Auto Advice for a Disabled Driver

[CrazyLegs]

I've yearned for a Mini for years, but until recently thought it an impossibility, I was misinformed about one of the restrictions on my licence.

My disability (Cerebral Palsy) means that I must drive autos, and I use a steering ball. I have concerns that I was hoping somebody could shed a little light on.

Ideally I'd be after a car no older than 92/93, later for preference. Having recently got a Trike on the road after about 10 years I've little desire for another 'project', aside from the general maintenance/TLC that any Mini would require.

Seating/Pedal position is critical for me. I recently went to look at a 1983 Mayfair and found that it's combination of pedal and seat position made it difficult for me to get properly at the pedals. In this particular car however it seemed that the seat would not adjust back in to it's farthest position, so I'm optimistic that this would help.

My specific queries are these:

Does anybody know any similarly disabled Mini drivers who might be happy to talk to me?

Am I correct in thinking the seat/pedal layout identical in this and later models.

If the standard seat does not adjust far enough back to make pedals operable, what is the scope for fitting a seat that could go a little further back? Obviously I appreciate there's not vast amounts of space on offer.

As a last resort I was thinking about possible fabricating bespoke pedals. Am I just being ridiculous?

As an absolute newbie I was looking for a topic on "Things to look out for when buying a Mini". Have I just been a donkey and missed it? If not, would appreciate some pointers on that too.

Not after much am I?

Many Thanks

[shoutforjoy]

To answer the easy questions: -

Yes, the pedal layout is identical in all models. They basically just removed the clutch pedal.

You can get some simple brackets that enable you to move the seat a bit further back (I'm sure I've got some in my garage somewhere I could photograph for you). Lots of other seats fit Minis but you may have to fabricate some sort of subframe to get them to fit. Modifying the pedal box shouldn't be too difficult either.

I'm sure others will give more advice but the two key things that I think you need to look for are: -
1. The automatic transmission. There should be no slips, crunches or other strange noises. The selector should work smoothly. Gear changes should also be smooth when going up. A little jerk when changing down is quite common and not usually something to worry down.
2. Rust. This can be expensive to fix if you can't weld yourself.
Ideally you should take someone with you to view who knows a bit about minis.

hth

[CrazyLegs]

Thanks a lot for your advice. If you can get a photo of those seat brackets that would be great. As it happens I'm making plans to go and view a '95 1275 Sprite that I came across on the forum.

[shoutforjoy]

Sorry it's taken so long - had trouble finding the seat brackets. Here are some pictures.

The bracket itself:


Here's a picture of my current seat with the standard brackets fitted. I have the seat as far back as it will go:


and finally, a picture showing broadly how it is fitted.


You leave the existing bracket bolted to the crossmember and remove the seat. Drop the extender bracket into the existing bracket and bolt it in. You now have about 6 holes you can choose from a bit further back than before. I'm sure you get the idea. Fairly easy to fabricate yourself if you have the right tools.

hth, Paul

[CrazyLegs]

Thanks for those pics. They are very helpful, and don't look too tough to fabricate. Things aren't looking so great on the Mini front for me at the moment. I've missed out on a couple of private sales recently. I went to gcminis.co.uk last week. They look like a good bet as they seem to get their cars to a good condition before sale, but the prices are premium and beyond what I can lay my hands on at this time.

What I was able to do was sit in a couple of their cars. I'm now not certain that making the seat go farther back is the solution to my problem. My problem right now, is that sat in the car, if I try and go for the brake (fairly important I think we can all agree) my knee hits the wheel. I don't have the range of movement to move my knee out of the way and still safely operate the pedals. I tried a car there with extended seat brackets, and surprisingly, although there was more leg room, my knee was closer to the wheel. I know think my answer lies in either fabricating a new pedal, or modifying the existing one to sit slightly lower. All very annoying as the distances involved are probably less than an inch, but makes all the difference.

Sorry for the long post, hope it's useful/interesting and isn't starting to meander too far off topic.

[notamini]

Crazylegs,
If I were you and wanted the thrill of these drive train designs in a British classic, I'd seriously consider either an 1100 or 1300 ADO16 styled vehicle like mine. The auto drive is exactly the same arrangement and the fun is very comparable. You get an approx added 2' 3" in overall length and the width is approx 5'6" in total. Wheels are still 12" like the newer Mini or the Cooper style. They come under 5 badges. Austin, Morris, Riley Kestrel, MG, Wolseley and Van den Plas.

[CrazyLegs]

Hey guys. Just wanted to round out this topic.

As of about 3 hours ago, I'm now the proud owner of a red '95 sprite (except the Union Flag on the roof, which I plan to remove in fairly short order).

Good news is that I think, with appropriate shoes, the standard pedal layout will be okay. The plan is for a cautious test drive tomorrow to suss out more. Bad news is that gear selection seems to be a bit of an art-form. Position of the lever must be just so, though I'm crossing my fingers that it's nothing too serious. The plastic surround with gear markings is loose which probably doesn't help either.

Due to some steering adaptions I require I am never able to test drive a car (I hate being forced in to this massive sin!). I listened, and watched sellers feet during test drive trying to spot any strange noises and/or slips and I didn't spot any. He was open about the 'tricky selection', but put it down to the loose plastic part and marks not aligning. I will know more after tomorrow's test drive.

This seems to be a natural end to this topic. I will undoubtedly start another topic to introduce my as yet unnamed, first Mini, to update on the results of the test drive, and to let you know of any alterations I may make to make this car easier for me to drive. Until then, thanks for the advice, and wish me luck!

[tony105]

That is good news that you have purchased your Mini! My Mayfair also has the issue of the gear markings in the selector not aligning - as the coloured filter is a little damaged. I have ,
managed to locate a brand new one but not got round to fitting it yet. It doesn't affect the gear selection though. I hope you really enjoy Mini ownership. Roger.

[minimanryan]

well done on purchasing your mini would love to see some pics ive never seen one with a plastic surround doesnt seem the best idea as there easy to break
cant wait to see you at shows and finaly enjoying a mini