MINI CUSTOM UTE

Me got winter time blues,so me turning mini into a custom ute,have smooth sides,putting flair grauds on,smoothing back end,use 2 bodys so far.

thats gunna be 1 awesome mini allan, check out the v8 mini's on youtube, theres some cool lookin rides there...

me looking at putting in a V8 in the front thinking of a flathead motor,could always put one in the tray back,mmmm.

Cool idea for a Mini.

I tried t once but didn't have 2 bodies so it was pretty short in the tub.

How about the little Hemi from Ala Kart kit, mounted transversely under the hood, now that would surely get the front tyres a smokin!

What a terrific project. I am looking forward to seeing this one finished. Here's a picture of a custom Mini ute that might help you. Website for this story is www.fastlane.com.au/Custom_Shed/Mini_pickup.htm

have changed the back end,lenghten behind rear wheels and put flt panel in the back now looks close to pick up,not putting on flairs as wont it smooth,tryed small dodge V8 from front wheel drive but is to big,so me going with mini motor.

2 new up date photos,useing plastic card in back.

2 new photos,ute has a longer wheel base.me brushed on matt black for a undercoat and to see were me still got to work on.

She's looking good Allan. There's lots of work in this one so good luck. Keep those pics coming.

Here's a pic of the Mini Ute's engine.

Interesting project Allan, Any detail Questions your uncertain of just ask I've been involved real minis and had more cars than I care to remember!!

getting the back done slowly, its been hard going.modelmaker is the pickup wheel base the same as a van,this one it about 8 scale feet.

tezza43 thanks for engine photo of the mini,I will be useing the one form tamiya's mk2 morris mini,as that is the kits me cut up to build up the pickup,still thinking of a colour for it.

done bit more work on the rear tray on the pickup,inner rear guards cut down film container

nice body work
Adam

I use to work with a guy that built a V8 Mini ute, his name is Frank Irrilli and him and Kelvin Brown built a yellow mini ute with a tunnel rammed Ford V8. It made the top ten at the Summernats one year, if anyone can remember it.

me thought of a V8 for the pickup can not find one to fit,don't know if me go with stock engine or some thing else,Adam the body work has been hard almost put it in rubbish bin,but put a lot in to it so far me got to finish it now.

done some rework on body,wheel base was to long at 8' found out its 7' which looks better now hope to get some paint on it this weekend.

That is one sick little Mini....look forward to seeing the next installment.

here is new body photo,lot more to do with it.

new photo body work done just waiting for fine weather to paint it.

Looks like it's taking shape Allan!

Ya paul getting there slowly,only thing now is to strip enamel under coat grey off it so me can airbrush it with acrylic paint,yellow and black,going to put light bar in back of ute it will have 4 lights on it.

Caustic soda is great for stripping enamel Allan. It dissolves easily because it is oil based.

what strength mix,how long does it take,is it easy as Easy lift off paint striper.

It's looking really good Allan.

I'm not wishing to be a smart arse, but I often come across that way anyhow, so please don't be offfended by my boldness in making this suggestion.

Do you still have the portion of roof (back half) including the c pillars and backlite section, that's not been used here?

I was thinking that this could be cut and shut into the roof to provide a more 'integrated', kinda factory finished look as opposed to the 'cut down into a yoot' appearance it has presently.

I'm thinking remove the original C pillars and backlite panel from the roof section before trimming and attaching the back section of the original roof aligned to the dimensions you've created here. Then trim and fit the backlight and C pillars so the backlite is vertical rather than angled as in the original car, it is also trimmed to follow the the countours of the roof and attache neatly where they are joined from the factory (so it's cut of, trimmed and sanded and reattached at the same point under the roof). The C pillars would be trimmed to the max, so they have no more 'bulk' than what you've achived with the current work.

Again, I think this would give a much more 'factory' appearance, although as is usual for all of my hairbrained ideas, probably a whole bunch more work than you planned to do.

A small section of flat styrene trimmed to fill the gap between the lower backlite panel and the flat bulkhead that you have in place now and I reckon it would look like it came from the factory that way.