Mini Innocenti 1300 Export

I have a rounded burr I think I can get in there to grind that head off, as I'm switching to LHD I could just leave the pedal there - it would really confuse people!


Nah……

 

Have to put a big spring on it so she thinks it's having an effect!

 

Work continues, I cleaned up the firewall where the rack will fit, added the small foam seal around the steering shaft stub on the rack, and finally got to put another part back on the car!

Two parts actually, as I installed the new LHD accelerator too. Haven't cut the old RHD one off yet, needed to get the steering column off first, but that will require some more unwiring yet.

Speaking of wiring......why does every radio installation look like this?

 

Still in dis-assembly mode for now, but getting close to the end of it...…

Today it was the master cylinder's turn....for those who don't know, removing the master cylinders on a Mini is a stand on your head kind of job anyway, but it becomes significantly harder if one of the clevis pins is rusted into the pedal and won't move. The clutch master was easier, the pin slid right out, so I pulled that out and looked down into the hole - I could just see the brake master's pin, so I got a long drift and a hammer and after a couple of taps it came free. While I was deep under the dash I got the die grinder out with a small ball end burr and ground off the weld holding the RHD accelerator to the bulkhead.




Then I moved over to the other side of the car and with Don's help we took the heater hose retainer plate bolts and nuts out. The heater was full of very clean looking coolant, no rust came out of it at all so I'm hopeful the matrix is OK.

Next we removed the wiper motor and gearbox assemblies, they just need clean and paint....more good news there.

I also removed the manky old front seat belts, the webbing was badly faded which means it has no strength in an accident - and the left side was pulled out and would not retract. We have new seat belt assemblies to go back in.The retracting mechanism is mounted to the companion bins almost at the floor so it's very difficult to even reach the bolts, and the wrench or ratchet will only move a few degrees at a time, so they took a while to remove, especially since the nuts used were nylocks..

Lastly, I took the obnoxious 80's rear parcel shelf speakers out and pulled all the wiring too - our plan right now is not to install a radio of any kind....so we'll cover the speaker holes with a new parcel shelf mat.






Next up, I'll carefully remove the dash assembly to get access to the bolts holding the pedal bracket in and remove that. I should also have access to the wiring for the steering column so I can get that out of the car too, then look at how to re-route the wiring for the left drive components. The turn signal switch lever is broken off, so I need to figure out a repair for that too as I doubt a new T/S switch is available.

Then it will be back into clean and paint mode again till I can bolt all those bits back in place on the left side of the car.

Dan and I are discussing how and when to get the car back to him for paint/polish and interior and then final assembly. In the meantime I have the engine and transmission to do.

 

Today I cleaned and repainted the windshield wiper motor and linkages. To paint in this cold weather (11*) I warm the parts up in front of a heater, and warm the paint up in a bucket of hot water. When I'm ready to shoot I step out the back door, do a quick spray, then right back inside and hang the part in front of the heater. The paint flashes off quickly so the fumes are reduced and then I hang it from a rafter to cure at least overnight, sometimes for several days. I always give it a coat of self etch primer before the topcoat so it will adhere well.....that self etch really sticks!

The plate on top the wiper motor is dated 12/73 continuing the confirmation of the production date of the car.

 

This afternoon I managed to get the pedal assembly out without having to pull the dash, but the wiring for the radio and required immobilizer for England were wired so poorly I may have to pull the dash anyway to straighten it all out. Then I spent some time cleaning up the engine compartment, I couldn't believe how much dried, oily dirt was on this thing.


The immobilizer wires were simply spliced into a bare spot on the existing wire, I hate bodge jobs. If you're going to take the time to di it at all, why not do it right?

 

Well, it's always sumthin…..

I was thinking about how to route the heater hoses over to the other side of the car, as they come out on the left side now, and the hoses will interfere with the accelerator, when I took a good look at the other side of the heater case and viola! the solution appeared! There are holes already in the other side, all I have to do is open up the box and turn the matrix around to the other side, then the hoses will be on the right side to go thru the bulkhead. Easy peasy!

Except.....

Well first of all if you look carefully at the first pic, notice the fan switch with the light green wire.....looks like someone gobbed on some JB weld to hold the wire on!

