New Job, New Location, New Project - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

QuasiMondo · 07-23-2010, 02:53 PM

Ugly Betty ('86 Corolla GT-S conversion) is dead.
the Road*Stah (90 Miata) is in deep hibernation.
Li'l Goose (91 Sentra SE-R) is sadly being neglected by my sister.
...and it left me sad because I had nothing to spin a wrench on.

And then this followed me home:

This is S.A.M., my 1979 Leyland mini 1100. S.A.M. was originally the restoration project of a man whose daughter developed a fancy for classic minis, so he decided to rebuild one for her. She then moved to London, had a helluva time there, and soon dropped her irrational exuberance of unibodied go-karts. An unfinished S.A.M. soon found iteself covered up in a barn next to the tractors and other industrial equipment until he eventually put it up for sale.

So now that you know the history, here's a rundown on the condition:

The body's completely rust free, minus the battery box in the trunk. The beauty of Pretoria and it's high elevation is that weatherwise it's just like Southern California (on a side note, I'm always amused by South Africans telling me how miserably cold they are in the mornings---when it's only 10*C)

The interior's semi-passable, but it definitely needs an overhaul:

The original gauge cluster's gone and previous owner tried using an aftermarket cluster, which really wasn't aftermarket, and didn't work too good.

Actually, it didn't work at all, so I tossed it.

The seats are in good shape, but the lack of a headrest means they'll go for something much safer (and period correct as well).

And it has a vinyl sunroof. It will see lots of use once it hits the road.

The engine, on the other hand, appears to be freshly rebuilt. It's too clean, the block and head is repainted and when i pulled the filter, it had fresh oil. It'll do until I get my hands on a 1275 engine to build up.

So there it is. My goal: To have something to beat the snot out of on weekends and eventually bring it back to the US.

FuglyStick · 07-23-2010, 03:22 PM

Looks promising.

QuasiMondo · 07-23-2010, 03:38 PM

Part 1: Electrical

The day I picked up S.A.M., I was told by the previous owner that that the electrical system would need to be addressed because it was old and mice may have chewed up some of the wires. With his recommendation duly noted, it became the first thing to take care of.

The first thing to do was find out what worked and what didn't.
Headlights: Not working
Tail-lights: Not working
Turn signals: Not working
Brake lights: Not working
4-way flashers: Not working
Horn: Not working
HVAC blower: Working
Windshield wiper: Not working
Fuel pump: Working
Starter: Working (but not running for other electrical reasons)

There was also a lot of loose wires all over inside the engine bay which made for a very untidy appearance:

And I found it absurd that only four fuses are what's protecting the entire electrical system:

After some poking and prodding around the wiring, I eventually decided against trying to rehab the existing harness and decided to replace the whole thing.

The main harness as I started to remove it (and the hideous carpeting covering up the dash) :

A piece of the dash wiring used to wire in the old gauges:

My dual turn signals (one is actually supposed to be the wipers, the stick broke, and sometimes you repair a car with the parts you have, not the parts you want) :

The original vinyl underneath the carpeted dash:

Eventually, what emerged was The Flying Spaghetti Monster

The new harness arrived and armed with my trusty Haynes' manual, I began to install the wiring. And that's how I came understand why everybody hates Lucas electrical systems:
1. They use absolutely no relays, so everything in the car depends on the quality of your switches.
2. They used absolutely low quality switches, which cost me a day trying to troubleshoot the headlights, and another day on the turn signals.
3. The schematics are crap. They don't use international electrical symbols. Components like the combination turn signal/horn switch are just a box or a circle with no indication of where any particular wire plugs into it, and trying to find any component is like playing a game of Where's Waldo. Needless to say, I hated this part.

Eventually, I got everything in and now it looks a bit neater:

Final assessment of the electrical system after all the work was done:
Headlights: working
Tail-lights: working
Turn signals: working
Brake lights: working
4-way flashers: working
Horn: working
HVAC blower: Working
Windshield wiper: Working
Fuel pump: Working
Starter: Working

With the electrical system completed, now it's time to move on to the rest of the interior. Watch this space for updates.

genuinegirly · 07-23-2010, 04:41 PM

What a beautiful hunk of junk. I bet it will be spectacular by the time you're done.

desal75 · 07-23-2010, 05:12 PM

When you get it up and running you can pull up next to new Mini owners and look at them scornfully.

BadNick · 07-23-2010, 05:30 PM

I love those old Minis. Good luck with it. You'll need some, but it seems you're well on the way to defeating the Prince of Darkness so after that it should be a breeze.

I recently went to a new Mini dealer event where they had a nice little autocross setup with 10 different new Minis in various states of tune and mods, and allowed the participants to drive them around the course. It was fun, but the two cars that got most of the attention at the meet were two cool old school Mini Coopers.

Redjake · 07-24-2010, 03:22 AM

This is amazing! I love it! Keep up the good work. This is going to be fabulous once it's done.

bobby · 07-24-2010, 06:37 PM

Get the SE-R back from your sister while you work on this !...Bought my 91 new and drove the hell out of it...gave it to my youngest daughter to go to college in San Diego and after 5 years she gave it back to me ...now has 193.000 miles and is still a blast to drive .. love the mini but have some fun while you work on it !!

xoxoxoo

QuasiMondo · 07-25-2010, 08:19 AM

Well, I can't really do that since she's in Brooklyn, and I'm in South Africa. I do miss my Sentra, though.

