What did you do today?

[R_D_Olivaw]

Hi Tony,

Thanks for the advice.

Is the oil seal part of the overdrive unit? The reason I ask is the overdrive was overhauled last year which is why it's all silver and shiny.

Assuming I can get good access to the underside of the car, is it a two hour job or a six hour job and do I need and specialised tools?

[Tony Hayward]

Ian

The oil seal is pressed into the tailshaft housing, on the rear of the overdrive unit. Not too difficult, although 2 hours would be about right. As I said you need to jack the car at both ends for access, with the rear higher so the oil does'nt run out. The seal can be prised out with a screwdriver, and the new one tapped in with a socket or similar. Obviously, check carefully while you are underneath to ascertain exactly where the oil is coming from first.
Best of luck!

Tony

[R_D_Olivaw]

Thanks Tony.

I will put this one on my winter to do list as it's not causing me a problem at the moment.

[R_D_Olivaw]

Went to see Tom at Airey Tuning today and it looks like he's sorted a number of ailments. The engine was running too lean and the timing was off slightly.

Having fixed all that I now have a car that:
1. Is more responsive and accelerates more smoothly.
2. Has a lower idle, 1000 instead of 1800.
3. Runs a lot cooler than it did.
4. Is more fuel efficient.
5. Doesn't smell so bad.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ftavcof5fex46ia/IMG_2131.JPG?dl=0

A big improvement and he was able to confirm it has at least 160 bhp. At the point the tyres started to slip it was still climbing. It seems like the high lift cam and roller rockers are still doing a good job.

[R_D_Olivaw]

Doesn't time fly when you're having fun, which would account for why I haven't posted on here for a while.

I took Casper out yesterday for a club meeting at the de Havilland Air Museum in London Colney. It's why I didn't get to see Brian at Goodwood, because they'd changed the location.

If you have a spare couple of hours it's worth the trip.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/az0caj4pgx45oe6/IMG_2388.JPG?dl=0

In case you're wondering what the cars are in the background they're Porsche 968s.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/hd6lj13u9u695xt/IMG_2396.JPG?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/x2w4zvlicjd75zv/IMG_2266.JPG?dl=0

Getting to see the prototype Mosquito was impressive, but seeing two more was the icing on the cake.

The Gilbern behaved impeccably despite the 30 degree temperature on Saturday and crawling along the M25 at 5-10 miles an hour for about 30 minutes. Not even a trace of steam, which just goes to show that Tom Airey has brought the engine temperature down. I on the other hand was dying in the car as without any insulation and carpeting it was like driving a heater on wheels. Oh well!

And now we come to today. It was a big day in Casper's life. I started to strip the car of all the bright work. I'd like to say that it was a really simple job, but I'd be lying through me teeth if I did, so here's a quick summary.

1. If you find yourself with a nut that is too small to go on the bolt, just cut the bolt and bend it open a bit. That's what one bright spark did when they fitted the rear bumper.
2. I now smell like WD40 which I was using like it was going out of fashion to remove all the rusted on bolts.
3. If you can't undo a bolt, cut a hole in the body. That works too!
4. To the person that fibre glassed in the bolt on one of the small badges behind the front wheel, I don't like you very much. Having spent ages removing all the fibreglass the bolt snapped off the back of the badge.
5. To the person that did something to the left hand sill, what were you thinking when you re-installed the fibre glass afterwards?
https://www.dropbox.com/s/a51hmm8txsvj6it/IMG_2420.JPG?dl=0
6. My rear windows now open. I just have to think of a simple way to open and close them.
7. To my poor back that's still aching after spending eight hours straight working on Casper, I apologise.
8. I discovered my roll bar isn't just a loop, but extends to the back too. Still no idea where it attaches.

Here are some pictures from today.

It was the only way I could get the bumper off.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/1pks7c7g6jnu9io/IMG_2445.JPG?dl=0

I just love my new opening window.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/mk8jmp69h26tcz6/IMG_2442.JPG?dl=0

I think this bit of fibre glass was held on by paint.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/40dru4rg48x28tp/IMG_2417.JPG?dl=0

I quite like this dark look at the front.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/qan6ftmje2ya402/IMG_2441.JPG?dl=0

As usual, the more I look the more questions I have.

1. At the top of the door where the glass starts is a chrome strip (mine was painted black) to which the weather strip attaches.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/82oxj3bfabqzzfr/IMG_2423.JPG?dl=0

Does anyone know how to remove the chrome strip to attach the weather strip, which looks like it's screwed in place?

