After buying a 1978 Clubman "shell" I've been slowly stripping it down. However, this weekend I got 1.5 days in the shed alone (family all busy)and I stripped it right down to the subframes.

This is what it started as:









This is what it looks like now:











Some lessons for owners and budding restorers:

1. You do not need to tighten nuts and bolts up as if they are holding on the retro rockets for the space shuttle. Recommended torque settings are usually quite low compared to the vein pumping levels that some of the nuts and bolts were on this thing!

2. If in doubt it's a 7/16" spanner Must have been the BMC default size for everything!

3. DO NOT replace BSF nuts and bolts with MM! It's a pain.

4. DO NOT put in self tapping screws when there is a tapped hole - why did you do that

5. If the person who sold me this car is reading - mate, you had not a chance in hell of ever getting this car to go again. Every, and I mean every, part of the system (electrical and mechanical moving parts) was knackered. But it doesn't matter as it's all getting binned anyway.

When I got the ball joints off (see other post) the shafts literally fell right out - rubbers completely perished. Electric cables and switches all knackered. Engine siezed. All bearing and bushes seized.

The most dangerous thing I found...the fuel pipe on the bottom of the petrol tank didn't have a clip! It was literally just pushed on...OMG!

6. You can use degreaser and give a car a wash down now and again you know! It's covered in that really black heavy greasy dirt

Luckily I'm building a ground up very non original speed machine! No concours for me.....

Next update bodywork...

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Regards,

Mike
"He who dies with the most toys wins."

Looking good mate. The shell looks tidy, is there any rust in it?

And that carpet covered dash on the floor of the 3rd pic, ive got one identical that came with mine. Mustve been rice spec for the 70s lol.

Whats the plans for the engine?

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Simplify and add lightness

Nice tidy looking shell you've got there

How sure are you it's a '78? Looks lots earlier than that to me, by '76 or so Leyland change the firewall stamping to eliminate the speedo hole completely.. and it looks like you've got an early bottom dash rail too. I'm no expert by a long way, but I'd guess that shell is more like a '72...

Looks great either way

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Simon

The adventures of an owner builder in the Tallarook Ranges

The compliance plate says 78 - if that means anything.

It looks like the rust has all been cut out of it at some stage. The A pillars for example look like they are new.

The front and rear sub frames also look new. The front one is covered in rusty stains from the radiator and oil from the engine.

The door hinge body supports might need some work - it looks like there could be some filler.

Everything else looks good - no rust.

It looks like it used to be brown - shitty brown.

As I was stipping it down I did start to think - this might be a bitsa...

Engine? I was thinking about this...

http://www.minimania.com/web/Item/1380_POWERUNIT/InvDetail.cfm

As I said - all I was after was a shell. Not a concours...

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Regards,

Mike
"He who dies with the most toys wins."

But if it is a bitsa it's a bloody good one coz I can't see any joins!!

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Regards,

Mike
"He who dies with the most toys wins."

Yep, who cares what it is -- it looks like a good shell

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Simon

The adventures of an owner builder in the Tallarook Ranges

What is the Mini 850 badge off?

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

The car came with two not original doors and I presume the boot was non original as well. I think the bonnet was a replacement as well.

I think somebody has been slowly replacing the body parts - the originals were probably all shot. But I don't know.

It's got a 998 engine in it - had some work and got a hot cam.

I was thinking about putting the 850 badge on the boot...I can see it now:

Commodore V8 owner "Ferchristsakes we've just been burned off by an 850cc Mini..."

It's definately a Mongerel!

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Regards,

Mike
"He who dies with the most toys wins."

Far out! That's some decent progress!

Good to see someone else out there battling with about the same amount of shed space that I have!!

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Dave - 64 Nurburg White Morris 850 & 67 Morris Mini Deluxe (Bro's Car)
Previous Rides - 62 Morris 850 (Sold '03 - Now 'Lulu-62') & 76 Clubman S (Sold '99 - SFW-863)
+ Too many other classics

I did build the shed for a workshop only but then the wife got an idea.

Now it's full of surfboards, bikes, camping equipment, fishing equipment, kids toys, old cot, freezer...

What the hell happened there?!

Good news is the garage is empty - apart from my 1988 Porsche Carerra and 1998 BMW motorbike

Such are the crosses we have to bear....

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Regards,

Mike
"He who dies with the most toys wins."

nice progress keep the pictures coming.

Don't forget about the GT on the back screen-that makes it a Mini 850 GT
Just looking at the bumpers and other chrome work,they all look in good condition,as do the w/screen rubbers and moulds,maybe also have been replaced?

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The car looks a bit like a bitsa! There is some 78 stuff on it like the brake master cylinder but the shell looks like it is not from 78. There are some holes in strategic places that are missing and some holes that are there that shouldn't be there.
If it has a 78 Compliance plate just be carefull that it has not been re-birthed somehow.

Undoutedly a rebirth! Back end in pre 76 and compliance plate 78.

However, shell is straight and rust free - eactly what I was after for my evil creation

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Regards,

Mike
"He who dies with the most toys wins."

MAke sure your able to re-register it..... There maybe an issue with the VIN!

-Cam

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IS NOW BACK ONLINE AFTER SOMETIME..... SORRY TO ALL, FOR NOT REPLYING TO PM'S!!