FOM The Clubman Estate

[Tupers]

So I finally got the O/S arch tubbed despite the factory one being higher than the other and causing my much frustration.

I also bought a set of beefy ex Mini Se7en AVO dampers that should be with me this week. (pics when they arrive)
As I was welding the O/S tub in I noticed a bit of corrosion in the top shock mount so I think I'm going to cut them out and make a smaller version of our coil over turrets to weld in their place.

 

[bod]

So, finished by Christmas then?
Seriously though, I'm really enjoying this project, should be very cool and more importantly pretty different once it's done.

 

[Robotstar5]

Think it was Wheeler Dealers where they came up with the idea of replacing the rubber suspension "balls" with custom made coils on a Mini Moke?

 

[Tupers]

So, finished by Christmas then?
Seriously though, I'm really enjoying this project, should be very cool and more importantly pretty different once it's done.

Different's certainly what I'm going for I've seen enough Minis with Grp2 arches and Minilites to last me a life time. Hopefully this will be something people will take a second look at when it gets to shows instead of just blending in.

Think it was Wheeler Dealers where they came up with the idea of replacing the rubber suspension "balls" with custom made coils on a Mini Moke?

Yeah those conversions have been about for a while now and certainly make a Mini feel more like a modern car but personally I think it spoils the Mini-ness of the car.


Not really a proper update as I spent most of today writing list but I did get a couple of things done.

I stuck the 10s back under (again I know) to see what kind of ground clearance I'd be looking at. I think I'll be around 100MM from the black stuff before I have to worry about the tyres scuffing on the arches.

I also cut the two vertical braces out from the lower valance vent to make way for an intercooler.

 

[Tupers]

I set about raising the trim lip on the wing to get the front wheels riding high like the rears.

I started off using a combination of snips and the body saw to remove the old lip.

Then I made the new section on the shrinker stretcher, it's getting so easy to use this thing now.

Set it in place and drilled it for skin pins.

Wheels are looking much better now.

 

[DuncanCallum]

liking this alot.

need to push on with mine. I have 3.

The girlfriends needs paint. its gonna be black with an offset stripe, dunlop d1's (proper ones not crap repo's) w+p arches.

My clubbie is rough and ready with a 1330 on s ratio's with a 4pin 3.2 diff, I'm half way round it at the moment doing the lower 6 inches.

and I have a 1293 spi cooper that needs doing

 

[Tupers]

Thanks for the comment Duncan, sounds like you've got a lot of work ahead of yourself.

 

[Tupers]

I got the raised trim lips on both wings finished off this afternoon, really could do with getting it rolling now.

 

[Aus-Fitter]

Just read thru the whole build thread and one word springs to mind.

"WOW"

Top work mate, keen to see more progress

 

[Tupers]

/\ Thanks fella/\

I realised today I haven't posted in this thread yet this year. Not much to show unfortunately as I've been busy with other commitments but here's something.

I sold my old frame as it didn't really fit the style of the car and got a new one that I set about filling holes on and adding a few more welds to.

I've also acquired some lower balljoint pacers and a pair of tower bolt spacers to move the front frame up and lower the cars rollcentre.

Got some more shinny bolts from Smiffys.

This afternoon I set about fitting the rear frame but ran into an issues with one of the captive plates inside the rear X member so had to some surgery to get at it.

 

[Tupers]

Today I made these little plates that will be welded into the front frame mounting buttresses. They will move the bottom hole up by the same amount as the tower spacers and allow me to solidly mount the front of the frame.

I will cut the centre section out leaving a 10MM lip on either side.

And then plug and seam weld them in with the joggled lip behind the original lip.

I couldn't resist tacking it off the the pallets and setting it down at ride height. As it sits the sill seam is 7" off the ground and the roof gutter at the front it 45" off the ground. No pot holes or speed bump for me.

 

[Robotstar5]

No pot holes or speed bump for me.

You'd struggle round here, the council like to use speed "cushions", squares of raised tarmac slightly wider than normal car track, a lot have got grooves in the tops from cars grounding on them.

I do have a Mini sump guard somewhere if you need one?

 

[Tupers]

I think I might need a full belly pan.

 

[Tupers]

Last night a started drawing up ideas of how I'm going to set-up the belts and build the outlet manifold fro the SC.

I got the solid mounting to the front of the frames sorted.
The front mounts have been moved up by 5MM to match the tower spacers. The small spacer between the frame and front panel will be replaced a larger one welded to the frame when it's finished.

I also got a little over excited and bought one of these from DSN Classics. It's a little premature but it's also very shinny and pretty.

 

[Tupers]

Look at the shinny shinny.

A very comprehensive kit from DSN classics, they even sent thread lock.

 

[GeorgiePorgie]

You have certainly ploughed a lot of patch welds in that Clubman.

I like the old Mini and to this day around Liverpool I've never seen a Mini Van on road,rather have the van than the Clubman.

Why hasn't the new Mini manufacture made an estate or van?

 

[oz.]

They have made an estate. It's just not called an estate.

 

[Angusdog]

In a prime example of bad translation into BMW brandspeak, it's the Cooper Clubman with two doors on the wrong side and only one on the other because they couldn't be arsed making it properly for RHD cars. BL never made a Cooper Clubman, the 1275GT was the replacement for the Cooper after BL couldn't be arsed paying John Cooper for his name.

I did see a prototype Mini-brand commercial vehicle but it was just a panelled-in Clubman I think, without enough load carrying capacity, the sort of thing you'd see Florists driving.

Can you tell I have no affection for the new Mini? Having said that, the roof chop project on here looks superb.

 

[Tupers]

Not a lot of love for the new BMWs there. :lol:

Having sort 4 of the 6 subframe mounting points I moved onto the toe board today. I had planned to cut down a set of fabricated steel ones but decided that it would be easier to start from fresh and make my own.

Starting with these cut from 3MM steel.

After a little trimming I got it all bolted/clamped together.

I tacked them in situ and then took them to the work bench to finish welding. Not one of my best efforts but they're strong and will have a small gusset added as per to stock replacements. I was quite surprised at how different they ended up compared to the originals.

 

[Tupers]

I got the other solid toe board mount made up and also added a small gusset to the back of each one.

Having seen a few Minis on solid mounts crack to floor I decided to make some bigger plates from 2MM plate.

Then I drilled a whole bunch of holes and started plug welding it on from the other side. I'll also add a few short seams on the inside once it's done.