ok well here are some pics for you.
This is my 76 when i first got her.




My plan was to keep it looking as standard as poppible but to have all the funky features and gizmos.
Since then i have added the exhaust and some 2ndhand alloys wich i brought for $100 and fixed them up and painted(they are now look like new) .I have also drawn some attention to the seats,dash,interior,carpet ect.I mounted some gauges under the dash rail but i have removed them and they are getting mounted in the dash.I also fitted some late early model charade seats and they are about to be covered in some slick gery tweed fabric (they suit the car tops).and some other bitz and bobs.




Sadly though all these mods will be taken out of the 76 and put in the shell of my 73
here it is now its been stripped down, all thats left it to clean it up, remove the lump(1098),and weld in some panels.



In the end the mini will have all the features of todays cars but you shouldnt be able to notice to difference.
I have mounted a headunit under the rear seat and a set of 6" under there too.
the only noticable modifications will be the dash,seats,rear window mounted taillight,teering wheel,headunit but you cant really see that anyway behind the seats.Sould be a cracker.
Eventually it will be painted a mice classic blue with a grey roof.
OHH and to top it all off some one pinched my rear bumper. and only being 15 my income is pretty low, so i might have to either deseam the rear bumper or find a 2nd hand one and fix it up.Any body deseamed it before??

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74 clubby,the daily drive.
73 clubby, slow restoration
76 clubby shell, still waiting for some lovin.
Jordy....

Nice Pics

Is that Palm Beach in one of the photos?

A few guys on here have deseamed mini's before... I've been pretty tempted to... but I personally (this is just my opinion) am not big on it. When you have seams, panel replacement is easy as. But when you don't, its a pain in my arse. Its not that much harder, but seams are one of the things that I like about minis. Plus I'm pretty sure you need to get it engineered afterwards.

Does look cool though.

2nd hand bumpers aren't that hard to find (I don't think)... they come up on ebay a bit.

But hey, thats just what i think. If you want to deseam it go nuts, just make sure you share the pictures of the finished job

nope it not plam beach it actually bulli beach(wollongong)!!
umm i have found a few bumpers around (2nd hand) but they all need some work done.
as you can see in the pics the stripped down green mini has no panel where the bumper is ment to fit to.So considering this i thought why not put a little more effort for the look.
I have to admit i have seen a few getting around without and bumpers and it looks tops in my oppinion(getting rid of the front looks up sh11t if you ask me though).Still you can never really make it look any better without a bumper than one with a bumper.
And i will be keeping every other seam,it makes a mini a mini.

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74 clubby,the daily drive.
73 clubby, slow restoration
76 clubby shell, still waiting for some lovin.
Jordy....

Yeah fare enough. I probably made that sound a whole lot more dramatic that it really is too.

In some regards it is easier. Replacement panels are NEVER an exact fit. So by not having seams there, you can put the new panel against the car, trace it, then trace another line 1/4" down and cut on that line... reason for making the cut 1/4"too small is so that you have room to nibble a bit more off to make it the neatest possible fit.

This is how you do it on older cars. I have done a few Ford Roadsters, 1930's dodges, and other hot rods (they don't have seams and are very shapely), and that the technique for your marking out and cutting.


That all said... how often are you really going to have an accident and need to replace panels anyway

If its just the beaver panel then I wouldn't worry, they are pretty forgiving (but most likely to be hit or need replacement).

funny you said that, just stuffed that same panel up last week.Reversing into a spot and the bracket that holds slave cyl. return spring decided to snap (it was very worn).before i could tell what was happening the clutch gave in and it shot back into a high guter.
BAMM.....there goes the of the lower panel.Luckly i dont need it and thank go it wasnt the boot lid.

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74 clubby,the daily drive.
73 clubby, slow restoration
76 clubby shell, still waiting for some lovin.
Jordy....

"15 and not good with computers"

Ok, which one of you old buggers is mucking about?!

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Regards,

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

hey im 18 and im not very good with computers (in comparison to some other blokes at school ).. i guess i only use it for ausmini and microsoft word.

it's good to see another young enthusiest around.

Jordy what are your plans for the engine?

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1975 Leyland Mini: 1060cc - resto/ ex-hsc project.

I reckon we got another Meeni in Jordy, ie: a young fella with such a passion for mini's , which in this day and age is a rarity in young people. I remember Meeni a few years back was all keen and into mini's and look at him now ( He's racing the bloody things ) , well done, keep it up.

