Flip front

[BenzBoy]

I want to do this on the Merc. In theory it's fairly simple but I have one little concern: as it'd mean separating the front wings from the inner wings (not a problem in itself, just unbolt...) I'm concerned that the inner wings wouldn't be as strong. I know older cars don't normally have stressed outer panels, well not as much as moderns do anyhow, but the last thing I want is to go over a bump and the front end to collapse! ;D
The inner wings on my car don't seam to bear much strain - the dampers bolt thru them but that's about it. The rest of the suspension is carried on a crossmember.
I was thinking of doing a Saab stylee sliding mechanism but that would be a headache too many at the moment!!

[Nathan]

You should find your OK mate i did this on my Midget and had the same concerns but after a bit of investigation i noticed the same. your should be fine cus of most the stress should be put on to you Chassis

[Kris]

I'm planning to do this on the Mini next year, full steel front, have already go the brace bars that bolt to the inner wings and onto the front of the subframe.

[Pillock]

the fastback has one (the only late-model flipfront i've ever seen; early ones are ten-a-penny), obviously without an engine to worry about the front is pretty bare anyway but it just has two mahoosive rails from the bulkhead to the framehead, arm-thickness steel tubing. hardly light but it works

[Paul H]

BGTMIDGET7476 said:

You should find your OK mate i did this on my Midget and had the same concerns but after a bit of investigation i noticed the same. your should be fine cus of most the stress should be put on to you Chassis

Ah, but don't forget that the Spridget was originally designed with a one-piece flip front (Frogeye Sprite) - the fixed wings and conventional bonnet were an afterthought.

However, on the Merc, as long as the wings are bolt-on (rather than welded), then I doubt it would be a problem. It might be much easier to use the wings & bonnet that you have, to make a GRP front end, as a steel one will be very heavy, both for the hinging and also for you to open. If you can you get GRP front wings, then that's half the work done already, and the panel gap on the wings where the bonnet sits could be kept, as it would reduce flexing when it's being opened or closed.

[BenzBoy]

I don't think GRP wings are available for the w115. The way I see it, one of my wings and the bonnet are in a bad way anyway after the bump, so if I feck it all up or it's too heavy I haven't lost much. I'm just going to re-use the hinges I have already, just mount them the other way around at the front! Not thought about bonnet release mechanisms and the like just yet (I'll get it "flipping" first!). Have marked out the incision lines on the body ready for the grinder - I'm keeping the rear part of the wings bolted to the chassis to keep the door shut-lines tidy, and to make it easier to open - if I had the whole wings attached I think I'd have problems fouling the doors. It'll save a bit of weight too! I'll perhaps whack a couple of gas struts on the re also just to help things along!