Here goes.
I bought my donor in september 2003. a D reg mini Picadilly, that someone had bought for their son to do up before taking their test. The stone chips were sanded back and a token squirt of primer applied, then left for about a year! So the stone chips had turned into large rusty patches, it looked a mess. But all the mechanicals seemed in good nick. So at £50 it was a bargain.
Dave hand delivered the chassis early in 2004. (I think! Its so long ago now.)
Stripped the donor in a couple of weeks, and some guy that was passing spotted the shell and said that he did banger racing and needed a new shell, so he took it of my hands for free. Bargain!
Started painting the chassis. Then got kicked out of my mate’s garage where it was being stored. And it had to come home, with no room in the garage it was abandoned in the garden with a plastic sheet over it as a token gesture to keep the water out.
I took my time cleaning and painting the donor parts and bought a few reconditioning bits and pieces, like wheel bearings and ball joints.
However life took over and the car took a back burner. I went away to uni, and spent my weekends out on my motorbike, and was constantly working on my other modified cars. Spent time in hospital after a bike accident, had a couple of cars written off in other crashes, you know how it is...
But here I am, life has again taken a turn, and I have a new found enthusiasm for the kit car.
In the past couple of months I have spent ages getting the hubs and drums lined up to bolt the backplated on, assembled the suspension components into the subframe and dropped the engine in.
I started to take the angle grinder to the chassis to remove flaky paint, and rust. And set about applying new paint.
Still some way to go. Need to strip and repaint all the rollover cage, the front floor, steering column support, and central tunnel. (all the awkward places!)
Need to try and start the engine. (its not turned over for 4 years!) so any advice would be good. The carb was stripped and cleaned when it was removed, so that should be ok. Been told to feed oil backwards through the oil pump to help with pick up. So I’ll try that, and maybe the oil light will go out!
How will the fuel pump have coped with being left to dry out? One way to find out I suppose!
So next step is to finish painting the chassis. Start the engine. Fit front suspension. Then mate the subframe to the chassis. Wish me luck. Haha.
Im sure I can cope with these bits on my own, but when it comes to the rest of the build I will probably be annoying you lot with silly questions and crys for help and advice.
So about me.
I am 24, live in Blackpool, and work for BAE Systems at Warton as a Flight Systems Engineer.
And if anyone is anywhere near Blackpool at any point, then give me a shout. If your in your freestyle, then I will take lots of pictures, if not, then the kettle is always on anyway, along with general car related chat.
Hope to get to a few more kit car shows at some point., and will probably be doing a drift day at Brans Hatch in October, so if your nearby then I could call in.
Other than that wish me luck, and good weather.
John
I bought my donor in september 2003. a D reg mini Picadilly, that someone had bought for their son to do up before taking their test. The stone chips were sanded back and a token squirt of primer applied, then left for about a year! So the stone chips had turned into large rusty patches, it looked a mess. But all the mechanicals seemed in good nick. So at £50 it was a bargain.
Dave hand delivered the chassis early in 2004. (I think! Its so long ago now.)
Stripped the donor in a couple of weeks, and some guy that was passing spotted the shell and said that he did banger racing and needed a new shell, so he took it of my hands for free. Bargain!
Started painting the chassis. Then got kicked out of my mate’s garage where it was being stored. And it had to come home, with no room in the garage it was abandoned in the garden with a plastic sheet over it as a token gesture to keep the water out.
I took my time cleaning and painting the donor parts and bought a few reconditioning bits and pieces, like wheel bearings and ball joints.
However life took over and the car took a back burner. I went away to uni, and spent my weekends out on my motorbike, and was constantly working on my other modified cars. Spent time in hospital after a bike accident, had a couple of cars written off in other crashes, you know how it is...
But here I am, life has again taken a turn, and I have a new found enthusiasm for the kit car.
In the past couple of months I have spent ages getting the hubs and drums lined up to bolt the backplated on, assembled the suspension components into the subframe and dropped the engine in.
I started to take the angle grinder to the chassis to remove flaky paint, and rust. And set about applying new paint.
Still some way to go. Need to strip and repaint all the rollover cage, the front floor, steering column support, and central tunnel. (all the awkward places!)
Need to try and start the engine. (its not turned over for 4 years!) so any advice would be good. The carb was stripped and cleaned when it was removed, so that should be ok. Been told to feed oil backwards through the oil pump to help with pick up. So I’ll try that, and maybe the oil light will go out!
How will the fuel pump have coped with being left to dry out? One way to find out I suppose!
So next step is to finish painting the chassis. Start the engine. Fit front suspension. Then mate the subframe to the chassis. Wish me luck. Haha.
Im sure I can cope with these bits on my own, but when it comes to the rest of the build I will probably be annoying you lot with silly questions and crys for help and advice.
So about me.
I am 24, live in Blackpool, and work for BAE Systems at Warton as a Flight Systems Engineer.
And if anyone is anywhere near Blackpool at any point, then give me a shout. If your in your freestyle, then I will take lots of pictures, if not, then the kettle is always on anyway, along with general car related chat.
Hope to get to a few more kit car shows at some point., and will probably be doing a drift day at Brans Hatch in October, so if your nearby then I could call in.
Other than that wish me luck, and good weather.
John
