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Diary of a Mini Restoration with Performance Upgrade - Part 3

 

 

PART 3/ INTERNAL FIT-OUT, ELECTRICS, DASHBOARD & CONTROLS

 

Read Part 1 - BODY SHELL, SUSPENSION & BRAKES
Read Part 2 - THE FUEL SYSTEM

 

Following on from Part 2, about the fuel system - 

I ran fuel lines through my Mini using Goodridge hardline pipe and fittings

  

 

In an attempt to keep things looking nice and tidy I also made up the brakelines to run through the cockpit along side the fuel lines so they didn't stand out like a sore thumb. I also secured the pipes to the floor using our aluminium rubber lined P-clips.

I decided to go for the Lifeline Club Fire Marshall plumbed-in fire extinguisher, a good entry level choice I feel (if it’s of interest you’ll find the Club Fire Marshall full specs here). This extinguisher comes with mounting bracket and full installation kit and is really straightforward to fit. 

 

Next up I fitted a battery cut-off switch and then the battery cable which runs through the cockpit to the battery. The battery cable is secured to the car with plastic mounting blocks and protected from 'chaffing' by using Spirap plastic spiral binding.  I chose an Odyssey Extreme Racing 25 Battery and mounted this behind the drivers seat using the OBP battery securing bracket. To keep the battery charged up I am using the excellent Numax battery charger.  As an FYI – if you’re interested we have a good article in the Merlin Knowledge base about how to care for and prolong the life of your racing battery.  

  

 

  

 

In terms of seating I stuck to a tighter budget on this and fitted last years model of the Sparco Sprint 5 race seat. If I’d had a bigger seat budget I would have liked to have gone for a Suzuka, but unfortunately there was no room for a Suzuka in my mini. I’m also using a Schroth Clubman II-4 harness so seat and harness match really well - and look awesome!

  

 

For steering I have fitted a Momo model 88 320mm steering wheel and Springalex boss kit. The Momo wheel is really nice quality and chosen for its small size, I was able to bolt this on without having to drill the wheel. I also wanted a flat bottomed wheel to make getting in and out the car easier. 

  

 

At the dashboard I allowed myself a more generous budget and I fitted the Stack ST700SR dash display system. Whilst being a bit pricier it is a super nice bit of kit and worth every penny. This has built in speedo and odometer plus oil pressure, water temp and voltage display on top of being a 0-8000rpm tacho too. I felt my mini and I deserved it!

I have also used small dash lights for indicator and headlight warning lights and toggle switches for ignition on/off plus an axillary switch that can be used later on for a radiator fan etc if needed. To make the dash board itself I used a piece of aluminium sheet cut to size from our own fabrication workshop here at Merlin. Alongside this dash is a Stack mechanical boost pressure gauge and a VDO fuel level gauge.

   

 

   

 More to follow soon.....

Archived in: Momo steering wheel | Steering wheels | Racing Batteries | Springalex | Racing Harness | Aluminium sheet | Stack gauges | Battery charger

18th April 2023