Classic Mini: an extra gauge in the crash pad ashtray opening, no drilling

Where can I fit an extra gauge in a Classic Mini without drilling?

In the ashtray opening in the middle of the crash pad, if your Mini has one. A block with one 52 mm gauge clips in there with four snap tongues behind the edge of the opening; crush ribs take up the play. The opening is only about 28 mm tall, so the gauge sits in the block in front of it. Which years have the opening is not sourced – check and measure first (about 88 × 28 mm).

Car: Classic Mini (Austin, Morris, Rover, Cooper, Mayfair), LHD and RHD, with the ashtray opening in the middle of the crash pad
Not sourced: which years and trims have the opening
Opening: about 88 × 28 mm
Gauge: 1 × 52 mm flush in the block (approx. 91 × 60 mm), variants for 45, 50 and 55 mm gauge depth
Mounting: plug foot with four snap tongues (45° barbs) and crush ribs
Fit: opening size taken from a freely published blanking plug; our block not tested in a car

Where the block sits

Classic Minis with the crash pad ashtray have a rectangular ashtray opening of about 88 × 28 mm in the middle of the padded dashboard. The block sits in front of this opening; a plug foot with four snap tongues clips in behind its edge, and crush ribs take up the play. Nothing is drilled. The 52 mm gauge sits flush in the block, held by crush ribs without screws.

Render of the gauge block for the Classic Mini crash pad ashtray opening with one 52 mm gauge — Render: Magmacode

Because the opening is only 28 mm tall, the gauge does not fit inside. The block is therefore about 91 × 60 mm and stands about 5 to 6 cm into the cabin.

Which variant fits

Gauge depth: 45, 50 or 55 mm, to suit your gauge.
Gauge: 52 mm only.
Car: Austin, Morris and Rover Mini, Cooper and Mayfair, LHD and RHD – only with the ashtray opening in the crash pad. We don’t know for sure which years have it; please check your car.

Cables and senders

The cable runs through the foot behind the crash pad. Pull the cable through first, then press the gauge in, then clip the block in. Always use a fused power supply. Which sender you need and where it goes on the engine depends on the gauge – the gauge maker’s instructions are what counts.

Safety and controls

The block sits in the middle of the crash pad, clear of the steering wheel. Late Rover Minis have a driver airbag in the steering wheel; the block is not in that area. It must not cover switches or vents. Check it is secure before driving.

What is tested and what isn’t

Our block has not yet been tested in a Mini. We took the opening size and the clip position from a freely published blanking plug (Apfelsaftbaum, Printables 1725593, CC BY-NC 4.0), dimensions only. The snap tongues are our own design. If the block clips in too tightly, file the barbs or crush ribs a little; if it is too loose, add felt tape to the foot. The tolerance test ring shows whether your printer hits the bore.

Common mistakes

Not measured: without the roughly 88 × 28 mm opening the block does not fit.
Cable forgotten: once the block has clipped in, the cable is hard to reach. Wire first, then clip in.
Pulled out by force: to remove it, use a flat plastic lever at the top and bottom; don’t pull on the gauge.

Printing

The block prints face down on the bed, so the visible side comes out smooth and no supports are needed. Print it in ASA, or ABS as an alternative. On the dashboard the block sits in the sun, where PETG and PLA get too soft (PETG or ASA in a car). The block weighs 89 g and takes just under 9 hours.

Fitting the gauge block in a Classic Mini

Check that your Mini has the ashtray opening in the middle of the crash pad and measure it (about 88 × 28 mm).
Print the tolerance test ring in the final material and test-fit the gauge.
Print the block (face down on the bed, no supports).
Remove the ashtray and keep it.
Feed the cable through the foot behind the crash pad, press the gauge in from the front, push the block straight into the opening until the snap tongues latch.

FAQ

Does my Mini have the ashtray opening in the crash pad?

That depends on year and trim and is not sourced in general. Look for a rectangular opening of about 88 × 28 mm in the middle of the padded dashboard. Without that opening the block does not fit.

How do I get the block out again?

The barbs are chamfered. Put a flat plastic lever between block and crash pad at the top and bottom and pull the block out evenly.

Does a 60 mm gauge fit?

No. The block only comes for 52 mm gauges (52.79 mm bore).

Which gauges make sense?

Oil temperature or oil pressure, for example. Any gauge with a 52 mm body fits, as long as its depth matches the chosen variant. Fit sender and wiring following the gauge maker's instructions.