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There are no stupid questions. Only stupid answers :) There is no real technical reason behind the color choice! Its an A series engine it will leak no matter what so its not really a matter of detecting a leak but expecting one to occur at some point! I absolutely love the contrast the yellow has with the rest of the car so i painted both front and rear subframes the same.

Well I have to think ahead of as many ¨Lord have mercy on my soul¨ scenarios to aboid as possible if I am to stand a chance of driving 13000kms through Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, India and eventualy to Thailand! Since there was nothing on the market to feet my needs I had to come up with a customised solution! Happy you liked it!

Well all of us who have tossed hours in the life bin , trying to sort them ball joints out have come to the unbiased conclusion that there must have been sadism involved in the original design! I m in Greece actually not in Thailand (yet) as the plan is to make it to Thailand from Greece (episode 17 will shed some light on that when you have the time). I also got the maintenance free ball joints cheaper straight from Japan (including customs and what have you) than I would have had from other suppliers (believe it or not).

@ while we have zero customs $ for all orders under $850, the shipping from Japan to Texas is outrageous. Then the exchange rate changes daily so I have to compare regularly..

They are a jolly trust me!! Hard to find though..I ve been looking around for ages for a descent pair! Hope you had a great Xmas too!

Thanks for watching my content and for your video on how to remove the bearings!! You made my life easier by a bunch!

Indeed!! I m catching my breath for two days now as I feela bit under the weather and I ll wrap it up asap!

Sometimes when I take breathers in between tasks, puffing away and having coffee I question myself on whether I m too OCD or not but then again I really do need to plan ahead for all foreseable mishaps that could turn this trip into a hellish experience but do so from the comfort of my garage. The more I plan ahead the more I will be able to bring this journey to a completion without (too much) woo hah along the way!

@ for what it’s worth my opinion is that you are right to go for the ‘plan for the worst, hope for the best’ approach. I’ve seen videos of some of the roads you may encounter. They are not great. Figure in the actual distances involved in the journey and the fact you’ll be one guy, perhaps alone in some remote place with a wrench in your hand looking at an injured Bob. All the forward planning of remedies will then prove their worth (hoping of course that you never face a situation like that in the first place 👍).

Hey there! I never had the Vizard's Red Bibble and in all honesty I missed that part out. If ihave time I will pop by a welding shop to add me too triangles on the tie rod mounts though I m so kanckered for messing the corn yellow paint job in the process!

@@StefanMiniCooper its a much needed upgrade on a mini but i do advise caution in not overdoing it. Whoever will do this job on your frame must be well aware of how a HAZ (heat affected zone) may well mess everything up. Take your time and find a specialist who knows his stuff! Glad you liked the episode.

​@@TheMiniDiariesthanks, I will take attention for that. I do everyting myself, I'm a good welder by myself. Currently I'm busy with welding my Mini as the rust monster was there, and painting the Mini. I like your Mini adventure and can't wait to see you on the road trip with Bob👍

@@StefanMiniCooper I d love to get me hands dirty on battling the rust monster with Bob too but I do not curently have any serious hands on experience like you do. Being a Mech.Eng I do know the physics and science behind the process but I dont have any more time left to train myself on how to do it on Bob. It's a project that will have to linger on for when Bob and I are back and prep him for the next adventure. Truth be told though Bob is not that bad in terms of rust at the moment excluding my LHD rear floor panel which is a sight for sore eyes as of now. If i could offer my humble too cents on welding the subframe make sure you get creative with ways to dissipate heat away from the frame as you weld. Do the sides intermitently (i.e weld on the left and then move on to the right and do the same part.) Use ice bags to increase heat dissipation on sensitive parts as you weld and make sure you manage to secure the entire frame down to something solid so as to avoid bending or distortion from heat shock. Measure the diagonals of your frame prior to welding and once done measure again to ensure it hasn't buckled. Best of luck in bringing your Mini up to scratch!

Hey Andrew! Yes indeed. I will try to capture as much as possible along the way! I will be test driving soon through the mountains of Greece on my way to Athens.

Thanks ✌️just installed them on the hubs today! Easiest job i ve ever done on a classic mini! Unbelievable 🎉

it's it possible to follow your trip on Facebook or Instagram? or will you only post here on TH-cam? 😃

@@TimRickeskar I will be posting on instagram as well as tik tok. I got too much on my plate at the moment with making Bob road worthy again so I m only using TH-cam for now.

