I was (spinal cord) injured 8yrs ago. Then I had a beautiful Honda S2000. 7yrs later, thanks to the Mini's configuration, options, and the clutchless steptronic tranny the roads have never been more fun to whip around my Sparkling Silver '07 MCSR56 . I drive my vehicle(s) a little different than the majority here and on the road but was curious if any other NAM members, regardless of injury/disability are out there who use hand controls (gas/brake) as well?

Onward and upward,

Chris

P.S. NAM Rocks!

 

Welcome to NAM! Sooper cool you've got your MINI set up to work for you so can have fun shifting through the twisties too.

Haven't seen any other posts for folks using hand controls... but am guessing there must be a few. MINI is a great choice for everyone!

Love the steptronic trans as well... shift when you want... and not when you don't.

 

I use the wheel controls for cruise especially when my windows are closed because i cannot hear how fast I am going.

I learned my lesson after getting clocked and ticketed doing 68.8mph in a 45mph safety corridor. Which technically is unfair because during peak hours, cars usually go 60-65mph... but when i got this ticket, it was 2am in the morning.

Since then, I've been limiting my speed to cruise control. This allows me to drive within limits and conserving gas than be a lead foot at the same time. Tis' a great feature indeed.

 

Thanks Minibella. I've been a member for a yr or so, just haven't had the time to write, just reading the threads. I remember a thread a while back regarding hand controls but thought I'd resurrect the topic to see if anybody else is out there to compare notes with.

Either way, thanks for the support

 

Quingdom, there may be some confusion. The hand controls are necessary for me because my legs are paralyzed and can't gas / brake / shift normally. Different than the paddle shifters, etc. on the steering wheel which I also do use.

Either way, thanks for the support.

 

I apologize. I was in the mindset of answering the question title instead of reading the post first.

 

Chris,

Would be interesting to see pics of the hand controls on your Mini and more specific explanation of how you use them. It is awsome that you can still enjoy motoring in a Mini. "You" Rock!

 

I'd love to see pics of the control setup and how your gear is packed into the little guy.

 

I would love to see the pics as well. IMO, the hand controls that have been added to your MINI are all about "youification" which is what the motoring experience with a MINI is all about. So share those pics!

 

Chris that's great, cool to hear that you are still motoring hard.

I assume you heard that Alex Zanardi won another World Touring Car race last weekend, after qualifying on pole.

For those that don't know, Alex races with hand controls after losing his legs in a racing accident. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alex_Zanardi

 

I'm a "little person" standing nearly 4'3". I use pedal extenders. When I first started to drive (10 years ago) I had the option to choose from hand controls or pedal extenders. I'm not really coordinated with my hands so I opt for the pedal extenders. I love it!! The only down fall is its kinda hard to drive stick for being 4'3" (can't reach the shifter) but I do love mini with the clutchless steptronic tranny it does make it fun!! Post some pics Chris. It would be awesome to check out your setup. I'll post pics of my pedals' as well. Motor On!!!

Chuey

P.S. I also love Mini as well since they give you a credit back on your pedal extenders or hand controls set up. But the weird thing was when I was talking to my MA is that I had to prove that I was a little person?!?! How do I prove that?? HaHa…it was just funny to me when I read that “little” part. No pun intended.

 

I'm disabled - autoimmune disease that impacts muscle movement - but I use the traditional 3 pedal/6 speed. BMW/Mini is the only dealer group where requesting a manual didn't garner weird looks from the sales staff. Seems at some places they assume if you park in a blueguy spot you must not enjoy driving...silly people. All of my BMWs products have been manuals (two 3 series cars and the mini) and as long as I have the mobility I plan to keep doing it...

Actually, sadly, I discovered last night that due to limitations in my movement I probably will have to get rid of my Cooper when our baby is born. There's only one carseat I can use right now and that seat is pretty big so it'll either be hell for the boy every day when I put him in the car, or I'll have to get a different vehicle completely for a few years. Argh.

Then again, when the kid's 3-4 I'll be able to move to the 1 series.

I'm gonna miss my Mini.

 

Deleted by poster.

 

Last year my wife and I visited the Little White House in Warm Springs GA. Among other amazing artifacts was FDR's 1938 Ford complete with hand controls. If you download the image and then click to expand it, you can see the clutch mechanism at the left side of the driver's seat ... the right hand lever controlled the brake and gas pedal ... so with two hand levers, stick shift, and steering wheels --- must have been a busy cockpit.

Accolades to our fellow NAMers who motor along with hand controls ...

 

Chris, give us some pics in your gallery.
SpSilver is a great color.
I see one going home each night as I run in the park.

 

I'm a little rusty posting pics, here goes. Apologies if I screw it up:
anyway, this is my '07 SS MCS. Lots of aftermarket stuff that I'll post about later. I'll try a pic of hand controls next. Thx

 

Customized driving light covers:

Hand control photos are too dark, I need to work on it.

 

Sweet! Looking forward to seeing those hand controls too, especially since you mentioned you also sometimes use the paddle shifters! You must be a damn sight more coordinated and dextrous than me Chris!

 

Chris,

It's great to see both your post and your new MINI. I rarely get the chance to correspond with other disabled gearheads, and really appreciate your openness in starting this thread.

