Roof chopped BMW mini cooper S

[langy]

Richard i have pm'd you a number for a friend of mine who is an expert in this field, I know a fair bit but he will be able to give you advice about getting over the various problems.

Just as a point of reference for a question regarding the use of plastic windows for the sides and rear

Section 45 Safety Glass of the BIVA

All other windows (including sunroofs and removable glass panels) and side-screens must be “Safety Glazing” (which may be made from glass, or from plastic) and display the relevant markings. (see notes 2,3 and table 1)

Langy, I have sent a pm asking for some help, I hope you do reply. I am sure I need to go for a BIVA and have planned that from the start. Any help is greatly appreciated

 

[langy]

I'm not completely sure but would guess that they are purpose built chassis that have to go through SVA/BIVA, The Mini however is a monocoque so by chopping and welding the roof you are changing the structeral integrity, They are very funny about this type of modification.
A friend of mine chopped the roof on a Bently Mulsanne and got caught up in all this and had his V5C revoked. If you do a Google search i'm sure there is something on the web about it.

But how do Locosts/kit cars pass... They're pretty much a spaceframe with a few sheets of ally bolted on.

If the roll cage is designed properly - going to the all the suspension points - then there should be no problems as with VOSA. So basically you're making a spaceframe inside the original bodywork

 

[rkde]

Cheers,

Been talking with your friend and he has reassured me that the car will defiantly be a Q plate when done, I am ok with this and always thought that.

As for the roof chop, I have been told its OK to do it but I must have lots of photos of the build demonstrating how I did everything to show that there is nothing dodgy going on. My biggest problems are going to be the windows which need to be to a set rating, I can get them but its just going to take time and money.

Cheers for the contact and bringing up the questions. I think the basics are follow the BIVA to the letter as I go along and also to ensure that many photos are taken, providing I do that then I should meet the guides, however I may end up with a track only car if I decide not to follow the BIVA

Thanks to OZ too, I will be adding a full FIA frame too so the car will be dam rigid.

With all the questions and help I should have covered all areas... I hope.

richard

 

[oz.]

A problem you may have if you don't follow the BIVA is that some tracks insist that a car have an MOT. Other tracks are a bit more lenient and just do scruitineer session before allowing you on track. This is what I had down at Llandow, the guy checked all my harness points and roll cage mountings thoroughly. Did a quick look at the rest of the car and allowed me on.

I'd just suggest you investigate your local tracks to see how they treat such cars.

I'm looking forward to seeing the progress.

 

[rkde]

Thanks for the advice, I will be following the BIVA guide all the way through and I will at some point make a simple to follow guide though I know ACE are making an idiots guide to the IVA.

I think that providing the car meets full road specifications with full FIA spec too then it should be a fun car for every day and the odd track

 

[clairetoo]

A bit of `lateral' thinking here - but I wonder what the position re IVA / BIVA would be if you started with a convertible , and then added a `chopped' roof ?
Said roof could even be fibreglass .................?

 

[rkde]

From the discussions I had with ACE it would seam that it would still be open to a Q plate as I would still need to chop the front member and screen

Good thought and one that I had gone with for a while, though its easier to align a chopped car than creating new pillars etc. good thought though

 

[rkde]

it was a warm weekend this week in the unit... not sure but I think it was the heat which prevented me doing much

I am happy to say that I managed to get the inner B pillar built back up, don't know why the camera struggles to capture shiny steel but it does. I made it from two sections of another B pillar to give the curved shape them made a flat plate to go between them and the base of the original B pillar so its all tied together. Got the outer skin to do next week but its slowly coming together.

Had loads of issues with the welder this weekend, ran out of gas so had to use a disposable co2 bottle, wow they can be poor, the valve on the top didn't let gas out till the regulator was on max! Once I managed to get the right gas flow I then ran out of wire... Spent quite a while messing with the settings as the disposable gas just didn't feel the same. Gave up and will go back this weekend with a full bottle of gas and a nice real of wire not the cheap stuff I had put on the shelf.

 

[rkde]

Well I am happy to say that I have managed to finish just 1 B pillar but I think its looking right and the lines look correct. Still got to smooth and flat so it doesn't need any filler. Just happy to have got that out the way and yes I know I still have another side

 

[Coo]

thats looking a helluvalot better !
...dont be sad...it's progress !

 

[Shox Dr]

But how do Locosts/kit cars pass... They're pretty much a spaceframe with a few sheets of ally bolted on.

If the roll cage is designed properly - going to the all the suspension points - then there should be no problems as with VOSA. So basically you're making a spaceframe inside the original bodywork

Because they have been tested/passed as such. If you modify then it is no longer as tested/passed. Hence the need for Approval in some way.

 

[series2]

Because they have been tested/passed as such. If you modify then it is no longer as tested/passed. Hence the need for Approval in some way.

It just needs to have an IVA (individual vehicle approval). as it's mainly, by the look of it, a mini, it should walk it. None of the testing procedures are destructive or intrusive to the vehicle, the test for the seat belt anchorages is only visual you could get away with pop rivets and body filler, so long as it looks solid.

even more worrying is that it is down to your local VRO to decide if it needs an IVA, and the inspectors can only just identify a car.

It's much more difficult to put a kit car on the road than a b*****dised production car!

 

[rkde]

Thought its time to bring this project up to date

Collection

Started stripping off the burnt plastics which took quite a few weeks at a leisure speed

Loads of stuff missed out which can be found in the blog

Engine is out

Interior coming out

 

[rkde]

Out comes the sun roof, or should I say it fell on me :crying:

Out is all the glass

Wiring loom out

Empty

Out come the rear seat clip supports

In went a support frame

Off goes the sun roof - roof

All the front off and wheels out of there

Spare roofs to be stripped and stored

Roof test fitted

Roof chopped and tacked back in

really going back together now

Boot gets worked on and omg it looks like an old mini rear with the small window! or is that just me? look at that height difference

good bye brake light

Thats it for now and there are shed loads of stuff missing which is captured in my blog that is being built. All my injuries are left out of this because it would just take ages to post up... Well I hope you like it and if you don't well...

I will try and keep this up to date as I carry on. Unfortunately I end up drinking too much tea and do no work when I am there with the car!

 

[Angusdog]

What a fantastic job. And great to see someone attacking a BMW Mini in the same way people have attacked the BMC versions

What are you doing for glass? Lexan or custom made glass? Do you have to run your plans past an engineer, or do they inspect the finished article?

 

[Finalreminder]

Very impressive. Really looking forward to future posts

 

[rkde]

The glass has been a pain, the front it 5 axis water jet cut and the rest are lexan to BIVA spec which has been a sod to find but thats all sorted.

I am an engineer and run my own engineering company + I worked on the body in white of the mini too! I will however need to take a BIVA test so it will be a Q plate This is once finished, in the UK the BIVA is basically a huge list of areas needed to pass like the glass and markings on parts etc. As I will send it as a normal mini with a roof chop it should pass. (I hope) its going to be a long project but I really do like the look of it.

Also I am quite happy to cut most cars if needs be, though I did sell my JCW mini to fund this as I wasn't going to chop a perfectly mint car.

 

[Finalreminder]

Asked as a non-engineer: I thought 'cut-and-shuts' were a no no.
I understand this isn't really the same thing but is that a myth?

 

[Coo]

Not really a cut and shut as they are mostly split between front and back.

At least with a roof chop you maintain the floor

Keep up the good work chap !

Cracking so far

 

[Sphinx]

I'd be very interested to see what you do about getting glass made to fit after all this work. I've had naughty thoughts for a while now about something similar but I doubt it will happen, not now anyway.
Looking good!