Most liked posts in thread: Mini Innocenti 1300 Export

Got the Hardy Spicer joints bolted up - what a PITA - you have to jack the wheel up as far as you can in order to get enough clearance Clarance so you could get the joint over the studs. Then the nuts are special and are tough to get fully tightened.

I also got the shifter assembly installed, and it works! It's always more fun to be putting stuff back on than taking it off!

On the brake pipes, I think if I take them straight down, then back next to the narrow part of the master cylinder I should have enough room. I thought about taking them upward, but I think it will look better the other way.

 

So...…..brake lines. They almost broke me!

The material I bought off Amazon seems to be copper coated steel, rather than the nice easily bent copper alloy you get from England - my bad for not looking at it more closely, but it's good stuff no matter just tough to bend. Then, if you look at the pics, there were a whole lot of bends in these two pipes, and some of them had to be pretty tight bends at that. I have a nice bending tool, but the radius is larger than I had to have for a couple of these bends, so I had to do them by hand. On top of that, when you have the pipe out in your hands it's very easy to get confused as to which way the bend is supposed to go, and yes I bent a few the wrong way and had to start over again. Lastly, I had to flare the line and put the fitting on before I bent the last part, and I just had to guess at the total length. It took WAY longer than I thought it would, but the two brake pipes are in, all I have left is to do is some final fettling and make the clutch pipe. Still looking at exactly where I'm going to run that one.





The other weird thing is, I've been looking for some simple brake line clips - I don't want to use P clips. They go by a number of names - saddle clamps, double line clamps and so on, and I can find them all day in packs of 12 for $25! I need 2, and none of the parts stores carry them, the only place I can find them is England or one of the specialty hot rod parts places like Kuger. This is what I'm talking about......



Dan and I talked about it and I'm going to weld a bung into the header collector so we can use a wide band to set up the carb needles.

Next up I need to wire and install the dash, then I can button up the bulkhead, then I can install the carbs. After that it's exhaust and a whole bunch of little this's and that's before I can finally turn the key and take it for a drive. Since I didn't make it to the All British show last weekend, my new goal is to have it on the road for a drive with the Lawrence British car club on the 14th. My next goal if I don't make that is on the road for CMU 60 in S.W.Virginia in early October.

We'll see....….

 

I decided I need to install the carbs before I can install the radiator, as I need the room to come in under the exhaust to install the washers and nuts that hold the intake to the head. To that end I decided to do a trial fit of the bulkhead plate too, to make sure I had enough clearance at the bottom edge of the air filters. Turns out there is just enough, about 1/4 - 3/8" or so, which should be plenty. Overall, I'm pretty pleased, it looks much cleaner than the big old piece of insulation and vinyl that was there. I won't know how well it muffles the sound till I get to drive it, and since I never heard it run in the car - I still won't know - except to compare it to my '89.






All the brake and clutch pipes are in and tight. Turns out I had to remove the brake distribution thingy after all as one of the pipes would not start to thread - and of course it was one of the bottom pipes. All I had to do was clean the threads up a bit and it all went together smoothly.

It's nice to get a few things checked off the list once and for all - assuming none of them leak when I go to bleed it out.

 

I decided the radiator and surround were looking a little scuzzy, so I took the shroud off and took it and the sump guard over to a sand blaster to have them cleaned up. I was going to have them both powder coated, but I've decided to just grab some rattle cans and have at them.....save a little money and I'm sure they'll look fine. I also spent quite a bit of time cleaning the radiator - inside and out. There was oil residue on the fins so first I cleaned it in the solvent tank, then cleaned it again with 409 to get the solvent off. I also ran quite a bit of water thru it as a lot of mud was coming out when I ran water thru it.....




Once those jobs were done I started working on the wiring in the dash. I took the heater panel apart to clean it and found another example of fine English craftmanship - don't have a drill to make a hole, just hack at it till it's big enough to fit the switch thru it! I reamed it out with a step drill bit and found a grommet to fill the hole...then cleaned it all up. One of the holes I filled actually is for a warning light for the handbrake-on, so I'll have to dig that back out and refit it.




Next up I wired up the four switches in the dash - I spent a lot of time staring at the wiring diagram as these switches are not labelled on the schematic and they weren't making sense - till I figured out that when they did the conversion to RHD they had reversed all the switch positions! Aughhhhhh……

Next I'll install the heater, then wire up the ignition and turn signal switches. Once those are done I can set the dash in place and hook up all the instruments......then it will be time to test everything and make sure it works as it should.

By the way..

Chiuso = closed

Parabrezza = windscreen

Int. vettura = you vehicle

 

Work continues....

The heater is installed, as are the ignition and turn signal switches.....and all the wiring to the rear half of the car. Next up the dash goes in and gets wired up.



I also found the coil bracket and fit it along with the coil, and I wired it and the distributor up - that completes the wiring under the hood - except for the horns. I have NO idea where they're going to go......but once I get the radiator back in and figure out where the oil cooler will mount...then I can figure out where I can mount the horns. It's really getting tight under the bonnet!

