Modified front and rear

[MGs]

Hi all

I am in the process of stripping my car. Mechanically it is pretty good, but the bodywork sucks.
Having removed the front and rear bumpers and valances I was surprised how heavy they were.
As my car is never going to win any beauty contests I was wondering about some slight mods.
Just wondered if anyone had any experience, what I am wondering is:

Is it legal for MOT to remove the front and rear bumpers if they were fitted as standard?
What have you guys done instead?
Is there a stock part or fibreglass replacement that can fit under the front wings, front panel
to make it look neater (or do you have to make one from scratch)? I'm not beyond doing this
but would prefer an easier less time consuming option, given how much other work I have
to do on the car.

Thanks in advance for any advice

[Alex'n'Ane]

If its just the weight then fiberglass valances are available. I believe jlh may have used to and possibly still do sell the front metal curved plates, but many just make them selves as desired. The rear bumper is simply a case of removing the rear bumper mounts from inisde the boot, and filling the holes in.

[MartinB]

I removed the thick bumper bars and just left the chrome outer and valance, still have the overriders but used their securing brackets to hold the whole bumper onto the car. Looks the same, less than half the weight.

[MGs]

I have no problem with filling the holes at the rear.

The main problem I have is at the front. The bumper mounts are both bent beyond salvage. Unlike the rears,
on my car these are not bolted on but welded to a fillet at the front of the engine bay and to the inner wing
at the rear. I don't really want to have to remove the inner wings.
My idea was to grind off the bumper mounts, fill the front panel holes, make a cosmetic panel under under the front
wings to blend in. I could possibly fit cosmetic only bumpers. Still no idea if it would pass an MOT

[chrisryder]

it should pass an mot, so long as you've still got somewhere for your front numberplate!

the rear is, as mentioned, easily done, but it means that the rearmost bit of the car is either your rear light lenses, or the tailpipe of the exhaust. the exhaust could be trimmed down to stop people tripping over it, you don't want to hit the exhaust on anything you reverse into as you'll end up cracking the flange off the manifold!

i like the de-bumpered look at the back, but if you hit anything, or if anything hits you, you're replacing body shell bits, rather than just a bumper!

front-wise, you can make blending panels that carry on the curve of the bottom edge of the front panel to the bottom of the front wings. make it so it just bolts onto the bottom edge of the front wings, or just bolt through the existing bolts that hold the bottom edge of the front panel in. don't go too crazy with the filler as you'll regret it when you need to get the front off!

[MGs]

Thanks

I may just make some brackets to hold overriders, not standard Minor ones, but they should offer some protection.
I agree about keeping minimal on the filler. I will probably make some fibre glass or aluminium panels to bolt to the wings.
When I have them on, I'll have a look at the cosmetics of the lower front panel.
I will fit an aluminium panel behind front panel to hold the number plate.

[Alex'n'Ane]

This is what the rear looks like with just minor over riders http://morrisminorowners.co.uk/ftopic1920-0-asc-0.php

[MGs]

Looks pretty cool. Having seen that, I may get rid of the bumper support and valance and just fit the blade and over riders.
It should just need a light bracket inside to support the blade.

[MGs]

Decision made. I will fit the rear overriders direct to the bumper mounts, no need for any mods other than to shorten the exhaust by about 4 inches.
At the front I have ground off the bent front bumper mounts, flush with the mounting plate (leaving a tube). I'm going to get some threaded rod, sink a large nut or two into the tube and mount the overriders direct to this. I have marked out the front corner panels to go under the front wings and match up with the front panel, they are not as big or complicated as I had expected. Just hope I can pull it all off.

[Alex'n'Ane]

Sounds good, do post pictures

[MarkyB]

Don't get carried away cutting the exhaust pipe, it should extend further out than the body.
It's in the construction and use regulations somewhere.

[chrisryder]

i cant imagine that to be a highly policed law. dont most modern cars have their tail pipes coming out downwards under the bumper? you dont even see the tail pipe!

[Alex'n'Ane]

Was about to say about moderns. Also does the exhaust on most minors stick out further than the bumper valance?
Or are we talking about the 'body' of the car, in which case i could kinda see it.

[MarkyB]

I've no idea of the actual wording in the construction and use regs maybe they are on line somewhere?
If you get pulled up by a traffic cop having a bad day they'll certainly know.

It's a good idea really, you don't want to be gassed if you are stuck in traffic.

[MGs]

I have about 1 inch of exhaust past the back of the car, so that the overriders will hit before the exhaust.

I have just made a couple of panels to fit below the front wings instead of the valances. I have got fixings to
bolt them to the front wing flanges, but will fibreglass also to blend them in. I can't fit them yet, as I still have work
to do on the front panel and grille. Look pretty good though. I'll post some pictures when they are fitted.

[MarkyB]

An inch sounds fine, there are hot gasses coming out, and heat rises.
New Beetles used to be air tight, I don't think even new Minors ever were.

[MGs]

Just a quick shot of how far I have got. New panels fitted instead of the valance. 2mm aluminium plate bolted in 3 places to
the lower edge of the front wings, first layer of fibreglass to bond in place. Still plenty of filling and shaping to do, but
I think it is going to look OK. A bit of work required on the front panel. Due to the accident damage it fits flush on the drivers side, but is way out on the passenger side.
The under wing panels are more curved (towards the underneath of the car) than they look in the photo

[MGs]

Next stage completed.

I have made a Heath Robinson overrider support. M10 threaded steel bar, large washers, M10 nuts and some 15mm stainless
tubing for the bit that shows. May have to modify the rear fitting as the back end of the tube it runs through is cut at an angle
in the wheel arch, but I have left plenty of spare on the threaded bar.



Here it is trial fitted to the car, with the new front panel (not properly fitted. Plenty of shaping still to do on the bottom
of the front wings, but moving in the right direction

[GDL]

Here is a picture of mine with just over riders on the front and nowt on the rear.



I have since put metal plates on the car and a chrome sorround to the rear plate. I used the exisitng mounts but chut the rear of the over riders to slide of the bar and used a bolt either side of the inner part of the over rider to tighten and secure.

To fix the number plates i used big washers behind the grill (but drilled through the grill) and a coach bolt through the plate, this i found was secure and nobody can undo your number plate.

[Alex'n'Ane]

Are you putting the chrome hockey sticks and top bar on? Good work though.