removable front
Turbo Mini Forums

Oh wise people of Turbo Minis, I thought I'd ask your thoughts and opinions, hints and tips and general advisories on removable/flip fronts.

I thought I'd ask you lot mainly because the first response wont be whining about IVA and shit and also, having such modified engines I'm guessing a lot of you have flip fronts.

I've been toying with the idea of a removable front, don't really want a flip front as the flip forward idea just doesn't work for me and the flip up is awesome but expensive (or so I've heard) and American.
Also, it would be a 2 piece steel one for me, fibreglass fronts just look like such a ball ache to fit.

This leads me to my first thought, weight. I know it won't be coming off a lot but when it does, those panels will be a little awkward and heavy which leads me back to going fibreglass and thus, not doing it at all.

Next is fitting... one of the nicest setups I've seen is some round headed bolts and captive nuts on the back of the tab coming off the A panel. I don't like the look of dzue dezs deuzs those fastener things some people use and for the front I think pins look generally fine through the front valance.
I've never liked the look of the gap in the arches too. I know it's a really trivial fact but I've had a bit of a thought on how to get round this, I just don't know whether it will work.

I've been set on keeping a welded front end for the standard look, strength, etc. so are there any drawbacks people can think of?
Anyone done it and regretted it?

Any help will be appreciated. I did a search and it didn't come up with much, I've also searched other places which didn't yield the results I'm after.

my advise, and my opinion,

bolt on, 2 piece steel !! pure carbon bonnet !!

my fg one was a nightmare, but whatever you choose make it 2 piece, for the ease of getting to every thing under the bonnet

the weight penalty is a draw back of steel if drag racing it is in mind but imo its weight in the right place

Yes i moved to the darkside

Instagram @jdm_brett

Yeah it will definitely be two piece with a plastic bonnet... why people want to remove the whole front just to top up their oil I don't know... haha.

Also, if I was really concerned about weight while drag racing it... I can remove the front all together

It sure is something I am now considering.

Ive seen removable fronts done without splitting the front arches. Using group5/7 arches with captive nuts in the a panels. Then just un bolt the 2 nuts on each a panel to remove. Or if you split them then bond a lip onto the underside of the part attached to the a panel to support the arch when in position.

one day boost will be mine!

That was exactly my plan.
I think it is the best way of doing it for the way I want it to look, you'll keep the standard looking arch fixings and you wont have a big split down the arch.
Exactly what I want.

I have a removable steel front for sale if your interested?

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fusion-Fabri..._homepage_panel

www.fusionfabs.co.uk



1/4mile in 13.2sec @ 111 terminal on 15psi

Schrödinger's cat - so which one am I ???

That's pretty cool, you got any pictures?
How easy is it to take it off the hinges? ie. can it be removable without too much effort?

I haven't got any close-up of the hinges but one to show how far it goes (there are more in my build thread)



Ignore the wood, that was just for mocking up heights and brackets for radiator and intercooler.

TBH, if there had been a breakers anywhere near me with the right Audi in, I would have used them having seen Andys - would still have needed some additional fabrication but probably less than a complete home made job.

At the moment I would have to unbolt the hinges from the innner wings to take it off completely but I'm going to modify it to put a join in, inbetween the hinges and the frame under the front - just two short bits of hollow rectangular section that slide over the solid rectangular section. Then it will slide off the hinges just by undoing two bolts.

Schrödinger's cat - so which one am I ???

That looks pretty impressive.
I think it may well be a project for the future, something to definitely look into; especially if I start to get fed up with removing it.

I like the idea of the "quick release" too. Simple and clever idea.

I've been thinking about brace bars aswell and instead of just bars have them as part of the cage.
Coming through the flitch panel, stitched onto the inner wing and then bolted to the subframe.
Would a "bumper bar" be a wise idea aswell; in a similar vain to yours Rod. Or would it just get in the way? I'm thinking it might not be worth it as much.

Dave,

Mine isn't there as a "bumper bar" as such...

The reason I made it from one continuous tube is because it adds a hell of a lot of torsional rigidity which two individual bars simply don't.

You can probably just about see that I put a small curve into both sides up near where it bolts to the ends of the bulkhead so in the event of a significant "bump" it will deform there absorbing energy (like a crumple zone).

But the main point for doing it the way you see is to add torsional rigidity (to maintain the handling).

Schrödinger's cat - so which one am I ???

I sort of had that in the back of my mind. In my head I thought that without a cross bar at the front the cage will just end and there will be possible side to side movement.

My plans for the project have come a long way... it was going to go back to being completely original at first and now it's going massive turbo with loads of extra shit...

It's not so much preventing movement side to side compared to single bars (although it does that as well), it's more about preventing the front rail of the subframe twisting allowing the tie bar mounting position to move under suspension loads.

The subframe front rail is a "U" channel, the side rails are "Z" beams, neither provide torsional rigidity.

For torsion you need a closed tube (circular, oval, rectangular, square, but closed around the circumference) so I have a closed tube running from one end of the bulkhead to the other and across the front of the subframe meaning the subframe is less able to twist along the front rail under loading.

Schrödinger's cat - so which one am I ???

Well it looks like I am definitely going for a removable front... I just chopped my innter wings off :)

Cheers for all the help aswell Rod.