Many thanks, so the rack just clanmps on top of the wedge blocks without any saddles??
Cheers
john

just clamps on with exhaust u-clamps through the blocks and rear of the subframe

My racks are all old 1980'ish I would guess and intended to clamp onto the body shell, where the U bolt fits on later racks intended to fit onto the subframe is the casting on the rack a D shape with the flat of the D against the wedge block? to have something round clamped onto something flat is not sounding correct
Cheers
John

I don't know if this will help but it shows the steering rack of my Rossa fixed to the subframe. There are 2 wedge shaped aluminium spacers between the rack and frame which give the rack a vertical mounting face which is flat and not curved. The U bolts are standard Mini which are flattened on the U unlike an exhaust version which is, of course, round all the way. I don't have the measurements for these, I'm afraid, but they are only a few mm thick at the top and have to be as thin as practicable because the bottom nut only just has enough thread left for it.

Thanks for the info, next step make the wedge blocks, tricky on a (very) basic mill machine without a tilt table, will see if I have enough ali material to make the little varmints, but could well be steel
Cheers
John

Drilled and fitted the rear body, to be able to cut the main roll cage hoop tubes to length, next job to make cage pipe clamps to get the front stays and top of the screen tube into position before tack welding, every time I look I see more thing to do and working in a little heat trap is very dehydrating, I have to put tools in the shade or they get too hot to pick up, I never had this problem working on a bike undercover inside.
John

Yeah, we have the same problem over here in the UK at this time of year - only difference is that they are too cold to pick up............

I remember that problem from many years back wearing gloves to stop your fingers freezing

Mine had two ally blocks between the subframe and the rack. One was the odd wedge shape (wedged in two dimensions) to give a flat face and the second was a saddle. My friends had a similar setup but with the saddle from the exhaust clamp rather than a second ally block. Both just had exhaust clamp U-bolts because the Mini one wasn't long enough - I don't like that idea because those bolts aren't much stronger than cheese.

On mine I've drilled the subframe holes larger and put a set of tubes through. With the ends on the rack side all lined up I welded them in place. The simple ally saddle blocks now sit on those. I then made a second pair of saddles for the other side of the rack so that I can do away with U-bolts and use 4 high-tensile bolts that are long enough to get nylocs on. The saddles I made are designed in such a way that they hold the hex-heads of the bolts when tightening it all up.

Iain

I think that the exhaust clamp mounting doesn't look too robust so I had some plummer blocks made up -- basically a rectangular piece of steel the thickness of the clamp with a hole machined through the middle for the rack and then parted along the hole centre line. The outer side is threaded and the inner has a clearance hole. The bolts are inserted from the front -- I used two of the wedged shaped parts one on each side of the subframe -- and locked up by a tab washer. A bit belt and braces but it is the steering! I used to have a drawing but I can't find it right now. Hope this helps.
Steve

Thanks for all the advice, I made 2 ali wedge blocks as per minitici's sketch and 2 U bolts to fit the plot together, now hoping to have a quick look in the scrap yards for a mini (rare here) to scavenge a L-H rack, I've got 2 unused R-H racks here I reconditioned about 40 years back and never used , the latest thinking is if I can find another Mini, convert the twinni into a light front engine Mini with a local made beam axle and transfer the rear engine and Toyota brake setup into the coupe, also been busy this week trying to make enough pipe clamps ready for the weekend to set the roll cage into position to start welding, I want to get all the chassis drilling and cutting done to get the chassis and subframes sand blasted and into red oxide primer before the rains start at the end of June, it really is that predictable and there will be no more rain after September
John

I'm sure I've left myself open to some silly replies but any suggestions where I should put this bit? I thought below the rear window but have another bit that goes in there and attaches to the rear bulkhead.
Cheers
John

Think I worked the mystery piece out, fits to the rearmost part of the subframe mount and bonds into the top of the rear wings I never had one of those in my old Cox
Please anybody have some dimensions for drilling left hand drive steering column and peddle box holes in T'other side of the chassis, been busy fettling pipe clamps and pipe ends to attach front stays to main rollover hoop and drilled through the floor and fitted the pipe end stiffener plates with M10 Allen bolts.
Cheers
John

John,
You're right -- that piece is the extension to the boot bulkhead -- on a road car it allows the boot to be sealed off from the engine compartment and made "watertight" -- some people don't fit it as it restricts the space for the air cleaner.
Steve

Yes that piece goes between the engine and luggage compartment. Any water that drips through the joint in the engine/boot cover drops onto that and is directed forwards to fall down behind the engine.

I found this of my steering clamps in progress.





Iain