i dunno what to do first.

money not been an issue (even though it is). what should i do first, strip the mini down, sort out the rust get it re-sprayed in an awesome colour and paint job. then put everything back in and slowly upgrade parts to make it into a road/racer?

or should i get it working really well and everything, slowly upgrading parts, then pull eerything out and sort out the rust and give it a new paint job?

the reason it will take so long inbetween stages is i don't have much money.

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Sunday Morning Mini Sprint http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtGuzqBQ32Q my "rendezvous"

usually in my experience... if you keep the thing going you get used to having it and when it comes to getting the paint/panel work done, you can't manage the time to do it or to have it off the road.
But if you pull it off the road to do a resto, you might loose interest and it will take longer to do.
Its always best to fix rust early, so that It does not do more damage and make repairs costly or difficult. Also its good to know what you are getting yourself into when you strip a shell as to what actually needs repair/replacing.

I'm actually doing a resto on a deluxe now and have stripped it to see exactly what i'm in for. That way you can plan things.

The most important thing in a resto in my opinoin is a clear plan. Don't put dollars on it cause you'll scare yourself away from the project.

Invest in some tools if you haven't already, spanners both the open and ring type, sockets and screwdrivers.

Strip the shell and go through all the parts and list what parts are buggered and need to be replaced/re-built.

Get the body sand/bead/soda blasted so you know how much rust there is. Then get to work getting it ready for paint. This is usually the longest and hardest part for most people that haven't done it before. Then get it painted and you'll be out of that long dark never ending tunnel

Then buy the bits and pieces as you go and put it on the road once completely the way you want it, the reason is you won't find the time or money to do what you originally wanted if you put it on the road once the body is done.

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Decide how you want it to end up, then plan.

Remember the 7 P's. Piss Poor Planning Premotes Piss Poor Perfromance.

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But he's thriving and striving and hugging the turns.

Hey Andrew , it depends on what the bodies like already , if it's got a lot of rust and dints then maybe look at stripping it right down and sorting it out from the start . If on the other hand it's reasonable with minor rust and dings then look at a rolling rebuild . I've seen too many people start a rebuild by stripping it down to a shed full of bits and then lose motivation and sell it off at 1/4 what they paid for it . Whilever it's running and you're enjoying driving it you'll have the motivation to keep upgrading it . Also you can progressively try things to see what works for you and what doesn't .

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While it a runner you will be tempted to bodge it continually so it stays a runner.

If you take it off the road and strip it, take the time to sort, pack and mark everything.
The main hassle I find is WTF are those little screws stored for this and that, when I am trying to reassemble it.

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

im reshelling at the moment, its kinda different but kinda the same. sort yourself out a nice straigh shell, then get the rust and dents fixed up, then get it painted the way you want. my piant job is finished, although i am yet to see it, but apparently it looks friggin awesome! while this is all hapeneing, get a decent motor. a reco'd one preferably, and you will need to consider things like brakes, suspensioon, electrics...

the best bit about reshelling is you already ahve most/all of this and you know what works and what you will need to ahve work done on

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78 Leyland Mini - Prince

..............gotta get a solid base before you build a house..............

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thanks for the advie guys . mabey i'll save my money and do it all in a gap year after school. probly got enough on my plate as it is.

but for now i might buy a few things to keep it running, on the road like brakes and adjustable suspenion.
any good brands or places to buy adjustable suspenion kits for dirt/highway/re-pot holed/really bad road surfaces you get out here in the "rural country" areas.
and i know 13" aren't so good on handling but are they not to bad? just wondering about bottoming out on some of these roads. gonna get a sump gard aswell. do you have to cut out the wheel chambers for 13"-7"?

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Sunday Morning Mini Sprint http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtGuzqBQ32Q my "rendezvous"

No real comment on the suspension kits but as for the wheels , with rough road's you'd be better with 10" wheels . The 13's aren't much bigger by the time you use the really low profile tyres you need to fit them and then you have much less tyre to absorb the bumps . Have a look at pictures of a 10" and a 13" mini wheel , see the difference in the height of the rubber ? This extra thickness in the 10" will give you more shock absorbtion and also protect the rim on really big potholes (like on Coolamon scenic drive , hah , even the main road into Byron at Ewingsdale ) . Fitting a sumpguard will protect the sump but will also lower your ground clearance as it sit's below the sump by about 3/4 of an inch . You may hit more but with less damage , just more jarring to the car and you .

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did someone say mini 4wd conversion?????????????????????

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78 Leyland Mini - Prince

so is it the yoko A032R which are really gud? (and look really cool). or is it the yoko A008? which tyre offers the best grip and mabey even lasting longest (i do know a big factor oif a tyre lasting a long time depends on how you drive on them) lets just say i will be a P plater on deserted roads.

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Sunday Morning Mini Sprint http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtGuzqBQ32Q my "rendezvous"

A032Rs will last no time if driven hard on the road.
Falkens last heaps long but have far worse grip. A008s are in between.

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

You may try to plan a extended build that can suit all your needs.

If you go the performance side you will learn alot about mechanicals that will help in the full rebuild. You will also find alot of problems that you didnt know about.

When it comes time for the body repair your prepared to iron the bugs out.

Also get a clear segmented container and place the fasteners in the segments with a note at the bottom for the location they came from.

When the body is painted take the box to a fastener shop and get a complete new set of fasteners. The worst thing you can do is put a rusty fastener into a fresh body and you can guess where the rust starts from.....

take te time do fix the car properly. get the rust all sorted first i would strip the car down and start with the body. if your going strip it down, go to your local bank and ask for as many of those clear plastic money as you can get. they are great to keep all those little bolts and screws in, put a lable in each bag and then half your troubles are sorted before you even realise.