1st Gen R53 Cooper S My 2005 R53 Daily Driver build thread

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01FI0S936/

(from the description: " Made by latest PURPLE COPPER ( NOT normal copper)" - LOL - could not find anything on the google what the heck they are talking about). Description is completely hoaky, but as far as I can tell these are 100% identical with the SuperNova V3 sold for $139, although quality control may be down to putting a sticker on the unit, rather than actual testing. Got another set on the way and will test before install this time. Having a spare bulb isn't a bad thing.

So far, the coding of the car to not bulb check the high beams still was the most complicated part of the project. I figure throw another $50 at it after all that time with the damn ECU coding

 

well, great to know it isn't off a Kia at least. I was wondering how likely it would be that a damper has the same diameter for both belt and crank shaft fit.

Makes you wonder how much engineering went into it when it comes in almost 25% heavier than stock and the car clearly exhibited chassis vibration at highway cruising speed (touch hand brake and there is a significant buzz going on in the chassis my other cars don't have). Engine mounts are in the same state on all of them - new except for gearbox.

I am somewhat worried that there could be a different reason for the vibration, such as drive shafts, although I assume I would feel that in the steering wheel. It's a much higher frequency and I can't really imagine anything other than the engine to be the origin of that.

 

So you made me look at NAM's parts for sale forum, and I end up spending cash on a DDMWorks intake for this car I was going to build one from scratch, but the price was right and it's the design I would clone anyway if I built one.

I may end up putting this one in my son's car and build a third one from scratch for this car as originally intended. Having it out of a car saves me removing the one I have to take measurements, so another benefit of buying this one (isn't it great how we can rationalize spending money on these cars?). Watch this space for grinder sheet metal action to build a custom intake later this year.

 

A barrage of Amazon packages arrived - Gates belt, timing chain tensioner, LEDs (all work this time around), plus some tools, more tools, and a few more tools. Should be all set to do a few jobs.

 

Got the accessory belt installed. Man, that 532 belt was tight with the "aftermarket" damper, but with the ATI damper, without a helper to really pull on the tensioner tool to compress the spring to the max, I had to remove the idler pulley, get the belt on that way, and then bolt it back in with the belt on it. Even that was a rather close and the belt needed some convincing to get back into its regular threads.

All done.



Backed out from doing the timing chain tensioner at this point, because none of my tools are skinny enough to make that job easy. Will do it when I do the next oil change, so I can take the oil cooler off without a huge mess and get better access.

The second high beam LED is installed and all is tested. the housings still do the leveling action as designed, and everything lights up as it should, no flickering. So much brighter than the low beam HIDs in the center, at least seen against the back wall of the garage. Can't wait for a first night drive to see what that's really like.

and since the thread needs more pictures, I grabbed a few today

OEM bulb removed



LED mounting base installed. These are plastic, so rather fragile. I had some Morimoto bulbs once and that plastic was stronger, but also far too fat to clip into these housings, so I had to return them. Glad I did, because these bulbs are far brighter



side access panel showing the driver and the power connector tucked below the projector. Hard to tell what is going on here, but stuffing that part down there and having the wires all in the right directions at the same time is the most difficult part of the install.



Fully installed from the rear access hole - braided cooling straps tucked away to the sides. I used some trim removal tools to bend and push the material into the right places, to keep it off the back of the housing and still have enough room for the assembly to pivot when the leveling motor kicks in

 

And this arrived on Saturday

 

I will have to give that top side a try. Never even thought of that after watching too many how to videos showing side access.

 

Got a stainless steel version of it in my dark silver car. Soundtrack alone is worth buying this part. The plan is to build one or two from scratch using this one as a template, then sell it again. It's just a metal box with a few bolts in it. Project Binky - inspired, I will break out the angle grinder and see what I can do. I may improvise a few things because I don't have a good way of bending sheet metal the way they do, but the core design of that thing is still really simple.

 

yeah, that second one would do the job. Also costs as much as a third DDMworks intake and with that all my cars are set I need to improvise. The first brake is ok for the long edges but so is a half price harbor freight brake, or some DIY setup made out of a few angles and C clamps. I current lean to using that last approach. The inside bends is where you need the fingers, well, that is where I need to use some creativity. Not buying that tool unless I start fabricating my own line of cold air intakes, for which I'd have to first improve on that DDMworks design.

 

There's a $19,150 finger brake on amazon - free Prime shipping on a 3850 pound press. signature required. Now that's a bad boy.

 

Took it for a drive yesterday. Lights are not aimed correctly anymore, way high. I am worried that the bulbs are too deep in back after all and are making contact with the housing. Will dig into that tomorrow or later tonight. If it turns out the housing caps do blow the rear of the bulbs to totally level the lights to regular position, I will have a much bigger job at hand.

Another thing - was going to ask for input about this before but kept forgetting. On tight right turns in parking lots, when the car leans a little to the left and unloads the rear wheel, I get some strange noises from that rear inside corner. I am wondering if that could be the anti-roll bar bushing, or if it is the strut itself. Only right rear and very repeatable. I will record the noise when I get around to doing some exhaust recordings of my cars, just to get input what I may be hearing. Visually, everything is fine with the suspension around that wheel, so it' likely in a bushing or the shock, possibly even the wheel bearing, although the noise is a bit odd for that to be the source.