157 replies to this topic

[taffy1967]

my biggest concern would be the engine coming through the front bulkhead

Well you'd have to be travelling at a pretty high speed (or hit at a high speed) for that to happen.

Check out this 'Crashed Mini Cooper' photo album as the accident happened whilst some bloke from Cardiff (called Adrian and no I don't know him) was travelling at around 55mph and got hit head on by a larger car that was doing a similar speed and whose driver decided to overtake on a bend: -

http://desinihotos.f...t/c1184982.html

The Mini owner survived but had a fractured skull, a few broken ribs and a lot of bruising. The fire brigade only removed the roof in case of spinal injuries.

But he's back in a Mini, although it's now a Twin-Point model with a drivers air-bag.

[taffy1967]

If you didnt have a cage, and you rolled the car....are you not just as likely to hit your head on something else?

Possibly, but the roll-cage is right behind/above your skull and unless you're wearing a suitable crash helmet, you're sure to do yourself some serious harm in most collisions or if you roll over/flip over etc.

[CMcB]

good little vid, i love that stuff at the beginning; seeing it flying through the air over bridges and such.

So back on topic, what would be the most worthwhile investments from impact - how about: side impact bars, like in later Minis, and some sort of bar or half cage at the front that would prevent the engine coming into the cabin...???

*edit - and making the fuel filler flush (stops the little gits nicking fuel too!)

Edited by CMcB, 08 February 2009 - 09:08 PM.

[Mini-Mad-Craig]

Some more for you Ethel:

[CMcB]

Some more for you Ethel:

that is weird - why do they have them so high?

[taffy1967]

good little vid, i love that stuff at the beginning; seeing it flying through the air over bridges and such.

So back on topic, what would be the most worthwhile investments from impact - how about: side impact bars, like in later Minis, and some sort of bar or half cage at the front that would prevent the engine coming into the cabin...???

*edit - and making the fuel filler flush (stops the little gits nicking fuel too!)

Well the Estate and Van had a recess for the filler cap, so couldn't one be fitted to a saloon?

As for that video, well most of it is badly researched waffle. I mean how can some pratt say the Mini was a flop because it never caught on in the USA? Utter ******* of the highest order.

to be honest back in 1998 (when that TV programme was first shown), I received a letter from the programme makers asking if I'd been in an accident in my Mini (they got my details from Mini Magazine or Mini World as I was the secretary for my local Mini Club back then). Anyway I stated that I'd had several and not been injured at all.

But they were going to use the Mini as an example of how post war car makers thought more about making their cars look fashionable, rather than thinking about safety.

So I put them straight on that as the Mini wasn't released as a car to compete with the then current motoring fashion trends. It was introduced as an answer to the 1956 Suez oil crises, petrol shortages and the horrendously dangerous bubble cars that car makers like BMW were sending over, i.e. the Isetta.

Plus it's all too easy to have a go at Issigonis when he's not here to defend himself and there were plenty of other little cars at that time which would have faired no better. Like say the original Fiat 500 for instance?

But the real problem they had was the fact the Mini was still in full production in 1998, with all manner of modern safety features and so they couldn't really discredit it completely after all?

Edited by taffy1967, 08 February 2009 - 09:20 PM.

[Burnard]

A Mini with a 'Multipoint' cage, bucket seats and harnesses fitted with the correct cage padding, will kill you because you drive on the road? But not when you are driving at 90mph though a forrest on gravel in close proximity to trees, many of which can be imovable?

It wont kill you at 90mph in a forrest on gravle with tree's because, you are wearing all the protection gear, with a proper race seat with braces at the side by your head, and a full 6 point race harness, which stops your moving arround.

The cage protects you from the initial impact/s
The cage padding and helmet protects you from the cage.


In my opinion, a roll cage is just that, a ROLLcage. It protects you incase of a roll over!!

its only of any extra use if you have the full cage, with side impact bars.

all of this will protect you in a crash from the impacts. but you have to remember what is protecting you when you hit the cage!!!

