'66 Sunbeam Minx Project - F20C/6sp/4-link/Discs...

[Frizzle Fry]

Originally Posted by FRENCHBLUE72

Congrats on the new 40 and the new marriage id guess maybe i missed it or maybe it was never announced but either way congrats..

Yep, I am no longer available. Thanks!

[fine69]

You guys, Mike has mad skills. And is about as mild mannered about what he can do as Mother Theresa was.

One of the coolest guys i have met from the board.

I hope to get back to Oregon and ride in this thing once its done.

About that Corvette chassied truck in the back corner Mike.......how's that coming?

[Lippyp]

Nice Landcruiser, I'd love one. I got hauled around Kenya for a couple of weeks in one on safari and they are great fun if not the most comfortable thing in the world to spend 12 hours on very bad dirt roads in. There's a nice swb hardtop quite near my place in France at a local garage.

Oh I picked up a copy of PPC toay, used a couple of pictures of the Minx.

[Frizzle Fry]

Originally Posted by fine69

You guys, Mike has mad skills. And is about as mild mannered about what he can do as Mother Theresa was.

One of the coolest guys i have met from the board.

I hope to get back to Oregon and ride in this thing once its done.

About that Corvette chassied truck in the back corner Mike.......how's that coming?

Dude! Get back out here and help me get this thing done! It's made a little progress since you and Andy were here You can get by without ducking and climbing... Still up on those jack stands though But not for long. My new front wheels shipped today. She'll be down on all fours very soon.

The vette truck is doin time in the back corner of the shop just like you saw it last. It's day will come. Too bad the C5 vette will be old school by then...
Thanks for the kind words Mike :

Originally Posted by Lippyp

Nice Landcruiser, I'd love one. I got hauled around Kenya for a couple of weeks in one on safari and they are great fun if not the most comfortable thing in the world to spend 12 hours on very bad dirt roads in. There's a nice swb hardtop quite near my place in France at a local garage.

Oh I picked up a copy of PPC toay, used a couple of pictures of the Minx.

A Kenyan safari in a FJ40? Where do I sign up? Sounds like good times.

I have yet to pick up my copy of the magazine. Gotta get over to Barns and Noble this week.

[gofast182]

Updates! Pics!

[lax54650]

WOW!! more reading

[Frizzle Fry]

Last Real Update for a Few Weeks 10/23/10

Getting really busy with work/travel But I've got a couple things to show ya.
While waiting for the 7" wheels I attacked the fuel storage/delivery situation. The shortened fuel pump assembly's new home:






If you look closely at the liberated flange sitting on the tank here you can see that it was removed offset so that it would sit where I need it to in the minx tank (slightly forward)


Somehow I didn't get pics of the Honda flange in the Sunbeam tank, but you can see it in later pics...

The pristine Minx trunk about to undergo minor sugery:


Minx2000 tank/pump in place (you can see the flange install here)


Raised section between those two "ribs" to make room for the fuel lines. Still need to fill back in sections and make a new cover.

[Frizzle Fry]

...and got the 7" wheels in:

Here's where we were with the 17x8 and 235's


Here's the 17x7 (they will roll 205's). Suspension fully compressed:






Full lock/compression:

[VA72C10]

Cool! Looking great! Bummed that you're busy Wanna see this thing on the road; carving up the corners but I'm sure you want that a lot more than all of us on the thread do

[Mil-Spec]

Nice dude!!

[BlueJeep]

Let us know your procedure for cutting and welding on the tanks please!

Looks fantastic, as expected! Perfect planning and execution.

[Alan's Classic]

Checking in on this project. You do some very nice work. You have big balls to do that work on the tanks. Even with the proper precautions it still scares me.

Love the FJ!!

[Frizzle Fry]

Hmmm procedure for cutting/welding on tanks. Well, I open every port I can and empty them as thoroughly as possible. Then set them outside for a couple weeks upside down so they don't gather debris. Then purge with an air compressor. At that point you can either fill with water or do what I've adopted; sniff test and if it seems inert check with a long bbq lighter. If there is anything volatile it will flash/burn at that point (never has). You are not going to see anything catastrophic. Then cut/weld to your heart's content.

[Jvsapp]

dang FF those wheels did the trick! hope you'll get some more work in before you get snowed in. well then again there's always house work to do right

i've welded a crack in a gas tank before filling it with water. that was fun. i've recently learned if you take the line from the mig off and fill the tank with some gas it will be inert enough to displace any volatile gas.

[pickup67man]

Originally Posted by Jvsapp

dang FF those wheels did the trick! hope you'll get some more work in before you get snowed in. well then again there's always house work to do right

As far as I can tell snow won't be the problem, rain is the problem. Either the wet kind or the freezing kind in Hillsboro. Correct me if I'm wrong.

