38 replies to this topic

[minidaves]

Ok, so how do you make a classic mini safe?

well lets just start with the MOT, forget this, as an example you can remove 50% of any fixing bolts as long as the item that is beng bolted to the car/subframe does not move when pulled with your hand.

Welding...... Long horrid subject, but personal veiw gasless welding is crap and should be banned on motorcars full stop, along with over sills on a classic mini. Remember the door step/floor/sill effectily makes up a chassis box section, and when a cover sill is applied, the box section is lost.

ball joints/ swivell pins, what see is about 75% of minis that come to me for the first time have these in a dangerous state.

Tyres. chinese budget tyres, these dont save money on any car

brakes Make sure you change the fuild every 2 yrs, and use branded parts, some of the copy cheaper stuff is terrible in terms of stopping distance.

seats normal minis seats with head rests are crap, the head rest is in the wrong place for most people your better off with either a low back classic or proper hi back seat (does mean its difficult for rear passengers)

subframe mounts again a lot are worn out causng terrible handling, replace on a regular basis and get a branded or orignal product, as the copy stuff does not seam to last, or of course solid mount, which does affect how the car behaves in a crash.

The problems i see is that some people dont want to spend money on their cars, mean you would not walk around with a hole in your shoe so why drive your mini with a hole in the floor.

Its not going to save everyones life, But proper repairs using proper parts and maintaining you car no matter what car it is with the correct bits is going to help the safety aspect of motoring for everyone.

[mk3cortina]

i agree with most points there, apart form the gasless welding issue. theres nothing wrong with it at all and will give the same results as a gas welder in the right hands, a bad workam blames his tools, so to speak.

[Sam14]

Leave it in the drive and never drive it?

[joe90gt]

defensive driving course - most accidents are caused by dicks driving like prats - if you can anticipate what others might or might not do you will be a lot safer whatever car your in

[clovus]

Surely something with some neck support would be better then the original low back neck snappers breakers?

[samsfern]

the biggest safety feature to any car is the driver.

Although i know what happens when balljoints fail at over 60 mph

Edited by samsernie, 16 August 2010 - 09:17 AM.

[mini93]

yeah i was going to suggest take the seats and wheels off so you cant drive it, thats safe enough as long as u dont brush up against some sharp part like a bumper haha

[Boycie]

Driving within your and the car's capabilities is probably the best way to avoid an RTC.

I must agree with the welding thing though- a few projects I've seen recently don't look as if they'll make it over the first speed-bump before falling apart in fact, I think, in general, it's unusual to see any welding that has penetrated properly!!!

[clovus]

Ignoring the obvious like don't drive it, realistically we are never going to make a classic mini safe. Physics tells us a 600 odd kg object colliding with anything bigger then it (pretty much any other car) or an immovable object is going to come away worse off.

Besides, is it possible to add crumple zones, ABS, traction control, airbags and side intrusion bars to a mini? How about a soft dashboard, pre tension seatbelts? At some point it would cease to be a classic mini, and end up some sort of frankenstein mismash of old vs new. Even a perfectly restored classic mini wouldn't be as safe as a modern car either for driver or pedestrian. Hypothetically, I wonder what a fully restored classic mini would score on a crash rating? Would have to be something like 1 star.

[designermatt]

i thought they did tests and it got like a 1 star or 2 star,

and issigonis was criticised but said that the minis superior handling and brakes meant that it was less likely to crash ...allegedly

[Minigirl]

minis arent safe & never will be, no matter how many rollcages, door bars, bucket seats etc people put in
they were made to be a fun small car and that's what they are

i never thought about wether my mini's were safe enough i was enjoying myself too much to care

Edited by Minigirl, 16 August 2010 - 10:04 PM.

[Mini-Mad-Craig]

It doesnt bother me really. I know i'm 'young and naive' but to me, if a Mini is in a bad enough accident that its going to seriously hurt you, then all these things that make it "safe" aernt really going to do a lot.

I've been watching motorsport for long enough, I've seen enough minis keep going at paddock hill bend, roll over and the roof total crumple in, and thats with a Miglia roll cage with about a million diagonals, FIA approved seat, FIA approved harnesses etc.

I love Mini's and driving a modern car because they are safer isn't something that i'd consider for even a second. I think that the road is SUCH a dangerous place in whatever car you're in, it really doesnt matter whether its got a 5 star safety rating or not. We all know how dangerous the roads are, the biggest danger is 'The vegetable behind the wheel' as Clarkson would put it.

[Boycie]

I must say, I worry most about being hit by a 4x4- the totally pointless/ anti-social THREE TON Disco 3 springs to mind. If that sucker hit the back of a Mini in say, a traffic jam or at the lights- it would come all the way through to the front of the car, taking you with it

[E.L.M.O]

solid mount, which does affect how the car behaves in a crash.

For the better? So you would recommend a solid mount? Whats against? harsh ride? Road noise?

[Scallywag630]

There really is only one answer....maintain the car to the highest possible standard and drive carefully. Life is NOT a rehersal, you only get one shot at it.