'72 Mini Clubman Estate

[Tupers]

Before I can go any further with mounting the headlights I need to get the radiator in place so I picked up some original metro radiator grommets.


After a bit of tinkering laid out the net for the top mounts on some 1MM steel.


Folded, welded and rubbed down with scotch bright.




The top mounts will sit bellow the slam panel and be plug welded on.




I also started the pattern for the lower mounts. The piece with the grommet will fit onto the radiator and bolt to another section welded to the front panel.

[kiwi ninja]

Keep up the build bro. I also own a clubby. Your attention to detail is remarkable. Please Finish the beast.

[Tupers]

Keep up the build bro. I also own a clubby. Your attention to detail is remarkable. Please Finish the beast.

Thanks dude I'm all about the small details. I'll make sure it'll get finished eventually.


I dug out some 1.2MM steel this evening and cut out the pattern for the lower mounts.


These were a lot easier to fold than the top mounts.



All together.

[Tupers]

I had a bit of a play after work and made up the boxes that will be welded to the front panel and bolt onto the lower rad mounts. The thick plates will have captive nuts on them and will be welded inside the boxes.


This is more or less how they'll fit. To take the rad out I'll remove four bolts on either side and drop it down.

[Tupers]

I thought I'd have a go at gas welding the captive boxes. Need some more practise but I really enjoying the process so far.


Got everything clamped in place. The bolts should be fairly easy to get to even with the engine in.



It sits quite nicely in the car.


I also started chopping the headlight backings up, I did cry a little when I remembered what I paid for them.






Most of the original headlight backing on the body has gone as well, this wasn't quite as painful.




Quad headlights are the bomb.


I've managed to get the quite far back, this should make for a nice deep grill.

[Tupers]

I decided not to use the MG ZR column as it's too bulky but I still wanted to use the nicer switchgear so I took the mounting collar off and put it on a Mini column.




The angle of the stalks on the MG switchgear mirror the spokes of the Clubman steering wheel I'm now using so that's nice as well.



Now that the radiator is firmly mounted I could do the final trimming on the headlight backings. I need to remove the top pipe on the rad a weld it back on at 90* to where it is now but all in all I'm pretty happy with how it all fits together.




I thought I'd borrow the headlight surrounds from the Capri we've been working on. I'm going to make my own ones that will be part of the grill shell but this just gives a rough idea of how each side will look.

[Minuki]

Great to see you're still making progress

[anth]

I love how you break things down in to basic shapes and show how you go about it all, very interesting to watch.

[electricalbox]

I love how you break things down in to basic shapes and show how you go about it all, very interesting to watch.

QFT, this build is very enjoyable to watch the progression.

[Tupers]

Thanks guys. I've always enjoyed really detailed blogs and threads about this type of work so I try my best to show as much of the process as I can.


My new alternator arrived this morning. The lugs on it should make mounting it pretty simple and it's a little smaller than a standard Mini one which is good.


My mock up engine's in customers car for work on a 998 turbo so I wedged my SC and alternator onto another car to see how they'll fit. I've got a pretty clear image in my head of how I want it all mounted so hopefully I'll have some nice bits made by this time tomorrow.

[Tupers]

I pulled my mock up motor out this evening and started popping bits on it.

I mounted the MPI Mini belt tensioner and found was about 8MM off centre. Fortunately I had some 8MM plate left over from turbo flanges so I knocked up a nice spacer that will be welded to the tensioner.




The bottom alternator mount is underway as well. It's mounted off the two original oil filter housing bolts and will have a leg going to the alternator mount on the timing case.


I also did the ears for the bottom of the alternator. These will be welded to the plate on the block once I've got the pulleys lined up.

[anth]

Nice! I went through the same thing when I had to relocate my alternator, looks like your mount is going to be similar to mine. Here's the mount I ended up making, I added a tube gusset for strength... (link)

[Tupers]

So I had the awkward situation this evening of realising that the mounts I'd started making wouldn't work so I took another shot about it today.

The new bracket will all be welded together as one piece and sit a lot closer to the engine block.




Here it's still sat about 30MM further out than it should and it's already further in than the original.


The height should work quite nicely.


And the SC will be able to sit in just about the right position.



I got the patterns all laid out and cut from some 4MM sheet, should be plenty strong enough.




Also the post man came today and delivered a very nice Swiftune alloy/steel vernier duplex timing gear set.

[fresh.gen]

looks stunning man. keep it up!

[Tupers]

looks stunning man. keep it up!

Thanks dude, I really wasn't feeling like doing anything on this for a long time but I'm back into the swing of it now.



I finished off the alternator brackets after work.




All nice and close to the block.