1st Gen R53 Cooper S Most liked posts in thread: My 2005 R53 Daily Driver build thread

So this weekend I fixed the sticky driver door lock. After pulling the door card to also fix the speaker wiring (crimping sucks - this time I soldered and crimped), as well as laying down some nice Fluid Film at the bottom of the door's inside, I had a look at the door lock mechanism. Turned out it was just sticky. A good soak in Rust Oleum penetration and lubricant spray and a good number of lock activations it now responds as it should. Let's see how long that lasts.

I also pulled the other door card and put in Fluid Film, fixed the woofer cable ($%@#!$!! crimp connectors!) so now the stereo is back to normal on all front speakers. Up next will be a fresh timing chain tensioner that's on the shelf waiting for deployment, plus a can of Fluid Film put on all the strategic places underneath. Also need to track down the heat shield that rattles against the exhaust when the engine is cold (back of car).

I also used a blow dryer to get the moisture out of the headlight housings. Hope this helps as it was getting pretty bad while parked outside in the cold.

Always something to do on these cars. Drove this one about 1200 miles this year. All three Minis combined rolled for about 2600 miles this year. I rode my bicycles about 5000 miles in 2018, the Subaru saw 6000 miles since July when I bought it for my daughter who still hasn't figured out how to pay the insurance for it, so I am keeping it until further notice.

 

update on the door lock and window lifter motor jobs.

Forget sourcing those motors. You more or less have to destroy the lock mechanism to get inside and expose the motors as seen above. As I got to the part where the guy who posted the how to links to the "how to get in there" document on another site, I realized this was not going to be my solution. All tabs get broken, and then some pin needs to be forced out of the lock mechanism that is likely to break. I wanted a lock on my car, so I put it all back together and back into the door (good practice - this is a tedious job).

Up next was pulling the power window regulator to get to the motor. Sure wished it was as easily accessible as in an R56, but with the R53 you have to remove the entire window and regulator and speaker. I did that, then when I removed the screws that hold the bad original motor to the regulator, the reel the motor shaft rotates pulled out of the regulator housing and the cables went flying across the garage floor. Great. No way to get that back together.

After some research and checking the pulleys on the original unit, I ordered an aftermarket unit with ball bearing pulleys, rather than the Mini part where I could feel serious degradation in the pulley bearings (or lack thereof). So another $100 spent to fix the intermittently failing window lifter motor, but now my entire driver side door will be updated, provided I get everything back together once I have the parts. I recommend when you run into window issues, just get a new complete unit, motor and regulator already bolted together.

 

Scored a DDMWorks intake on eBay and installed it in the Daily. Photos will come when I take the car outside again. Doesn't look that that'll happen before May.

All three Minis still zero miles for the year and we just got snow again (see above photo from October) Forecast is 24F tonight and even colder the next two days.

 

A bit small for my needs, but probably a lot of fun. A WRX hatchback from before the last model change would be neat, but really not big enough. It is all about hauling lots of groceries and whatever else you need in a mountain home, plus it has to double a camper/travel machine.

The real benefit of such a machine is that it can serve as an "RV" for months in between of selling my house and buying one in California. Not the worst thing to be doing, visiting all those natural places you never had time to explore while saving on mortgage and taxes. Park and sleep on public lands (BLM, National Forests) for zero dollars whenever possible. I just need to find a way to store my home possessions away for a while, including the Mini I am keeping.

 

I've been driving my daughter's 2011 Outback 3.6R for about 18 months now while she is in college and doesn't need it. Not slow at all and pulls strong over Eisenhower Pass on I70 at 11,000 feet, or at e.g. 9900 feet into Yosemite via Tioga Pass. Big enough for anything but the largest haul jobs, like snow blowers or construction materials, but that's what a trailer is for. It is a car on my shortlist, as I know it'll do the job.


Parking the Subaru in the High Sierra

The 6 cylinder models are more reliable compared to all the 4 cylinders and turbos made over recent decades (oil burners after 2015, head gaskets before that, and CVT blowouts from 2010 trough 2015). The 6 cylinder 3.6 between 2010-14 years have a bulletproof 5 speed auto that is shiftable and holds gears on steep downhills, which is super important if you live on a mountain. The 2015 to 2019 3.6 liter cars came with a CVT but that one hasn't been known to keep people stranded.Head gaskets are not known to be a chronic issue with the 6 cylinders either.

The Outback is a bit small to actually live in should I do the RV thing between selling and buying a place. Will decide when I get closer to that reality. Not impossible to live out of an Outback, though, just not as luxurious as a big pickup with cap in the bed. It handles winter roads far better than a pickup, though.

I have worked on it in my garage discovering some of the weak areas such as wheel bearings and ball joints. The 2011 model I drive is stupid electronically (can't close a window the moment you pull the key out of the ignition?? What decade was this car built?), but it really boils down to a no frills machine that gets the job done. Not pretty, handles like a boat compared to a Mini, but parts are cheap due to their high sales numbers. There are many for sale at any point in time, so used prices are pretty competitive, and the 3.6 liter gets 28mpg on the highway on a good day, which for a 3.6 liter is pretty good. Just a solid choice and much higher on my list than any proper SUV.

If I go bigger, it'll be a full sized pickup truck with cap on the back.

 

I've been looking at that option. I see those Pods a lot around homes that sell. I think I'll have most of my stuff in one or two pods before my house goes on the market. Mostly empty, depersonalized, etc. I also need the space to do some fixes before selling. Some flooring and definitely paint, so having everything out that isn't absolutely essential is a good thing. Costly maybe, but it can't be much different from having a mover come in and get your stuff from A to B but you get the storage option, which I definitely need. Gotta get those removed Mini Cooper parts and tools to the new home

 

I did not order a cover. I wanted to wait and see how I can hack this with the existing cover. There are tabs missing so that may not work out.

Regarding the available take-offs - the British Racing Green R53 one is what would replace my current cover. I am only 90 minutes from Chicago, so if they have that one, I may be interested should my plan to re-use the damaged unit not work out. FCPEuro stuff to do the job gets here tomorrow, just 7 days after promised delivery date...

 

it isn't the BMW OEM part, but with a little DIY it will work

https://www.ecstuning.com/b-assembled-by-ecs-parts/aero-front-bumper-apron-trim-paint-kit/51110021989kt/