Headlight Poll

Please put you Midas based polls here. This can be anything Midas related....New ideas or thoughts on existing or old ideas.

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Headlight change yes or no!

Poll ended at Mon Jan 26, 2009 8:53 pm

Yes I like it
7
88%
Yes I like it but ( give your reasons)
0
No votes
No I don't like it
0
No votes
The car should not be changed from the original concept
0
No votes
I have a better idea (add a post with idea)
1
13%
 
Total votes : 8

Headlight Poll

Postby Alan D. » Tue Jan 06, 2009 8:53 pm

Hello everybody,


As some of you will know I’m trying to fit a modern twin cam engine. This may involve cutting out the headlight to get the engine in. At first I was reluctant to alter the body on the car, but then I thought what the hell! This modification would allow me to move the headlights forward 50-100mm, which should allow me to get the engine in, assuming that it fits under the bonnet line. If it doesn’t then we will go to plan “B” . the trouble is I don’t know what plan “B” is yet, but it will evolve!

The headlight covers are made from thick cardboard and the headlights are Hella 90mm. My daughter said, ”oh are you making a cardboard car now”!

The purpose of the post is to ask your opinion of the looks of the car, nothing has been cut yet, so the car still is as original.

I thought we might do a poll as it is available now on this forum and it would be nice if all of the current 58 members took a view. Speak your mind I will not be offended, I would be interested in all suggestions, especially if anyone has any ideas on making Plexiglas covers (can it be done from a home workshop), in order to keep the body as clean as possible. After all why go to bother of fitting under trays , if we are not keeping the body as clean as possible! Every little helps at a 140 MPH (LOL)!

It's only a bit of fun designed to get the forum moving again and possibly to defog your brains after the Christmas excesses

Alan D.
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Re: Headlight Poll

Postby Hans Efde » Tue Jan 06, 2009 11:08 pm

On plexiglas forming:
http://www.solanopilots.com/eaahomebuil ... 0pages.htm
There is an excellent description with pictures on the site:
www.gtmlibra.com.
I can't deep link the page, so you have to go to: "verslag", then find 2008 "april" en "mei". It's in Dutch but there a many good pics showing how this chap has built covers for his Libra rear lights. It seems he is now producing them for the whole GTM community!

If you Google (or on Youtube) with "plexiglas forming" you'll find more good sites or manuals like this one:
http://www.plexiglas.com/literature/pdf/135.pdf

When my car is technically ready for Stoneleigh, the next thing I am going to do is rework Smart coupe/roadster lights I bought and make plugs for it, then do something with the headlights. So I'll be making covers as well. I've seen collegues at KLM making large canopies for fully enclosed recumbents this way.

Cheers, Hans
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Re: Headlight Poll

Postby Alan D. » Wed Jan 07, 2009 12:24 am

Thanks Hans,

It's nice to know it can be done at home. I had a Thruster Microlight at one time with a perspex screen it was awful, I was forever polishing it with a special polish called "Greygate" I think!

Plexiglas should be more hard waring. Is it expensive?

Alan
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Re: Headlight Poll

Postby rocketron » Wed Jan 07, 2009 12:44 pm

RE headlights on coupe. I'd thought on mine to move the round headlights forward by 100mm or so, and mount them on a vertical piece. Then make new top covers similar to original but longer to reach and cover the previous vertical mount piece. Make these new covers removeable to enable easier bulb changes from the top. It should be possible to see the line of the original nacelle shape, which I like, and by moving lamps forward would reduce some of the "shielding" of the dip beam pattern. It looks a bit "bug-eyed", but coupes are that anyway: this way the original body line is retained. A cheaper way out perhaps? Can reuse round headlights with some high-power bulbs
Perspex/polycarb covers look good when new, but, in my opinion, detract a lot of light output: eventually took them off one car because so bad!

What engine are you fitting and do those who fit bigger motors do any body strengthening? On one of your pics, with the nose cone removed, did you remove any bodywork to make the hole bigger or is it still original?
Best wishes with project, Ron.
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Re: Headlight Poll

Postby Colin » Wed Jan 07, 2009 6:40 pm

Alan

I like the concept but feel that they are set back a bit too far in the body. If they could be moved forwards closer towards the leading edge of the bonnet I think it would look better. Also rather than plexiglass what about making up a white fibreglass cover instead that follows the line of the wings, then two circular holes in the front a la Alfa Romeo for the beams to shine through.

If you really wanted to be flash you could always make them pop ups so that they were completely hidden in the body. Probably a mod too far though ;)
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Re: Headlight Poll

Postby Alan D. » Sat Jan 10, 2009 10:53 pm

Hi Colin & Ron,

Thank you for replying to my post and may I reply to you both in one post, if you don't mind.

