After much deliberation, Kathryn and I came to the decision to put the '66 on the market now, as-is. It is listed on ebay, SAMOA and ausmini.com, and we'll see if it generates some interest. If I can't get a decent price for it, I'll probably press on with the "decent, not concourse" restoration, and then repost it at that time. But my hopes are high that we'll find the right buyer, hopefully one that will be interested in preserving the heritage of this great little car! Once this is resolved, it will be time to get going on the '70 again, and I'm really looking forward to that. We've had a brilliant fall here, and so as the rains gradually creep closer, it's nice to know that I have a great project waiting in the garage. Spring will see us tearing up the streets...
See you soon.
bmc
Friday, October 24, 2008
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
(Non) Motive Power
Well, I finally got to pulling the first engine last night, and it went rather smoothly overall. I had a good article with photos from Ausmini which made it pretty simple. I had received and installed a chain hoist, and centered the car under it--that helped a lot. But the reality is, there is no substitute for extra bodies and hands, since the engine/gearbox needs to be rotated, tilted, etc. during various stages of removal. I got it done, though, and it only took about 2 1/2 hours all told. I am again amazed at how much Sir Alec got out of such a small package--the engine and gearbox actually share a common oil supply, and the whole thing is very compact and efficient. It is easy to see why they were used for everything from commuting to rally racing in their day.
Kathryn and I have really been thinking a lot lately about the current economy, the mini plans, and what direction to go. In the beginning of the project, the intention was to do a more-or-less concourse level restoration on both cars, and sell one. I still have some "market research" to do with high-end auto brokers, but I fear that I may not have a ready buyer for such a high-end collectible right now. Such a restoration will cost in the neighborhood of $35,000 and so we must carefully consider the market.
This has led to another idea, which is to do a basic restoration of the '66--fix the rust, paint inside and out, do the interior/wiring/rubber bits/tires/etc. and then sell. This level would probably run closer to $25,000 total, which is a lot easier to recover upon resale. At that point, we'd just do the same basics on the '70 (keeping it), and let the full restoration take longer--nibble away at it over time and enjoy driving and working on that car.
We will see. I still need to make a comprehensive list of everything I think each car would need for either type of restoration, and price all that out. Gunnar Gordon is a local body and paint man who does nothing but minis, and his work is quite impressive. I visited his shop on Monday, and he'll be out next week to have a look at my cars and give a better idea of what's involved for the two levels of body/paint. At that point I think we'll be able to make a decision and press on. Gunnar will be ready for my cars in about four weeks, so that's good news also. I still hope to have one car ready for sale in the spring or early summer, which would be a good time to generate interest.
As I run out of garage space, things are getting cluttered. It's time to pause, put away tools, throw away old carpet, etc. I need to update the garage plan--and once I focus on a single car, that will help a lot.
Guess that's it for the time being. I'll post more photos when I get the next engine out, and we have a better idea of where we're headed.
bmc
Kathryn and I have really been thinking a lot lately about the current economy, the mini plans, and what direction to go. In the beginning of the project, the intention was to do a more-or-less concourse level restoration on both cars, and sell one. I still have some "market research" to do with high-end auto brokers, but I fear that I may not have a ready buyer for such a high-end collectible right now. Such a restoration will cost in the neighborhood of $35,000 and so we must carefully consider the market.
This has led to another idea, which is to do a basic restoration of the '66--fix the rust, paint inside and out, do the interior/wiring/rubber bits/tires/etc. and then sell. This level would probably run closer to $25,000 total, which is a lot easier to recover upon resale. At that point, we'd just do the same basics on the '70 (keeping it), and let the full restoration take longer--nibble away at it over time and enjoy driving and working on that car.
We will see. I still need to make a comprehensive list of everything I think each car would need for either type of restoration, and price all that out. Gunnar Gordon is a local body and paint man who does nothing but minis, and his work is quite impressive. I visited his shop on Monday, and he'll be out next week to have a look at my cars and give a better idea of what's involved for the two levels of body/paint. At that point I think we'll be able to make a decision and press on. Gunnar will be ready for my cars in about four weeks, so that's good news also. I still hope to have one car ready for sale in the spring or early summer, which would be a good time to generate interest.
