Tech
MkI f loors and sills, as the cost of retooling
these items would have made the project
unviable, but the new MkI shell still differs
from the original in a couple of details.
The later front bulkhead crossmember
assembly is used as, just for the f loors,
retooling for this non-visual part would have
been prohibitive. BMH also opted not to form
the rotodip hole in the rear seat squab,reporting that they recognised that a
significant element of demand for the new
shells would almost certainly come from the
historic motorsport fraternity.
Replacing the body shell on a tired Mini can
be a quick and, even considering the price of
buying new, cost effective route to restoration.
The cost of buying individual body panels soon
mounts up, and even when you’ve made thatThe issue was that as the Mini had progressed
through its life, rather than replace press tools
as changes were made to the body, the tools
would be modified meaning that the facility to
manufacture the earlier pressings was lost.
Over the years, BMH has done some
innovative reverse engineering and
modification, allowing the MkIV shell to be
produced. In 2004, the Clubman saloon shell
became available.
Mini Magazine reported on the possibility
of BMH remaking MkI shells as long ago as
1997 but it wasn’t until 2017 that this became a
reality. The difference between the early and
late shells proved to be a major engineering
challenge. Apart from obvious differences such
as the exterior door hinges and small rear
lights, the earlier body is markedly different to
the MkIII-on interior hinge types. It has
smaller door apertures with different step
profiles, and smaller rear and side windows.
The A-panels and hinge reinforcements are of
a completely different design, as are the front
panel, cant rails, f loors, sills, front and rear
parcel shelves, and the bootlid.
After creating a prototype body, which was
revealed to the public at various shows, BMH
refined the shell further and commissioned
additional tooling to refine the finish and
improve the build quality.MAKING A MARK
To deal with the issue of the completely
different f loor design, BMH used M-Machine“The facility to manufacture the earlier
pressings was lost”
At the end of production, tools
and jigs were transferred to BMH.Tech
MkI f loors and sills, as the cost of retooling
these items would have made the project
unviable, but the new MkI shell still differs
from the original in a couple of details.
The later front bulkhead crossmember
assembly is used as, just for the f loors,
retooling for this non-visual part would have
been prohibitive. BMH also opted not to form
the rotodip hole in the rear seat squab,reporting that they recognised that a
significant element of demand for the new
shells would almost certainly come from the
historic motorsport fraternity.
Replacing the body shell on a tired Mini can
be a quick and, even considering the price of
buying new, cost effective route to restoration.
The cost of buying individual body panels soon
mounts up, and even when you’ve made thatThe issue was that as the Mini had progressed
through its life, rather than replace press tools
as changes were made to the body, the tools
would be modified meaning that the facility to
manufacture the earlier pressings was lost.
Over the years, BMH has done some
innovative reverse engineering and
modification, allowing the MkIV shell to be
produced. In 2004, the Clubman saloon shell
became available.
Mini Magazine reported on the possibility
of BMH remaking MkI shells as long ago as
1997 but it wasn’t until 2017 that this became a
reality. The difference between the early and
late shells proved to be a major engineering
challenge. Apart from obvious differences such
as the exterior door hinges and small rear
lights, the earlier body is markedly different to
the MkIII-on interior hinge types. It has
smaller door apertures with different step
profiles, and smaller rear and side windows.
The A-panels and hinge reinforcements are of
a completely different design, as are the front
panel, cant rails, f loors, sills, front and rear
parcel shelves, and the bootlid.
After creating a prototype body, which was
revealed to the public at various shows, BMH
refined the shell further and commissioned
additional tooling to refine the finish and
improve the build quality.
MAKING A MARK
To deal with the issue of the completely
different f loor design, BMH used M-Machine
“The facility to manufacture the earlier
pressings was lost”
At the end of production, tools
and jigs were transferred to BMH.