26 replies to this topic

[KermitStu]

Ok guys i love my mini to bits but im going to be putitng alot of miles into it and to eb honest am worried about safty. i will be putitng a role cage into the car ina eyar or so (insurence price is stopping me now).

BUT is there anyway of strenthening the car with out putting a roll cage in that prefrably dosnt need to be declaired on a insurence form ( i know im asking for alot). e.g. is there bars i can put in the doors and under the bonnet that will give it more strengh incase of side and frontal impact?

thanks
stu

[Jordie]

Not sure, but i know it will need a lot of thinking and designing.

One of them bars in the wrong position in a crash could end up killing you.

[Jammy]

You already have side impact bars. Have a search of this forum you'll see the mini is a perfectly safe little car!

[KermitStu]

lol thats a good joke perfectly safe i know three people who rac eminis and they wouldnt go out ont he road in one unless a full roll cage was in it.

i ahve to admit i didnt knwo they had side impact bars is this a new thing ?

[Bevan]

Is you mini a MPI? I believe the MPI models came with side impact bars in the doors.

[EDIT] I wouldnt mind dieing in a mini, atleast I went out in what I love most, and maybe in style!

Edited by Bevan, 02 November 2007 - 02:40 PM.

[KermitStu]

mpi? sorry dont knwo what thta means if your on about multi point injection then yes i belive so.

iv just looked on the official rover website when the mini was launched and yer it dose have side impact bars thank Dr a little bit of piece of mind

[fatmini]

i know the miglia boys drill out there subframes for weight as well as saftey as it acts like a crumple zone and reduces the amount the floor crumples ,plus a good roll cage ,

( waits for the onslaught )

[KermitStu]

well i wont be drilling out the subframe but i see the sence behind that thanks for the info fatmini

ok seems side impact has bene answered what about frontal ( prefrably not as major as drilling subframes lol)

[Bevan]

Jump out of the car before you hit anything!

[Mininman_Aid]

Yours came with side impact bars as standard, it was the law after 95ish.

Ultimately the better the panels, ie little rust as possible and straight panels with no filler. But...

If you want to strengthen the shell, have a look at how people strengthen it to make it into a convertable. The biggest worry to most people is the cars strength in a roll over.

Furthermore, you can strengthen the inner wings at the front with a pair of brace bars... not sure how easy it would would be easy to fit... but these will support your subframe in the case of a frontal impact. Its the engine/subframe moving back into the foot well that causes most injuries.

Moreover, maybe a seat upgrade would help... good back support and nice an ridged... plus also you can put your current seats in the loft and put them back in when you want to sell it with less wear!!

I wouldnt worry about strengthening the Mini from the back... unless you carry extra people regularly??


To be honest, the Mini is pretty strong! The monocoque-subframe design is pretty safe!

[KermitStu]

ok thanks guys will ahve a look around but you have put my mind at ease

and eyr rear isnt to much of a bother its almost always going to eb at most two people int he car so not to worry

thansk again guys:D

oh and also can you deleat posts and threads on this forum if so how ?

[Mininman_Aid]

ok thanks guys will ahve a look around but you have put my mind at ease

and eyr rear isnt to much of a bother its almost always going to eb at most two people int he car so not to worry

thansk again guys:D

oh and also can you deleat posts and threads on this forum if so how ?

The admin will have to do it, but if you do put a double post, click edit and delete what you've written and just type something like 'DOUBLE POST- PLEASE DELETE' and when an admin looks at it, it will get deleted... hopefully!

[wolfys_mini]

perfectly safe cars, people opinions are wrong on how "dangerous" they are!

dont drive like a knob and read the road. that will help towards you not crashing. simple.

[Jammy]

As above! Racing a mini is completely different to driving one on the roads!

Since it seems you can't find the search button I'll write this out all over again!

We have a topic in the FAQ section that shows the results of minis in several crashes in all sorts of situations. Yes the panels look crumpled pretty badly, but thats because they are absorbing the impact energy! You'll notice that the passenger compartment is rarely touched.

First of all most minis are very little and nimble, meaning in that a lot of situations you have the ability to get yourself out of trouble, meaning crash avoided. if you do find yourself in the worst, the curvature of the panels, especially at the front, makes for a very strong shell, and is excellent for absorbing impact energy, even if it does end up looking pretty crumpled afterwards.

If your really interested in finding out how safe minis are then search for some posts from 'Dan', as he gets the point across a lot better than me.

Now, you say you want to fit a roll cage. Thats a race item. I assume you'll also be fitting roll cage padding, bucket seats and harnesses and that you won't be needing your back seat?

[KermitStu]

Now, you say you want to fit a roll cage. Thats a race item. I assume you'll also be fitting roll cage padding, bucket seats and harnesses and that you won't be needing your back seat?

doen a few searches before typing the thread but nothign cmae back with what i wanted

and yer all those things will be added hopefuly as said i knwo alot of people in the raceing world so will all be done top quality