Most liked posts in thread: ANOTHER FNG

Thanks everyone. I got a Mini key-chain and motoring hat for my birthday, so I'm pretty much all ready to go. I very much enjoy the motoring.

 

Haha, yeah no kidding!

I come from working on chevy trucks, so this is my first little sports type car. I got it as a commuter car because gas in the Tahoe was killing me and I couldn't convince myself to buy a honda civic or *shudder* a prius or something like that. Besides, neither of those is supercharged.

This is also my first stickshift, so I'm trying not to burn out the clutch and I've only stalled it twice!

As far as mods go, I started with the taillights, tinting the windows, and some cheap-o "mods" I found on NAM (rear seat pulls, aux input, sunroof window shades), then I built the C/HAI with parts from Kragen and did the one-ball mod they talked about.

I've been trying to find some new tips like crazy, but the exhaust shops keep telling me there's no room and they have to do a lot of work to make any tips fit. I may upgrade to a magnaflow muffler in the future, but definitely not the $800 system

When I went to pick up the auto-up module, Dr. O suggested I install a 15% pulley which I was on the fence about. The dealership tech guy told me that people install them incorrectly and break their cars, and the supercharger is covered under the emissions warranty for 60 or 80k miles.

Then I was concerned because I read that introducing hot air to the supercharger will cause it to fail, but when I read Dr. O's article in MC^2 magazine where he said he runs the HAI on his car, I figured that whatever I did to mine couldn't be all that bad for it.

I've noticed that the ride is pretty stiff, and one of my BMW driving friends suggested non-run flat tires. Since I wanted to do rims just to make it look different than I bought it (they're not bad for stock rims), I think I may get some new rims and softer tires, then do a pulley and a rear anti sway bar. I find it hard to justify buying new rims and tires when the ones I have are practically new and there's no curb rash or any marks on the oem rims.

I've been looking all over craigslist and stuff trying to find a cheap set of rims so I could have my stock ones powder coated (maybe in OD green?).

Okay, well I'm rambling now, and I doubt many people are going to read another new guy thread, but hey, ya never know.

I'm in the Bay Area (South of SF) if anyone has recommendations for knowledgable mini shops in the area...

 

yeah, no. Too difficult anyways, and I don't think camo and mini's really go together.

*slides the camo intake tube back into the box* *nervous laughter* he he he

 

Next up on my list, once I find a shop and the $$$ for the install

I think I saw these for like $60 per axle and thought that was a bit expensive for 4 small pieces of metal and some o rings...we'll see...

I was looking for cheap bars on craigslist and mini shops on these forums since talking to you last, but I don't know anything about camber plates. Is this before new wheels/tires?

How much do the stock rims weigh? I have the meshy-looking ones without the rivets on the lip (r90?). How much weight reduction is necessary/"worth it"? There are some rims that weigh 13 pounds but they are like $400/ea whereas a set that weighs 18 pounds each is like $450/whole set...where can I draw the line?

:ihih: Yeah? how much to do the pulley and motor mount? :ihih:

 

The original owner of my mini contacted me today after reading my post about the dealership on yelp!

He offered to give me the extra key for the car and answer my questions about it's history!

fwiw, he said he misses his old car. hahaha Pretty cool, I think.