1st Gen JCW Refreshing Rufus - 2005 MCS JCW

Discussion in '1st Generation: 2002–06 R50, R53 & 2004–08 R52' started by agranger, Aug 21, 2017.

  1. agranger

    agranger MINI of the Month June 2009
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    #81 agranger, Sep 14, 2017
    Last edited: Sep 14, 2017
    Key:

    Yeah... I know that it's silly, but I'm a stickler for the little things.

    I found a guy in Hong Kong who sells a puffy little sticker to replace the center "MINI" bit on the wings on the key. The OEM sticker came off of Jango's keys within a few years. The adhesive backing wasn't super sticky, so I used a drop of Superglue. Shipping took a while, but it literally came from Hong Kong.

    I think that the OEM sticker was flat, but the bubble that the puffy sticker puts on there is nice to help get your hand oriented on the buttons without looking.

    Ugh... now I look at the photo, it's time to detail the key! That's kinda gross!

    [​IMG]

    [ame="http://www.ebay.com/itm/2-X-Mini-Cooper-Epoxy-Remote-Key-Fob-Badge-Emblem-Sticker/253095091427?_trkparms=ao%3D1%26asc%3D20140212121249%26meid%3Dcaf0a90f2f5d423d8675755ba355b732%26pid%3D100102%26&_trksid=p3693.c100102.m2452"]2 X Mini Cooper Epoxy Remote Key Fob Badge Emblem Sticker | eBay[/ame]
     
  2. agranger

    agranger MINI of the Month June 2009
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    OK... I just unpacked a box of parts from Way Motorworks. I got a set of black plastic door handle overlays, so I can wrap 'em in vinyl and have the vinyl wrap around and under the cover (better look and a more durable install, less prone to vinyl shrinkage gaps). I've gotta say that those things are HELLA COOL! They have some double-sided tape on the inside, but they snap right on to the door handle and fit beautifully. Very cool! Of course, it will be cooler with vinyl, but it's nice to see a nicely designed product. If I was going for a simple black-out look, I'd be tempted to put a couple coats of sealant on 'em and snap 'em on. Done and done!
     
  3. Dave.0

    Dave.0 Helix & RMW Powered
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    I had vinyl before and ripped it off and got a set of black plastic covers from Aaron at Outmotoring. :Thumbsup:

    They fit perfectly to the handle and have same 3M double sided tape. The best thing about them is you can polish them and coat them with a ceramic glass coating which is something you can't do with vinyl. They also match the black A- pillars perfectly.

    Yeah I am OCD also. :ihih:
     
  4. agranger

    agranger MINI of the Month June 2009
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    #84 agranger, Sep 14, 2017
    Last edited: Sep 14, 2017
    Over pack much? This is a $12 part for my dash (I dropped the original one down an AC vent! Doh!) along with the packing material that my dealership used to get it to me...

    [​IMG]

    New dark side-marker lenses... the white stood out a bit too much.
    [​IMG]

    New turn signal housings, door handle covers and some under-bonnet bling, for fun.
    [​IMG]

    The door handles are going to look very nice. I learned a few things about working the vinyl around the pointy ends of the cover and doing the key-hole. I think I'll re-do it (and probably won't attach them permanently until after all of the paintwork is repaired and polished out), but it does look pretty from 5 feet out. I love the effect.

    [​IMG]
     
  5. 00Mini

    00Mini Well-Known Member

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    Looking sharp !!
     
  6. agranger

    agranger MINI of the Month June 2009
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    #86 agranger, Sep 18, 2017
    Last edited: Sep 18, 2017
    Well, I had a weekend in Miami for some fun (my wife's favorite band, Depeche Mode, is touring and isn't really coming anywhere near Charlotte, so we flew down to the nicest venue we could see on the tour list, the AA Center in Miami won. It was just 1 week after Irma passed through, but Miami seems to be recovering well) so not much work this weekend on Rufus, but I got a few hours done last night.

    Leg pad:

    After my first spirited drive in Jango, way back in 2005, I found that I was bracing my body in hard turns using my right leg against the downtube. Highway cruising and grocery-getting driving was not an issue... just twisty runs. This lead to a giant bruise on my lower right leg that was tender for about a month and I quickly ordered a leather downtube pad. As soon as I made plans to get Rufus, I tried to get one, only to find that the company was out of business. I traded messages with Craig Ledbetter, who was Jango's second owner, to see if he could give me some details on the pad. Amazingly, he took the pad off of Jango and had stored it in his garage (He has a much more fit build and probably doesn't need to brace himself as hard as I do). Craig immediately offered to send me the pad and it arrived last week. I need to do some fitting, but it's nice to have this bit of extra padded support. I've been thinking of replicating / improving it with Kydex, memory foam and some leather, but this will be great for now. Thanks, Craig!