2. Has anyone any experience of fitting quarter bumpers at the rear? I quite like the look of the car without the bumpers.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/3mgwsd706lfnzkw/IMG_2443.JPG?dl=0

3. Is the hole in the middle of my car standard on Gilberns? It looks like a tow point.

If I can get out of bed in the morning I'm going to remove the remaining bright work and take a look what's under all that paint.

[Gavin McArdle]

Hi Ian, a perfect example of how some cars have been 'modified', 'improved' even by previous owners!
I am not able to open any of your photos (it says that there is a security lock somewhere, my spanners to not fit PC's!) but the chrome strip at the top of the doors is held on by self-tappers accessed from the inside when everything else has been removed. Usually these screws have gone rusty and will not easily come out. I refitted using new holes but also filled the groove with silicone sealer to help secure it as there is not much fibreglass to work with. The sealing strip supplied by the Club is now slightly larger than the original and will need trimming, it is held in place by 'D' shaped upholstery clips.
If you are trying to make your rear windows open and close, then the original catches as used on a Genie are from the earliest Mini's so virtually unobtainable.
Sounds like you are slacking, you haven't started yet!!!!!
Gavin

[R_D_Olivaw]

Thanks Gavin for your advice.

I've double checked the photos and they look good, so maybe a PC problem.

I will have to find a clever way of solving the window issue. On a positive note there is a screw attachment which I can fix something to.

[Tony Hayward]

Gavin
Open the photos by right click and open in new tab.

Ian

The holes in the rear crossmember do look like they are for a towing attachment-in fact two of the three are the correct spacing for a towball, but too small. Having said that there is another topic recently about towing that you ought to read. Basically the crossmember is'nt strong enough to tow anything bigger than a pram-it will twist.

Regards

Tony

[R_D_Olivaw]

Thanks Tony. I have no intention of towing anything, so I will close up the hole and act like it was never there.

Mr. McArdle, I think I understand what you meant by "You haven't started". I spent six hours today just removing the window frames so I could get at the weather strip.

It seems that every nut and screw on my car is rusted solid, strips or snaps when put under pressure or is as hard as a diamond when drilled. Add to that the nuts are of a size that none of my metric nor imperial spanners fit. I found myself hammering a socket over some of the bolts and holding the nut with a pliers. Though that wasn't as bad as having to remove small screws with a pliers. That was painful, and if you're wondering what I mean try this image. There were a lot of screws, and when they snapped I had to drill through the brass strip to release them.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ukby7g3jj67bnlx/IMG_2465.JPG?dl=0

So this is how Casper now looks.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/asrl0ogaq5xbbnf/IMG_2472.JPG?dl=0

From a bright work point of view I have the boot hinges which will take me all of 5 minutes max to remove;
the windscreen wipers; the washer jets and the rear windows, which again will take just a few minutes as the screws look fine. I have some small repairs in the fibre glass to attend to and then I can start on the sanding.

I've been told it will take me at least six weeks to prepare, which will be a problem as I have about four to have it all painted before my family return. I'm not bothered about the re-assembly, but since I'm going to try and do it on the drive (in a tent) when the neighbours aren't in, time is of the essence, especially with this lovely weather we have. I guess I'm going to be busy every evening and weekend. Wish me luck.

[Gavin McArdle]

Hi Ian, your tip on opening your pics works, although my system is very slow, I think the pigeon is delivering 1 pixel at a time, probably something to do with the distance traveled????

I am sure that this was a perfectly good car before you started vandalising it!

The holes in the rear crossmeber look as if they were made to take a MK3 tow attachment, this is an approx 8 or 9 inch long box section, when you consider the amount of leverage this plus the length of the tow ball would have on the rear crossmember it is quite frightening!

Note, do not bend the rail that sits over the door which you have removed as we do not have any used ones.
Gavin

[R_D_Olivaw]

Hi Gavin,

I have put everything away safely, and I will do my best not to sit on any of it.

[R_D_Olivaw]

I am hoping that the honourable Mr. McArdle will agree that I've now passed the "Getting started" phase.

Today was a relatively pain free day, which makes a change, and some major milestones have been passed.

1. I now have that wind in my hair motoring and feel closer to what's going on around me.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/qlwdsc9farbltwu/IMG_2481.JPG?dl=0

The glass is out, the doors are off and the boot and bonnet are nowhere to be seen. You'll be pleased to hear the glass is stored safely on my dining room carpet, but please don't tell my wife, who's away at the moment.

