44 replies to this topic

[Brawlyrox]

Whats your impressions of them?

Are they safe?
Good fit?

etc etc, just after some general views

[siggy]

99% look nasty

Siggy

[Brawlyrox]

LOL, thanks for the rapid reply.

Would you prefer steel, or the non flip route?

[siggy]

Steel and non flip.

I like to have some metal between me and an object, ie car, wall, mountian.

The piont behind flip fronts is access, well it aint too bad on a Mini compared to modern cars and at the end of the day if you Mini is built right, it will work and not need constant playing with

Siggy

[Brawlyrox]

If i was being honest, its not for acess its for bling factor, its somet i have aspired towards since i was young.

[siggy]

My cars are built for me and Bo%%*s to everone else

Siggy

PS Sandra I don't mean you, even though you can't fit in the seats in the Cubby

[Brawlyrox]

LOL.....

[Jamnog]

I was going to get one for my mini for the convinience getting under the bonnet. Im not to fussy about looks to be honest. I think its got to be better than the bubbles of rust, the unsanded filler or missmatched wing look I have seen on all of of non flip. i agree that if done right a metal non flip looks much better. But rust proof the inside of the wing.

[1991Cooper]

Nick where is my Carbon Fibre bonnet you slack F**ker!!!!!!!

[1991Cooper]

Or you could get Richie to do to yours what he did to his to save some money homemade flip front?

[Cooperman]

I'm with you on this, Siggy. The worst thing you can do to a Mini from a safety point of view is to fit a flip front, or any sort of front that ain't a welded steel structure.
The Mini was designed as a one-piece welded monocoque shell with the static and dynamic loads taken throughout the all-steel structure of the complete shell.
Cut away that steel at the front and who knows where the stress is taken out. I used to work on the design of aircraft structure, so I like to think I know a little about these things. The totally inadequate structures I have seen added with flip fronts are simply not good enough to take out 3/4-front impact crash-case loads.
I've been involved with Minis since 1961, but I would never, ever, fit a flip front as I don't want to get a nasty headache (or worse) when I make my next big mistake. The last big mistake was about 4 years ago when I 'roofed' my '64 Cooper 'S' in a Welsh forest (we were winning at the time). The full cage (FIA spec) saved the shell and all I needed was a roof panel and a bit of light panel straightening. No front end damage.
Stick with the steel as original.

[Brawlyrox]

thanks for the sound advice, i definately think i will stick with steel from now on, again thanks.

[Jamnog]

From a safty point of veiw a roll cage is out then they dont crumple as far as insurance goes they come up as a negative. In terms of the box structure the wings and front dont provide most of the protection imo the engin, the engin mount and the subframe would provide most of the impact stopping. carbon fibre is tough but the one major factor in this is that if they are unsafe they would not be able to sell them. Not trying to have a go or flame here. I totally agree that for some people they would not be inkeeping with the style of the car and they are far from original. That would be a good enough reason to dismis them for a true enthusiast. the molding perhaps is suspect on some perhaps they have lines along them or burrs along the wing. From the pictures i have seen once they have been painted, they are based on a mould from the original mini. I would not know the difference to look at them as far as looks go im going to leave that untill i see more than a few. I should look into this later for now i say keep an open mind and i look forward to being proven wrong.

p.s. As for aircraft dont they make plastic gliders? is the stealth bomber made of carbon fiber? some of the toughest matirials are synthetic

[jeffberg]

now i really don't know
but i would think its not necissarily about how strong the actualy material is
it is about where and what is connected to what. With the fiberglass flip fronts the front is hinged at the front and is no longer securely connected to anywhere on the car. Even the front connection to the car is weaker cus it is hinged. With a normal steel front end however. The fenders are attached directly to the frame of the car which is attached directly to the grill and that to the front of the car which then directly connects to the other fender. This in essence makes a box with a bottom a top a left, a right, a front, and a back. The only weak area is where the hood (bonnet) sits on top of this box
with a fiber front end there is no box made its connected only at the front and only with hinges.
I think that is where the strength is

the biggest thing to ask is the mini a body on chassis construction or is it like new economy cars with a chassis and body built into one. If its the second option.... then taking away the structural front end i imagine would have a huge effect. If its a body on chassis then your just taking away extra crunch material when someone hits you.... which here.... with SUV's that are 18 feet long i would want to keep.

[siggy]

The main reason insurance people do not like roll cages is beacuse drivers will belive that they are safer (which they are if they have the seats and belts to suit)and will drive faster and are more likely to have an accident.

Body shells are designed as a deformable structure, that means that in an frontal impact it is designed to absorbe the impact starting with the wings, innner wings then bulkhead and so on.

Gliders are made of plastic, but there are designed correctly, not just moulded (sp?) from the front of a car.



Siggy