I went out and picked up the parts I left at the blasters last Wed and gave them a coat of primer. However once I took a look I found a split in the sheet metal where the bottom bracket attaches the shroud to the support on the engine. I cleaned it up and welded it back together then re-primed, then gave it a quick topcoat later. It's so hot this afternoon that the paint dried really quickly.



I also gave the sump guard a coat of primer, and the first coat of color - but it will take several more coats to get complete coverage.....I used the same paint on the shocks and I think it took about 6 coats to get good color on them.

 

I finally figured out how to mount the Italian oil cooler Dan found for the Inno - if I turn it over and have the hoses come out the bottom there's plenty of room. Dunno why I didn't think of that before, but the old one was mounted the other way so I tried to follow that.

I took Jeff's suggestion and found the local Parker dealer and drove out to see if I could get the fittings I needed to mount the oil cooler. It took them a while to figure out what the correct thread and fittings I needed, and they had one - but the other one they were going to have to order - as Jeff said I can reuse the two old fittings so I also bought some new hose. The last fitting I needed was a 90* BSPP - no one seems to have this one but they had them in stock at the factory in Louisville so I ordered one - they gave me a deal on it as I looked it up online - prices ranged from $95 to $33...…...…………….for ONE fitting! They charged me $29, no shipping.

Later on I was looking up some bits on MiniSpares - and damn - they have the fittings for about $5 each! If I hadn't just dropped my last order yesterday I would have added them......but no sense doing it now.

I may buy some anyway as I want to add a cooler to the Racing Green car but I'll wait till I do the next order. Victoria British has the coolers and lines already made up but they're for a Midget or MGB. They also have this cool snap on shroud that you can use to cover the cooler in winter. Since they're having their summer sale right now I might go buy the 10 row cooler and shroud, then I can order the fittings and hose from Spares later.

 

I've been working ahead on the Inno, I finished the oil cooler installation now that the last fitting came in today. I used the push on hose and fittings, the push on hoses are slick as if you screw up the measurement and make it too short or too long, you're only out about a couple of bucks worth of hose, not an entire $35-40 crimped line.



I also welded in the o2 sensor bung in the collector pipe too.....



And I bought some new stainless wiper blades and arms. I bought the park right style cause that's what my LHD Mini has, but I saw on the Inno that just sold on BaT that those park left. Turns out they can go either way. So I may be using these on the Green car and buying another set for the Inno - once I get it powered up and see where they actually DO park.

 

Engine compartment almost done and boy is it getting crowded in there.....see for yourself! Carbs still need to go in there too.....



Now you can see why the horns wouldn't go on the right side of the engine compartment.....



I think I figured out where and how to mount the windshield washer bottle, I'll have to build a bracket first.



Speaking of building a good bracket - the Project Binky boys lost power for a day - they were supposed to have the new episode out Fri night for the Patreon, but now it will be Sat might, sunday for the hoi polio....

 

Did a "dealer trade" on the Inno - it went down to my partner's shop in Tulsa while I do some final work on a '66 Cooper S full restoration that he's been doing. I'm doing a bunch of wiring and final odds and ends while Dan will do some interior work on the Inno - installing the door cards and carpets and doing some final cut and polish on the body.


The green block on the bench is a Sprite engine I'm building for a guy, it will be a mildly warmed up 1310 cc with an Evo 266 cam and a few other goodies. Should be a nice upgrade to the 948 currently in his Bugeye Sprite.

 

Finishing up some details on the Inno to get ready for our local All Brit show on Sat.

First I had to sort out the brakes, Dan said they were really noisy - I had blasted the rotors and even tho I put in new brake pads they didn't seem to bed in, so since I had a set in stock I went ahead and changed them out - rechecked the adjustment in the rear and bled them - that seems to have done the trick - the pedal is right where it should be and they're smooth and quiet.



I'm going to bleed the clutch, it releases right off the floor tho it works just fine, I can get all the gears and nothing grinds, even going into reverse.

I also sorted out the steering wheel, the hub was rubbing on the shroud when I tightened the wheel down, so I had found another Hellbore wheel and swapped out the hub - bonus I got a horn button with the new one, unfortunately there were no "works" under the button, so I'll still have to figure that part out. Still, it steers nicely now.





Lastly, I got to drive it today!!!!! First real drive in it since we got it.....this motor is STRONG! I haven't pushed it yet but it sure pulls like a train even on light throttle. Still lots of fettling to do, need to get a proper alignment and of course put the dash back in place and finish up all the wiring .....but a successful test drive is always a great motivator.

 

And she's out...bulkhead looks pretty good too..... tomorrow I'll mount it in my engine stand and see if I can get it to run, gonna hafta to borrow a starter tho, this one's toast.

 

A new (not rebuilt) starter is £59 so I'll probably just get a new one, the only thing wrong with this one is the bushings are worn out allowing the armature to hit the windings. It still works but I want it to be reliable when done. With the plugs out it spins over just fine, so I'm going to try and run compression with it. Who knows, it might turn over enough to start the engine....