Cynthetiq · 07-25-2010, 08:40 AM

when did you move to SA?

QuasiMondo · 07-25-2010, 09:42 AM

'bout three months ago. I finally got in with the State Dept last year so now I'm on my first overseas assignment.

fresnelly · 07-25-2010, 04:54 PM

Thanks for sharing all this. I can't wait to see your progress.

fatboss · 07-26-2010, 02:22 PM

Good luck with the project Quasi.

Say - you ever see a mini cooper de-seamed, all smooth round the edges? Man that's a great look.

Or you could go all Italian Job - Red, White or Blue?

Can't wait for the next update

07-23-2010, 02:53 PM	#1 (permalink)
QuasiMondo Wise-ass Latino Location: Pretoria (Tshwane), RSA	New Job, New Location, New Project Ugly Betty ('86 Corolla GT-S conversion) is dead. the RoadStah (90 Miata) is in deep hibernation. Li'l Goose (91 Sentra SE-R) is sadly being neglected by my sister. ...and it left me sad because I had nothing to spin a wrench on. And then this followed me home: This is S.A.M., my 1979 Leyland mini 1100. S.A.M. was originally the restoration project of a man whose daughter developed a fancy for classic minis, so he decided to rebuild one for her. She then moved to London, had a helluva time there, and soon dropped her irrational exuberance of unibodied go-karts. An unfinished S.A.M. soon found iteself covered up in a barn next to the tractors and other industrial equipment until he eventually put it up for sale. So now that you know the history, here's a rundown on the condition: The body's completely rust free, minus the battery box in the trunk. The beauty of Pretoria and it's high elevation is that weatherwise it's just like Southern California (on a side note, I'm always amused by South Africans telling me how miserably cold they are in the mornings---when it's only 10C) The interior's semi-passable, but it definitely needs an overhaul: The original gauge cluster's gone and previous owner tried using an aftermarket cluster, which really wasn't aftermarket, and didn't work too good. Actually, it didn't work at all, so I tossed it. The seats are in good shape, but the lack of a headrest means they'll go for something much safer (and period correct as well). And it has a vinyl sunroof. It will see lots of use once it hits the road. The engine, on the other hand, appears to be freshly rebuilt. It's too clean, the block and head is repainted and when i pulled the filter, it had fresh oil. It'll do until I get my hands on a 1275 engine to build up. So there it is. My goal: To have something to beat the snot out of on weekends and eventually bring it back to the US. __________________ Cameron originally envisioned the Terminator as a small, unremarkable man, giving it the ability to blend in more easily. As a result, his first choice for the part was Lance Henriksen. O. J. Simpson was on the shortlist but Cameron did not think that such a nice guy could be a ruthless killer. -From the Collector's Edition DVD of The Terminator

07-23-2010, 03:22 PM	#2 (permalink)
FuglyStick WHEEEE! Whee! Whee! WHEEEE! Location: Southern Illinois	Looks promising. __________________ AZIZ! LIGHT!

07-23-2010, 03:38 PM	#3 (permalink)
QuasiMondo Wise-ass Latino Location: Pretoria (Tshwane), RSA	Part 1: Electrical The day I picked up S.A.M., I was told by the previous owner that that the electrical system would need to be addressed because it was old and mice may have chewed up some of the wires. With his recommendation duly noted, it became the first thing to take care of. The first thing to do was find out what worked and what didn't. Headlights: Not working Tail-lights: Not working Turn signals: Not working Brake lights: Not working 4-way flashers: Not working Horn: Not working HVAC blower: Working Windshield wiper: Not working Fuel pump: Working Starter: Working (but not running for other electrical reasons) There was also a lot of loose wires all over inside the engine bay which made for a very untidy appearance: And I found it absurd that only four fuses are what's protecting the entire electrical system: After some poking and prodding around the wiring, I eventually decided against trying to rehab the existing harness and decided to replace the whole thing. The main harness as I started to remove it (and the hideous carpeting covering up the dash) : A piece of the dash wiring used to wire in the old gauges: My dual turn signals (one is actually supposed to be the wipers, the stick broke, and sometimes you repair a car with the parts you have, not the parts you want) : The original vinyl underneath the carpeted dash: Eventually, what emerged was The Flying Spaghetti Monster The new harness arrived and armed with my trusty Haynes' manual, I began to install the wiring. And that's how I came understand why everybody hates Lucas electrical systems: 1. They use absolutely no relays, so everything in the car depends on the quality of your switches. 2. They used absolutely low quality switches, which cost me a day trying to troubleshoot the headlights, and another day on the turn signals. 3. The schematics are crap. They don't use international electrical symbols. Components like the combination turn signal/horn switch are just a box or a circle with no indication of where any particular wire plugs into it, and trying to find any component is like playing a game of Where's Waldo. Needless to say, I hated this part. Eventually, I got everything in and now it looks a bit neater: Final assessment of the electrical system after all the work was done: Headlights: working Tail-lights: working Turn signals: working Brake lights: working 4-way flashers: working Horn: working HVAC blower: Working Windshield wiper: Working Fuel pump: Working Starter: Working With the electrical system completed, now it's time to move on to the rest of the interior. Watch this space for updates. __________________ Cameron originally envisioned the Terminator as a small, unremarkable man, giving it the ability to blend in more easily. As a result, his first choice for the part was Lance Henriksen. O. J. Simpson was on the shortlist but Cameron did not think that such a nice guy could be a ruthless killer. -From the Collector's Edition DVD of The Terminator