IF i ever got a cage, i would wear a helmet while driving the car, and have all the padding in nesercery places.

You would wear a helmet in a road going car?

If i thought i was going to need a cage, i would need a helmet aswell me thinks!

[Globule]

I was looking at getting a helmet before, but i dont think you'll escape the stigma of trying to be like the stig!

With the cage in, a side on or a head on would be bad i think, head on whatever the case wont be so much fun, short of having a proper race cage in which i dont see budging even if the engine tries to move it!

If i was in the mini with a padded cage or a helmet and the cage, with fixed seats/harnesses, i would not have a problem at all rolling, i would go so far as to say i would probably enjoy it. The only thing i regret about my crash is that i had a passenger!

For what its worth, putting a 6 point cage and 4 point harnesses in my mini cost me £7 for 9 months on my insurance (i was 19 at the time), classic policy though!

[Bungle]

Some more for you Ethel:

that is weird - why do they have them so high?

American law

same way the MGB's chrome bumpers were removed and replaced with higher rubber ones

[taffy1967]

Some more for you Ethel:

that is weird - why do they have them so high?

American law

same way the MGB's chrome bumpers were removed and replaced with higher rubber ones

I think even the E-Type Jaguar had to be modified to suit the Americans too?

[Shifty]

Some more for you Ethel:

that is weird - why do they have them so high?

American law

same way the MGB's chrome bumpers were removed and replaced with higher rubber ones

Not quite, the Canadian laws meant that the bumpers had to be that high.

The MGB (thank you Ralph Nader) Bumpers were so it could survive a low speed impact(10mph???) with out damage.

[Bungle]

Some more for you Ethel:

that is weird - why do they have them so high?

American law

same way the MGB's chrome bumpers were removed and replaced with higher rubber ones

Not quite, the Canadian laws meant that the bumpers had to be that high.

The MGB (thank you Ralph Nader) Bumpers were so it could survive a low speed impact(10mph???) with out damage.

so why were the bumpers higher and ride height raised ?

[Shifty]

Some more for you Ethel:

that is weird - why do they have them so high?

American law

same way the MGB's chrome bumpers were removed and replaced with higher rubber ones

Not quite, the Canadian laws meant that the bumpers had to be that high.

The MGB (thank you Ralph Nader) Bumpers were so it could survive a low speed impact(10mph???) with out damage.

so why were the bumpers higher and ride height raised ?

From Wikki

In 1974, in order to meet US impact regulations, US models had the chrome bumper overriders replaced with large rubber ones, and in the second half of 1974 the chrome bumpers were replaced altogether. A new, steel-reinforced black rubber bumper at the front incorporated the grille area as well, giving a major restyling to the B's nose, and a matching rear bumper completed the change. New US headlight height regulations also meant that the headlamps were now too low. Rather than redesign the front of the car, British Leyland raised the car's suspension by 1-inch (25 mm). This, in combination with the new, far heavier bumpers resulted in significantly poorer handling. For the 1975 model year only, the front anti-roll bar was deleted from the standard car as a cost-saving measure (though it was still available as an option). The damage done by the British Leyland response to US legislation was partially alleviated by further revisions to the suspension geometry in 1977, when a rear anti-roll bar was made standard equipment on all models.


I also thought it had something to do with yanks not being able to reverse them out of steep drive without grounding.

The drilled steering wheel was replaced because people could get their fingers trapped!!!

[taffy1967]

Some more for you Ethel:

that is weird - why do they have them so high?

American law

same way the MGB's chrome bumpers were removed and replaced with higher rubber ones

Not quite, the Canadian laws meant that the bumpers had to be that high.

The MGB (thank you Ralph Nader) Bumpers were so it could survive a low speed impact(10mph???) with out damage.

so why were the bumpers higher and ride height raised ?

Perhaps so the average American Cadillacs (Titanic sized car) didn't drive over it?

[Mini-Mad-Craig]

I have some more on this if you'd like to see it?