62 replies to this topic

[skoughi]

My nearest IVA testing station is in Aberdeen so an overnight ferry trip would be involved! I'm wondering how much changes or modifications someone has to do to a Mini before one of these inspections is required? What's the implications if you don't get one? How are you found out if you don't get one, insurance company checking your vehicle after an accident then not paying out damages if they think your modifications required an IVA test?

[gazza82]

I think it's something like "substantial alterations to the bodyshell" ... something as simple as a gearbox tunnel swap on an A30 to accomodate a later A35 or Midget gearbox is considered "substantial" ... so chopping out the floor pan under the seats is likely to come under the same category.

Pretty sure if you did do this, be unlucky to have an accident and have your insurance revoked - you wont get insured again ...plus you'll be paying out for you costs and any third-parties ...

[skoughi]

I think it's something like "substantial alterations to the bodyshell" ... something as simple as a gearbox tunnel swap on an A30 to accomodate a later A35 or Midget gearbox is considered "substantial" ... so chopping out the floor pan under the seats is likely to come under the same category.

Pretty sure if you did do this, be unlucky to have an accident and have your insurance revoked - you wont get insured again ...plus you'll be paying out for you costs and any third-parties ...

So we see many mini projects getting flip fronts, deseamed, carbon roof panels, flat boot floors etc getting done, I wonder how many of these get an IVA done? Or an I being a sceptic and it is a very common thing the the mini community does to their cars if they chop and change? I wonder how a minisprint conversion would be viewed in an IVA?! Maybe it's actually a straight forward process and very rarely fails any work unless it has obviously been very poorly done. I think the best way would be to go with my original plan and fit a flat boot floor and have a tank underneath, if I was to actually do it. Maybe getting in touch with the testers at the actual station and having a face to face conversation about what I would be intending would be the best route then I'd know where I'd stand.  

[nicklouse]

 

I think it's something like "substantial alterations to the bodyshell" ... something as simple as a gearbox tunnel swap on an A30 to accomodate a later A35 or Midget gearbox is considered "substantial" ... so chopping out the floor pan under the seats is likely to come under the same category.

Pretty sure if you did do this, be unlucky to have an accident and have your insurance revoked - you wont get insured again ...plus you'll be paying out for you costs and any third-parties ...

So we see many mini projects getting flip fronts, deseamed, carbon roof panels, flat boot floors etc getting done, I wonder how many of these get an IVA done? Or an I being a sceptic and it is a very common thing the the mini community does to their cars if they chop and change? I wonder how a minisprint conversion would be viewed in an IVA?! Maybe it's actually a straight forward process and very rarely fails any work unless it has obviously been very poorly done. I think the best way would be to go with my original plan and fit a flat boot floor and have a tank underneath, if I was to actually do it. Maybe getting in touch with the testers at the actual station and having a face to face conversation about what I would be intending would be the best route then I'd know where I'd stand.  

 

Mods dine now are very different to what was done before. Restoring what was done before is very different to doing it now.

 

maby things you see being done now will need an IVA to be correct. Seen a few where people realised to late. You also see kit cars that have sat on the drive for years or have not been correctly register now worth nothing.

[mab01uk]

 

[Red Riley]

I can't see any reason why a decent fabricator couldn't make a flat tank that would effectively take up the same space that the spare wheel and battery box use. Assuming you're willing to relocate the battery and the spare wheel. I would cut out the floor, weld in a reinforcing strip all the way around, then build the tank with a flange all around and bolt it into the opening. That's how some old American cars had it done. The tank becomes a structural part of the boot floor. The way I did the tank in my Elf, I cut the floor down and boxed it back in, then mounted the tank on top of the floor rather than through it. I use a smaller AGM battery mounted behind the wheel well. This is a 15 gallon tank, but if I had only done a third of the size, it might have almost gone under the boot board.  

 

 

[skoughi]

I can't see any reason why a decent fabricator couldn't make a flat tank that would effectively take up the same space that the spare wheel and battery box use. Assuming you're willing to relocate the battery and the spare wheel. I would cut out the floor, weld in a reinforcing strip all the way around, then build the tank with a flange all around and bolt it into the opening. That's how some old American cars had it done. The tank becomes a structural part of the boot floor. The way I did the tank in my Elf, I cut the floor down and boxed it back in, then mounted the tank on top of the floor rather than through it. I use a smaller AGM battery mounted behind the wheel well. This is a 15 gallon tank, but if I had only done a third of the size, it might have almost gone under the boot board.  

A good way to do it, should hopefully be acceptable with the IVA folk!

[mab01uk]

Minki fuel tank location

[skoughi]

I roughly worked out the volume of a tank that would fit in this space and I think it was smaller than 7.5 gallon, I'd need to double check my scribbles! That's why I would go with making the mini a 2 seater as the companion bins would be got rid of thus giving more width and make the original seat base the same level as a boot board would be thus giving more height so the bottom of the tank could be higher than the main floor giving a bit of protection. Though doing that I feel, as suggested, having a conversation with the inspectors at your "local" IVA testing station before you attempt something like this would be advisable!

[riktanius]

I thought a Hillman Imp tank fit in the Rear subframe void if you took out the spare tire divot.

