12 replies to this topic

[1984mini25]

I’ve been wanting to smarten up the engine bay side of the bulkhead for a while. The correct foam type for my year of mini is only available from mini sport which is both out of stock and £70. So plumped for the cheaper alternative from one of the mini specialists on eBay.

 

This is what I bought. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/392143763134?ViewItem=&item=392143763134

 

But this is what arrived.

 

 

 

 

I’ve since returned it for a refund (minus my postage) as I wasn’t happy with it, didn’t match the listing and was falling apart/leaving bits everywhere. And imo would have looked worse if fitted and questionable if it was fire retardant.

 

So are any of the other mini specialist’s offerings any better? Before I go wasting more money to find out, as it’s getting beyond a joke that it’s nearly every single item bought these days there is always at least one issue with it.

 

 

[mab01uk]

For a similar price I think I would trust Newtons below to supply something better.......but I have not personally tried this item, but their interiors are very good.

 

"This strong felt backed PVC material will help with noise reduction. Glued to the front bulkhead under the bonnet, you may need to cut some holes or slit the material to fit this around various mechanicals, depending on the exact specification of your Mini."

https://newtoncomm.c...eadening-felt-3

[timmy850]

I bought a really nice one from a show here, it is a foam backed vinyl and is nice and heavy. It doesn't get glued in, it just gets pushed in behind the wiper motor and under the scuttle panel and holds itself in. It does make a huge difference to the sound coming through from the engine. You might be able to find something similar at a car audio shop and make one yourself? 

E.g. http://www.carbuilde...-liner-floormat

 

 

 

 

 

[1984mini25]

make one yourself? 

 

With the amount of cutting I'd need to make for things like the fuse box, wiring, heater hoses etc, it wold be probably work out easier.

 

I hadn't be able to find what the material used is called (haven't seen anything remotely similar at any of the show I've been to recently) until using the newton commercial link above.

 

I've found I can buy 1mx 1.4m of Hardura Felt (grained PVC on a thin felt backing) for £37, not the cheapest but that does include postage.

 

Witch I'll double check tomorrow with the width of the bulkhead, but would be enough to make 2 and have some left over. Or, as the other item I ordered at the same time from the same eBay seller was a £30 bonnet sound proofing kit (haven't fitted yet). Witch although being made from the correct material, 3 out of the 4 sections appear to be too small and would leave me with a exposed 1 inch strip of the underside of the bonnet down both sides and across the rear.

 

So I might be able to make up a bulkhead piece and remake the sections (or even full) under bonnet kit from the leftover half, and then decide/sell on cheaply the pre-made kit.

Edited by 1984mini25, 17 October 2018 - 09:55 PM.

[MikeRotherham]

Smiffysbit sell a closed foam version on eBay for carb and mpi versions and it's cheaper than Mini sport Doesn't look like he's selling it on eBay present though.

Edited by MikeRotherham, 18 October 2018 - 01:45 PM.

[Gillybobs]

Have a look at my post if you want to see what the smiffy s bits ones look like . I've been having fun with bulkhead foam !

http://www.theminifo...acket-question/

Still got the carb one boxed only trial fitted to find it was wrong for my car .

[1984mini25]

Have a look at my post if you want to see what the smiffy s bits ones look like . I've been having fun with bulkhead foam !

http://www.theminifo...acket-question/

Still got the carb one boxed only trial fitted to find it was wrong for my car .

 

Even the carb one is wrong for my year of mini (84) as the carb/spi is cut for minis from 89 onwards with the servo fitted and relocated heater pipes through the bulkhead. (It would be the large visible servo hole that would annoy me the most)

 

 

So what I've decided on is buying a roll of the suitable felt/vinyl material, making up templates and making one myself. Although what are the cut outs question marked fit around?

Edited by 1984mini25, 20 October 2018 - 10:36 PM.

[Bobbins]

Why not speak to Smiffybits and ask him to supply it without the holes you don't want?

[Gillybobs]

The bits with question marks are for the wheel boxes for the wipers .

I think what smiffys bits has been selling as a carb \ spi foam is for 90ish to 92 carb car . What he sells as the mpi foam is better for 92-93 onwards cars with relay bracket . I just had to put 2 holes in it for the fuse box . I used an Apple corer it work rather well !

[jamesquintin]

I have the Minispares one for my MPI, looks good to me. They have a carb one too. It does have the cutout for the servo, but they leave all the bits in foryou to pop out yourself:

 

http://minispares.co...or/KPC2359.aspx

 

 

Q

[1984mini25]

In the end I ended up buying a 1mx 1.30m of Hardura Felt From Woolies trim for £38 posted. As I preferred it over the foam and the other bonus is its wipe clean. The 'door matt' above and under bonnet kit, both of witch I wasn't happy with were £52 combined.

 

Witch has turned out to be enough to make a bulkhead piece, redo the bonnet sound proofing (I wasn't happy with the fit of the pre made kit) and still have enough to do another bulkhead with extra left over.

 

Although it has meant messing around with lots of paper and cardboard templates, and going off the examples above. It would have been loads easier if the brake and clutch master cylinders weren't fitted though. I also didn't need the two wheel box cut outs as the material I've used was thin enough to slide up behind them, and other than the bits screwed to the bulkhead the only other thing holding mine in place is the 3 tabs for the wiring loom.

 

 

 

 

[Cooperman]

That looks nice. I bet it cuts down the in-car noise a lot.

[1984mini25]

That looks nice. I bet it cuts down the in-car noise a lot.

 

Although it might be hard to tell with it being a bog standard 998, with standard air filter and twin box pea shooter exhaust.

 

And Woolies trim were very nice to deal with, ordered Wednesday (before 2pm) and arrived the next day all neatly wrapped in brown paper and string. Also from looking at there website, they also supply the Hardura Felt in different colours for a bit extra.