157 replies to this topic

[CMcB]

let's face it, you're not likely to roll a mini on the road unless you're driving like a nutter. a helmet would just look silly, even if you did have a cage - and im sure the cops wouldnt think too much of it either.

a cage does look cool, but it's damn heavy and will just slow you down unless you strip the car.

if i did have a cage, i wouldnt have padding, and i wouldnt expect to roll it either. with buckets you're sat much lower too so less likely to hit your head + tight harnesses.

[Ethel]

I'd think there's some risk the police might decide you're driving without due care 'n attention if you wear a helmet on the road. If not it would be a handy dodge to avoid being identified on speed cameras.

(I'm also disappointed I'm the first to wheel out that smiley!)

[Guess-Works.com]

Slighty off topic question, but related...

What 5 and 6 point harnesses are road legal ?

What do people think about the 3 point harnesses which have an inertia reel at the back ?

[mini93]

3 point inertia arent doing the job are they i wouldnt use them

apparently your not allowed aero relice buckles for the road, so theres been speak but iv yet to be told why
dont think the harness's are legal because they dont have a certain mark, might be best phoning demon tweeks n asking at guess

[alicetheauto]

A mini was designed to be built on a budget, simple as that. They DONT have similar structural integrity to many other cars from the 80's and 90's. It doesnt even have door bars until the mid 90's!! A rollcage not only makes the car more rigid in an accident (which is either good or bad, depending on the crash) but it can improve the handling of the vehicle by making the shell flex less. I am interested in fitting a cage to my car, but that is so that it can have side impact brace bars fitted. There is very little in the way of strength or curves in the side of a Mini to absorb energy from a side-on collision by another car, and I wouldnt fancy my chances in a heavy smash!

[gav]

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

You seen the picture of that?

Its sickening.
What could be done to make the risks of this lower?

EDIT: My mate had his ball sack split open from skinnies when we where riding..

Serves him right for wearing skinny jeans, when will people realise they look utter *poop poop*, if wearing a bin bag on your head was fashionable would he wear that too?

[Guess-Works.com]

Basically seat belts ( or harnesses ) need to have the British Kite Mark for 'suitable for road use' attached to them..

[Jammy]

A mini was designed to be built on a budget, simple as that. They DONT have similar structural integrity to many other cars from the 80's and 90's. It doesnt even have door bars until the mid 90's!! A rollcage not only makes the car more rigid in an accident (which is either good or bad, depending on the crash) but it can improve the handling of the vehicle by making the shell flex less. I am interested in fitting a cage to my car, but that is so that it can have side impact brace bars fitted. There is very little in the way of strength or curves in the side of a Mini to absorb energy from a side-on collision by another car, and I wouldnt fancy my chances in a heavy smash!

You'll find that most 80s and 90s cars perform just as well/badly in a crash as a Mini. Volvo were the first to introduce Side Impact Protection in the early 90s and it took a few years for most manufacturers to cotton on.

As for a side impact situation, if a big heavy car hit the side of a Mini it would probably push it more than it would crumple it.

[Jammy]

Only just noticed this topic, and it seems a few people have either skim read or missed the point of my original post entirely.

The point I was trying to make is that there is a school of thinking that Minis are inherently unsafe. Whilst in comparison to modern day, 5 star NCAP cars this might be true, I think in general, especially compared to most cars from the 60s through to the 90s the Mini is actually a very safe place to be. Only undermined by its size and the proximity of the bodyshell to the occupants making you feel unsafe. I believe the Minis safety primarily comes from its passive safeness; being able to avoid a lot of accidents in the first place, and secondly in its construction which was way before its time.

Now, the people who believe that Minis are naturally unsafe generally automatically think that shoving a roll cage in them will make them as safe as a bug in a rug, this is not the case. If you are going to use a roll cage, the only way it will make the car safer is if you also use a 3, 4 or 5 point harness, bucket seats and proper roll cage padding. You also need to use the harness correctly as said previously in this topic. Having a loose harness will only add to your injuries should the worse happen. Now, once you've added your roll cage, bucket seats, roll cage padding and harnesses you are strapped in pretty tight. This might mean you can no longer reach the indicator/wiper stalks and will almost certainly mean you can't reach the dash switches to operate things like your lights, hazards, rear screen heater. This I consider not only hugely impracticable but also quite dangerous. Personally, roll cages are a motorsport item and not suitable for a road car.

If someone asked me what I'd spend the money on instead (and I'd have quite a budget if I was contemplating buying a roll cage, padding, buckets and harnesses), then I'd have to say seats with headrests (misnomer: they actually stop your neck from snapping in an accident) if I had a pre 90s Mini, and quite possibly some MPi doors with side impact bars (do they fit to earlier Mk3/4/5 shells?). This I'd consider much more safer and most probably lighter than 50kg of steel work and buckets, et al.

[WillMini]

Canadian minis had side impact bars in the 70's, mines a 78 and has them. The doors way a tonne compared to the non Canadian ones.

[mini93]

Now, once you've added your roll cage, bucket seats, roll cage padding and harnesses you are strapped in pretty tight. This might mean you can no longer reach the indicator/wiper stalks and will almost certainly mean you can't reach the dash switches to operate things like your lights, hazards, rear screen heater. This I consider not only hugely impracticable but also quite dangerous. Personally, roll cages are a motorsport item and not suitable for a road car.
[/quote]

completly depending how they are mounted, as iv previously said...for all those people mounting seats on the floor behind the x-member...

[Geehawk]

3 point inertia arent doing the job are they i wouldnt use them

Be interested to know why they are not doing the job?

[gav]

This is a great site http://www.schroth.c...s/en/index.html there is a few things on there you wouldnt normally consider.

[Jammy]

Now, once you've added your roll cage, bucket seats, roll cage padding and harnesses you are strapped in pretty tight. This might mean you can no longer reach the indicator/wiper stalks and will almost certainly mean you can't reach the dash switches to operate things like your lights, hazards, rear screen heater. This I consider not only hugely impracticable but also quite dangerous. Personally, roll cages are a motorsport item and not suitable for a road car.

completly depending how they are mounted, as iv previously said...for all those people mounting seats on the floor behind the x-member...

I mounted my buckets over the crossmember, I still wasn't able to reach the dash switches, and struggled with the indicator stalks, and I have pretty long arms. With inertia reel seat belts they allow you to move forward to reach these things, with harnesses you don't have this ability.

[mini93]

well in mine im able to reach everything including my cut off switch which is low down, so not sure whats wrong with your seats