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Toaster oven on wheels....

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Silverghost

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It has come to my immediate and urgent attention that England in the late 50's, early 60's must have been a very moderate if not cool environment. Apparently ventilation was not a concern with the MKI Mini.....! This past weekend in 90+ temps I was nearly cooked alive <ok, perhaps I exaggerate a little>! With all the windows as open as they get, there was no air actually coming in the car.....a design glitch that wasn't taken into account. Has anyone else experienced this? Are there any creative solutions? Installing AC would be great but I am powered by an 850 and don't foresee changing that - it runs too nicely.

I am having a blast with my car and getting slimmer by the mile!
 
the little mini does get hot. my '86 Mayfair (when it was on the road!) heats up like a green house. ive probably done it no favours now by painting the roof black either! /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif
 
I think it's part of the legacy, maybe. Minis are hot. Possibly the lack of window ventilation is due to the extreme, upright angle of the windscreen on Minis. Air is deflected up and over the roof, not around the side of the car. Modern MINIs are the same, BTW.

Don't feel like the Lone Ranger regarding the heat. Triumph GT6s are hot, too, although opening the door windows and side vent helps a bit. On really hot days, I used to open the rear hatch for extra ventilation!

Much of the heat comes from the engine/gearbox, which is literally in your lap in these small cars. The engine heat may be somewhat abated with modern heat insulation materials applied to the firewall, gearbox tunnel and floor pans. It really helps. I noticed a significant improvement after installing heat insulation to key areas. It also reduces ambient noise in the cockpit.

A/C is always an option and may be installed on most LBCs. Also, a Webasto-type sunroof may be installed and is period-correct. A/C was a dealer-installed option on some GT6s, but is rarely found in surviving cars. I often wonder why. Maybe the car is so much fun to drive that we don't always notice the heat??

Anyway, I hope you don't melt while enjoying the ride! /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/thumbsup.gif
 
A white roof was on order BEFORE I discovered this little hidden fact about my car.... /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif I would add aftermarket vent window type things if there was anything like that....anything to redirect some air INSIDE..... /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif
 
Just stick your head out of the window like Ace Ventura in Pet Detective and enjoy the Mini.
 
The Mk1/2 cars with sliders are hot. No two ways about it. I like my car most in the spring and fall. Summers I prefer cloudy days.

You can play with window positions to turbulence to kick some air in and if your car has the fresh-air heater (post 1962?) you can turn on that noisy Smiths blower to get some air down at floor level.

AC is an option but most people have to source Mini AC kits from Japan as they seem to be the people who do this the most. I chose a cheaper, more period correct option. I got a 1950s style "truck cabin" fan. These look like the circular oscillating fans you would buy to cool your house but they are smaller and run on 12V. That was the best comfort investment I made in the Mini. The insulation added under the carpets helped but getting some moving air in the passenger compartment made the biggest difference.

This isn't the model I have... but it's similar:
https://koolatrononline.stores.yahoo.net/koolatron-12v-oscillating-auto-fan.html
 
It has been in the 90s here for the last couple of days. My Riley Elf has sliders, and it is hot. I get a little more ventilation when I open the rear side windows. Other than that, I just bake. I'm just glad I have a white roof. It helps to be prepared in case there is an opportunity to cool off.
Bruce
elfraft.jpg
 
I SO want to graft those taillights/rear quarter panels onto my traveller!!.....I find the back end rather plain....I also like that chrome trim up near the windshield.... and those rear bumpers would look good too....aw heck...did Riley make a wagon version?! /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif

The boat on the roof is too much!! Love it!
 
I think the idea with the early Minis with their sliding front windows is that for ventilation an owner would also push open the rear window and a cooling jet of air would pass through the cabin.

Didn't work, though, as you've found to your cost, because according the the official Mini 40 tome, "Mini: The Design
Icon of a Generation", a certain amount of aerodynamic turbulence along the flanks of the car interrupted the throughput of air into the cabin.

This design flaw was fixed in the Mini-Moke by removing the doors and roof.
 
Ha! A fabulous feat of engineering, the Moke.

Reading this post... I'm so glad I have a 1980. I just had to buy a scarf to keep from being blinded by my hair flying around.
 
Ever see the pathetic "vents" Chapman used for what was called "fresh air" in Elans? Things are smaller than a US quarter dollar coin and absolutely USELESS. The tubes supplyin' 'em look to be the diameter of a garden hose... feh. A fixed head coupe Elan would be unbearable here in Florida inna summer.
 
Silverghost said:
With all the windows as open as they get, there was no air actually coming in the car!
Click to expand...

I have a MK 1 and always have air moving in the car unless standing still of course. As a matter of fact with the door rear window slid open it blasts me in the face.

Bruce
 
Unfortunately I do not get the same.... /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/frown.gif Perhaps during the winter the Blue Fairy will turn my car into a real boy..... No, wait......that's Pinochio.....drat! LOL
 
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