my parcel shelf has been attacked by the PO and currently has two massive gaping holes where 6x9's live...

i'm contemplating moving the speakers and installing some harnesses..

what would be a good way of reinstating some structural integrity to the shelf to mount some belts to...

i have access to steel plate and plasma or laser profile cutters through a mate, i was thinking about getting a bit of 5mm plate cut to the shape of the shelf and bolting that into the parts of the shelf that remain? obviously i'd sandwich bolt with other plates on the opposite side and do it in many places?

or should i get only 3mm plate to the shape and weld it in? i don't want to take the fuel tanks out and and my overhead welding is woeful and i'm worried about welding from inside the car in case i set the hoodlining ablaze.

suggestions?

I'd try and replace the shelf given what you want to do, and make sure its properly welded in as opposed to the old spot welds which I've seen on a few minis no longer hold the shelf in after a few decades.

If it was me - but them I'm no expert in these matters - I would pull out the fuel tank - the back window and the headlining and back seat and weld it in properly - no shotcuts on safety.

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David L


My greatest fear in life is that when I die my wife will sell my Mini and tools for the price I told her I paid for them!

I have a similar problem and desire to strengthen up my parcel shelf.

A question for those that know more than I. Will a post ADR (rear seatbelts) clubman parcel shelf fit in an 850 shell? I notice that these have additional strengthening and also attach to the top of the boot seam.

I have a decent one I drilled off an old clubby shell before it was 'recycled' but haven't spent the time determining if it will fit yet.

As Harley said, when I drilled the shelf off the shell, many of the spot welds were no longer welded together. In fact I suspect some were never 'welded' together at all.

Will fit just has strength for rear belts put one in a deluxe years ago

yes i admit deep down i do know that it is safest to pull it all out and reweld a new shelf in there...

having said that, if i do surely a 3mm laser cut plate shelf is going to be stronger and safer than an original shelf welded in?

Its only as strong as the welds holding it up.

i have no issues with my downhand welding...

my overhead upside down tho....

My '62 850 has a parcel shelf from a '78 Leyland Mini S.

As far as I know it went in fine (although dad did put it in, not me). At some stage in the 850's life someone had hacked holes in the shelf.

(The links in my signature, 'Nightfire red')

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Saxon Green 850: http://www.ausmini.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=62641
Nightfire Red 850: http://www.ausmini.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=66555

Welding overhead is an acquired art. Practice grasshopper, practice...

Hint- don't try and run a continuous arc- stitch weld it (arc on, arc off- arc on, etc). My
MIG has both spot and stitch timers, very useful for overhead and plug welding.

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

so changing track just slightly....

i've just measured my shoulder height back to the bottom belt mounts for the rear seat...

if i mount harness straps down to here i get a deflection from horizontal of 35 degrees... not ideal but it is within the CAMS acceptable limit.

anyone else run there harness bolted to the rear seatbelt bottom mounts under the back seat? if so any hassles with CAMS scrutineering?

i know mounted up on the parcel shelf provides a much better deflection angle to minimise submarining in the seat in the event of an accident but in the meantime til i can replace my shelf, i'm contemplating to the rear seatbelt mounts.

You can follow what CAMS says or you could follow the advice of the doctor that developed the harness for racing, his view was that the shoulder straps should be at 90° to the spine.

So is the belt is for racing or road use or both?

bit of both, fast road twisties and some clubsprints, hillclimbs etc

So no welded in roll cage then?

no cage yet