With the engine out the next job will be to disassemble the subframe and send it out to be sandblasted and powdercoated. Then I'll pull the rear one and do the same. while those are out I'll pull the head and see what I can learn about the condition of the engine - that's why I want to run compression too. If not done already I'll have the machine shop put the hardened seats in and give it a good valve job and surface.

I'm undecided about tearing the engine down and going thru it, It made good oil pressure on the starter, but who knows what it will do once warmed up. As I never drove it I also don't know if the synchros are any good. It might turn into one of those "while you're in there" jobs.

In between I have to pull the dash so I can move the pedals and steering column over to the left side again. Then make some new brake and clutch lines and start re-assembling. It's a LOT of work, but I think the results will be well worth it.

Stay tuned!

 

We're undecided....I have a partner on this one but we've joked about keeping it under a shared custody arrangement.

 

Ha! I've been surprised how easily this one has come apart, nature's locktite (rust) hasn't seemed to get a grip on it yet.

Got a few Inno errands done this am, my local lock and key guy actually had an ign key blank for it - I was amazed as it's a brand I'd never heard of before used on Fiats and Citroens - Arman. He's going to make 2 complete sets of keys by the codes as these do have some wear on them.

A Mini friend sent me an Inno wiring diagram that he had redone in CAD, I took it down to Kinkos and had them make me an 11X17 that I can actually see with my tired old eyes, and laminate it too so my greasy paws wouldn't leave prints all over it.

I didn't get to work on the Inno yesterday, so this afternoon I'll get the motor wrassled out of the subframe and into the engine stand - it's a cold rainy day with snow forecast for later in the week so it's a perfect time to be working in the shop.

 

Major milestone, got the rear subframe out and stripped down, ready to go to the powder coater/blaster guy. The front one is already there. Only broke off one of the 8 bolts that hold the trailing arm outer brackets in place, I'll get the torch after that and it will come out. I also have to get the hot wrench after the screws that hold the front disc rain/dirt shields together, all four of them are phillips head screws and they are stuck tight. Both subframes are in remarkably good condition, no rust or damage anywhere.

Once I get every thing cleaned and stripped down I'll take this second load to the blasters and get them done too. The car has Spax adjustable shocks, both adjusters move and both work - changing the stiffness - although they both look a little rough, they'll clean up. A little sanding and a squirt of paint and they're good as new.

I also picked up the extra keys from the locksmith, they all work too! I was surprised he had the ignition key blank on hand, it was a brand I'd never heard of before but when I found a place in England that specializes in this brand, the blank they showed me was exactly the same.....so, result!

In the meantime I'll drop the steering rack and start cleaning the bulkhead and engine compartment - there's very little to fix there, but I also have to pull the pedal assembly and steering column so I can move them over - also have to move the master cylinders and make up new lines for them. Oh, and it's supposed to warm up tomorrow o I'll replace the shop back door that disintegrated and if I have time, see if I can make the engine fire up.

Progress at every turn!

 

The fuel sender came back and WOW!, the guy did a fantastic job, it looks brandy new. Cost me $200 but considering the regular Smith's sender is not compatible with the jaeger gauges and we could not find a Jaeger sender anywhere in the world, we;; you do what you gotta do. Before and after pics.

 

I got the rest of the parts off to the master blasters today and picked up a few bits I had left there before. Getting the rear control arms clean was a MF of a chore - they are hollow castings and someone was overly diligent about greasing the bearings.....normally there's a sleeve inside to conduct the grease from one end of the tube to the other and these were in place, but somehow the entire cavity of the control arm was packed full of nasty hardened up to 45 year old grease! Digging it all out took hours.

But I got everything done at last and took them to the coaters, they should be done about the same time I get back from Oregon so at that point I should have everything I need to start reassembly.

 

Car delivered! Home in a week and back to work on the Inno and Moke….proud father and son in the pic.

 

Home at last from our Mega trip, had fun meeting up with friends and siblings, got to drive my youngest brother's 2014 Porsche 911 - what a fast, fun car! - and when I got home I got inundated with small dogs for a couple of hours. Today it's back to work, but first I have to do a lot of shop cleanup and tool put away, I left it in a bit of a mess when I left for Oregon, then I should be able to start some assembly again. Most all the parts are back or on the way from England and my partner's place in Tulsa and I picked up the last round at the powder coater's already.

 

Thanks guys...…

Tonight it was the brake calipers turn.....I split them and there was still clear fluid in them BUT, the pistons were stuck tight. I was looking online for that special set of piston removal pliers when I had a brainstorm - my neighbor up the street is a plumber - so I called to see if he had an internal pipe tool big enough and he did. It only took a few min to get all 4 of them broke loose, then with air power they all eventually popped out. I was surprised to see they were all clean, no rust or pitting in them at all, but boy howdy were they stuck tight!

So I'll get the caliper halves blasted and painted, then after they cure for a couple of days I'll reassemble them - I already have my tube of Dunlop red grease and I have new seal kits and those impossible to find intermediate seals that go between the caliper halves.

In the past, when I couldn't get a piston out I've resorted to fitting a plug with a zerk fitting and using a grease gun to force them out -doesn't damage the piston but leaves a big mess to clean up! Glad I didn't have to go there with these.