As I run out of garage space, things are getting cluttered. It's time to pause, put away tools, throw away old carpet, etc. I need to update the garage plan--and once I focus on a single car, that will help a lot.
Guess that's it for the time being. I'll post more photos when I get the next engine out, and we have a better idea of where we're headed.
bmc
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Tank Oddity
After getting the ID question resolved, it's full steam ahead once again. Tonight I removed the final lights, chrome and tanks from both cars, so they're now down to running gear and engine/gearbox. The right tank is a piece of cake, just undo the strap, take off the cap, release the fuel line and vent line, and pull it out.
The left tank is another story.
In all their brilliance, BMC decided that the left tank should have a drain. Sounds reasonable, right? When it's maintenance time, you can attach tubing to it, then loosen it, drain the tanks, and then proceed. Trouble is, the drain tube is about 4 1/2 inches long, and passes through the boot floor towards the ground. You guessed it, with that tubing in place, you can't get the tank out. So the "easy" solution is to weld two deep sockets together end-to-end, and then use them to release it. But then, of course, you can't have tubing on the drain and it becomes messy in a hurry. All with a battery about 1 1/2 feet away...
I managed to figure out a way to raise the tank in place enough so that I could get vice grips on the drain from inside the boot, which saved the day (and the batteries are already long gone on both cars). I'll end up replacing the drains, but would have done that anyway. You should have seen the rusty sludge that came out of all four tanks. My favorite part was finding the remains of a locking gas cap inside the left tank for the '70. Yep, lock cylinder, and some corroded metal and plastic around it. I am still scratching my head on how someone managed to get it in there. In the photo, you can see the drain with tubing, and the locking cap remains are on the ground.
I also found more money in both cars tonight. Another cent in the '66, and another 10 cents in the '70. My grand total now is AU$4.42! If it keeps up like this, I'll make money on the project!
My dad will be visiting for the next three days, so I'm sure we'll be geeking out over the cars and what direction to take with them. I got my first good look at the underside of the '70 tonight, and it is very solid save a few big dents from running off curbs, over rocks, etc. Both cars have dents right behind the front wheels in the floorpans, and it makes sense that when you drive over anything like an angled curb, that's the point that's going to hit and get bent.
At this point, I'm pretty sure I'll be replacing both cars' wiring harnesses, and the '66 full interior. It is pretty rough, and for $600 I can have all new cards/vinyl/etc., and then would just need to handle the seats. I'll also get the premium carpet for both which runs under $200 and even has the plastic parts that the front seats ride on. A nice touch. Dash and headliner remains to be determined on the '70, but that will also probably get replaced on the '66. It is clear that the '66 did a lot of sitting in the weather at some point in its life, with the resulting damage. Fortunately, with more than 5 million minis made, there are ample parts vendors all over the place. And in Australia there are several really good ones, who carry the parts specific to the Australian models, so I may well be able to do a very authentic restoration for these guys.
Signing off for now.
Friday, September 19, 2008
Happy, happy day!
A lot has happened since the last post. I finally got on to ausmini.com, and that is an amazing forum. There are, get this, 18,000 members!!! They are a very busy and active forum, and really willing to help. One of the guys pointed out that the trolleys that run down the waterfront in Seattle are from Melbourne originally--I didn't realize that.
I got lots of feedback on the questions I posted, and the net:net of it is that the '66 is in fact a genuine Cooper S. There were clips on the early MKIs that substituted for the tabs in the boot, and I have holes that were for those clips. There also are two other numbers stamped in the body that are correct. The ragged hole is common due to a rubber part failing and letting the gearshift tear up the hole. The floor pan is in fact correct, as there was a change in '67 to the style of pan on the '70. The guys also directed me to a couple of really tiny hidden details that should be there, and the '66 had them all! One thing we discovered, however, is that the '66 may in fact be a '65. It was probably produced in late '65, and sold/titled in '66. This gives further support to the early discrepancies that were in fact present in '65 and '66 compared to later years.
