I finaly got my hands on a MINI after all these years and after 2 tours in Europe but was never able to find one to bring back with me. I do like these new one's though, had a friend on my first tour in West Germany at the Fulda Gap that had like a '67 with a 1275 Super Cooper S motor. I don't know who did the motor work but it had 2 rather large side draft Weber 2 Bbl. carbs and 4" wheel flares with 8" wide wheels with what looked like refugee's from Willow Springs. He and I embarrassed several Porsches and a couple of Corvettes on the twisty back roads that were made for ox carts they were so narrow, and he would run up to 70mph. and do a Bootleg turn by dropping a couple of gears and hitting the E brake and never get out of our lane. I was hooked and got me a Cooper S Supercharged with the 6 speed Getrag gear box R53. So I found this site and am eager to learn and have a great time.
New MINI Cooper S R53 Owner Thanks everyone. I got the car with a little over 100,000 on the clock and the engine oil looked good had to top off the coolent expansion tank with probably a quart of antifreeze, cleaned the inter cooler as it looked like no one had ever taken the cover off and had a bunch of bug parts some small gravel and straightened several vaines that had been bent either closed or just needed straightening. I have found a local foreign car mechanic who was recomended by my neighbor who has a German import Bug. He told me that it wouldn't be a problem for him to change the supercharger oil as I'm sure it has probably never been changed and hope there is not a lot of metal in the old oil but believe that the supercharger is in pretty good shape by the way it runs. I can get supercharger oil from the local Chevy dealer but it only comes in 4 oz. bottles and is $12.00 a bottle and I will pick up 2 and hope that will cover both end's of it. If any of you have any thing that might help I would appreciate it. I'm already looking into a 15% overdrive pulley and doing some exhaust mods. down the road.
Here is an article on how to change the Supercharger Oil. Supercharger Oil Service + oil pan gasket - Library Might as well do the pulley too when you have it that far apart.
:cornut: If old vet means that you're an old combat veteran, there are plenty of us around to keep you company(although on MA we mainly talk about MINIs). I was Army SF Persian Gulf, Afganistan, Panama, and Desert Storm. If old vet means that you have a 1954 Corvette then we're still glad that you're here. Your R53 is very popular around these parts. Myself, being a youngster of only 60yo, I have the youngster's MINI(MINI Margi 08 R56 MCS/JCWm). We all however seem to get along well and the moderators are fairly gentle with us. All of us want to keep OUR SITE(Nathan the owner only thinks that it belongs to him)clear of mud slinging arguments etc. When the mods come around, do ask. There's a lot of knowledge around here. Welcome Welcome! Jason
New MINI Cooper S R53 owner I am a Vietnam era Veteran was in the last 1 1/2 years of the war but not in country. Had to deal with the ones coming back and that was pretty bad, we would go in to clean the latrines in the morning and every day for about 3 months in each of the units in the Bn. there would be found at least 1 Troop who had shot up China White and never got the full shot and was dead when we found them. We also had a lot commit suicide. These are the ones who trained me, I was a AERO SCOUT On Kiowa's for 10 years and did the last 3 years and months as a Bn. N.B.C. NCO. Had to many hard landings in the helo's and in my last unit 197th Inf.Bde. at Benning we went to Ft. Irwin 3 times getting ready for the First Gulf War and had a AN/VRC-46 68lb. radio fall 3ft and took out the disc at L3,L4 and L5. I spent a lot of time flying the East German Border with 11th ACR and flew left front seat as the rear was full of ammo bins for the M-134 hanging out the left rear door and also was the Col.'s Crew Chief and Scout with the 6th Air cavalry Combat Aviation Bde. We were the forerunners of the 160th S.O.A.R. and was ask to join Team Delta every 6 months of the last 3 years I was in.
New MIN Cooper S R53 owner I'm new and don't know where to post any pictures but there are some on my page.
Here's a thread to help you get started, just click here I was a little confused at first as well but eventually got the hang of it. IMO I think adding a garage full of some pictures would be awesome. My garage is a little lacking and planning on updating it soon.
New MINI Cooper S R53 owner I was told how to post the picture and there is one now on my origional post.
Nice looking MINI!!! I like the white wheels! Hoping to make mine white soon! Have fun with the obsession!
New MIN Cooper S R53 owner It was missing one of the MINI emblems on one of hubcaps when I got it and when I had the new tires installed another came off so I'm going to spring for the aluminum ones with the 4 tabs that fit in the 4 slots on the hub cap. I found them for around $14.00 or $15.00 each.
I checked the link out but because of my back condition I am no longer to do that extensive maintenance even though I have a chest and roll away full of tools. I can't bend over or squat down that long I called the Dealer in Memphis,Tenn. and was told they don't service the Supercharge at all, would rather sell you a $2000,00 supercharger! I contacted a local foreign car Mechanic that was referred to me by my neighbor who has his late '60's early'70's Bug and he said that he thought he could do it pretty easy and shouldn't take him to long so he;so doing research on it and is supposed to call me back and let me know about what would be involved and a price range.:fingers crossed: