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Aug 2005 - 'It'll be about 2 months guvnor - honest'
........till you get a cup of tea Taylor, now get on with it!
Chris Taylor takes his frustration out on my car.
May 10th 2006
Currently OKD is awaiting blasting, scheduled for 2 months time
October 13th
Due to illness, now scheduled for November 2006
January 2007
Car booked in for sand-blasting and etch priming - January 21st
Shell leaves........
Feb 15th 2007 Shell Survives! Inner wings unfortunately didn't make it along with the boot floor, 'A' panels, sills and front floor sections, and the usual other bodges which have happened through the years, but at least we have a start with the original shell
I have since been able to replace the inner wings with two complete BMC originals, (hens teeth these days - my thanks to Michael Batsford of Essex, a fellow MCR member, for having them in the first place). Just having these will make the work on the front end so much easier with these original datum points.
June 4th. No update available, car still as was when shot-blasted.
June 27th. half floor near side cut away ready for replacement panel.
Aug 8th. New half floor in. OKD will now leave present bodyshop. I am circulating club members now for any ideas.Jobs for the week are to get the boot floor and rear valence done, and finish the interior floor pans, and try to find somebody else to do it.
Sept 1st. The car is returned home after we load it onto a truck with the remainder of the parts.
A shame, because the quality of the welding was of an exceptionally high standard.
Aug 15th. Drivers side floor pan fixed - this mans job is now over, and the car bought back to Kent.
Passenger footwell above left- with section to be made and welded. All this work was scrapped when Caburns took the job over, replacing the entire floor with a new item.
Nov 5th 2007
Car dispatched to Caburn Classics in Ringmer, Lewes. Unfortunately though, the section of floor that had been put in will be removed, and a new complete floor ordered. Bodywork completed by beginning of December '07.
December 30th 2007
Shell is now complete, and next the prep work begins before the respray and return to Kent.
January 26th 2008
Took a trip down to Sussex to see the car. We have a completed shell and now the prep work before the respray has begun.
February 16th.
Drive to pick up rear subframe and rebuild it at home. Front subframe to be sand-blasted at Caburns.
March 13th.
Car delivered to Sevenoaks Minis (01959 563434). Shell prepared by Caburns will now be finished by the two people who took on the car in the very beginning, and came up with the phrase that has haunted me (and probably them too) ever since they first saw it......
'Have you got any comeback on this?....................'
................and after another 160 hours of prep work the car was ready to be sprayed.
Front subframe now sitting in my office being rebuilt, and the rear is waiting in the garage. Spraying of the underside is complete after stone-chipping first. New items including carpets/alternator/oil cooler/elec.ignition/front wiring loom have arrived. I'm going to be runing the car in two guises;one for showing as Police and one for routine driving, and have added wiring for 4 spots to the loom, which has been done by Autosparks. Also on the list will be a Motolita wheel.
March 15th
Subframe rebuild complete. Rear subframe now complete. Underside of the car has had stone chip protection prior to spraying.Waxoyling also complete.
March 26th 2008
April 17th
Sevenoaks Minis have been their usual thorough selfs, and will not allow the shell to go before they are happy, a principle they have stuck to ever since I have known them. They have established that they believe the bonnet is from the original car, based on the paint (WT2) which they have come across below other colours, and they have spent many hours recovering it to use on the final car. It was this bonnet that was fitted to the prepared front end, so it was fortuitous that it could be rescued.
May 7th
I do believe the light has been switched on so that the end of the tunnel can be seen - Shaun and Andy have done an awesome job as usual - I just hope they don't strike me from their christmas card list. Should get a 90% complete car back this week, then Chris and I will finish it off - (then knowing my luck Shaun & Andy will probably come and do the same to me....................they wouldn't really - far too nice for that).
May 9th
Car returns to Chris Taylors. Shaun mentioned to me that my number plate contained 3 '9's amongst the numerals, and whilst suggesting that '999' be appropriate as a picture opportunity, thought that the following, given the restoration history with the car, would be more appropriate:-
Fitting of carpets,headlining and trim to be completed.
June 20th 2008 Carpets and Trim Fitted
Before the 'Detail Police' start writing in, the zip in the headlining has been positioned prior to stitching, and is being used because the roofbox has working sirens and light, and is used a lot in the show season, so it saves taking the headlining out every time the box is put on. Zips were not in the OKD cars, and started in SKD's in late '68 from G plates onwards.
Finished interior with original lower dash rail panel (which is why it looks a bit bent- it is)and 'S' speedo with no KPH markings.Pye remote radio system.