So what we think happened is this: Somewhere down the line, the car had a front end accident. Fenders and bonnet were replaced, and the car was painted the butter cream color (or the butter cream was a primer, and the car was painted back to green and grey). The bonnet was from a normal mini, and the owner didn't bother to get the Morris Cooper badging back on the bonnet. Later on, someone did a respray of the car with the current metallic green and grey, also with the non-cooper badge up front. Years later, I come along and sort it all out, and put it back to original. What say you all?
Take a deep breath, and breathe out a HUGE sigh of relief... There is nothing like local knowledge... There is once again momentum in the project.
So at this point I have received giant eye bolts for the beam in the garage, and will receive a chain hoist on Monday. I will then be ready to pull the engines on both cars and have a look at the underside. I have removed the doors/bonnet/boot lid on the '66, and need to get the glass off it also. I jacked up the '66 the other day to look at some suspension components. My floor jack won't fit under the car! I had to use the stock jack to raise the car 8 or 10 inches, then could slide my floor jack under from the front. Too funny. Maybe when the hydrolastic suspension is charged it will be a different story.
What a thrill, to have two confirmed genuine Cooper S models in the garage at once!!! To lend perspective, there were about 5.3 million minis made around the globe. Of those, about 19,500 worldwide were Cooper S's. They were rare 40 years ago, and exceptionally so after all the years of rust, accidents, and neglect. I don't know if I'll be able to bring myself to sell one after restoration. Sssh...just don't tell Kathryn. :)
Happy day indeed.
I got lots of feedback on the questions I posted, and the net:net of it is that the '66 is in fact a genuine Cooper S. There were clips on the early MKIs that substituted for the tabs in the boot, and I have holes that were for those clips. There also are two other numbers stamped in the body that are correct. The ragged hole is common due to a rubber part failing and letting the gearshift tear up the hole. The floor pan is in fact correct, as there was a change in '67 to the style of pan on the '70. The guys also directed me to a couple of really tiny hidden details that should be there, and the '66 had them all! One thing we discovered, however, is that the '66 may in fact be a '65. It was probably produced in late '65, and sold/titled in '66. This gives further support to the early discrepancies that were in fact present in '65 and '66 compared to later years.
So what we think happened is this: Somewhere down the line, the car had a front end accident. Fenders and bonnet were replaced, and the car was painted the butter cream color (or the butter cream was a primer, and the car was painted back to green and grey). The bonnet was from a normal mini, and the owner didn't bother to get the Morris Cooper badging back on the bonnet. Later on, someone did a respray of the car with the current metallic green and grey, also with the non-cooper badge up front. Years later, I come along and sort it all out, and put it back to original. What say you all?
Take a deep breath, and breathe out a HUGE sigh of relief... There is nothing like local knowledge... There is once again momentum in the project.
So at this point I have received giant eye bolts for the beam in the garage, and will receive a chain hoist on Monday. I will then be ready to pull the engines on both cars and have a look at the underside. I have removed the doors/bonnet/boot lid on the '66, and need to get the glass off it also. I jacked up the '66 the other day to look at some suspension components. My floor jack won't fit under the car! I had to use the stock jack to raise the car 8 or 10 inches, then could slide my floor jack under from the front. Too funny. Maybe when the hydrolastic suspension is charged it will be a different story.
What a thrill, to have two confirmed genuine Cooper S models in the garage at once!!! To lend perspective, there were about 5.3 million minis made around the globe. Of those, about 19,500 worldwide were Cooper S's. They were rare 40 years ago, and exceptionally so after all the years of rust, accidents, and neglect. I don't know if I'll be able to bring myself to sell one after restoration. Sssh...just don't tell Kathryn. :)
Happy day indeed.
Oh shit?
Today is not a good day in miniland. I noticed today that there are several discrepancies on the '66 that don't align with the Cooper S I.D. guide that I have. Before I get ahead of myself, the I.D. guide is for a MKII (the 1970), and not the MKI (the 1966). But I'm freaking out a bit nonetheless.
First of all, I noticed the floorpan is a different pressing than typical Australian ones. Also, some sheet metal tabs that should be in the boot are not there. Also, there is the somewhat ragged hole at the gear shift. Counterfeit Cooper S cars are everywhere--an old joke is, "of the 7,500 Coopers made in Australia, 25,000 are still on the road." So you really have to be careful when buying as there are some really good fakes out there.
