8 replies to this topic

[Rusty1182]

Ok so I got my mini a year ago for £300
And has had a fair bit of bodywork some temporary
But by next year it will need complete front end replacing
Wings
A panels
Slam panel
Scuttle
Window screen surround

So my car is race inspired. Fast engine
Bucket seats roll cage harnesses ect

So I'm tempted to do a flip front. To reduce the amount of weight rusty panels and to keep with the race theme

[tiger99]

So you want to reduce the value of the car and greatly reduce the frontal impact protection, such as it is, and require an IVA test, which no Mini will pass without major modifications? Flip fronts are very bad for road use. Check with your insurance company first. If they know Minis well, they may well refuse to cover it, for very good reasons. If you go ahead and don't tell them, your insurance is void. They likely will refuse cover, or massively increase the premium, because of the roll cage anyway.

[se_juggles]

I've got a carbon fibre flip front lying around.

Which I'm not ever going to use.

[crazypainter]

So you want to reduce the value of the car and greatly reduce the frontal impact protection, such as it is, and require an IVA test, which no Mini will pass without major modifications? Flip fronts are very bad for road use. Check with your insurance company first. If they know Minis well, they may well refuse to cover it, for very good reasons. If you go ahead and don't tell them, your insurance is void. They likely will refuse cover, or massively increase the premium, because of the roll cage anyway.

provided you have brace bars from flich to front subframe the removable/flip front is fine for mot and doesnt need an IVA test. i have a few customers with this set up and never have a problem with anything.

[Rusty1182]

So you want to reduce the value of the car and greatly reduce the frontal impact protection, such as it is, and require an IVA test, which no Mini will pass without major modifications? Flip fronts are very bad for road use. Check with your insurance company first. If they know Minis well, they may well refuse to cover it, for very good reasons. If you go ahead and don't tell them, your insurance is void. They likely will refuse cover, or massively increase the premium, because of the roll cage anyway.

I'm not really going to reduce the value really
It's a £300 mini painted in chalkboard paint

[Alex_B]

So you want to reduce the value of the car and greatly reduce the frontal impact protection, such as it is, and require an IVA test, which no Mini will pass without major modifications? Flip fronts are very bad for road use. Check with your insurance company first. If they know Minis well, they may well refuse to cover it, for very good reasons. If you go ahead and don't tell them, your insurance is void. They likely will refuse cover, or massively increase the premium, because of the roll cage anyway.

I'm not really going to reduce the value really
It's a £300 mini painted in chalkboard paint

Touché !

but flip fronts are deadly in some situations, I went into the back of someone last week when I aquaplaned, impact speed was about 30, and with a rust free standard steel front end, my floors on impact side are like a crinkly crisp, with a flip front I would have almost certainly broken a leg or ended up with my 998 on my lap, In a crash the more metal around you the better generally and in a standard mini there isnt a lot so putting on a front that has no crash protection at all could end in tears

[Rusty1182]

Yh I. Suppose there is the safety issue to consider
Best quote I've had to replace front end is £1200 using genuine panels

[wbutcheruk2]

My removable front end seems ok. I agree with the safety issue as my mate went into a tree once at 30 ish with standard front end and the floor pan creased very badly.
I have brace bars from minispares i think. You just have to keep the inner wings and fit a 2 piece front end, and normal MOT is fine. I cut the front end off myself, and looked at my mates one to see what inner wing to leave. Clean and paint, then drilled and bolted the brace bars to the inner wings. Then took it to ML motorsport who did a full re-spray and welded a couple of tab plates to the inside of the A panels to bolt the front to. Looks good and works well. Carbon front end looks likes it part of the mini, and passed MOT ok.

[Bungle]

]

provided you have brace bars from flich to front subframe the removable/flip front is fine for mot and doesnt need an IVA test. i have a few customers with this set up and never have a problem with anything.

if you remove the inner wings you will need a BIVA test

Edited by Bungle, 21 November 2012 - 12:10 PM.