'72 Mini Clubman Estate

[Tupers]

Thanks Hutch you couldn't have said it better. I love doing all the little detail work, I just wish it wasn't so time consuming.

[Tupers]

No huge progression as I got busy trying figure out how to make the corners of the rear valance today. I think I've found a way of doing it with the shrinker and some dolly work though so it was worth the time.

I added a gusset into the back of the b-pillar to join up with the extended outer section for the window frame. Now I'm really in a holding pattern until my winder mechanisms get here.


My new rear brake backplates arrived and I dug through our spare final drives to find a 2.9-1. That came up trumps so I've got three less things to worry about getting.

[Tupers]

I got the window frame pieces tacked together now I need to pull it out and pop some rivnuts in to hold it.


Because of the new position of the alternator and SC I I'm going to move the oil filter for the subframe. I'm trying to find a remote filter head with both in and out on the front but had no luck so far.




While doing a bit of random searching on eBay I found these interior door handles.




I'll have to a bit of work on the linkage but they should be a nice alternative to the standard style handles.




I also had a nice MG metro radiator arrive and set about making some mounts for it.









That's all folks.

[fresh.gen]

not gonna lie, im feelin the OG door pulls better just me though. LOVE this build so far!

[99sil-teg]

Man, this is pretty epic stuff!

[Tupers]

not gonna lie, im feelin the OG door pulls better just me though. LOVE this build so far!

Yeah I like the standard style ones as well I just thought I'd see if I could make some different work. If this was a quick rebuild I'd have stuck with the standard ones but this has kind of become about trying out new things now.

Man, this is pretty epic stuff!

Thanks dude, it should be pretty slick once it's completed.

[Tupers]

I had a bit of play to try and figure out how to mount the bottom of the rad and came up with this. There's a slotted hole for the rubber grommet to slot into, so far it looks like it should hold the rad nice a snuggly.






I alos drilled out the seat catches and took a little material off the sides of the so that they slip in and out of their holders nicely.


There should still be plenty of boot space even with the seat sat further back.

[Tupers]

I did a bit of doodling last night trying to figure out a grill design. I like number 5, a centre emblem similar to the early clubman grills with thin slats behind it.

[Tupers]

I had a bit of spare time today between doing nothing and dong more nothing so I popped down and had a fiddle with my tail gate hinges.

I made these captive channels a while ago for the hinges in bolt to.


This is how they bolt up the the hinges.


The hinges go through the step sill and under the floor so I needed to make a hole to get to the bolts.
I started with a step drill and then moved onto the die grinder.




I still need to add some structure under the floor to weld the captive channels onto but the is roughly where the hinge should sit.

[MattyHacks71]

Nice! Looking forward to more!

[244Brick]

number 3 r 5... they look period correct

[Tupers]

Nice! Looking forward to more!

Thanks Matty it's coming along nicely.

number 3 r 5... they look period correct

I like those two as well, I need to get some decent paper but I'm going to do a big sketch of 5 with some more detail in it soon.


I had a go at making the closing plates for either side of the captive channels today.

Each one will have a curved lip that will be plug welded to the valance.
To make the lip I used a pair of long nose pliers to bend the 15MM at 90* to the rest of the panel but this left me with waves on the edge.


I decided I needed a tucking fork to sort them out but didn't have one so I made this one quickly


I slipped the fork onto each waved section and then twisted it counter clockwise to make the metal double over on it's self.
The more you twist the more of an overlap you get until you end up with an S shape where the wave was.


Once I had it over far enough I used a hammer and dolly to knock the S flat so it's just three layers of metal stacked on top of each other.




The radius on this one is off a bit l but I'll chalk that up to learning and make a replacement.

[BreakMyWallet]

fucking awesome

[Tupers]

fucking awesome

Why thank you.


I decided not to do the folded and tucked edge on the closing plates as I need more time to figure out the process. Instead I made 4 closing plates this afternoon that will have a curved piece welded to them to support the valance.




That was all I really got done for the car as I had a go at TIG welding. This is really my first proper attempt bar me destroying a few rods 5 years ago when my Dad first got this machine.


This is 4MM mild steel butt welded plus a few practice beads.


This is 1MM mild steel on my first shot at butt welding.

[Tupers]

So here's one of the curved sections I made for the closing panels instead of trying to do the tucked edge.


I got them all welded up and did a test fit with the captive channel and hinge.




Everything's held in with Cleco's, now they just need welding.