07-23-2010, 04:41 PM	#4 (permalink)
genuinegirly Eat your vegetables Super Moderator Location: Arabidopsis-ville	What a beautiful hunk of junk. I bet it will be spectacular by the time you're done. __________________ "Sometimes I have to remember that things are brought to me for a reason, either for my own lessons or for the benefit of others." Cynthetiq "violence is no more or less real than non-violence." roachboy

07-23-2010, 05:12 PM	#5 (permalink)
desal75 Psycho Location: Western New York	When you get it up and running you can pull up next to new Mini owners and look at them scornfully. __________________ The Man in Black fled across the desert and the Gunslinger followed.

07-23-2010, 05:30 PM	#6 (permalink)
BadNick Riding the Ocean Spray Location: S.E. PA in U Sofa	I love those old Minis. Good luck with it. You'll need some, but it seems you're well on the way to defeating the Prince of Darkness so after that it should be a breeze. I recently went to a new Mini dealer event where they had a nice little autocross setup with 10 different new Minis in various states of tune and mods, and allowed the participants to drive them around the course. It was fun, but the two cars that got most of the attention at the meet were two cool old school Mini Coopers.

07-24-2010, 03:22 AM	#7 (permalink)
Redjake I'm a family man - I run a family business. Location: Wilson, NC	This is amazing! I love it! Keep up the good work. This is going to be fabulous once it's done. __________________ Off the record, on the q.t., and very hush-hush.

07-24-2010, 06:37 PM	#8 (permalink)
bobby Super Moderator Location: 18,000+ posts on TFP #1,2,3,4 and 5,but I'm not counting!	Get the SE-R back from your sister while you work on this !...Bought my 91 new and drove the hell out of it...gave it to my youngest daughter to go to college in San Diego and after 5 years she gave it back to me ...now has 193.000 miles and is still a blast to drive .. love the mini but have some fun while you work on it !! xoxoxoo __________________ "Life goes on,within you,and...with out you !" xoxoxoo

07-25-2010, 08:19 AM	#9 (permalink)
QuasiMondo Wise-ass Latino Location: Pretoria (Tshwane), RSA	Well, I can't really do that since she's in Brooklyn, and I'm in South Africa. I do miss my Sentra, though. __________________ Cameron originally envisioned the Terminator as a small, unremarkable man, giving it the ability to blend in more easily. As a result, his first choice for the part was Lance Henriksen. O. J. Simpson was on the shortlist but Cameron did not think that such a nice guy could be a ruthless killer. -From the Collector's Edition DVD of The Terminator

07-25-2010, 08:40 AM	#10 (permalink)
Cynthetiq Tilted Cat Head Administrator Location: Manhattan, NY	when did you move to SA? __________________ I don't care if you are black, white, purple, green, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, hippie, cop, bum, admin, user, English, Irish, French, Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Buddhist, Muslim, indian, cowboy, tall, short, fat, skinny, emo, punk, mod, rocker, straight, gay, lesbian, jock, nerd, geek, Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, Independent, driver, pedestrian, or bicyclist, either you're an asshole or you're not. What's the best nation in the world? DO-NATION!

07-25-2010, 09:42 AM	#11 (permalink)
QuasiMondo Wise-ass Latino Location: Pretoria (Tshwane), RSA	'bout three months ago. I finally got in with the State Dept last year so now I'm on my first overseas assignment. __________________ Cameron originally envisioned the Terminator as a small, unremarkable man, giving it the ability to blend in more easily. As a result, his first choice for the part was Lance Henriksen. O. J. Simpson was on the shortlist but Cameron did not think that such a nice guy could be a ruthless killer. -From the Collector's Edition DVD of The Terminator

07-25-2010, 04:54 PM	#12 (permalink)
fresnelly Functionally Appropriate Location: Toronto	Thanks for sharing all this. I can't wait to see your progress. __________________ Building an artificial intelligence that appreciates Mozart is easy. Building an A.I. that appreciates a theme restaurant is the real challenge - Kit Roebuck - Nine Planets Without Intelligent Life

07-26-2010, 02:22 PM	#13 (permalink)
fatboss Addict Location: Liverpool, UK	Good luck with the project Quasi. Say - you ever see a mini cooper de-seamed, all smooth round the edges? Man that's a great look. Or you could go all Italian Job - Red, White or Blue? Can't wait for the next update __________________ "never mind that shit........here comes Mongo!"