Hey Dimitri! I somehow lost track of this comment so apologies for the late response! The ATV tyres are there for really messy mud situations. I am aware of their limitations but it is what it is for the time being cause Dunlop Weathermaster will cost me half a kidney and my budget is already maxed out. I cabn only drive thatm at top speeds of 30km/hr but then again if I m i mud up to the sills I doubt I'd be going any faster than that! I got bigger issues that mud at the moment with Visas for both of those countries but that's another drama story. I will moste definitely reach out when in Athens! I never decline a coffee proposition especially when that is topped with Classic Minis stuff! see you soon then!

@TheMiniDiaries Good morning. Send a pm when you are coming to Athens. Would be nice to exchange ideas on classic minis. Keep the good work!

Indeed!! They feel so good I was tempted to fondle with them as I was putting everything back together! :)

Well bless him then for sharing a trick that only cost me a washer and saved me the 70 odd euros for purchasing a bearing extractor to do the same job!! Good to see you around still!

Hey there mastora!! Thank you again for the advice on the excellent Super pro bushings!! if it wasnt for you I would stil be battling around with the crapy std black stuff!!

Hey Stefan! I opted out of the mechanical fuel pump years ago. Bob runs on an SU HS4 and hard left turns made him starve temporarily. I have an electrical pump mounted in the trunk right underneath the gas tank to ensure the pump is primed even with gas vapors in the tank ( I m notorious for running out of gas 3 feet away from gas stations). Of course I keep a spare one with me just in case! :-)

@TheMiniDiaries yeah, that's better! I have also an electric one..much better than a mechanical pump.

Indeed I have! I was hoping to be able to complete the entire car in 2 and a half months which as of today I have breached in terms of deadlines. I will be working around the clock to wrap things up by new years eve! The paint job is old tbh (over 10 years old to be precise) and all the loittle imperfections were hidden underneath the stickers! quick and cheap!

@ the paint job comes across good on video and the stickers really work. Someone once told me that owning a classic car is like being Sisyphus - wasn’t he a Greek too 😃 - everyday there’s work to be done but at least you get to enjoy the view from the top of the mountain every now and then. 😊

@@norsecynn Indeed he was! at least with classsic cars you get intervals of trouble free driving. Then Mars comes into Jupiter and Venus gets Jealous, all hell brakes loose and things stop working for no apparent reason! :)

Hey Ken! Its has seriously been the most intense hardship that I have had to deal with in my entire life, ( and trust me I do have some stories to share!). The first year and a half was best described as emotional and sentimental paralysis. All of my ennergy went into maintaining the tiny little flame in a pile of ash and taking each day as it came my way. I m basically teaching and training myself on how to live again at 45 years of age without my brother. Thank you for your words! Regarding Fred (what a cool name by the way!) what happened to him? share some pics!!

@ as I’ve already said I can’t imagine the pain of losing a brother, especially so if they go well before their time. Perhaps all one can do is honour them by carrying their memory into the future and in some subconscious way having them share the adventures of your life through the internal connection with them that you will have for the rest of your own life? Ah good old Fred. Sadly I’ve no photos. I owned him before the Digital Age and the photographs I had of him were lost when my house flooded ten years ago. A great car, although in truth he was a bit of a fraud. Done up to look something like the Mini that won the Monte Carlo but underneath a basic 850 with terrible mechanicals and a fatal rust problem. But I was young and loved him nevertheless. I’ll remember Fred fondly when I watch Bob’s epic journey.

@@niallcook3957 bought them as an off the self item here in Greece. Its also possible to custom make one at various stores in Greece.

@@TheMiniDiariesah cool, that’s good information. Can you recommend a particular place to get some made for 145x10”?

Thank youy for this! I wasnt aware of gravity bleeding process (though coffee sipping I m well versed at) 🙃! I fully agree with you on the foot pumpingad the damage that can be done on the piston seals due to gung, dirty, corrosion and so forth on the roads less traveled inside the pump mster cylinder. The whole point of my set up is that I will also be on a road of unsure conditions and I was looking for somethinjg that would allow me to do a fast bleed job if need be (e.g if I need to do so through the tiger nature reserve in India). Its Greece to Thailand that I will be attempting and there are 13000 kms and things that could go wrong along the way and havingb 3 months to complete this track time will be of the essence! Furthermore by using pressure i can be checking for leaks in other spots whereas with a gravity induced method I couldn't. I certainly leafrned a new bleeding method from you though so thank you again!

@@RobinTheMini oh boy! You know sth I don't!