I sanded test areas on fenders, doors, roof, body, boot, bonnet, and found that all had: bare metal, light green primer, butter cream color, green layers.
I don't know what to make of this. The bonnet is clearly not the original for a Cooper S (missing holes for the "S"), and the fenders have been changed at some point. But the car has so many of the features of a genuine Cooper S--it doesn't make sense yet. For example, there is a support under the right fuel tank that is totally hidden and has to be spot welded in a genuine car. That is present and correct. Why would a faker spend all the time to get that support right yet leave out the easy and visible tabs?
For me, I bought these two cars knowing that the 1970 was pristine and most certainly genuine, but only had six photos of the 1966 and the advice/expertise of the seller. I am feeling a bit stupid about this right now, since I could have asked some more questions and for some more photos, that would have let me see these things up front. The bottom line is that if the '66 is a fake, I am in a bad spot. I can't in good conscience restore it and sell it as a genuine Cooper S, but if I don't pursue a full restoration I won't get anywhere near the cost of the restoration and purchase for it. Maybe get a proper shell from Australia? Or sell the car now to cut my losses?
There is a forum in Australia called ausmini.com, and I am awaiting moderator approval to be allowed to post there. I'm trying to hold off on really stressing out until I get some feedback from enthusiasts in Australia, but it's difficult at this moment.
bmc
First of all, I noticed the floorpan is a different pressing than typical Australian ones. Also, some sheet metal tabs that should be in the boot are not there. Also, there is the somewhat ragged hole at the gear shift. Counterfeit Cooper S cars are everywhere--an old joke is, "of the 7,500 Coopers made in Australia, 25,000 are still on the road." So you really have to be careful when buying as there are some really good fakes out there.
I sanded test areas on fenders, doors, roof, body, boot, bonnet, and found that all had: bare metal, light green primer, butter cream color, green layers.
I don't know what to make of this. The bonnet is clearly not the original for a Cooper S (missing holes for the "S"), and the fenders have been changed at some point. But the car has so many of the features of a genuine Cooper S--it doesn't make sense yet. For example, there is a support under the right fuel tank that is totally hidden and has to be spot welded in a genuine car. That is present and correct. Why would a faker spend all the time to get that support right yet leave out the easy and visible tabs?For me, I bought these two cars knowing that the 1970 was pristine and most certainly genuine, but only had six photos of the 1966 and the advice/expertise of the seller. I am feeling a bit stupid about this right now, since I could have asked some more questions and for some more photos, that would have let me see these things up front. The bottom line is that if the '66 is a fake, I am in a bad spot. I can't in good conscience restore it and sell it as a genuine Cooper S, but if I don't pursue a full restoration I won't get anywhere near the cost of the restoration and purchase for it. Maybe get a proper shell from Australia? Or sell the car now to cut my losses?
There is a forum in Australia called ausmini.com, and I am awaiting moderator approval to be allowed to post there. I'm trying to hold off on really stressing out until I get some feedback from enthusiasts in Australia, but it's difficult at this moment.
bmc
Of Mice and Minis
I have been noticing some discrepancies in the '66 lately (replaced fenders and bonnet, etc.) and so have decided that I need to tear down both cars before I can decide which one to keep, and therefore which one to restore first. Spent this evening getting the interior out of the '66, and it was a bit trickier than the '70. First, the most recent carpet (which is probably 20 years old) was glued down really well. As I ripped it out, it could come apart into little pieces instead of big sheets, so spent a fair amount of time just pulling out bits. The next fun detail is that this car has been a home to something like 200 mice at one point, so there are dried mouse turds everywhere. Charming.
When the carpet and gearshift boot came out, I was very bummed to find that the gearshift hole is really ragged. When a Cooper S is counterfeited, one telltale sign is that the hole for the gearshift is usually hacked out, instead of being a nice smooth factory hole. This one is strange--it is ragged, but if you line up all the ragged pieces, it was originally a smooth hole. So I'm confused on this one.