2. Most of the petrol is out of the tank, so I'll be able to remove the filler cap soon. Not sure what's going on with that, but someone has been very generous with the sealant in the past.

3. Like most of my jobs I ended up going off on a tangent when I started sanding the top of the sills, which if you remember hadn't been sealed up to well the last time some did some work in that area.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/a51hmm8txsvj6it/IMG_2420.JPG?dl=0

I decided I needed to cut it out (an angle grinds go through fibre glass like a hot knife through butter) so I could fix it in place better and that was when I saw this.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/9u79v1b9bz92jcw/IMG_2482.JPG?dl=0

Luckily it was only surface rust so after a little wire brushing and a dose of Rust Remedy it was fine. The front section was perfect having been replaced at some time (probably by Dr. Phil).

The driver's side didn't look so great.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/pm65cwo4sw5eab5/IMG_2487.JPG?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/0zn8ne5965n1arb/IMG_2484.JPG?dl=0

However, it cleaned up well and also received a coat of Rust Remedy. I'll give it a dose of something else I have before I seal it back up.

4. I've now gone over about 30% of the car with 120 grit sand paper to take out some of the bumps, and tomorrow, due to rain being forecast I'll probably do a bit of fibre glassing in preparation for better weather on Monday. My hope is that I'll have the shell sanded with 240 grit and the holes all attended to, by close of business Monday.

[R_D_Olivaw]

The body work has continued, with most of my efforts being focused on fixing the imperfections using fibre glass and filler; however I did manage to go over most of the car with my DA sander and here are the results.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/r0llhttl9j3g14t/IMG_2495.JPG?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/ss0nk49fbppble8/IMG_2496.JPG?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/yn6ksy6vljv1f8i/IMG_2497.JPG?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/yko7aqu5nfg5yp5/IMG_2498.JPG?dl=0

I'm still having to contend with using a grinder or hack saw to remove bolts and I'm sure my neighbours are loving me at the moment, but I think I'm nearing the end, well that is until I came to remove the door catches from the B Pillar.

On the passenger side the two screws are rusted solid and on the driver's side the two screws just go round and round.

Could someone please tell me how they are supposed to be secured and is it likely that I'll need to cut a hole in the side of the car (from the inside) to get to the backs of the screws?

Tomorrow I'll start straightening some of the lines with a little bit of filler here and there as I had to sand in deep to get through some past work that was flaking. And that just about describes the paint in places, it doesn't seem to have bonded well and comes off in lumps which makes it easy at times.

I've yet to look at the doors, boot and bonnet, but they haven't been forgotten. My goal for this weekend is to get the car ready for primer, and if I'm very lucky try to lay some down.

[Tony Hayward]

Ian

The door catches go through the fibreglass into non captive steel threaded plates in the forward end of the wheelarch. The threaded plates, about 6mm thick, are behind an L bracket that is bolted to the chassis upright that continues horizontally back to the main chassis above the wheel. This horizontal tube also has the upper seatbelt mounting (another threaded steel plate, welded to it). If you grovel around in the front of the rear arches you might see a nut which holds the L bracket behind the B pillar, close to the fibreglass. The L bracket has large holes to allow the non captive plate to move around for adjustment. The nut might come off the L bracket, but if the bolts through the catch are rotating, you might have to drill the heads off. The non captive plate can be easily copied if you have taps and some 6mm steel, even the L bracket can be easily copied if necessary. The only slightly more difficult bit is the bolt welded to the chassis upright.

Hope this is clear, a simple drawing would probably be easier!!!

Beat of luck

Tony

[R_D_Olivaw]

Thanks Tony, to my rescue as always.

Knowing where to look and what to expect made the job a bit easier; however as is the case with this car it threw up the usual "rusted solid" challenge.

The driver's side catch came off relatively easily, however the passenger side screws had to be drilled out and this is how the 'L' bracket looked once I'd removed it.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/q57iaql2ao1vz72/IMG_2500.JPG?dl=0

On a more positive note I did come across two bolts that were not rusted solid and came out without any objections. I think they must be the first two in this entire restoration.

I continued with the body work, but was slowed down by a layer of what looks to be bitumen that was on the lower part of the sill. I'm not sure why it was there, but someone had kindly painted over it just to make sure it stayed where it was. It's all gone now I hope.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/efsl9xxi5b9o5l8/IMG_2503.JPG?dl=0

Tomorrow I hope to tidy up some filling I was doing today and finish off the sanding which up until now has been hindered by all the rusty bolts that take me hours to remove.