Life without clocks ?

[MiniMonty]

I took the clocks out of the Mayfair and took them to bits. Made new facias for all of them and put them back in.
Still looked very boring.
Looked at countless sites offering dashboards and they all seem to want to make the Mini look either like an 80's Jag or Nightrider.
Burr walnut is the order of the day all round apart from a few brushed aluminium jobs.
The walnut looks like a poor relation to a fuly coach built car and the aluminium just looks a bit silly to me.

I toyed with the idea of building a dash and made a few cardboard try outs and quickly found that no matter
what I did I could never see the dials properly without leaning over the steering wheel. So I stopped trying.
The top dash rail precludes fitting three dials anywhere near where you would actually want them even with a drop bracket
and I tip my hat to the original crew who put it all in one big blob in the middle. Actually a nice elegant solution.

So then I asked myself - do I even need any of these dials and clocks?
I know how fast I'm going (because I'm not 19) and I can hear or smell if my engine is upset.
So is there any real requirement for the detailed information ?

So... Does anyone know ?
Is it a legal or MOT thing ?
Is there any reason to have the clocks and dials other than information and aesthetics ?
Can I simply remove all the clocks and dials from my Mini and enjoy info free motoring ?

Don't you love the idea of a completely blank dash with nothing but a back lit pulsing starter button ?
Or just one cool connector that says "iPod here"
Or just one chrome racing on and start switch ?
Or just right in the middle just one round gorgeous button labeled "FUN".

Serious question- is there any legal or MOT requirement for any driver info dials in a car ?

Best wishes
Monty

[beejay]

Pretty sure that legally you need the speedo, a light to show the indicators are on and possibly the main beam warning light. May be getting mixed up with SVA regs though!

[guru_1071]

you dont need a speedo.

you need a 'independant means of knowing how fast your going' i.e a rev counter

my racer has, in the past been mot'd like this.

needed a light for the indicators and one for main beam

[Mr2Mike]

MiniMonty said:

The top dash rail precludes fitting three dials anywhere near where you would actually want them even with a drop bracket

Then why not remove the top dash rail?

[Scrooloose]

Get an Origin B2. You can set the screen to just give you a big speed readout....

It also has the added use of warning you about revenue generators. Sorry. Safety cameras.

[MiniMonty]

Mr2Mike said:

MiniMonty said:

The top dash rail precludes fitting three dials anywhere near where you would actually want them even with a drop bracket

Then why not remove the top dash rail?

CAN I remove the top dash rail ?
Or cut a wide chunk out of it ?

I look at the top dash rail and can't help but feel it has something to offer to the structural integrity of the car - am I wrong ?
If I am then I'm well pleased because then I'll go back to designing dashboards that include "high up" clocks that I can actually see.

[Cotty]

guru_1071 said:

you dont need a speedo.

you need a 'independant means of knowing how fast your going' i.e a rev counter

my racer has, in the past been mot'd like this.

Not very accurate though. Will keep you safe, speed camera wise as they always overread.

[Cooperman]

MiniMonty said:

Mr2Mike said:

MiniMonty said:

The top dash rail precludes fitting three dials anywhere near where you would actually want them even with a drop bracket

Then why not remove the top dash rail?

CAN I remove the top dash rail ?
Or cut a wide chunk out of it ?

I look at the top dash rail and can't help but feel it has something to offer to the structural integrity of the car - am I wrong ?
If I am then I'm well pleased because then I'll go back to designing dashboards that include "high up" clocks that I can actually see.

Indeed, the top rail is a structural component, although it may not do that much in terms of shell stiffness. Just don't cut it all away.

[lowandslow]

the dash top rail you are talking about does it have a spiny round ash tray in it? if it does it comes out and won't weaken the car at all as the early minis never had it. with the dash out you will be able to feel underneath three or four (i can't remember) nuts. undo these and with a bit of jiggery pokery it will lift off. why not convert you mini to a center speedo like the early cars? i did mine and it freed enough room either side to fit a 6X9 either side of the speedo.

[MiniMonty]

Nope - I ripped out all that foam and padding a while ago.
I'm talking about the dash rail itself - the metal strut that is painted the same colour as your original car was.
I've talked to a few Mini focused body shops and asked if they will cut out the required spaces for
my dash design and all said an emphatic "No" on the basis that they couldn't be responsible if there was ever an accident... blah blah blah.
So I think that answers the question.
Back to the drawing board and scratching my head about how to either get a decent view of the clocks or do away with them.

I'll sort it eventually and post pictures when I do.

Thanks for all the input and advice.

Monty.

[jammy_basturd]

Its also a legal requirement to have a means of accurately recording your mileage.

[guru_1071]

jammy_basturd said:

Its also a legal requirement to have a means of accurately recording your mileage.

bit of a grey area this.

the mot tester has a box to put current milage into, but also has a box he (or she) can tick for 'mileage not displayed'. this has had to be done thanks to the amount of cars with faulty digital dashes.

so, id guess that whilst they like it to be displayed, its not actually a legal reason for failiure

[RobFerrari]

I haven't seen it mentioned, but are you going to guess how much fuel you have? or just wait for the engine to stop? Maybe im just missing something glaring about that!

Without any clocks, it could become troublesome, but i agree it would look terrific without anything!

[jammy_basturd]

guru_1071 said:

jammy_basturd said:

Its also a legal requirement to have a means of accurately recording your mileage.

bit of a grey area this.

the mot tester has a box to put current milage into, but also has a box he (or she) can tick for 'mileage not displayed'. this has had to be done thanks to the amount of cars with faulty digital dashes.

so, id guess that whilst they like it to be displayed, its not actually a legal reason for failiure

I didn't say anything about MOT, I said its a legal requirement. MOT isn't the same as road legal. For example, not having wheels over arches isn't an MOT fail (although you'll probably get an advisory), however it is a road traffic offence and can result in £30 fine and 3 points per wheel.

[Fat Richie]

RobFerrari said:

I haven't seen it mentioned, but are you going to guess how much fuel you have? or just wait for the engine to stop? Maybe im just missing something glaring about that!

Without any clocks, it could become troublesome, but i agree it would look terrific without anything!

Black perspex dash with some of these........

www.dakotadigital.com

... behind it (look for universal panels under Automotive) - nothing to see when switched off...