9 replies to this topic

[greenlantern101]

I had very rusty front floor panels (the foot well) and sills on both sides of my 1997 mini cooper.
Some idiot had jacked up the car using the floor pan on both sides. Genius.

I Have cut off and replaced the section of rusty floor panel and complete sill on the passenger side. SORTED

I cut off the sill and rusty floor section on the driver side last week. Then today I cut out the correct size from the replacement panel I had from MiniSport to weld over the hole BUT.....
the reccessed rectangle in the floor is a different length. It don't fit. Aaaaaagghh.
My minis reccess stops at the third rib. But the panel from minisport goes way past the third rib.

I have attached photos to explain. If anyone knows where I can get the correct panel that would be a life saver.

Cheers.

Alan.

 small1.jpg   87.29K   70 downloads
 small2.jpg   108.13K   48 downloads
 small3.jpg   81.73K   77 downloads

[Miniowner123]

not sure if i've actually seen these about, i know you can get a full floor with the right rib design but they would be well ott for what you need, best option i think would be to give m machine a call, see if they can help you, they're usually good for those hard to find panels

[chappy]

thats the panel that had, for what you need to do, you can just cut and shape the new panel to match, pretty easy to do, i'll try and get some pics of mine tomorrow.


sam

[sonikk4]

The centre flute does seem very wide so another option would be to cut the panel to remove a section to move the centre flute over then add a strip into the centre flute to expand it to the same width as the original. Time consuming but at least it will then match up.

That is a very poor match, if the other side fitted ok and has the same wide centre flute the give Minisport a bell to see if they have sent the wrong panel.

Edited by sonikk4, 14 August 2010 - 10:18 PM.

[greenlantern101]

I sent off 11 emails to anyone and everyone who does replacement panels. Same answer back. We don't make that one.

So It looks like I am going to try my hand at panel beating at the weekend. I have a plan.

I will post photos if it all works out for future reference. I can't think I am the only person out there with an 97 mini and rusty floors.

[lrostoke]

If you'd used the whole replacement panel it would have been done by now

Actually a pretty straight forward replacement that panel, just done both of mine

[Matrix]

The replacment floor pan in you photo it a generic one and the only one available. Never seen one that is the same shape as what you have originally in the car so the replacment one has to be modified to fit...it's all that you can buy! just cut the floor out a little more to allow the reccess to clear.

[Frog]

I had very rusty front floor panels (the foot well) and sills on both sides of my 1997 mini cooper.
Some idiot had jacked up the car using the floor pan on both sides. Genius.

I Have cut off and replaced the section of rusty floor panel and complete sill on the passenger side. SORTED

I cut off the sill and rusty floor section on the driver side last week. Then today I cut out the correct size from the replacement panel I had from MiniSport to weld over the hole BUT.....
the reccessed rectangle in the floor is a different length. It don't fit. Aaaaaagghh.
My minis reccess stops at the third rib. But the panel from minisport goes way past the third rib.

I have attached photos to explain. If anyone knows where I can get the correct panel that would be a life saver.

Cheers.

Alan.

The trouble you are having there is that the floor pan you have is a standard mini floor pan, where as you have an Mpi which means the floor pan is slightly different (recesses). have you tried talking to m-machine, they can be very helpful. I don't believe anyone does that repair section as standard. You might have to "modify" it.

[greenlantern101]

An update on this topic is long overdue. My floor is sorted.

Basically if you have the same issue, you are stuffed for getting a floor plate the exact same. Nobody does them. I know because I phone about 10 mini specialists and emailed another 20. Driver side floor pans for 1997 MPI minis do not exist.

The solution is to either cut away the entire floor in the drivers foot well and use a floor pan replacement. One problem this will have is the 2 cables / pipes that run under the floor pan will have to go over the enlarged floor dish reccess. I actually think this could be a problem Im not sure they have enough give to pass over this dish when previously they went along side the small dish.

You may of gathered I didn't go down this route.

What I did in the end was cut out the dish recess completely, Then cut and pannel beat the ribs into tapers. Then cut and panel beat a 1.5mm steel plate to the correct shape, not as tricky a job as I had feared, its only 2 simple bends.

Weld it in place and its all sorted.

All smiles.... Hope this helps someone else with the same problem.

Some photos.

 mini_August_016.jpg   163.98K   44 downloads
 mini_August_025.jpg   83.86K   39 downloads
 mini_August_022.jpg   64.29K   50 downloads
 mini_August_013.jpg   113.75K   26 downloads
 mini_August_028.jpg   127.39K   64 downloads

[coyttl]

All smiles.... Hope this helps someone else with the same problem.

Cheers, thanks for this. This is next on mine (SPi, but same issue with the center being so large) because of the EXACT same issue the previous owner did to it, jacking up on the floorpans.

--Mike