Big well maybe its big? Big enough i think? Big for me at least, hence the big post
Read as type follows aha
Okkher
i 'crack the shits' again
and therefore
i once again have random thoughts
Actually it isnt so random.
And infact the thoughts are that, that are of a similar thinking process to my mothers
After my recent week or so struggling with cars, gaining some, but mostly losing, selling the magna at a good price - but spending too much on it to start with, thinking i had the mini fixed (reasonably at least) only to end up stranded, in a foreign place for me, and majory nursing it home from there, indicating, Its not at all fixed, Thinking i had my solid reliable 'work' car again, in the corona i bought
http://www.ausmini.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=167043,
it drives so beautifully, yet the transmission requires a full overhaul, as it play up (still drives well, but has no reverse), and would be a bit inconvenient to use everyday. And the overhaul is about 900 bucks, 200 more than the car was bought for - thats not going to happen, i still may give a 2nd hand box a go, i have been told by the wrecker if it doesnt work, theyd refund me fully, so its either a winner or i cannot lose.
But the most likely option is to try to clear out the yard, gemini and corona, get a few $$'s for them,
Buy a cheepie 'newer' model car to commute to work in,
Then go crazy on the mini
The idea (mother suggested it, so its a good one
)
- Get the mini up to pristine - showroom condition
NOW
i dunno how unrealistic or otherwise that is at all
lets go on a tour.
This is the rear end, the join near the boot, that is the rear bumper, you can see the undesirable feature.
Right bottom corner of the boot
Right hand side of the boot, near wheel arch.
under the rear bumper
bottom driver door
There are a fair few of these lumpy bit about the car, they dont look too nice.
Here is where i mashed the bonnet.
Some horrible thin paint cracks on bonnet, they arent really noticeable, BUT they ARE there!
Heres the left front near door.
The bloodcurdling passenger floor pan, It looks bad, theres only one hole to the far left, it all seems solid, but it can only get worse, obviously.
I once poured some rust converter on this part, but it was the biggest waste of anything ive invested in, it was completely pathetic.
So it stayed like this
That same hole in the floor pan
The front right.
Those white marks is actually a dent, that i did
, the only damage that i have done to the mini (apart from scratches on the boot, when i reversed into a mates thick hedge on purpose
, that was incredibly stupid, there are lots of scratches on the boot)
I was reverseing around flat out, and spun on the wheel too hard, and it crunched onto a loose big tree stump. So that was silly
Front Left,
cracked paint and a dinger i think?
on the driver door, little chips and scrapes.
The scrap is similar if you were to get soap and scrape it off with the end of a spoon and similar, its a very clean scrape.
The roof almost rusy bits
All the hinges have horrible looking rust/grease marks on them
The engine bay is horrible, and i see thats not always normal, ive been told to get a steam cleaning ! Ill investigate!.
and then a nice paint up i hope
and clean up the horrible jute fabric on the firewall, its filthy.
some roof lining
And the interior, bits everywhere, worn seats and not lining up wood panels, as well as the door panels.
Almost every seal leaks,
the boot is on bent
doors dont always line up
They are the visual defective bits that i can think of now,
BUT
i plan on getting them attended to.
or do i just care too much? and isnt it worth attending to at this stage?
I wont do any of it, but maybe ill get someone to fix all those rust bits, and then give it a ripper of a new paint job, rust proof, i think they exist, and it will look magnificent.
Can anyone tell me how a pro might go about removing, and counteracting the type of rust and damage i have got? How can a small scrape, or a small dent the size of a ladybug, be fixed? without replacing the whole panel, or with use of body filler? Or is that all they might do? (I really am clueless in this department).
And what sort of prices have you people encountered in you experiences with getting minis painted, to perfect condition?
So a faultless optical spectacle would be the first thing desired.
Slowly i have been getting the mechanics sorted.
Recent brakes, and minor engine work, and some tuning work have made the mini run more beautifully than i have had it ( i get over 35mpg now
, near 40 too) even when the radiator has been going crazy with the water.
But i am getting the radiator tested, and if a bad, it will be 'fixed' or replaced, and any headwork thats needed will be done, and there will be, cause thats the last option?
anyway,
the mechanics are getting up to very good standard slowly. A carby kit, and clutch will be very eagerly investigated as soon as possible, maybe a gearbox can wait, and the possible distributor problem seems to have gone since the car has been running well.
I have no idea on the cost of 'things'
But a visual piece comes first, as long as mechanics are solid,
I will be looking to spend another 4 grand, no more than 5, on repairs and items to get the car upto as good condition as i can.
Ive heard of people spending 2-3K on paint jobs alone?
A mini cant be that much can it?
BUT
that is a plan,
i know of a few places,
my bosses HR Premier got done up at a good place, it is unbelievable now, so ill have a talk to both, and see what they can tell me.
Its time to be nice to the mini, i want it 100% original (i hope it can be done), so it can have a make over. or am i too young for that
If it happens it will be covered over, sheltered
cause thats what people do
, and only be driven on special occasions?
Tell me if all this is reasonable,
or am i over thinking the 'bad' bits, does it need doing?
Or am i completely out of my price range, do i need to double? triple? the money to make it reasonable.
Please suggest things
cause it will be fun
That was a mini story, and i had fun writing it
the mini is so cute
:wink:
