Hello all

I Have been looking for an MI16x4 for ages now, after i sold my last black J reg 6 or so years ago (wish i had never sold it).

Finally last saturday that looking paid off and i now own a ming blue, G reg Mi16x4.

The resurrection begins as it has been barn stored for the last 10 years and only has 70K on the clock, 2 owners from new.

As you can imagine every thing is seized i.e: brakes etc, surprisingly though it is a runner but has been converted to a 2 wheel drive and i have now started the process of returning it to 4 wheel drive and its former glory.

Most of the parts are there and i will be restoring all of the vehicle over the coming months.

Nice one Better get yourself a big memory card for the camera for all the pictures you'll take

Why is it I can never find these amazing barn stored cars?

Nice find mate, get some pics up so we can see what she looks like and then document that transformation from "dusty old barn motor" to "4wd Mi beastie!!" And your only down the road from me in Brum so may see you about sometime.

I am going to start cataloguing the process this weekend by taking some photo's before i do anything to the vehicle and just start writing a list of what is missing etc.

I will try and get some pictures uploaded this weekend asap.

Ahh cool! You bought the 2 Mi's that were on ebay in Cambs?? I rather heoped someone would buy them and sort them out rather than just be raped for the engines (sorry-hypocrite! :blush:) I'm sure the blue one can be made into a vwery nice car again, didn't look too bad at all.

As said, keep us updated!!

Looking forward to the pics You've started off with the perfect title to the thread, so would be good to see all the pics here

Saw them on eBay too... Got your work cut out there!

I missed buying those, but the one i have is one of them, as look should have it a small company in leicester bought them, one of them got broke up for the engine, but this one was to good to break and they comntacted me to see if i wanted it. Now it shall live again!

The vehicle itself isn't to bad, the body and pait are really good except for a few stone chips and trolley dents, I have sourced most of the running gear now to put it back to a 4bie, just missing the prop now for that part. Parts are also coming in thick and fast as i work as an MT at the local Peugeot main dealer. I still have alot of parts to find though as alot are now NLA (no longer supplied).

You'll find that a lot with Mi16 bits

Where did you sell it as thats how long i have owned my black J reg?
What other parts do you require for the 4bie?
Gavin.

I sold it to my brother at the time, who in turn sold it to his mate. Whilst his mate owned it, it got burn't out on his drive. Gutted as i tried to get it back from him when i first started looking for anouther one.

I now have most of the running gear but am still short of the Prop shaft.
I also need an alternator adjuster bracket as missing.

If anybody can help pleaseeeee.

Finally managed to get some pics of the 4bie, this is as it was when i picked it up.

After many weeks of not having a pc and also trying to find obsolete parts, some of which are crutial, i can give an update.

started at the rear of the car, i removed the fuel tank, rear suspension complete, ready for overhaul.

I stripped down the back axle and running gear and have had the rear subframe and suspension shot blasted and powder coated, all of the components have been cleaned and replaced wear nessesary. The worst part was the subframe mountings at the front which were perished and are simpily not availiable from anywere, however after 2 weeks of thought as to over come this problem i have sorted it and by the end of this week the rear assembly will be ready to go back in.

So that's Ming Blue!

Yup, i wouldn't have called it 'Ming' though!

Nice work! Doing it properly then! So you need all the rear running gear?

I have all the running gear now except for the prop, if any one can help?

i have a prop sitting in my garden...

What price do you have on it?

Erm, no idea really, PM me if you want.

PM sent

thanks

Warms the heart to read this.

I have now waxoiled the rear and boot floor ready to fit the rear subframe, and once cleaned the fuel tank. I have now almost completed the remanufacture of parts of the gearbox bell housing, ready to accept the six speed primary and secondary shafts from BE3/6 from a 306 GTI. I have been told that the extra gear works realy well with the XU9J4 as it allows it to stay in its higher power band of over 4000 RPM. Here are some pics of the rear subframe before and after.

soon as the rear subframe is in, i will be starting on the driveline and engine...

Not really the sort of job I'd want to tackle....glad to see someone is doing this sort of refurb on a 4bie

Have stripped off the rear seat covers and put them in washing machine the other day, retrimmed them today and they have come up really good. Have also completed the 6 speed gearbox modifications to mate up to the transfer box and it all works ok. Fitted the rear brake hose's tonight and the car is back on its wheels for the first time in 5 weeks. This weekend i shall turn the car around and remove the engine and subframe to start work on those components.

some photo's of the seat covers before and after cleaning, just the fronts to do now.

wow, that's a stunning difference!

please tell us more about the gearbox modifications (with pics if possible!) .

thanks.

Ok will start a new post in engines and gearboxes section, pics are not a big issue as i took loads of them whilst doing the conversion.

The seat covers have come up nicely!

Really nice to see someone putting this much effort into a 405

The effort that's going into this on the whole is astounding! Excellent, keep it going! I particularly want to see/hear more about the gearbox conversion!

Many thanks for the positive comments.

After completely rebuilding the rear suspension, i found last night that the suspension was as hard as a rock, that said a new spere is winging its way over from france in the next couple of weeks.

I have removed the front drivers door after much struggling with the worn door hinge pins to allow me to repair the damaged 'A' post. All now done just a little filling to be done to neaten it up before the respray.

