124 replies to this topic

[Andrew O]

I know it's not a particularly nice subject to talk about but it had to be done.

What experiences have people had in being in a 'Mini' crash. ( How good or bad )
Everyone share your experiences .

[mab01uk]

There is a lot of info and pictures in this 11 page long TMF thread on the Mini's performance in crashes:
Crashed Minis - Safety related
http://www.theminifo...showtopic=52674

Edited by mab01uk, 29 August 2011 - 11:04 PM.

[danie garry]

its possibly the most soul destroying thing i'v done in the mini, 3 weeks after finishing it, all the work done by myself, and i skid into the back of a volvo!!
not a write off or anything but took a couple of days repair with my amateur panel beating skills!!

[mab01uk]

Austin Mini and its accident safety

[mab01uk]

Early Mini crash test video:


Link to 1960's Pathe film showing the effects on the Mini crashing at 25, 30 and 38 miles an hour.
http://www.britishpa...rd.php?id=72595

Edited by mab01uk, 29 August 2011 - 11:03 PM.

[station31]

It hurts

[Cooperman]

Most of my Mini crashes have been on rallies. I've rolled on 2 occassions, once when I was driving my Cooper 'S' in a Welsh forest and went 'off the edge' and 14 ft down ending on the roof, and the other time when navigating a Mk.1 'S' on a rally and we clipped the bank and rolled finishing back on the wheels. Both rolls did relatively little damage and mine just needed a roof panel and light panel work.
I've been in a rally accident when on a road section in Italy when someone else was driving another one of the Cooper 'S's I've built and owned we had a head-on with a 7.5 tonne Fiat truck. That bent the front a bit - well more than a bit. It had to go in a body jig to be sorted once we got it back home.
I was navigating an ex-works Mk.1 Cooper, 18CRX, in the Lake district when a rear radius arm snapped and we went off into the 'Christmas Trees' on a forest track. Just a few dents.
I was navigating a friend on a rally in my own 998 Cooper and we went through a fence on a stage, bending the lights, bumper and front panel. He was driving my car because he had bent his own Mk.1 'S' on the Tulip Rally a couple of weeks earlier. Still, he owned a BMC Dealership and lent me an MG Midget whilst he mended my Mini.
My son restored a Mk.1 Cooper for historic rallying and I went out with him to test it late one night. He drove it, then asked me to drive it. I hit a small deer in a lane and bent the wing and headlight. All mended in a couple of days including painting.

[Andrew O]

Really makes you think about things. Any pictures ?

[Frank the Tank]

There is a lot of info and pictures in this 11 page long TMF thread on the Mini's performance in crashes:
Crashed Minis - Safety related
http://www.theminifo...showtopic=52674

Some big hits and lucky escapes in that thread.

[retroracer1275]

i had a nose bleed a ripped my best jeans! wasnt happy....

harness saved me imo

[Deathrow]

Reading that topic always scares me and makes me want to sell up and get something safer.

I guess when it boils down to it though, everything in life is a risk. If you start choosing cars by how they're going to stand up in a crash, how long is it before you're buying thicker paper for your printer to avoid paper cuts?

It's very good to bring that topic up though, it's always an eye opener and helps keep us driving sensibly.

[Lewis998]

In response to the first video, is there any truth to the fire possibilities ?. If it is that certain why do the models all the way from 59' - 00' have such long filler necks ?

[minispaniard]

June 2010

http://www.theminifo...ie&fromsearch=1

[samsfern]

I rolled my first one multiple times, as a result of a balljoint failing at 70mph+, surprisingly got out totally unhurt, was achy next morning though. Then my second one, someone drove into my rear quarter at about 30mph, shunting me into another car, again, I got out unhurt.

[MaxAndPaddy]

I was 18 and stupid living in North Wales up in the sticks where drink driving was the norm, driving home after a night out with 3 friends after a pub lock in, I was going too fast not paying attention and lost it on a corner. The road was high up and banked down to fields, we did 2 full rolls before the barbed wire of the fence got wrapped around the wheels and hung us upside down about 5foot from the bottom, we managed to climb out and other than one with whiplash we were all fine. The barbed wire saved us, the car was in pieces scattered. Doing over 60mph if we' hit the bottom I doubt any of us would of walked away.

I still have nightmares about it and how one of my friends could of been hurt or worse, the only good thing that came out of it was I never drunk drove again and I took a hell of a lot more care. Lesson well and truly learnt!