The gauges that were under the dash are indeed original, and after pulling the homemade wooden dash insert out, I was pleased to find the original metal gauge mount behind it. So to restore the gauges to original look and location, I'll only need to find the plastic surround and fascia. In my box of parts, I also found an original Smith's tach, positive ground even, that will be a perfect finishing touch for the instrumentation on this car!
The side cards (doors and rear) are rough but salvageable. The rear seat is also faded to grey (from its original light green) but in great shape otherwise. The front seats are redone in a green color that is noticeably different from the others. The headliner is badly waterstained all around, and the dash cards are pretty rough. The dash itself isn't too bad, with some tears here and there but original vinyl. The inserts for companion boxes front and rear are pretty much trash. So this one may need more work on the interior, but not to worry as most of this stuff is available still today.
I also found some Oz change in this car; 1x20cents (from 1967!), 1x5cent, 1x1cent. 26cents, none the richer? My favorite find of the night, however, was this. There was previously a stereo in the car, and some of the wiring is still there. In the left rear companion box, I found what I think is an amp, basically just a circuit board with no case. It was wrapped in bubble wrap and laid on metal. Soldered points pointed down. I can only imagine the fun that would have ensued once the vibration finally let the circuit board short across the metal of the car...
So with visions of Hanta Virus dancing in my head, it's off to bed.
When the carpet and gearshift boot came out, I was very bummed to find that the gearshift hole is really ragged. When a Cooper S is counterfeited, one telltale sign is that the hole for the gearshift is usually hacked out, instead of being a nice smooth factory hole. This one is strange--it is ragged, but if you line up all the ragged pieces, it was originally a smooth hole. So I'm confused on this one.
The gauges that were under the dash are indeed original, and after pulling the homemade wooden dash insert out, I was pleased to find the original metal gauge mount behind it. So to restore the gauges to original look and location, I'll only need to find the plastic surround and fascia. In my box of parts, I also found an original Smith's tach, positive ground even, that will be a perfect finishing touch for the instrumentation on this car!The side cards (doors and rear) are rough but salvageable. The rear seat is also faded to grey (from its original light green) but in great shape otherwise. The front seats are redone in a green color that is noticeably different from the others. The headliner is badly waterstained all around, and the dash cards are pretty rough. The dash itself isn't too bad, with some tears here and there but original vinyl. The inserts for companion boxes front and rear are pretty much trash. So this one may need more work on the interior, but not to worry as most of this stuff is available still today.
I also found some Oz change in this car; 1x20cents (from 1967!), 1x5cent, 1x1cent. 26cents, none the richer? My favorite find of the night, however, was this. There was previously a stereo in the car, and some of the wiring is still there. In the left rear companion box, I found what I think is an amp, basically just a circuit board with no case. It was wrapped in bubble wrap and laid on metal. Soldered points pointed down. I can only imagine the fun that would have ensued once the vibration finally let the circuit board short across the metal of the car...
So with visions of Hanta Virus dancing in my head, it's off to bed.
Friday, September 12, 2008
Inside Out
With help from my dad, I got the '70 running today. After messing with ignition last night, he says, "I wonder if you have water in the gas?" At which point it occurs to me that this car sat in humid Maryland for more than a year with almost empty fuel tanks...condensation? Riiiiiight.....
Poured half a bottle of isoHeet into each tank, shook it around, pumped the hell out of the gas pedal and cranked enough to pull all the old gas through the lines and out the pipe. Then removed and dried each (severely flooded) plug, replaced them all, and it started first time.
I went ahead and picked up Ronan at school in the mini, and also K at the ferry. The kids had a blast sitting up front and living on the edge. So with a little drive behind me, tonight it was time to get started, and the interior was first on the block.
By the end of the night, I had removed all of the interior except the dash, all wheel arches, both bumpers, chrome down both sides, grille, mustache, hockey sticks, doors and bonnet. It was mostly good news--surface rust in most places, with one small perforation on the flitch panel on the left side.
