The Boot, how to get one.

[Robert in Cumbria]

Seats with integral belts, and severely bolted down, access to the rear compartment under the rear tub on my Marlin will be limited to say the least.

I am considering cutting a square(ish) hole a bit larger than the spare wheel depression in the back tub and making it either hinged or secured by Dzus Fastners or similar. I have created the battery compartment at the n/s front behind the rear shocker cross member, so I need access to that and for a limited amount of storage of essentials.

I am planning to create a rim with fibreglass around the aperture for the lid to sit on and to provide a seal to keep the weather out.

Are there any pitfalls or snags I may have overlooked?

[CosworthCabrioLee]

Re: The Boot, how to get one.

Hi Robert sent you a picture of a roadster, berlinetta and cabrio boot lids
Regards
Lee

[Robert in Cumbria]

Re: The Boot, how to get one.

Thanks Lee, caught them, will weigh up the options.

[mark westbrookwhite]

Re: The Boot, how to get one.

My boot is fantastic as far as access is concerned but leaks when it rains so take care with the sealing.
I have at the moment only a center handle ( Mini) but have bought some bonnet clamps for the top two corners to try to overcome the leaks.
If you need any dimensions or pic give me a

[Robert in Cumbria]

Re: The Boot, how to get one.

Thank you Mark, that looks good, they look like Mini boot lid hinges too.

I have an idea how to create a gutter around the aperture with fibreglass, embedding a length of garden hosepipe in the appropriate place then cutting it out afterwards. I will probably leave that part until after the MOT but I will need to access the boot space to get to the battery and the fuel tank for filling which could be frequent!. I am using a 12 Litre Yamaha quad tank for the moment, until I can afford a custom 40 Litre aluminium tank.

[tony.branson76]

Re: The Boot, how to get one.

Hi Robert
Just a thought but if you are going to trial you will need a spare wheel carrier for 2 spares but also to move the weight rearwards. The usual Marlin solution to this will cover your proposed boot lid. Many of us use hinged front seat mountings that allow access to the rear space. An alternative would be to copy the VW beetle arrangement and have a hinged carrier which can be dropped backwards to give access. Whatever you do the carrier must not extend more than 400mm behind the rear bumper. I am a little worried that your modification to the screen may put you into class 8 as you have altered the silhouette and this is a specific question on many trial entry forms, certainly the MCC ones. However whether your modification would be considered to do so is a matter of opinion.

Cheers

Tony

[Robert in Cumbria]

Re: The Boot, how to get one.

Thanks for your comments Tony.

I was thinking in terms of hingeing the spare wheel carrier on the back bumper and allowing it and perhaps a box, to pivot back with a suitable catch at the front. The entire ensemble would lift off when not required for normal road use.

As for complying with the silhouette regs, I am intending to enter in class 0 for the first season, if I am still there for season two... If I did get placed in class 8 it would be academic, I would take fails on class 8 restarts by driving through them because with a 1275 motor I would probably fail anyway. I am not competing for the results, only the fun of getting wet through, frozen and covered in mud and FINISHING with or without the odd fail.

[tony.branson76]

Re: The Boot, how to get one.

Great to hear that Robert. One of the great things about trials is that much of the competition is against oneself and previous performance and the important thing is to have a car that will get you reliably to the finish and I'm sure yours will do that.

Cheers

Tony