    [​IMG]

    Dash:

    It took me much longer than I expected last night, but I got the 3 dash panels wrapped in Di-Noc and I'm really happy with the result! I'll get some better pictures later... I worked well past sundown and didn't have great light for photographs when I finished.

    I am VERY happy with the color of the vinyl. I was a little worried about changing the interior as I was really liking the 'all business' look of it. The vinyl matches the color of the painted dash almost perfectly... it just adds some texture and knocks down the glare/shine. The stock dash had a few scratches in it (probably could have been buffed out), but this really cleaned it up.

    I just realized that I forgot the JCW badge that I bought for the dash... I'll have to get that out later today. I think it will go nicely just under and to the right of the speedo. I think that the JCW leather dash had an embossed logo there, which is what gave me the thought. (EDIT: Nope... the one I got is too long and doesn't look right in that spot. I'll find somewhere else for it. :D )

    Note to anyone doing a patterned vinyl wrap on their dash. Be VERY careful to lay out one large sheet of vinyl and place the dash pieces on it, in order, lined up very carefully so that they are all in alignment but 1" or so apart. You don't want the pattern in the vinyl running at different angles when you put the dash pieces back in the car.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
  7. Dave.0

    Dave.0 Helix & RMW Powered
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    Great job.

    Are you keeping all those chrome rings around everything?
     
  8. agranger

    agranger MINI of the Month June 2009
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    #88 agranger, Sep 18, 2017
    Last edited: Sep 19, 2017
    On the inside? I probably will keep em. I like the chrome pack on the inside and my first R53 had it. I've seen lots without it and, after 7+ years sitting in the cockpit with that bit of bling, I really miss it when it's not there. It isn't 'all business' on the inside, which is where I generally go, but after the massive glare of my last sports car's windshield (2nd Gen Cayman... there is actually a class-action lawsuit over the glare when you combine a light colored interior and the low-sloped windshield on that car), a bit of chrome reflection isn't bad.

    Now I think I'm almost done with the interior other than tint and a few minor cleaning tasks that will wait until the tint is done. I'm rolling around the idea of some Di-Noc on the Y-shaped portion of the door handle, to bring that theme around the interior, but it's gonna be a bear to wrap well as it can't be removed and the corners/edges wrapped under.

    The chrome on the outside will get Di-Noc or blackout tape/paint.
     
  9. Dave.0

    Dave.0 Helix & RMW Powered
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    Ok, I am not a fan of all that chrome on the inside when the sun hits it. I did everything in matte black.
     
  10. agranger

    agranger MINI of the Month June 2009
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    #90 agranger, Sep 19, 2017
    Last edited: Sep 19, 2017
    Oh yeah... I get it. I like the uber-functional, 'this is my office' cockpit look. I've just gotta make some allowances for aesthetics and leave a bit of bling. :beer

    The dash was distracting to me. On the painted, high-gloss surface, I would constantly be seeing reflections of things out the side window... constant motion. Maybe, now that the dash is matte finish, the chrome will start to bug me more as the larger distraction is gone.
     
  11. agranger

    agranger MINI of the Month June 2009
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    #91 agranger, Sep 19, 2017
    Last edited: Sep 20, 2017
    I'll apologize for the double posting... Most of this information is in another thread on MA, but I wanted to have everything about Rufus' refresh in this thread, so it gets doubled-up.

    I just ordered a new set of wheels and tires for Rufus:

    Wheels: OZ ULTRALEGGERA 17x7 - Matte Graphite finish

    Tires: BRIDGESTONE POTENZA RE-71R in 205/45R17

    The sheer lightness of the OZs won out in the end. I can remember driving with my light track wheels on Jango and I could really tell a difference when I put those shoes on, vs the factory 17" wheels.

