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Mini flip front
DarrenW - 14/8/09 at 09:41 PM

anyone ever fitted a flip front to a Mini? My new project has a badly fitted carbon front end. It needs stiffening up, possibly a bonnet bonding to it and refitting. Im not sure best way to do it. How have you done yours? Mine has flush aero catches onto the A panels. I was thinking of redoing it so the front can be taken off complete but not flipping forward. Any comments?

blakep82 - 14/8/09 at 09:44 PM

any photos of what its already got?

mangogrooveworkshop - 14/8/09 at 09:47 PM

my neighbors just had a front put on his.
Will see if we can get pictures.
Macspeedys done a flip front on his mini a few moons ago
ask him for an explaination

blakep82 - 14/8/09 at 09:53 PM

oh yeah, just found the pics from the original thread.
doesn't look like its been fitted too badly. its got the subframe brace bars, which is good, and its all hinged at the front, and catches at the back. doesn't really look too bad to me. just some minor fettling/straightening and it should be fine

DarrenW - 14/8/09 at 10:10 PM

quote:
Originally posted by blakep82
oh yeah, just found the pics from the original thread.
doesn't look like its been fitted too badly. its got the subframe brace bars, which is good, and its all hinged at the front, and catches at the back. doesn't really look too bad to me. just some minor fettling/straightening and it should be fine



Thats a fair assesment. Im just picky! It will probs fit better if i fasten the front lower QR clips better and line up the aero catches better onto the scuttle panel. ie so that the front end comes off easily and doesnt hinge any more. A new steel bonnet fitted with clips instead o fthe currect hinge might also be better (it currently uses std hinges and clips at front edge - these dont work well together at all as you can imagine.


For the electrics they have used trailer sockets and several scotchlocks - not good at all. May invest in some proper auto connector blocks.

Worst bit is that all of the road muck and water when flung off the wheels is open to the engine and its electrics. There most be a way to fit internal wheel arches to minimise splashing.



The car has been owned and modded by a young lad. He has done a reasonable job but it needs a bit of unpicking and re-fettling.

blakep82 - 14/8/09 at 10:22 PM

yeah, it looked a bit weird with the wings/grill flipping forward, but the bonnet still hinged as normal. CF or ibreglass bonnet will be nice and light for bonnet pins onto the wings (if thats the idea) or steel to make it completely removable.

trailer sockets would be good all round i think. they're reasonably waterproof. they probably get worse exposure towing a trailer in the rain than they would from the front wheel alone. noooo to scotchlocks

some 7 type cylce wings could probably fited to the front inner wings though? obviously not ones that turn with the wheels though

Mave - 15/8/09 at 07:20 AM

I made my flipfront move backwards, so it actually gives you all access to the engine compartment you could ever ask for. I used some boot-hinges (BMW 3 series to be precise) which have a nice opening motion, and gasstruts which keep the front open when it's open, en closed when it is closed. The front was locked with some bonnet-pins that were attached to the front of the subframe (nearly vertical). More pics on my website.

Marcel



David Jenkins - 15/8/09 at 08:47 AM

That is very smart - you'd never know it was different when the front's down (I had a look at your website!). It does look odd with the front up though.

Mave - 15/8/09 at 10:05 AM

Yeah, it looks hungry....

Makes it easy for a Honda VTEC conversion though; just roll in a new subframe with Honda-engine.