the car because I wanted to tinker on the engine and was about to use the search feature on the forum.

Don't sell your Mini. You WILL regret it, maybe not right then and there but give it a week, or when the weather turns nice and you can't go for a cruise around town. It's weird I think a Mini could turn heads and start more conversations than just about any other car made..

Hang in there Headgasket, she'll be right mate!!

Sometimes the reactions are just inexplicable. I once went to an exhaust place because on the way to work, the extractor had cracked at the bracket that bolts to the gear box. I wanted a bead of weld run along the crack which was underneath the pipe, would have just needed the car up on the hoist zzzzt and done. A few quick bucks.
Me and the car were literally marched off his property and told to never come back in no uncertain terms.... go figure.
Go a bit further up the road to the next one, he even made a new bottom collector for me, on the spot. Turns out he owned several minis including an S as a track car.
If you get kicked by one, just a little further up the road is another....

_________________
Over 1,000,000Km, but now my retirement restoration project

I used to run a 20m extension lead from my living room, out my front door, and to the garage outside my unit. Powered a desk lamp or two.

It got me though a head change, cam shaft change, timing belt change and exhaust swap.

If you are determined (Or broke ), you can do just about anything.

Somewhere in Bathurst there will be a mechanic that will love to work on your car. The hard part is finding that mechanic.
I would also bet that there is a classic car club in town that could help you find a mechanic.

Headgasket, I reside in the Blue Mountians, only a stone throws away (169.5km to be precise). more than happy to help you out when time and family commitments allow.
DON"T SELL THE MINI!!!

Been in your footsteps before. I've driven mini's as daily drivers, been shafted by numerous mechanics who charged me stupid prices for simple work. I ended up selling everything after being shafted over $4800. Pretty much everything I do myself.

But the bug never leaves your system, it lays dormant...waiting to hit you hard when your at your weakest.... You will see a mini drive past and suddenly your world will come crashing apart. "Oh why did I sell it, what the hell was I thinking". You then pick up the local trader to check out the prices of mini's, "What the hell, $7000 for a mini, back in the day it only cost me $500 for a rego'd runner!".

Get yourself a daily hack to get to and from work, keep the mini for all the other fun trips weekend cruises and so on. When something craps it self you don't have to stress about getting it fixed straight away so you can get to work ect. It's only going to increase in value unless you treat it like the general lee in the dukes of hazard.

You can slowly plod your way through problem solving your mini and have fun whilst doing it. A digital camera, and ausmini will be your workshop manual, your drinking buddy, the shoulder you need to cry on (On really bad days) and when you've sorted out the problem a great place for bragging rights.

_________________
Mini, its in my blood........

no bull thats my same story^^..
i had a 50 c hole in the exhaust where it clips to gearbox. muffler joint didn't want to know me. i hit up the guy 3 stores up ,( welding fabricator) said if i can get it off he'll do it, 1 beer later and $20 ,,, good as new. had to cruise past the muffler joint for my own satisfaction.

_________________
PrOuDlY aSkInG qUeStIoNs FoR uR aMuEsMeNt

Yup i gotta agree with everything already said here!

KEEP IT! I have had my mini going on 13 years, and until last year it sat in the back yard, with grass growing through the gear box, and rust taking care of the rest of it! But i never once thought of selling it, mainly cause i didn't want to have to one day say ' i USED to own..............!'
A crap load of time (money and effort) later, i'm glad i still have her!

I'm a chick. Chicks don't normally work on cars. But when the 'prettying' is finished on mine, i want to have learnt enough about her that i will be the one to fix the broken bits, and know what to do when something needs doing. I don't plan to be an expert, but i do want to be able to do it myself, (with assistance from the 'husband' who works in auto parts on occasion i spose lol!).

So hang on to it, tell the nay-sayers to stick their over-opinionated-mini-hating-thoughts in the a$$, and drive happily ever after !


just my 2c worth, from an over-opinionated-mini-LOVING- thinker !

_________________
Cheers, Kim
**purple '68 deluxe!**


***FINALLY wearing number plates----yeaaaaaah baby! ***

My situation is fairly well the same as MiniKit's.
A shed full of toys looked after the appropriate people.
But he main point here is if my mini is in need of attention, I have other forms of transport to get around in until I nut it out.
If you need wheels 24/7 but aren't to savvy on the tools, get a reliable car as your main hack and use the mini when ever you (or it) can.

_________________

'72 English Van...'72 Export Moke ...63' 850...KZ 750E1...'74 P76

I've got my mojo back I figure I'm gonna get in there and stuff around a few hours every day and keep looking. The problem I have is in this thread.

Tomorrow I'll go to bunnings and get some batteries, superlong power cord and some overalls. Probably degreaser too, might help me see something. I'm going to try the subframe bolts tomorrow, and tighten every single suspension bolt. Bang everything with a rubber mallet until I find something. If I haven't found anything by friday, then mechanic it is.

Edit Maxi23: my garage is just like that! It faces the apartments so I'm gonna have to run a looong cord.

_________________
Copper 4 lyfe!

I would suggest joining the Bathurst Light Car Club

They will know who the good local mechanics are, help you out with stuff, can facilitate historic registration if you are so inclined and you can throw a few motorkhanas and hillclimbs in as well. They will encourage you to stick to your "old" car.

I know that Warwick Agustin used to go to the BLCC hillclimb events before MRA started up, he might even be a member. If you had any trouble diagnosing a problem or wonderig how to fix one, there would be no one better to ask. He does live out at Canowindra though so not in Bathurst exactly.


cheers
michael

_________________
the world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page
66 Mini Minor sponsored by http://www.lifeonthehedge.com.au/ The Dog Harness Specialists
It was a pleasure ausmini. I'll miss all you misfits and reprobates

Good on ya HG! - Seriously.
Treat it as a learning experience. Before I started my Minor, I had almost no clue about carbs, brakes, paintwork, interior trim, wiring, etc etc etc. Now I'm at least competent in most of those areas.

As it's been said here before, there are lots of folks willing to help, and Minis are one of the best supported vehicles on the web.

_________________
1958 Morris Minor 1000 - "Nigel"

Now that's a better attitude. Get your self some of those work lights on a stand and a good extension cord.
As for the noise jack the front of the car up and put some stands or solid blocks under it. Then start looking and trying to see if parts have any movement and noises. Look at everthing and If you are not too sure just ask, someone will help.

_________________
Research is the difference between speculation and investment. Anyone who copys some one else will always be second
www.minisprintgt.com