[dyrt]

Originally Posted by Frizzle Fry

Hmmm procedure for cutting/welding on tanks. Well, I open every port I can and empty them as thoroughly as possible. Then set them outside for a couple weeks upside down so they don't gather debris. Then purge with an air compressor. At that point you can either fill with water or do what I've adopted; sniff test and if it seems inert check with a long bbq lighter. If there is anything volatile it will flash/burn at that point (never has). You are not going to see anything catastrophic. Then cut/weld to your heart's content.

first of all, incredible work. makes the rest of us look lazy! i just had two quick questions after perusing this build. First of all, the gas tank. this is exactly the same thing i am doing for my blazer tank conversion in my 69 long bed truck. I am using the sending unit from a 2000 gmc jimmy and putting it in the new blazer tank under the bed. Did you bother addressing the bare metal inside the tank from welding and cutting or are you just going to chance it and hope the gas keeps it from scaling and rusting?

Second, when you welded to the rear center section, did you use a special technique or are those housings made of cast steel?

Mike

[BlueJeep]

Originally Posted by dyrt

Second, when you welded to the rear center section, did you use a special technique or are those housings made of cast steel?

Mike

He used a dana 44. Dana housings are nodular, and can be welded to pretty successfully. GM corporate housings are cast iron and can't be welded to.

[dyrt]

Originally Posted by BlueJeep

He used a dana 44. Dana housings are nodular, and can be welded to pretty successfully. GM corporate housings are cast iron and can't be welded to.

ahhh, that makes sense. i've seen many people weld axle tubes in and such on gm axles but always thought that the center sections were iron so it didn't make sense.

[Spackle100]

Maaaan, awesome build! I just read the 29 pages.
I'm looking at picking up a 1960 Sunbeam Alpine in about a year, or whenever I finish my truck You are definitely giving me some ideas!

[watahyahknow]

there was a guy here who just funneled exaustgasses from a running car intoo the tank shortly before welding to blow the gasfumes out and fill it with anything other than oxigen , might even be able to weld it with the exaust still hooked up if youre out in the open

[67ChevyRedneck]

I wish fuel pump access was that easy in all new cars/trucks!

[Frizzle Fry]

I don't make it a habit to announce on the interwebs when I'm out of town, but I can tell you now I'm back from a month in Montana. There is more of that to come but scheduling is far from solid yet.

A 60' Alpine would be fun. Of coarse it would have to get crossbred if I did it. Perhaps something of the cosworth flavor. If I were to do another Rootesmobile it would probably either an Imp (Suby STI power?)


or an early Husky:



After the 5 that I have in the works now achieve some level of "completion" I'd like to do an STI powered modernized 356 Speedster, 1955 2-dr Tahoe (shortened/sectioned, fixed top), 4dr FJ40 (they were built under the name Toyota Bandeirante in Brazil until 2001), 70's Alfa GTV, Shelby Cobra, VW square or notch for kids, Unimog, 911 variant, D90 Rover for the wife...

Ask me tomorrow and the list will change, but those are some that seem to have sticking power for me. Really it comes down to what comes along when the time/price is right

[Jvsapp]

yay back to the updates.... been over here twiddling my thumbs.

[fryer1979]

Starting to wonder what had happened..... A month in Montana sounds nice though.

To add my own cross-breed project desire to your list, I've been long wanting to put one of the later LS engines (with as much C-6 chassis and suspension as possible) into an '89 Pontiac Fiero. Of course one of those crazy, one-off custom body kits would be a must too.

[Spackle100]

An STI engine would be a lot of fun! I hear ya, I keep changing my mind as to what I'm going to do next after the truck. I think the next project is a 73 VW westy with a 911 turbo engine. The wife has been insistent on this one

Also, what welding rig are you using?

Originally Posted by Frizzle Fry

A 60' Alpine would be fun. Of coarse it would have to get crossbred if I did it. Perhaps something of the cosworth flavor. If I were to do another Rootesmobile it would probably either an Imp (Suby STI power?)

After the 5 that I have in the works now achieve some level of "completion" I'd like to do an STI powered modernized 356 Speedster, 1955 2-dr Tahoe (shortened/sectioned, fixed top), 4dr FJ40 (they were built under the name Toyota Bandeirante in Brazil until 2001), 70's Alfa GTV, Shelby Cobra, VW square or notch for kids, Unimog, 911 variant, D90 Rover for the wife...

Ask me tomorrow and the list will change, but those are some that seem to have sticking power for me. Really it comes down to what comes along when the time/price is right