8 replies to this topic

[frenchie851]

is there anywhere that sells door cards that have been modinised to have arm rests? I dont want anything 'max power' but I thought it would be a real cool mod.

[Ipod]

Have a word with Roberts (Optimise-automotive) on here..see what he can do for you...I got my cards from him..great products n great guy, click link



Linky

[mrbridger]

I'm not aware of any mass produced door cards with arm rests but I made my own.


http://www.theminifo...p;#entry1870675

[frenchie851]

think that is looking well cool..... you have a great interior there. I have found:

http://cgi.ebay.com/...P...RK:MEWAX:IT

how did you re vinyl them?

[Ipod]

Mr B..that looks really smart

[roberts]

Have a word with Roberts (Optimise-automotive) on here..see what he can do for you...I got my cards from him..great products n great guy, click link

Linky

We have been asked a few times for arm rests so I have kept the answer for a quick copy and paste reply.... So, prepare for an essay grab yourself a cup of tea and read on.

Basically, we rejected Door Card arm rests for 3 reasons:

1) Design - To incorporate an armrest it has to become the door handle and incorporating both into the design simply makes the Door Card look cluttered. So after sketching out some ideas to incorporate both into a “pull handle/armrest” we moved straight onto fixings...

2) Fixing - The only sufficient way to fix/attach a pull handle/armrest is to use existing mounting points so the pull handle/armrest attaches through the Door Card into the door itself, just like how the standard door pull handles attach (both the horizontal ones and angled ones).

If attached in this way it means that every time you pull or lean on the pull handle/armrest you are putting the stress on the door itself, rather than putting the stress on the Door Card.

The door is designed to take the stress (it has done successfully since the introduction of the MK3 Door Card in 1969), whereas a Door Card is simply not capable of doing so and the armrest will quite quickly become weak. So with the mounting points in mind this brings us onto ergonomics...

3) Ergonomics - Basically you have to use either the horizontal or angled door handle mounting positions, so the pull handle/armrest is sufficiently attached to the door.

Both of these locations are insufficient for armrests. The horizontal mounting points are simply too high and as for the angled mounting points go, well we all know they are insufficient. As, if the angled door pulls were sufficient armrest then the question would never have needed to be asked in the first place.

Yes there are ways around this, by introducing advanced fixing systems that run under the coverings and pop into the holes, which in return would allow the armrests to sit lower, but advanced becomes expensive.

So basically we ended up scrapping the idea.


Thanks
Andy @ Optimise Automotive

[evansisgreat]

I reckon we'd all need to make our own, unless there's a company big enough to design and manufacture one from scratch. Because it's easier to adapt one made for another car.

Not sure what this is from but chris from Retro Retrims made it up. He had plans to mass produce but I've not heard anything. (Hope he doesn't mind me posting).



This is my own design adapted from a pair of arm rests I got a scrappies. Obviously not finnished (and you'd need electric windows).



Another idea I had was door cards from a nissan micra. With some careful cutting and fibre glass they could look rather nice.




Oh, and I forgot about these Clicky!

But from the experience I've had of making my own, the arm rest bit would be a bit low on these (customminis.com fibreglass door cards with speaker pods)

Edited by evansisgreat, 12 July 2010 - 09:58 AM.

[minidream94]

check out these door cards. The bloke made them from civic arm rests chopped about. OO and the dash is from a daihatsu cuoroe (or something like that)

http://www.16vminicl...e...757&page=15

[mini-man-dan]

Another option...
Link

They do fibreglass doorcards that have arm rest type of forms on them.

Dan