The book "Mini Restoration Manual" and words of advice from my original mini mentor (Brandon) are slowly convincing me that perhaps I should do my own body work. I would need to get a welder again, but it seems like I could probably handle the level of welding required. Will see as things develop. For now, I'm still working on getting it all torn down. Tomorrow I'll pull the boot lid, windows, and who knows what else. I'm really torn on whether to remove the dash--it is metal covered with vinyl (glued on), and it's in spectacular original condition. It would be very hard to duplicate that, and if it can be masked off for spraying, that would be my preference. But that would also mean that I have to prep the body by hand instead of by acid dip or walnut shell blasting. I'm also torn about the headliner for the same reason--other than a small tear by the dome light, it is perfect original condition.
Under the rear seat I found three coins that add up to 4.05 Australian dollars (2x2, 1x.05). Also a thick bronze key. I'll have to think about this--maybe there's a car name hidden in there somewhere? 4Bucks? The 405?
Color is another problem--seeing how great the body is on this one makes me second guess my leanings towards keeping the '66, and I think perhaps I need to take the '66 apart also before I make a decision on things. Or at least sand off some paint in critical spots so I can see what I've got in that car also. If I were to keep the '70, I'm not sure I'd want to retain the original Tamarisk Green, but that also means repainting everything, inside and out, to do the job right. In any case, given how fast disassembly is going, I could probably tear down the '66 also and then work both bodies simultaneously. How's this for a nice original detail?
I imagine I'll have the car totally disassembled in another 2-3 evenings, and then the real work starts. Demolition is always fast and easy; it's the rebuilding that takes time... Tonight I got a little manic about things, and it's now 2:09 AM (oops) and Ronan and Megan will come knocking at 7:30 in spite of my late night. I'll have to keep better track of that next time, but I was just having too much fun...
Poured half a bottle of isoHeet into each tank, shook it around, pumped the hell out of the gas pedal and cranked enough to pull all the old gas through the lines and out the pipe. Then removed and dried each (severely flooded) plug, replaced them all, and it started first time.
I went ahead and picked up Ronan at school in the mini, and also K at the ferry. The kids had a blast sitting up front and living on the edge. So with a little drive behind me, tonight it was time to get started, and the interior was first on the block.
By the end of the night, I had removed all of the interior except the dash, all wheel arches, both bumpers, chrome down both sides, grille, mustache, hockey sticks, doors and bonnet. It was mostly good news--surface rust in most places, with one small perforation on the flitch panel on the left side.
The book "Mini Restoration Manual" and words of advice from my original mini mentor (Brandon) are slowly convincing me that perhaps I should do my own body work. I would need to get a welder again, but it seems like I could probably handle the level of welding required. Will see as things develop. For now, I'm still working on getting it all torn down. Tomorrow I'll pull the boot lid, windows, and who knows what else. I'm really torn on whether to remove the dash--it is metal covered with vinyl (glued on), and it's in spectacular original condition. It would be very hard to duplicate that, and if it can be masked off for spraying, that would be my preference. But that would also mean that I have to prep the body by hand instead of by acid dip or walnut shell blasting. I'm also torn about the headliner for the same reason--other than a small tear by the dome light, it is perfect original condition.
Under the rear seat I found three coins that add up to 4.05 Australian dollars (2x2, 1x.05). Also a thick bronze key. I'll have to think about this--maybe there's a car name hidden in there somewhere? 4Bucks? The 405?
Color is another problem--seeing how great the body is on this one makes me second guess my leanings towards keeping the '66, and I think perhaps I need to take the '66 apart also before I make a decision on things. Or at least sand off some paint in critical spots so I can see what I've got in that car also. If I were to keep the '70, I'm not sure I'd want to retain the original Tamarisk Green, but that also means repainting everything, inside and out, to do the job right. In any case, given how fast disassembly is going, I could probably tear down the '66 also and then work both bodies simultaneously. How's this for a nice original detail?
I imagine I'll have the car totally disassembled in another 2-3 evenings, and then the real work starts. Demolition is always fast and easy; it's the rebuilding that takes time... Tonight I got a little manic about things, and it's now 2:09 AM (oops) and Ronan and Megan will come knocking at 7:30 in spite of my late night. I'll have to keep better track of that next time, but I was just having too much fun...
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