Lastest completed items, have now completely de trimmed the O/S/F seat, cleaned it and refitted it, have cleaned all of the O/S carpet and plastic trims (lower ones). Have removed the Drivers side front and rear door and also the drivers front wing and they have gone to my brother to be repaired, I.e: all dents removed, rubbed down and primed ready for painting. I have removed the washer bottle, cleaned out the mould and refitted it, whilst the washer bottle was out i neatened the wiring and brake pipes, cleaned all of the drainage channels and wax oiled the scuttle area. I have now turned the car around ready to remove the engine and gearbox.

List of items to do next week: remove the engine etc, remove the front suspension, repair the front brake pipes, remove and fabricate the front to rear fuel pipes and finally the rear sphere has arrived from france so i intend to get this fitted and bled out as well.

here is the difference between the seats before and after cleaning.

Sounds like you are going to have a show car when you are done! I wish I had even half of your enthusiasm, I would get so much more done

Can't wait to see the finished result

excellent effort - keep it up!

Like what you have done with the seats! May do this myself.

You are certainly going the whole hog with this, Keep up the hard work!

do you want to do mine??? keep it up

I'd post a pic of my new seat cloths, but they're too bright. They were taken from a car a new car and stored for the last 17 yrs. The owner decided he really wanted leather. I'm going to fit them to my Mi16x4 after it's been repsrayed.

Right new update, You lot must be getting fed up with this by now?

Managed to get all the job done that i wanted to, so here goes. managed to get the fuel pipes off and remade/refitted, removed front panel, engine and gearbox ready for stripping down as the engine oil has solidified in the sump. Removed the o/s/f & n/s/f brake pipe and remade/refitted them, also removed the 2 front to rear (front section brake pipe for remaking next week. removed the front suspension and completely rebushed the front arms, ordered new anti roll bar bushes and fixings as abliterated, cleaned the steering rack and overhauled the gearlever quadrant as seized. I have sent the front subframe for shot blasting and powder coating and that should be back on monday ready to be rebuilt with all the new parts. The rear sphere arrived and has been duely fitted and bled out (the rear suspension now works a treat). I have removed the front struts and will be replacing the top mountings next week as they are badly corroded. Today i have removed the passenger front and rear door, stripped them down ready for repair and painting, my brother has completed the repair of the drivers front and rear door, also the grill and drivers wing and they are in primer, ready to receive the top coat when all of the other panels are done. The worst thing i have found is a small area of corrosion on the bulk head under the n/s/f wing where the sealer has cracked and let water in, i indend to grind this out next week and weld in a small patch before resealing.

You have been busy !!

Keep up the hard work and the pictures.

I am doing my wishbones at the moment also.

Things are slowing down now as have moved onto the expensive parts, i.e: engine & transfer box. and am now getting ready to respray the car so that i can get it back together before the end of the summer.

the front subframe is now complete and fitted and i have started work on the engine wiring harness, modifying and rerouting it.


Parts needed if anyone has one: front subframe brace rail ( fits at the back of the front subframe) fitted by 4 bolts.

What a difference that has made to that subframe. Nicely done !!

Makes me wonder if I should do similar on my SRi ?

Need to get more time to work on that. Not touched it for several weeks

I try to do 1 hour a night, but it is not always possible. I take alot of stuff to work and get stuff done during the day, working at a dealer is a real help as i can get parts the same day or order them straight the way which saves alot of time.

Quick update: i have cleaned all of the door trims and boot trims (scrubbed them), they have come up a treat. completed the engine harness as well this week. fitted new front brake hose and new 406 283mm discs, have to go and pick up the calipers next week, then hopefully the old girl will have brakes for the first time in 10 years. Hope to get the hole welded up in the passenger side wheel arch next weekend.

I have the drivers side doors and wing now repaired and in primer and have dropped off the passenger side doors and wing for the same treatment.

PiCs!!!

will try and get some over the weekend....

Updated. After being on hols for a week (crap weather). It was good to get a little morte done on the beloved MI.

I have got the new 283mm brake discs fitted on the front (just got to fitt the calipers), got the front to rear brake pipes finished off and connected at the bulkhead, filled up with brake fluid ready for bleeding after the front calipers are on.
did a little more work on the engine harness, i am rerouting it as i don't see the reason it goes all the way around the engine bay, also altering it ready for the programmable engine management (just have to ditch that restrictor/AFM). removed and cleaned all of the boot trims as covered in dirt, refitted today as well.

Here are some pictures of the various bits and also of the doors etc. in primer.#

The N/s/f wing, both doors, side skirts and rear spoiler are now under repair and will be in primer soon. just the boot, bonnet and bumpers to repair/prime then and we can give it a full hit of the colour and laquer.

nice did you get the 406 brakes?

yes, got the 406 calipers today, have cleaned them up and am hopefully going to fit them tomorrow. Got the discs for free and the calipers cost £20 for the pair, thought that was a real bargain. Just hope they fit now.....

They fit the car but not behind standard wheels unfortunately. Have had a set of 406 front brakes for a while now, just saving up for some bigger wheels. Have you compared the surface area of the 406 pad to the 405 one? The 406 pad has nearly double the area