Like yourself, I use hand controls for throttle and brake, as well as a steering wheel spinner (aka the "suicide ****"). Out of curiosity, do you use a spinner? I ask because I've met a number of hand-control users that find the spinner to be unnecessary, and I'm starting to think I should just learn to do without mine. It would certainly make it easier to rent cars.

I used to love shifting for myself, but was run over by a truck about seven years ago while riding a motorcycle. I lost my left leg above the knee and had my right leg crushed pretty badly, so now it's a hand control-equipped automatic or nothing. I'd really like to hear any additional thoughts you have on the MINI's steptronic transmission -- is it quick to respond to paddle inputs?

There seems to be quite a bit of carping from some elements of the MINI community about whether or not the MCS should be available with an automatic transmission. Whenever I read a posting or a review suggesting that an automatic MCS is somehow "wrong" or "neutered" I get a little frustrated. Without an automatic option, us disabled gearheads wouldn't be able to experience an MCS. Of course, able-bodied people have every right to drive an automatic without apology, as well. In the grand scheme, one's shifting preference seems a very small part of life.

I've not yet bought my MINI, but will likely order a Clubman S in the near future (I'm currently driving a 2002 WRX wagon). It's great to hear that you're enjoying your MINI. Thanks again for posting and please keep us updated on your ownership experiences. Thanks, as well, to everyone else who has posted in this thread.

 

That's an excellent point and one which I hadn't previously considered when debating the whole, 'is automatic kosher in an MCS?' issue in my head. You've managed to change one opinion tonight.

 

This is a great thread. My wife was injured in a horse accident two years ago and is paralyzed (T12 Injury). She is making progress and has exceeded anything that the docs expected. She truly is determined to continue to live life to the fullest as she continues her recovery.

So I ordered a 2008 Mini S with the automatic. What a kick!! I ordered the automatic specifically for her when we added hand controls. She currently has a wheelchair van, as well as a Honda VTX 1800 Trike with hand controls she rides!

I wanted to know what make / model of hand controls are people installing in their mini? I have been checking but had not found anything online yet. I have a question into MPD to see if theirs will work.

Thanks...Rich

 

Rich - thanks for your post as well. Kudos to you, your wife and family and best of every recovery and good health for your wife (all). Btw, if she has any sci questions (everything from soup to nuts) she should, if she doesn't already know, visit www.carecure.org Conversation for a different day, but I'm also avail to speak with as I counsel many patients / families. 303-973-6573.

Back to Mini. I have 4 vehicles. My Mini is the most recent acquisition and has the best hand control set-up as far as I can tell. I use a MPD set-up (I'll post the link later) and it sits very inconspicuously to the lower left of the steering column (below the signal indicator). It's essentially a bar about 10" in length with two struts that attach, one to the brake, one to the gas. The current design is good in that the angle of the lever doesn't hit the driver in the quad/knee area, nor does the length of the lever obstruct the gap (about3") between the door and lever end when closed. Mini also offers a one-time disability modification (accessibility) which is fully reimburseable. My MPD set-up was about $800 all in which, I find, is fairly typical of the adaptive automotive mod crowd. (Let me know if you need help finding someone in your area). When I bought my Mini (Kansas, Baron Mini) the MA and I found a local adaptive company who prior to me picking up the vehicle (I flew from Denver to Kansas) had everything set-up right to spec. I landed, got into my wheelchair, met the MA, got into her car, loaded my chair, drove to the dealership, signed the paperwork, got in my new MCS and drove 600 miles home. Back to Denver by 8pm and it's all been good. The hand controls work perfectly and I haven't needed to adjust a thing.

Mr. Atomic & Mozza I'm going to write a little later as I'm working remotely and may lose this signal (post).

Thanks for any and all questions, responses.

 

sweet looking mini!

 

Mr. Atomic ~ apologies for not posting earlier. Thank you for your previous post, sorry to hear about your accident. I used to ride (motorcycles) as well and have even considered this: www.martinconquest.com. Pretty cool, huh.

Okay, the hand controls on my mini can be found at: www.mobilitydesignproducts.com. I use the classic 3500k straight handle control grip ****. Additionally, I also use a spinner on my steering wheel as I find trying to gas/brake with my left hand I need a little more control with my right using the old necker ****.. I've got three other vehicles, all with hand controls, but I like the MPD the best. Additionally, if you didn't already know, Mini will reimburse (one-time) you for any adaptive mods you make to your car. My hand controls cost about $800 all in (pretty atandard) and it took about 6 weeks post delivery of my Cooper for the reimbursement check.

Atomic / Mozza: Yeah, I hear from the purists about the auto / steptronic carping but I attribute that to a lack of understanding (education) about disabilities, the adjustments needed (necessary) and the added $$ cost we have to incur simply to match the fun factor of a manual tranny. Be that as it may, Mini and BMW make the auto/steptronic product a heck of a lot of fun and great functionality for us disabled gearheads.

Good luck Atomic with your new Clubman. Had that model / option been available when I ordered mine I surely would've got one. That little extra space for my w/chair would make a nice difference. Ultimately, I may trade in my '03 Toyota Tundra LTD with the www.bruno.com TAS system when the Crossman comes out in about a yr but in the meantime I'll be enjoying my SS '07 MCS. Hey, and since in your in CA, maybe I'll see you at MMMT in San Fran in Sept.

Happy Motoring, onward & upward,

Chris