Episode 23. Front Subframe Upgrades for a Classic Mini

[@LoneStarMini]

Outstanding innovation the trumpets. Love your thought process.

[@TheMiniDiaries]

Well I have to think ahead of as many ¨Lord have mercy on my soul¨ scenarios to aboid as possible if I am to stand a chance of driving 13000kms through Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, India and eventualy to Thailand! Since there was nothing on the market to feet my needs I had to come up with a customised solution! Happy you liked it!

[@StefanMiniCooper]

Nice job 👍! Welding the front subframe like yours is also on my 'to do list'

[@TheMiniDiaries]

@@StefanMiniCooper its a much needed upgrade on a mini but i do advise caution in not overdoing it. Whoever will do this job on your frame must be well aware of how a HAZ (heat affected zone) may well mess everything up. Take your time and find a specialist who knows his stuff! Glad you liked the episode.

[@StefanMiniCooper]

​@@TheMiniDiariesthanks, I will take attention for that. I do everyting myself, I'm a good welder by myself. Currently I'm busy with welding my Mini as the rust monster was there, and painting the Mini. I like your Mini adventure and can't wait to see you on the road trip with Bob👍

[@TheMiniDiaries]

@@StefanMiniCooper I d love to get me hands dirty on battling the rust monster with Bob too but I do not curently have any serious hands on experience like you do. Being a Mech.Eng I do know the physics and science behind the process but I dont have any more time left to train myself on how to do it on Bob. It's a project that will have to linger on for when Bob and I are back and prep him for the next adventure. Truth be told though Bob is not that bad in terms of rust at the moment excluding my LHD rear floor panel which is a sight for sore eyes as of now. If i could offer my humble too cents on welding the subframe make sure you get creative with ways to dissipate heat away from the frame as you weld. Do the sides intermitently (i.e weld on the left and then move on to the right and do the same part.) Use ice bags to increase heat dissipation on sensitive parts as you weld and make sure you manage to secure the entire frame down to something solid so as to avoid bending or distortion from heat shock. Measure the diagonals of your frame prior to welding and once done measure again to ensure it hasn't buckled. Best of luck in bringing your Mini up to scratch!

[@norsecynn]

I’m impressed by the detail of your thought processes thinking through possible scenarios on the trip and solutions to them. Bob really is getting an upgrade! (Bob 2.0 😊) It will be interesting to hear your opinion on how Bob performs on the Athens journey from the driver’s standpoint. Will the changes you have made improve the driving experience? 🤔

[@TheMiniDiaries]

Sometimes when I take breathers in between tasks, puffing away and having coffee I question myself on whether I m too OCD or not but then again I really do need to plan ahead for all foreseable mishaps that could turn this trip into a hellish experience but do so from the comfort of my garage. The more I plan ahead the more I will be able to bring this journey to a completion without (too much) woo hah along the way!

[@norsecynn]

@ for what it’s worth my opinion is that you are right to go for the ‘plan for the worst, hope for the best’ approach. I’ve seen videos of some of the roads you may encounter. They are not great. Figure in the actual distances involved in the journey and the fact you’ll be one guy, perhaps alone in some remote place with a wrench in your hand looking at an injured Bob. All the forward planning of remedies will then prove their worth (hoping of course that you never face a situation like that in the first place 👍).

[@frankenhorse2318]

Exciting progress, nearly go time now.

[@TheMiniDiaries]

Indeed!! I m catching my breath for two days now as I feela bit under the weather and I ll wrap it up asap!

[@demetrispatrikarakos5565]

Brilliant content as ever. Did you follow the red book by Vizard and added triangular pieces to reinforce the tie rods? I am planning to refurbish my engine again and I would like to see how you you install the engine in the engine bay!

[@TheMiniDiaries]

Hey there! I never had the Vizard's Red Bibble and in all honesty I missed that part out. If ihave time I will pop by a welding shop to add me too triangles on the tie rod mounts though I m so kanckered for messing the corn yellow paint job in the process!

[@andrewatkins3219]

Another top video 👍.. the adventure will soon begin….. do you plan on filming as you travel?

[@TheMiniDiaries]

Hey Andrew! Yes indeed. I will try to capture as much as possible along the way! I will be test driving soon through the mountains of Greece on my way to Athens.

[@YouTubes33]

Maybe this is a stupid question, I don't know I'm not very technical. Why did you paint it yellow? Everyone else seems to always paint their subframe black. Is it to better detect an oil leak or something? I think this "Caterpillar yellow" looks really cool for sure 🤩

[@TheMiniDiaries]

There are no stupid questions. Only stupid answers :) There is no real technical reason behind the color choice! Its an A series engine it will leak no matter what so its not really a matter of detecting a leak but expecting one to occur at some point! I absolutely love the contrast the yellow has with the rest of the car so i painted both front and rear subframes the same.