My wife is insisting on me installing a grab handle above the passenger's seat window as usually foubd on other cars.

Anyone know of an installation - are these handles available somewhere?

 

Those are now factory stock in the 05 or newer models.

From realoem.com
06HANDLE FRONTHORIZON GREY107/2004 51167129686
06HANDLE FRONTPANTHER BLACK107/2004 51167135967

 

If all goes as planned, you can have my stock 05 handles. Send me a PM in 1-2 months (after they're off the car) and they're yours for shipping costs.

 

Tell her to use the handle in the door, you get a much better grip that way

 

lol your wife looks like she gets a "sporty" ride in ur MINI...

 

Tell her you need to get an '06, and you "might as well" get the JCW while you're at it.
Only way I can think of to get the handles she needs!
Annette

 

From what I've read, while the handles were added for 05s, the mounting points are not even present before that, so there may not be anything you can do. I wish I had them too. I tell people to buckle up or get out :p

 

I hear THESE work great if the handle doesn't work out:



Has anyone used these and do they make a difference?

 

Everybody in our club laughed at me when we had our 02 because I just stuck my arm out the door and held on. People always came over looking for a hand print We have an 06 now and i dont use the "Oh $h!t" handle, for my height and how i sit it is uncomfortalbe for me

 

I really like my CG-Lock. Cheap and works as advertised.

 

I use my CG-Lock every day. It definitely makes all the difference and I'm tempted to also get one for the passenger.

 

I don't know about a OMG handle but my wife was always grabbing for the OS handle until I put her in a set of Schroth harness...she actually enjoyed blasting through the Dragon

 

^ +1

 

The only thing to worry about retrofitting a handle would be that there is no additional backing in the headliner to attach it to.

 

I was looking into a CG lock before my next driving school (in October, YAY!!!!). I was just reading the requirements and it says that the car must have 2 seats with equal restraints for each seat, so I'm guessing that means if I have a CG lock I should get one for the passenger seat. Does this sound right?
Oh, and on a side note, I was just showing some pics from the driver's school I took in March to a friends son (a total car nut) and was noticing that the instructors arm is holding the grab handle with his arm out the window in every picture. Kind of ruins the pics, but kind of amusing after about the 20th picture.
Annette

 

CG Locks can make a huge difference, but they're not tremendously ergonomic: The design forces some rough, unyeilding corners to intrude into an area usually reserved for my Buddha-belly . The heavy units also tend to scrape up the plastic panel under the tensioner in my Cabrio - gets pretty scuffed up. They can also be a little awkward to engage/disengage, requiring more brute force than some drivers might be comfortable with. Having said all that, I just purchased a second one for the passenger seat, after having won one (well, Judy actually won it for me) at the Phil Wicks Golden Jubilee, back in December. They really do work, and are the only really practical streetworthy substitute for a harness.

I'd love to see a little more look and feel engineering effort go into them, but they do work as advertised.

_Dave_

 

If AutoXing or track day I prefer the old "yank on the belt to set the lock" method. I like having my upper body restrained in addition to my waist.

 

What do these CGs typically cost and where have you seen them for sale?

Paul

 

You can get them at many web sites for about $40. http://outmotoring.com/cg_lock.html