    I decided to go with 17" wheels, again, because I wanted to focus on performance, but keep my options open for a BBK in the future. I could have gone down to 16" wheels, but I do love the look of a well-filled wheel well. I thought about 18" for a while, but the design of the OZs I chose has the spokes extending all the way out to the rubber. That visually fools the eye into thinking the wheel is larger than it really is, giving me the look of 18s with the performance of 17s (that's my story and I'm stickin' to it). Every photo I've seen of this design in 18" looks silly-large and un-sporting.

    The tire size was determined by the wheels. The OZs are known to rub on 215 width tires on the R53 and I'll probably lower the car in the next few months, making things even closer. I thought about a 215/40(bit wider, bit less high) tire, but I had those once on Jango and the ride was hard and I bubbled the sidewalls twice. I decided for a bit of meat.

    The Potenza RE-71R is an extreme summer tire. You guys talked me into 'em! :p This really is just a fun car for me and I'll be keeping the s-lites and the current tires to use as spares or bad weather tires, should I ever need 'em. As long as the new ones can get me to the Dragon and back (3.5 hour drive), that's all I'll need. I won't see a ton of rain driving locally and even less-likely to have cold weather driving (other than the occasional exercising the car on a cold, dry day in the winter, to keep things working properly). I really looked at the Dunlap Dizerras, mentioned above, but they wound up being $45/tire more than the Potenzas and the Potenzas had better handling ratings (a bit more noise, though).

    Everything is in-stock and coming from Atlanta, GA, so I've been told that they will probably arrive on Friday! Wow!

    Here's a photo of the wheels on a random R53 I found on-line:
    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    Mirror Caps:

    Oh yeah... a new set of black primed mirror caps arrived today. The mounting tabs on the old set were shot. Once I can get 'em wrapped with Di-Noc, I'll be a step closer! :D I need to get the driver's side one covered, so I can take some photos w/ the new wheels!
     
  12. fishmonger

    fishmonger Well-Known Member

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    Seriously extreme tires :D I find my Potenza 760's almost too soft. They seem to wear down even while the car is on jackstands. I give them 10k miles of easy driving, 5k spirited driving.

    I like the wheels but can't find them with the 4x100 bolt circle in white. Am no fan of dark wheels on my cars (all have white mirrors and roofs, some even stripes). I will need a set of winter tires on my daily eventually, and that opens up a set of rims for the summer set. My current favorite is the Alleggerita HLT Oz 17x7 ET 37, but $1.5k for rims I don't really need is a lot. My "toy car" with the Potenzas is all set for now with lightweight 16" rims and near fresh Potenzas on them, plus the Wilwoods fit fine with room for even bigger brakes. 14.2 pounds on those Oz wheels is tempting, but there are other items higher up on my wish list before that's going to happen.
     
  13. agranger

    agranger MINI of the Month June 2009
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    Oh yeah... I get it. I would have rather spent that cash getting suspension components earlier, but the stock S-lites on the car are beat up pretty well and the tires on there are in decent shape, but are a pretty hard compound. I keep chirping the wheels when driving away from a full stop and I'm not even trying to go crazy with acceleration.

    I decided to pull that trigger and get it done... the deep engine service and suspension is going to wait until I have time to get to 'em, so I've got a bit of time to refill the MINI coffers. :D

    Oh yeah... UPS says that the wheels/tires are showing up today! 48 hours!!! I'll give 'em a good wash and then several coats of Zaino this weekend before putting 'em on the car, to make sure the wheels start out clean and stay as clean as possible.
     
  14. Dave.0

    Dave.0 Helix & RMW Powered
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    MINI S -LITES make great winter rims. Just slap a set of cheap deep tread tires on them and you will be good.

    I really like your rim / tire choice and they should make a huge difference in handling before you even start on suspension mods. They are after all the part that contacts the road.
     
  15. Redbeard

    Redbeard JCW: because fast is fun!
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    Good wheels, tires, brake pads, and fluids are the best bang for the buck on the track.

    The same goes for streetable corner carvers. :)
     
  16. agranger

    agranger MINI of the Month June 2009
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    #96 agranger, Sep 21, 2017
    Last edited: Sep 21, 2017
    Other than the harder compound, the current tires on the s-lites are in good shape. Probably a few years and 5k miles on 'em, I'd guess. Lots of tread and no rubber deterioration that I can see. I'll wash 'em, treat the rubber, wrap 'em in tire socks and stack 'em in the corner of the garage for spares or winter tires.