Next, when I drained the matrix nothing but nice clean coolant came out, but when I took it out of the box.....well the pic tells the story.

So, instead of a quick touch up to the paint, now I'll be cleaning and painting the casing, replacing the matrix and the switch, and of course new foam around the matrix and on the heater door. But it will all be solid when it's done. I don't know why these heater cores fall apart like this......but I've replaced it in every Mini I've owned except the Green one, and I wouldn't be surprised but what it needs it too although it doesn't seem to be leaking or smelling like coolant.

 

One of the last things I needed to do on the interior was to fix the broken turn signal switch, the boss that the handle fit into was broken - I figure I can build it up with some JB Weld and file it down to match the other one, but I needed to remove it to make it easier to reach all the different sides of it. We also have a new stock steering wheel and hub to put on, so that meant removing the Abarth hub.

And THAT was the problem. It's held on with 6 allen head screws and only one of them would come out, the others either would not turn or the allen part stripped/rounded out. That left drilling them out. At first I used a 1/2" bit, to try and remove the head down to the shaft, that wasn't working so well so I switched to a 1/4" bit, to drill out the centers - that worked a treat, as soon as I was down to the shaft the heads just popped right off and I was able to pry off the adaptor plate to get to the nut on the steering shaft under the plate.

Once that was off it was easy to remove the switch assembly - the one we have is in good shape except for the broken handle, which is common on these, the plastic gets brittle and the mechanism gets stiff from the lubrication drying up, next thing you know you have the handle in your hand, and these - like many Inno pieces - are unobtanium plated. (I did finally find one for $200 plus shipping, but I'll try to fix this one first)

Once I finish this, I can start putting the interior back together....I did have to buy a brake master cylinder - the pic shows why......this one had leaked badly and rusted, I can't get it apart. Of course, they don't sell this master cylinder anymore, it's been superceeded by one with metric lines and fittings. Which means you have to buy a specially made brake pipe with a metric fitting on one end and an English one on the other end. I was going to have to make up new lines anyway as we're moving it from the right side to the left, which meant longer pipes.

 

In between other things, I have been working on the Inno, but the cold means I can't paint anything just yet.....we're not supposed to get warm weather for another week or two - it's really frustrating me! I did get the first layer of JB Weld on the turn signal switch handle and it looks like it's going to work fine...the switch moves easily now and all I have to do is build up a few layers so that I can match the style of the other handle. Then file it down to shape and give it a lick of black paint and it will be good as new.

I took the various pieces of the heater over to my friend's batcave and bead blasted everything clean, and while I was there I retrieved the Racing Green Mini and towed it home, - damn thing wouldn't start after sitting for 4 months, don't know why yet - I just got it home and into the shop for now.

I bought another shelving unit so I could get some more stuff up off the floor, when you have a small shop organization is everything! But having a Mini on the other side instead of the Jag sure frees up a lot of extra room! I sold the green Jaguar sign to a local enthusiast and president of the KC Jaguar club, he was thrilled to get it.....he's taking it down to a local sign shop and having a light box made for it, then it will go into his mancave.


I also have some service books and parts books and he said he could help me sell them.

Dang, I should have given him that little Jaguar parking sign too....

 

Despite the cold weather I managed to get some more painting today as the sun came out - it only got to 40* but I heated the paint first and then shot them outside, then hung the parts in the sun and it helped keep the fumes down when I put them back in the garage to finish curing.

I painted all the heater parts, so once the matrix about gets here Wed or Thurs I can put it all together....I think it will have hardened off enough by then. The master cylinder is coming in the same shipment, so I should be able to pretty much reassemble the dash, bulkhead, steering column and brake/clutch pedal assembly.

I also put layers 4 and 5 of JB Weld on the turn signal switch handle, the stuff tends to run a bit so I have to keep orienting the part to keep it in the right place till it stiffens up enough to hold. I found you don't want to put the stuff on thick anyway, it won't cure out for weeks if you do - thin coats are best. I'm hopeful this is the last coat and I can start filing it to shape now.

Lastly I made a cover plate for the opening in the center of the dash, I have a bulkhead insulation panel to put over it, originally it had a piece of carboard with some insulation behind it, but it was thoroughly trashed. This should help with engine noise too.....