First of all to Ron, I assume that you are talking about a Mk 3 coupe when you are referring to round headlights. I may have to do this mod again on my Mk 3 convertible, when I re-engine that! So I would be interested in any mods that you do to your headlights. Tony Moss ( Club Sec.) mentioned that he had found some headlights which are only about 1inch (25mm) thick for a project that he is doing. But he hasn't updated me further.

Still on headlights and referring to Colin's post. I think that the lights will move further forward, but I don't know how much until I refit the engine again, as I've said earlier, I had the engine and subframe in but it was only the first fit and I've made alterations to the subframe and engine mounts, enabling the engine to sit lower in the car.

I will make fiberglass covers in line with the wings etc., just as you suggest (Colin), but I will smooth up the body shape with "Plexiglas" covers joining up to the fiberglass covers, just as they do on modern cars. I have no fiber-glassing or Plexiglas skill, so that should be interesting!I don't want to use perspex, just as Ron suggests, it just goes dull a blocks out the light.


With regards body strengthening, I don't think that there is any need! I think our Midas secrete, which the rest on the Mini fraternity have not twigged, is that this is such a strong body-shell in the first place. One of the Mk1 cars which I have has been rolled and all that happened, was that the body-shell deflected and the Windscreen broke! One day I hope to put that car back on the road too. On the picture with the nose cone removed, none of the bodywork has been altered, it is as Harold built it. It may look a bigger hole, but it has just been painted Matt black. The nose cone was removed only to allow access to the lower engine compartment.

Stuart Leach is really to blame for the engine upgrade. He took his lead from the http://www.16vminiclub.com . The Mini guys have been fitting various engines to their Mini's, such as the Honda Vtech, the Vauxhall Red top. Suzuki 1300GTI and the Vauxhall 1600cc engine both in single cam and twin cam. The Vauxhall is the engine we tried to run with. The main reason being that it is that you do not have to extend the front wings to fit the Vauxhall 1600cc (and the Suzuki 1300 GTI)

Stuart bought a complete conversion kit to fit the Vauxhall 1600cc into a Mini. He fitted the modified subframe into his Midas, but it didn't quite fit! I was lucky enough to have site of this subframe and made a Midas friendly version. Stuart became ill and decided not to carry on with the project, so the baton was passed to me!

That engine which you may have seen in a picture on another post is an 1800cc Vauxhall twin cam about 130bhp. I also have a 1600cc single cam engine 100bhp, which is a nice torquey engine with a five speed box. This I hope will fit into my convertible as it will make a nice road car.

I'm hoping ultimately to fit a 1600cc twin cam into the Mk2, this in standard form produces about 109bhp, but is not as torquey as the single cam. If you change the induction system on the 1600cc twin cam to a set of individual throttle bodies from SBD, the power goes up to about 160bhp and without doing any other engine mods. This should be a very interesting engine in a Midas! If I can make it work.

These Vauxhall engines are plentiful and cheap and it is easier to buy a whole car. Vauxhall make a range of engines known as the "small block". They come in 1400, 1600 and 1800cc, the other dodge which you do it to fit a diesel gearbox, which gives 70 mph at about 3000 rpm!

I hope that answers your queries but if there are any more please ask?

Colin you were the founder member of the club "but not making a big deal of it". Well Sir you should. I know from previous experiences helping to run a Microlight airfield, how much time and effort you must have put in. It doesn't matter how good or bad you've been there are is very little in the way of thanks, lots of criticism, but no thanks! Yet here we are some 30 years later, still in existence, limping a bit, but still in existence. Colin well done and thank you from the people who are to shy to post. We just need to make the marque exciting again (160bhp exciting).

To you other people who have viewed this polling post, why didn't you vote. Come on 50 views and only 5 votes, join in that's what this forums about, some people are going to a lot of trouble (David & Hans) with again no thanks! this forum will only be successful if you participate

Sorry for the long post and the rant.


Alan
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Modified subframe in a Mk 2
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Re: Headlight Poll

Postby manifold » Sat Jan 10, 2009 11:00 pm

160bhp is definitely exciting!

Mine launches itself when I press the throttle.... like a cat leaping forward. :)
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Re: Headlight Poll

Postby alberto midas » Sun Jan 11, 2009 8:04 pm

Alan,

I think it looks great. I always thought that the square Austin Allegro lights did not go with the round fog or driving lights on the Mark 2.

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Re: Headlight Poll

Postby Alan D. » Mon Jan 12, 2009 11:22 pm

Thanks Alberto,

My thoughts exactly!

Alan
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Re: Headlight Poll

Postby FlossyThePig » Tue Jan 13, 2009 12:58 am

I remember playing with a pair of twin headlight units MikeP had got out of a Ford Focus. Twin lights mounted together on a single bracket. Fitted neatly in front of the headlights in a Bronze with planty of room to spare. Mike's original Mk I had acrylic covers.

Planned to do something similar when I get round to rebuilding my Bronze.
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