steve

Don't bother with it. Clean up the faces really well and torque down the head. It shouldn't be necessary to use a sealant if the mating surfaces are smooth and flat. In saying that I did use copper spray on my mini head gasket recently because it was a solid copper gasket. What is your application?

Where abouts is the mini motor thats making 192 hp? Thats crazy! What had he done to it? Who did the work on it and could he prove 192hp? Sounds like a beast if its all legit.

Do you still need a 32 mm socket? I am pretty sure (but will confirm tomorrow) I have 2 deep 12 point 1/2 drive 32mm sockets in my tool box at work - It was a stuff up when I ordered my tools a couple of years ago. It's brand new. If you want it, it's yours because I am very unlikely to ever need it.

legend! sounds perfect - where could I meet you to pick it up?

FCUK. Sorry bro, its a 30 mm. Your still welcome to it if you want it - as I said I wont ever use it. If you PM your address I'll throw it in the mail.

Do you still need a 32 mm socket? I am pretty sure (but will confirm tomorrow) I have 2 deep 12 point 1/2 drive 32mm sockets in my tool box at work - It was a stuff up when I ordered my tools a couple of years ago. It's brand new. If you want it, it's yours because I am very unlikely to ever need it.

Yes, reasonably common for these rims. They have started remanufacturing them for mini's but not for escorts yet. I still think that they are an awesome rim design.

Well, I haven't updated this in ages but this is whats been happening on my rebuild.

The wiring is all finished with new Hella H4 headlights installed. Got rid of all the crappy house wiring and twisted together and unsoldered joins.

Also replaced the front indicators to being orange lenses and replaced the bulb holders and the rubbers for them.

Installed my Moto-Lita steering wheel that I had been given at Christmas (I had to get a boss kit for it).

Installed a new gear shift lever and lever extension - new old stock Speedwell parts.

No photo's of the engine yet, but I have been working on it at Lynn Rogers Engine Reconditioning shop. Cross drilled the crankshaft. Have got the crankshaft assembly from the front pully to the clutch diaphragm balanced down to 0.3 of a gram. I'm still on the lookout for a 12G295 Cooper Head for the mini because I found out that you have to notch the tops of the cylinder bores to allow clearance for the valves if you put on a 12G940 1275 Head.

Also got a 70 Amp alternator to put on - not sure exactly what will be required to change out the current generator and fit an alternator, but I'll work it out.

Found the paint mixing codes on the internet for Old English White so will get my Cooper rims painted soon.

Love the white wheels! But thats just my opinion - I think they give better contrast to the steel bodywork. Good work on stripping back all the body - it looks sweet.

That is so sweet! How long did it take to model?

Small update:

I have dissassembled my 1100cc engine and checked it over for wear. It wasn't too bad but there is movement in the top piston ring, so I have decided to bore the engine +20 thou and put in new ACL pistons. Might do a few small engine mods but I intend to drive it everyday so I don't want to go to extreme on it.

Got my new wheels sand blasted and primered with 2K. I'll get them finished soon, but I need to save up for some tyres for them.

The mini is starting to over heat so I ripped out the radiator and replaced it with another one which I had reconditioned, also put in a thermostat as it was missing, and rebled with new coolant.

Started to fit my bonnet catch, but found lots of wiring tucked up by the old latch. The wiring looked a bit crap in places and I have some Hella H4 bulbs to put in so I am re-wiring the front of the mini. Hopefully it will be all done by the end of the weekend.

Cheers! I best keep it in then.

I started stripping down the front wiring on the mini on Tuesday night to install some H4 headlights and found a whole lot of crap wiring (some joins just twisted together and taped up).

From the generator however there was a ?something? that had been soldered onto one of the generator terminals. It was bolted up to the oil filter housing (just because it's close I think).

Can anyone identify what this is for me?

Its the bit on the right hand side - it kind of looks like a capcitor.

Couldn't you get a machinist (sp) to make you some up on a lathe? Surely it would be the same as them making alloy hubs and just tell them you want a different stud pattern.

Damn! Thats not cheap. Oh well, doing it yourself is way more satisfying anyway.

Awesome mini bro, I like the look. What part of the country are you in? Could you soda blast the body to clean it up? Can't wait to see it back down to steel!

Recieved my first parts deliveries last week.

Got an internal bonnet release

An electric fuel pump so I can immobilse the car a little better

New rear door seals as the ones on the car are starting to perish and the rear doors are bad for rusting out from water leaking in through these seals.

And some rusty as cooper wheels LP918. I will get them sand blasted and probably powdercoated, or maybe 2K paint.

Got a clutch spring return bracket and spring as they were missing when I got the car. Cleaned up and painted the bracket with some matt black because it was rusty.

Also rolled out my old 1100cc engine. I think i'll give it a quick rebuild and drop it in as soon as possible as the traveller is running a bit hot, and I think the piston rings are getting a bit worn because it is giving blue smoke signals as I drive it.

Sweet as got the info from Derek who had his RS at the Flawless Taupo trackday.

"The color is Bronze Wine Metallic it is the original Ford color. All Twin Cams out of Uk where Ermin White but Australia offered a large selection of colors"

Yes dfinately an original colour. I'll try and find out what it was called.

Lol, I had never heard of a Traveller used in that context - but urban dictionary has it as a definition so i'll believe you. It also said it was a Irish-American gypsie or a alcoholic beverage disguised in a plastic cup.

Price is still a bit of a sore point it wasn't a cheap (for me anyway) find, but when I added the cost of doing a big restoration (Lee at MiniBitz offered me one of his Travellers for 2 g full resto required), it worked out cheaper just buying this. The guy wanted 7 g for it so I offered what I thought was quite a bit less considering faults and he said yes.

I have bought some Cooper steels for it hopefully I'll put up some more pics soon. Do you (thminiman) think the whole car should be black? Or was that in reference to wheels? -I think I'll paint the steels old english white at the mo.

Any modification / rego plate ideas? Super keen to get 4 pot discs on front.

Decided to start a project thread for my new daily driver. Got it last week and gave it a clean and a service over the weekend.

It's fairly tidy - no rust, but the engine is burning oil, CV's are clicking on lock (both ways), and a few other minor bits and pieces.

Here's a photo of what it looks like.

It used to belong to a bar called Winnies down in Queenstown and they had stickers on it and when they took of the stickers they took some paint too. So Bonnet need some heavy touch ups and there are a few other marks here and there. They also put a personalised plate on it so now I have a crappy new rego. Any suggestions for a clever/witty personalised plate?

Template for build:

I'll put up a project discussion when I figure out how to.

Why are you using a stromberg over a good old SU? I haven't had much to do with strombergs but SU's are really good and nice and easy to tune.

Sweeeet! I like the look. How will I turn the front wheels tho?

But tints and lower for sure. I might look into chopping the roofline - I think thats beyond my skills. Cheers for the inspiration.

Can you photochop this please? Free reign - do anything I need some ideas!

Quick question for people in the know:

Will my mini fail its WoF if I fit a Trigger handbrake to it? They still ratchet the same but instead of having a button for rlease you have a big trigger that you lift up.

http://www.triggerhandbrakes.com/index.htm

Is it a cert. required? (I think it will be...)

I have bought one and intend to put it in - hopefully my mini will do even better skids .

Your mixture is probably running to rich you need to adjust and make slightly leaner. What sort of carb is it? If you rev the car up before you shut it off does it run on? (Don't go nuts just blip the throttle and as the revs drop away kill the ignition)