Might be an option

[stuart bowes]

I might have missed something but it all strikes me as being modification purely for the purpose of doing something a bit different

 

with stuff like that usually my first thought is, why hasn't it been done a lot of times before, and the answer is usually a mixture of 'it's not necessary' or 'getting it registered would be a pain' or any other mixture of the stuff everyone's already said

 

I totally understand the mentality like you said about naysayers making you want to do it even more, but still

 

my tuppence worth would be, if you're making a 2 seater then any of this huge pile of extra stuff that you want to put in the boot can just go behind the front seats where you just created a whole new storage area.  the boot can have the battery and if you're worried about safety, a nice new fuel cell.  turn the back seat into a proper firewall as well if you want which may also add a bit of side impact strength, although if you're talking about 2 seater are you also putting at least the rear half of a cage in?

 

it's the way people do it because it's the way that makes most sense.  for whatever my opinion is worth anyway

 

it also has the big upside of being more resellable later because people are less likely to buy into a questionably modified uncertainty, it's nice to have the option of going back to standard

Edited by stuart bowes, 05 August 2022 - 11:36 PM.

[sledgehammer]

I have had several mini's , that I have heavily modified over the years ,

 

I always put a modified IMP fuel tank in the rear subframe , probably the safest place for it

 

I plate over the top , have high level carbon vent chamber with vent exit under rear valence

 

and high level filler with integral tank to neck vent for faster filling .

5 bolt fixing in the same place as the IMP , but with fuel pickup & gauge in the top

 

Exhaust side exit in front of o/s/r wheel , over a foot away from the tank battery in the engine bay

fuel tank is inside the subframe , so even a massive speed bump won't ever get near it

I do all this work , because back in the 80's when I did recovery , a mini was hit n/s/r - forward into a ditch , nose down

fuel tank was squeezed , and filler neck / vent were split .

 

fuel got into passenger cell as the mini doesn't have a rear fire wall (fuel & fumes can get into front easily in a crash / roll over

same as a lot of 50's-80's cars - as the rear seat plate is not a fire wall )

 

the battery was loose , but connections were still connected well , so luckily no sparks , fumes inside were bad ,

 

An inboard fuel tank under the floor-pan is the safest place for it , esp inside the subframe (but not a rotten subframe)

 

sadly good IMP fuel tanks are hard to get now
 

Edited by sledgehammer, 07 August 2022 - 08:41 AM.

[riktanius]

I have had several mini's , that I have heavily modified over the years ,

I always put a modified IMP fuel tank in the rear subframe , probably the safest place for it

I plate over the top , have high level carbon vent chamber with vent exit under rear valence

and high level filler with integral tank to neck vent for faster filling .

5 bolt fixing in the same place as the IMP , but with fuel pickup & gauge in the top

Exhaust side exit in front of o/s/r wheel , over a foot away from the tank battery in the engine bay

fuel tank is inside the subframe , so even a massive speed bump won't ever get near it

I do all this work , because back in the 80's when I did recovery , a mini was hit n/s/r - forward into a ditch , nose down

fuel tank was squeezed , and filler neck / vent were split .

fuel got into passenger cell as the mini doesn't have a rear fire wall (fuel & fumes can get into front easily in a crash / roll over

same as a lot of 50's-80's cars - as the rear seat plate is not a fire wall )

the battery was loose , but connections were still connected well , so luckily no sparks , fumes inside were bad ,

An inboard fuel tank under the floor-pan is the safest place for it , esp inside the subframe (but not a rotten subframe)

sadly good IMP fuel tanks are hard to get now

I'd love to see some pics of this. This is something that seems interesting and useful to me, while also being safer.

[skoughi]

 

I have had several mini's , that I have heavily modified over the years ,

I always put a modified IMP fuel tank in the rear subframe , probably the safest place for it

I plate over the top , have high level carbon vent chamber with vent exit under rear valence

and high level filler with integral tank to neck vent for faster filling .

5 bolt fixing in the same place as the IMP , but with fuel pickup & gauge in the top

Exhaust side exit in front of o/s/r wheel , over a foot away from the tank battery in the engine bay

fuel tank is inside the subframe , so even a massive speed bump won't ever get near it

I do all this work , because back in the 80's when I did recovery , a mini was hit n/s/r - forward into a ditch , nose down

fuel tank was squeezed , and filler neck / vent were split .

fuel got into passenger cell as the mini doesn't have a rear fire wall (fuel & fumes can get into front easily in a crash / roll over

same as a lot of 50's-80's cars - as the rear seat plate is not a fire wall )

the battery was loose , but connections were still connected well , so luckily no sparks , fumes inside were bad ,

An inboard fuel tank under the floor-pan is the safest place for it , esp inside the subframe (but not a rotten subframe)

sadly good IMP fuel tanks are hard to get now

I'd love to see some pics of this. This is something that seems interesting and useful to me, while also being safer.

 

Yes I too would like to see any pictures of how you went about it. Anything that gets the fuel tank out of the passenger compartment is a good thing!

[Johnmar]

I reached out to sledgehammer with some questions and what I understood is that he is very busy at this moment. He did answer me confirming that I did locate the same type fuel tank he used before.

So I've now already bought an IMP fuel tank en Germany and I will undertake this conversion when I've received the keys of my new to build shed/barn in 2023. I'll be sure that I'll keep you all informed on the progress with all the photo's you want.