56 replies to this topic

[cal844]

been running toggle switches in mine for years and never had any MOT issues, I prefer them and they last a lot longer than the standard switches

like the above Wired by Wilson sell some well nice panels and plug n play pretty much

Plug and play, designed to be legal ;)

[the.stroker]

That's me stuffed then

[Ethel]

I wouldn't worry, the roll cage will kill you first 

[Cooperman]

If someone is worried about being injured by a toggle switch they would be better buying a really robust car ĺike a Mercedes or a Volvo 😃.
In terms of safety the danger of a toggle switch comes at the bottom of my list.

[timmy850]

So have I made mine more or less safe by putting rubber switch extenders on? Oh, and definitely don't mention the 52 year old factory wiring with no headlight relays or fuses...

[yeti21586]

So have I made mine more or less safe by putting rubber switch extenders on? Oh, and definitely don't mention the 52 year old factory wiring with no headlight relays or fuses...

 

i would of said that yours is less safe know, as the switches are closer to your eyes and are now more "likely" to gouge your eyes out should they wish

[Hewlett_T]

 

 

 
i would of said that yours is less safe know, as the switches are closer to your eyes and are now more "likely" to gouge your eyes out should they wish

The best part about this being that there is one for each eye, this means one strike does the job no need for a second round.

Edited by Hewlett_T, 21 December 2016 - 09:48 PM.

[midridge2]

The ignition key would get you right in the nose and the washer pump would get you right in the lung, what were they thinking when the designed the mini.

[Cooperman]

"Ello, 'ello, 'ello. What's all this then? I have stopped you because I suspect you of driving a car with a toggle switch. You will be reported for this most serious offence and you are not obliged to say anything .............................".

Later in court:

"You are disqualified from driving for 5 years and fined £10,000 plus costs. The car with the dangerous toggle switch will be crushed".   .

[timmy850]

Curse the factory that put them there! 

 

Back to the original post, I love the look of your new switch panel 

[Ovalworks]

So I have obviously upset Tiger unintentionally, but as for experience, i have been rewiring VW Bugs for over 25 years. As for safety, there is one item i have changed in the wiring of the hazard circuit. I eliminated the unidirectional diodes as they were heating up too much to be safe under the dash. I am running a third relay for now, and although not ideal (backfeeds fuel sender when flashers are on, but ignition is off), it works for now. More research needed. Not sure about MOT rules as I do not live in England currently. Yes, the Wired by Wilson kit looks like a nice one and had I known about it prior to my project, I may have gone that direction. Thanks for the lead! Thanks all for the positive and the critical reviews!

Edited by Ovalworks, 26 December 2016 - 08:45 PM.

[tiger99]

It is a very grey area and not covered properly by the MOT. In general, a car has to comply with the Construction & Use Regs as they were when it was first registered, or presumably any later version. But there is no provision for going backwards, ie you are not going to get away with brakes on two wheels only, no windscreen wipers if there is a windscreen (not sure if we must have a windscreen), trafficators instead of flashers, single line brakes post the cutoff date, etc.

As the Mini toggle switches, which were robust and reliable, were explicitly changed to the nasty and unreliable rockers to comply with forthcoming changes to the C&U Regs, I can't see how reversing that could be legal. But as I said, the whole thing is a grey area, and at one extreme we have the dreaded IVA, which should have been applied to many cars that we see in the monthly comics, but has been ignored.

The whole area of changing things that by law had to be type approved is problematic. I am not convinced that anyone has ever looked into the legal position properly. There are those, possibly in Stuttgart, who wish to close down our hobby and this sort of thing gives them some credibility in seeking to ban modifications to classic cars. Brexit will hopefully kill that problem, but why is the MOT Exemption nonsense still doing the rounds, tied closely to a ban on modifications? It would not help if someone did a survey and found that 50% of Minis violated their type approval in some significant way.

Is there anything, anywhere that explicitly gives us the right to modify our cars? I fear that there is not, and modification is only tolerated under Common Law because there is nothing to say that it is not allowed.

Someone, please prove conclusively that I am wrong and we are specifically allowed to informally modify type approved vehicles.

Edited by tiger99, 28 December 2016 - 02:16 AM.

[Cooperman]

When one looks at the potentially unsafe and very visible modifications which some owners have, and have without any apparent issues, despite the legislation requiring IVA Tests, I don't think we need to be concerned about a few toggle switches.

For example, we have excessively lowered cars (not just Minis), GRP flip fronts which have no confirmation of structural integrity, stretched tyres, wide spacers, un-padded roll cages, very noisy exhausts, and much more.

If MoT testers and anyone else with a vested interest (e.g. DVLA, DoT, Old Bill) are not interested in these very easy-to-spot illegalities, then there is hardly going to be an issue with a couple of switches.

On the other hand, so long as C & U regulations are not breached and all alterations are declared to the insurer there seems to be no reason why a car cannot be altered. There are specific regulations which must not be breached, but even these are largely ignored (see above) and it is a risk which many are prepared to take. Let's not over-react about all this. Just be sensible and all should be OK.

It occurred to me yesterday that I moved my mobile phone within the glove box in my BMW whilst driving in order to find a packet of mints which were in there with the phone. Touching/moving a mobile phone whilst driving, even if you don't actually use it, it technically an offence, but I'm sure as hell not going to worry about that one bit. And, yes, I do have several toggle switches in  my old Land-Rover Discovery for the spot and fog lights and some internal stuff. Never had a problem at MoT time with this. 

Sometimes we worry about unimportant things whilst ignoring more critical aspects of our cars. There seems to be no attempt by officialdom to stop these 'genuine 1960's Mk.1 Minis with MPI bodies, engines and interiors' so a couple of toggle switches are not going to be an issue at all. If you want the better toggle switches, just fit them,

[Turbo Nick]

Did I actually just read that a toggle switch by your knee could have your eye out?

 

That's enough internet for me today.

 

[Hewlett_T]

Did I actually just read that a toggle switch by your knee could have your eye out?
 
That's enough internet for me today.

 

You never know why a head might be there ;).











Your friend getting her handbag! Such dirty minds guys!

Edited by Hewlett_T, 28 December 2016 - 06:20 PM.