26 replies to this topic

[Down&Out]

As the title really. iv always wanted a fibreglass front, no more having to change wings. But as for the safety? thats what i was worried about . i wasnt actually going to bother with making it flip and just bond it to the panels. but im still worried about safety in a crash :S

[Joshmini]

Well as you will know Fibreglass isn't as safe as steel, So i would persume it wouldn't be as safe but still it wont be much difference as many of Mini owners opt for the Fibreglass front end.
Oli on here had a front end crash i dont know if he had Fibreglass front end but ask him if he has and if he did ask him what's the safety like.

[RacingGreen]

When you fit a fibreglass front you have to fit brace bars, to put back some of the rigidity back into the shell. Which was removed when you cut the wings and inner wings off.

[sixwheeler]

When you fit a fibreglass front you have to fit brace bars, to put back some of the rigidity back into the shell. Which was removed when you cut the wings and inner wings off.

They are there as the front subframe support, not shell rigidity.

[Joshmini]

Sorry to Hijack.
RacingGreen is that video in your signature Casey stoner and Rossi in motogp when they both nearly crashed i remember watching that

Edited by Joshmini, 01 October 2008 - 06:08 PM.

[oli8925]

mine wasnt fg, normal steel and rust combination. in my rebuild thread, it looks like ive cut through the drivers side wing just under the head light. i havent, thats just where there was rust and it came apart in the accident.

i was thinking about a fg flip front, but hadnt thought about this. its a very good question! and im afraid i wouldnt know the answer. at least with fg you wont get weaknesses where rusting has taken place, and the steel used on the wings is pathetically thin. ive bent most of mine out by hand so i can move the wheels. but i guess the part that would be most missed would be the inner wings, dont really know what you could do to solve that.

im sure someone more clued up on mini structure and flip fronts will know

*saying all that, in the accident the steel bent out of shame but remained as one. i know its not much of a comparison to a flipfront, but my fg arches (or at least one) just snapped in two more or less under the movement

Edited by oli8925, 01 October 2008 - 06:19 PM.

[Joshmini]

Ohh, Oh well i loved your mini oli are you reparing it then?

[Down&Out]

what im going on about would be to just take the wings and front panel off and bond the front to the inner wings and a-panels, meaning it would be there like steel panels would. perhaps if i did that with a carbon fibre front it would be somewhat better? its supposed to be stronger than steel i think?

[oli8925]

Ohh, Oh well i loved your mini oli are you reparing it then?

of course i am no doubt about it. itll be few years before shes back on the road but should be worth the wait. link down there VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

Edited by oli8925, 01 October 2008 - 06:23 PM.

[oli8925]

what im going on about would be to just take the wings and front panel off and bond the front to the inner wings and a-panels, meaning it would be there like steel panels would. perhaps if i did that with a carbon fibre front it would be somewhat better? its supposed to be stronger than steel i think?

at least then youd still have inner wings which in my logic would make it stand up to a front end crash better. carbon fibre would be stronger, dont know how much but it would be better than fg. also so expensive youll make sure you dont have an accident im considering getting a cf flip fron from curley. itll be a while before i get there though

[mini93]

too see how reslient CF fronts are just look at crock's mini as an example, even after the crash its still "useable" was at combe last weekend with same front

[RacingGreen]

When you fit a fibreglass front you have to fit brace bars, to put back some of the rigidity back into the shell. Which was removed when you cut the wings and inner wings off.

They are there as the front subframe support, not shell rigidity.

They are there to tie the subframe into the inner wings, as it was before the wings were removed. This is turn add rigidity to the shell (if theyre mounted right)

Sorry to Hijack.
RacingGreen is that video in your signature Casey stoner and Rossi in motogp when they both nearly crashed i remember watching that

Yeah, was at laguna seca earlier in the year. The point in the season when rossi broke stoner

[Down&Out]

back to topic?

[Down&Out]

bumpp!

[Ru55boy]

Metal's always going to be stronger than fibreglass or carbon fibre as it won't crack like they will, but at the end of the day, if we were that concerned about crash safety we wouldn't be driving minis, or motorbikes.

I don't think fibreglass instead of steel is really going to make that much different in the scheme of things, hence why I'm going onepiece FG.

Just my opinion.