    At some point, I might do a clean-up and home respray to make 'em pretty, but that's a project a long way off... lots of other more pressing work to do now. :D


    Virtual Reunion:

    I got a text from the previous owner, Devan. I sent him the link to this thread a month or so ago, so he could keep up on the refresh. I think he was shocked to see 10 pages of updates and photos! "I already miss him!! I can't think of a better home." Aww! :D

    Clutz:

    I was so proud of myself, hanging the heat gun from the ceiling so I could hold the part with one hand and stretch the vinyl with the other while also applying heat. Everything was great with this setup until I walked into the hot-end of the heat gun. Looks like my face will have a little bit of extra 'character' for the next week or so. I tend to over-cook my fingers in this arrangement too, working hot vinyl into just the right shape, but sometimes you have to suffer for your art! My hands used to suffer worse abuse when I worked in research science... heat plus chemical exposure plus radiation exposure... so this is nothing! :D
     
  17. fishmonger

    fishmonger Well-Known Member

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    Ha, the woman who sold me her electric blue R53 was crying when she signed the title. Said she was crying all the way to meet me at the bank where we did the transaction. People grow attached to these things, although upon deeper analysis, that doesn't always mean they took excellent care of their cars ;)
     
  18. agranger

    agranger MINI of the Month June 2009
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    #98 agranger, Sep 22, 2017
    Last edited: Sep 22, 2017
    For his age and 4-5 years in Canada's salty roads, Rufus has been well cared for. He is a solid daily-driver and, other than the idler pulley problem on delivery day (a regular problem with these cars), I've never put the key in and not been able to go where I need to go.

    I'm lucky that I can shelter him in the garage and take my time rebuilding him to a higher standard than his previous duties as a daily driver allowed. I'm also lucky that my financial situation allows me to do what I'm doing... have a dedicated play car! It's sad when you see someone let go of a favorite thing, but he did it for the love of his family, so you gotta give a guy props for having his priorities straight! :D

    On a personal update, the dark skin from my self-inflected heat-gun facial burn of last weekend finally peeled off this morning! I'm back to my normal, not so handsome self! Rufus suggested the heat gun and some dental floss to speed the process along, but I let nature and my shaving ritual do the job. (You aren't crazy when you talk to your car. If your car talks back, you might have a problem)

    Oh yeah....

    Wheels and tires

    No time to deal with moving pics to my web server right now, but UPS delivered my new wheels and tires yesterday afternoon. They need to be unwrapped, have a bath and receive several coats of Zaino before they get mounted, hopefully this weekend. Amazingly, they arrived just 48 hours after being ordered! TireRack.com

    I am LOVING the color of the wheels. You will see when I can get the mirror caps wrapped and on, but it matches the CF vinyl almost perfectly!

    [​IMG]

    By the way: When I set one assembly next to the wheels/tires currently on the car, the overall tire size looked to be 1/2 to 3/4 inch taller than the stock tire! I'm sure it has to do with not having any weight on the new ones. Can't wait to see 'em mounted!
     
  19. Dave.0

    Dave.0 Helix & RMW Powered
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    Sweat rims and tires.
     
  20. agranger

    agranger MINI of the Month June 2009
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    #100 agranger, Sep 24, 2017
    Last edited: Sep 24, 2017
    Well... it took longer than I thought to get the tires unwrapped, cleaned up, 3 coats of Zaino on and everything mounted! Of course, one of the lug bolts was seized and I couldn't find my freakin' breaker bar! It must have disappeared in the move somewhere or it's hiding in a deep dark shelf somewhere that it shouldn't be. I had to fire up the air compressor and get out the heavy impact gun, then practically stand on the longest 1/2" drive ratchet handle I have. Oh well... one more thing to add to the shopping list.

    I've never had a workbench in the garage before. Man... it is SO much easier cleaning / sealing the wheels when you can have 'em up on a nice tall bench!

    [​IMG]

    Immediately after install:
    [​IMG]

    Man, these OZ wheels (37+ offset) really stand out proud of where the stock s-lites sit. It's a nice look and really pushes the tires out to the corners.
    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    After a quick spin around the neighborhood. I wasn't squeeling the tires all the time and it really made the car easier to drive. Turn-in is beautifully crisp. I didn't go crazy on any turns (release agent is still all over the tread), but the overall feel was vastly improved.
    [​IMG]

    Now I really need to get some coil-overs... the car is standing WAY too high. :|
     

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