We're attempting to get the mini back on the road in great shape. Not to be a trailer queen, not in original condition, but in good shape. Reliable, and recognizable as one of the breed. It's a project to add another mini to the roadway and acquire a vehicle that I first took a liking to back in college.
Reliable road car, with a good exterior, good (and improvable) performance, with a hint of road racer.
Any piece of the project, then, will be measured against these criteria. For example,
Who will do the body work? Costwise, it's cheaper for me to do it (even after factoring in the welder) than take it to a real body guy. To me, it's the meat of the project, so it's desirable to do, and (within limits) I should be able to do the work. It won't be up to original standards - the repaired boot would never pass for original, too many bumps - and the floor pan has some pretty ugly looking metal where my welding skills are undergoing practice. But it's pretty much time and patience, and a chance to learn.
Who will do the painting? Costwise, I could probably get an air compressor (or rent one) and do a driveway paint job that could be rubbed out to reasonable quality, cheaper than finding a real painter, but this is a task I'm quite willing to subcontract. (update 4/01 After talking with a painter, who was gracious enough to come look at the car and give me a rough estimate and watching a video of "How to paint your Car", I've decided to - paint my car. Over the months of cabinet work, I've acquired an air compressor, so we'll see what happens next.) (update 7/01 After putting on primer, I've decided NOT to paint my car, but to find a professional who will do the color coat for me.)
Interior? Me again, using seat cover kits, most likely. (update 4/01 Seats are out to an upholsterer for custom upholstery.) Carpet, headliner, and seat covers may be the sum of the interior. There are no panels currently in the car, and I don't know if the kits include them, but I'm planning to finish the inside cleanly so it could go without panels.
Color: Leaning toward BRG. Used to be red, but there are a lot of red mini's around (relatively speaking).
Roll bar. Came (bent) with car. Should provide some measure of safety, and there's no one to carry in the back seat anyway.
Dash: Most likely a wooden creation fashioned over the winter. There are a lot of extra gauges in this car, and I'd like to preserve them.
Engine: Stock 998 is what's there now, ported and polished head, with standard SU carb. Once we get it running, the next project will be a GoFaster project on the engine.