Haha ok, have your little laugh .i cop it alot,every one thinks i should be great with technogly but iam the complete opposite.But what can i say books(vizards ect) and prac on my mini's work does it for me.




hi Leighton, ATM i have a very well running 998 with ecttractors and a nice exhaust.Not bragging but i have been told that it is incredably tourquey and it pulls quite well.A couple of mini mechanics(who wont be named)have told me that its one of the best they've seen in along time
Well once i have the mini painted and complete (running around with the 998 for a while.)I will finish what ive started on a 1098.
Its bored out 60+(flatops) and i have done some headwork but i think i will scrap that and iam now waiting for the arivial of a cooper head.fitted a mild cam(kent 276 by memory) and standard pressed rockers.The crank has been fully reground and all new bearing have been fitted.Hopfully by them i will have some cash to fit some twin su's or maybe a webber (depends on my mood at the time ).Umm i have fully restored a 1275gt box and it all in running order just waiting for the 1152(1098+60) to bolt,on.
i have always had a thing for smallbore's so 'hopfully' i pull of 50 hp ATW.


thanks mate, its all you guys who inspire me so i should be thanking you
Cheers.

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74 clubby,the daily drive.
73 clubby, slow restoration
76 clubby shell, still waiting for some lovin.
Jordy....

nice. sounds like you have everything planned out. the 1100 coupled with the 276 will give you a nice boost of torque.

are you going to do some head work on th '295 head or is it going standard? make sure you get the block decked and the head skimmed (a little to ensure flatness or more to increase your CR.)

what colour are painting it?

last question...

are you doing all the work yourself? you save a heap of $ and you learn alot too.

cheers,

Leighton

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1975 Leyland Mini: 1060cc - resto/ ex-hsc project.

ok ,i have thought about skimming the head but never really thought about deecking the block.I might just see how we go with the skimmed head and if the compression needs to come up a bit ill think about decking ect...
Umm head work..i am hoping of cutting down some 1275 valves ect.. and port'n'polish.i think that it should be enough to get it all runnin smothly...whats your oppinion should i just do some work on the standard head or buy a cooper head and leave it standard???

It gona be painted a light blue(kinda the surf blue off the coopers) with a meduim/light grey roof


And yes i will be completing all(note All)the work my self with some guidence from my grandpa(retired mechanic).Only thing i wont be going is the painting!!
So tell me about ur self.....and your car/cars??

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74 clubby,the daily drive.
73 clubby, slow restoration
76 clubby shell, still waiting for some lovin.
Jordy....

Hey Jordy, if your thinking of getting your block decked make sure they dont shave off your engine number, i had my 1275 block decked and they sent it away to get milled instead to save the number, worth asking about matey

i would suggest decking it, to be sure to be sure. if you have the money i would buy the cooper head, but if not just do some work on the original head. when i did my rebuild, i looked everywhere for a cooper head but couldn't find one cheap enough to suit my budget.

i then realised, that i should do a mild rebuild, so that later i could do a bigger and better one and another etc etc. instead of rebuilding a powerhouse of a 1380 with all the bells and whistles and then finding out that my next rebuild i could only afford to do a smallbore and get dissapointed with the slowish results.

so when you say, your doing all the work yourself, are you doing the machining of the block etc or the assembly?

are you sending your mini to a panel shop for a respray and a bit of a wallet lighten? if you want, i can teach you to spray (im no where near a professional, but i did spray my own car with no experience before and it turned out great) you can use my spray gun..just saying the offer is there. people on here and in the mini community have helped me a hell of a lot, i can only help others from what they have taught me.

anyway, about me... my names Leighton, i just finished my HSC, i completely stripped down my 75 leyland mini down for an automotives course, the mini quickly turned into a passion. i resprayed it bright green, with a white roof. i rebuilt the engine (998cc) bored .0080", 266 cam, std rockers, skimmed about 40-60 thou, and a bit of de-shrouding as per Vizard. i made new door cards, have new front highback seats and made a different style dashboard.
now i dont have school im looking for an apprenticeship or job in a practical area, ie machinist/ fitter, light/ heavy vehicle mechanic etc. i turn 18 on sunday and go to schoolies tommorow morning. so i guess ill see you all after.

my names Leighton hill and that was my story. ( yes i watched the castle the other night )

how about you jordy... whats your story?

Thanks,

Leighton

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1975 Leyland Mini: 1060cc - resto/ ex-hsc project.