Hello Ted! Thank you for your comment! You are very right in saying that. A simple hoze and a bottle could do the trick but I excluded it for several reasons as I did exclude the scenario of a vacuum bleed pump. Remember this is a set up I m using on a Classic Mini for a 13,000 km trip from Greece to Thailand. I wil not have the privilege of my own garage, protected and shielded from weather elements. The plan is to prepare and design all my equipment for the worse case scenario which would in my case be an unpaved road, gravel and all, with rain and wind on my back. Keeping that bottle up and straight may well not be possible and that will be an ugly scenario if for any reason I m stranded in the middle of nowhere with a leaking wheel cylinder for example. Furthermore using the hoze and bottle set up means I m in the car pumping and hence I will have no way of checking whether bubbles are still coming through or not. I may be drawing air from a secondary failure which may be concurrent (devilsh decoys). By using a pressurised system I can bleed and check for leaks anytime by inspecting all brake fittings from underneath the car. Lastly it will be one more bottle to bring along and I have already pretty much used up every available cubic inch of space in my itsy, bitsy, teenie, weenie little car! In the set up I m using I only need to bring along a bake pump cap and a two short hoses and Bobs my uncle! Thank your both for watching and for the comment though! :)

Thank you!

Hey Tim! Most definetely! I need Bob back together by December 20th at the very latest. That leaves me a week for test drives and then I'm off January 8th.

@TheMiniDiaries Nice! really looking forward to follow you journey 😀

@TimRickeskar I honestly can't wait to hit the road. It has been a lengthy process so far and i m finally wrapping up last details

@@TheMiniDiaries Nice☺️ i hawe done some long tripps with my mini to England and IMM, so this is really inspirering. I can recommend watching Daniel's tripp to Africa if you don't already hawe seen that? th-cam.com/video/L3GndkiADPQ/w-d-xo.htmlsi=JTd-DhNvweaiiUdT

@@frankenhorse2318 🤣🤣🤣 maybe we need a longer pipe to connect the two!

@@dimitramavrommati6878 χαχαχαχα εκμετάλλευση λέγεται αυτό αλλά μέσα!

Hey Nick! I m glad I m up and running again too!! Thank you for being around!! Greetings to Canada on behalf of Greece and Germany!

Greetings from sh*thole Greece where rain cold and wind prevails this week!

Bless you mate! Well whats stopping you? After all you have 275cc more than me to give you that extra push! I would absolutely love to drive Bob across Africa. On other news I just checked your channel out and have fallen in love with your music playlists! ima gonna be working in my garage to those tunes starting tomorrow!! Keep that clubman spinning!

@@TheMiniDiaries hope you enjoyed the playlist! ambient is one of my favs when im working on my cars. I lose myself, which is a win in my books! Dreaming of driving the mini up africa into europe. Im sure you're familiar with all the excuses in the book to not go. Once the finances allow, and life settles a bit, I will definitely start taking the dream seriously. For now, I'll follow your story for inspiration! Good luck!

Thank you for your words! Though damaging and life changing, time has helped me get on my feet again. I m glad your still around!!

Thank you for still being around!! Looking forward to sharing this adventure with you.

Thank you for your comment! Looking forward to hit the road!

It will definitely be interesting to say the least! Stay tuned for new videos!

Nice to be back! 🙂

Its good to see you still around!! Trust me I'm working hard with Bob in staying safe!

1.Στο καπό έχεις βάλει μαγνήτες για εργαλεία και πανί από παλιο κάλυμμα μηχανής με χριτς χρατς; 2.δίχτυ στην οροφή στα πίσω καθίσματα.. 3. Δυο σφιγκτήρες στα κολάρα… 4. Το γκάτζετ για γκατζακι…. Παρακολουθω ! Τελεια !

@dimitramavrommati6878 ασε τις παρακολουθήσεις κι ελα να βάλεις κανα χεράκι που είσαι μαχιμι του πολέμου!

Thank you for having watched the video. The trick is that once you remove the belt driven fan , the electric one will switch on only when it gets a signal from the thermostatic temperature sensor which basically tells the fan when to come on and off. In super cold weather it works perfectly on mine. Just make sure you reinstall the belt driven fan when the weather turns warm again otherwise the electric one alone will not be able to cool the car sufficiently due to the side orientation of the radiator.

Thank you so much!!! Glad you liked the episode!

Its carburetor cleaner spray. will reveal leaks as its combustible and the moment it gets sucked in it will alter the idle speed. Be aware its extremely flamable so make sure you do not spray it on a super hot exhaust manifold or you will need a fire extinguisher to spray on the resulting fire too! I recon that won;t be much fun!

☀🕶