Today I'm making brackets and such to weld in to mount all the stuff in front.....to that end I got to use a new tool today! I needed to remove the big heavy bracket that the clutch hose attaches to, so I got out my spot weld cutter kit. I bought it about 30 years ago and never had used it before, so there was a learning curve as I broke one fairly quickly - but, once I got the hang of it, it worked really well, even in this thick metal. Should make separating some of these other panels easier than just ripping them apart with an air chisel.
I was concerned that if I just chiseled it off it would tear the underlying metal and I would have to weld in a patch.
I also was sent a link to a Facebook page for folks who put modern engines in classic Minis, and one of the guys on there has done exactly what I'm doing, so I'm hoping he has a build thread somewhere so I can copy his work! 
I had to pause my bracket making when I realized that if I set the tank all the way down in the subframe, the pipes for the coolant wouldn't clear and would hang down below the subframe......so.......
I decided I was tired of working in filth and I need to get the shell outside where I can go after the mud and mud dauber's nests with my pressure washer. To do that I needed to make some sort of dolly. I dug around an found these 5" casters, I bolted them to a 2X6 and bolted that to the subframe. I figure if I can get a couple of my young, strong neighbors to help, we can "wheelbarrow" it out onto the driveway. Getting back in might be a trick, but we'll figure it out. I had to make it wide enough that the casters would ride on the boards beside the lift....
I had a problem with the front panel not being square to the subframe, so Don brought his porta power over and we moved it out enough to get the spacer in place. Things lined up pretty well except for the gap that opened up at the outer corner between the fender and the valance. Dan thinks it will pull together with a judicious application of clamps and welds.
I still haven't gotten the car out of the garage as I'm having trouble co-ordinating with strong/younger neighbors to give me a hand (one's wife had a baby this weekend so he's excused), and since a car ran over my foot at the car show last Sunday I'm not really in any shape to lift it, so I decided to get started on cutting out the old rusty floor panels and welding in new shiny ones.
I started by removing this crossmember - I noticed after drilling out a few spot welds that a LOT of big rust chunks were falling at my feet.
When I got the crossmember out, this is what I found - yes the blue paper towel was in there too - it looked like someone had closed up a hole by shoving that paper towel in there and gobbing a bunch of bathroom silicone over it.
You'll also notice there is a fairly thick sound deadening applied to these panels which I have to remove in order to get at the spot welds, and it is a royal PITA to get off of there. Sometimes if I can catch an edge I can drive a scraper under it and lift off a section, but usually I have to take my heat gun to it to get it soft enough to scrape off. PITA!
With that out of the way I dropped the new panel into place so I can start figuring out where exactly to cut out the old one and start welding in the new. I'm a little undecided about the sequence of what to cut and weld first as I'll be rebuilding the entire lower side of the car. On Binky they welded in the door step area first and I need to do that as well, so I may do that before cutting out the floor. It's a mess, no question!
Finally got the hot rod off the rack and out into the driveway for a bath! It only took me and one other guy to do that but I'll have a spare helper to get it back in - over the lip into the shop and up the ramps onto the rack again. It's a nice, warm, dry day so once it's baked a while we'll roll it back in again.....with so many holes in the floors and sheet metal, it drained easily! 
It was surprisingly easy to roll it back into the shop!
Also, today the front coilovers came in. Once a few other bits show up I can build up the front end, then I can roll it around on actual wheels.....at least in the front!
Looks like you're making good progress!
I know it's been a while but this project has not died, I just had to put it aside to complete some other work. I build transmissions for Sprites, especially for racers (straight cut gears) and I owed one to a guy - then a friend of his came in with one for his Bugeye - which became 2 when the one already in the car blew up also (turned out it was run thru two racing events with no oil in it. I've never seen a gearbox that dry! Some of the gears were blue)
So coupled with the holidays, some final electrical work needed on the Inno before it leaves in Mid Feb, a wedding for my grandson and who knows what else I'm almost ready to jump back in on my project once the Inno leaves. In mid-Feb I'll be taking it down to Tulsa to the new owner, and picking up my Racing Green Mini from his shop after he painted it - which turned out really well!
More as it happens!
A few pics of the Racing Green in progress - he still needs to cut and polish most of it. The racing stripes are painted on. Can't wait to get it back....since this is a part time gig for him it's been there since last August. Should get it back just in time for some spring driving and events.
Not kosher? What do ya know.......
Were you affiliated with the local junior college? I could swear I recognize your place from swinging by for a part for my brother in law Devin's Mini a few years back
P3ppy - yes, that's me! I taught there for 5 years.....and they call it a "Community College" since they have a larger yearly freshman enrollment than the two state universities combined, they don't consider themselves "junior" to anyone!
Ian, my last post must not have been very clear - I sent my green car (the one in my Avatar) to my buddy in Tulsa last August- he painted it in his garage. I will be taking his Innocenti back to him and picking up my green Mini mid Feb, then I can get back to working on the hot rod Mini.
Once I start cutting and welding the new metal in I'll put up some more pics of the Hot Rod. It will not be green when finished - or red. Haven't decided on what color yet but I'm leaning toward new MINI White Silver with a silver top. Undecided tho.....
In reply to MiniDave :
Ah... now I see it... only had to read the post three times... work has started to fry my brain...
Carry on...
In reply to MiniDave :
Yeah, true. That's a formidable place! Just keeping it generic because Internet
Cool to see you and your projects on here, it's a small world!
