1st Gen JCW Most liked posts in thread: Refreshing Rufus - 2005 MCS JCW

I replace my Belt and Tensioner every 2 years now. I have a spare set hanging in my garage.

 

I buy everything I can online - avoid my dealer like the plague. Not only expensive, but they don't know R53s (shop opened after the R56 was released) nor do to they care to work on them.

My gray car runs on Colin's coilovers - not a problem since the day I installed them. Car needed new suspension anyway, after the previous owner had installed garbage lowering springs that broke, as well as destroyed the Hotchkis junk camber plates (would never touch their stuff after seeing that happened there). Helix control arms in the back and you are good to go.

I've learned my lesson with that car and now only buy bone-stock lady-driven R53s - those seem to get into the higher miles with a lot less issues than cars that come with the big brake kit and have been lowered for autocross or track days.

 

I have a few of those myself. Also been collecting other spares that seem to be needed frequently, such as upper engine mount, belts, all kinds of plastic clips that break every time you take the wheel wells out. There are brake parts, bushings, dip sticks, idler pulleys and all kinds of Mini parts on my garage shelves

 

Never driven a car with those, but the Mod Mini guy on youtube has them on his highly modded R53 and is quite happy with them. Not perfect, but he feels they are a good value for the money. I didn't want to take chances and just got the Greeneperformance coilovers. We'll probably throw some home-brew BC modded coilvers with swift springs on our red car when the time comes. Or just grab some Bilstein PSS10 - those are getting mighty affordable for this car.

what exactly is that? The tie rods? I am not aware of adjustable end links in the front of that car.

but isn't wheel shopping fun?

Strut brace is cool. Don't think I felt a difference (M7 bar added to lowered car with sticky summer tires). Given how stiff my car is (lifts a wheel every time I turn into my driveway), I don't see the need for any additional bracing under the car. I'm thinking roll cage anyway, so weight is becoming a concern. Rear sway bar should be the first upgrade from that list.

my gray car is at 94k, the red one barely at 30k - both already have new tensioners and idler pulleys. Cheap insurance. Engine damper on the high mile car is now aftermarket, original was still fine. Left it alone on the low mile car. both have had SC oil changed. Will do it gain on the high mile car this month. new water pump going in as well.

Rubber hoses are all fine, but there were a bunch of leaks at dip stick tube and crank position sensor on both cars. All Minis leak there. Fix when you do SC service.

I have Wilwoods on one car, and just completely refreshed bone-stock brakes on the other, both stainless braided lines all around. Akebono pads on stock, Akebono rear/Wilwood pads front on the other car. Driving on public roads, there is zero difference between the cars when braking. Brake feel is very similar. I am replacing rotors on the Wilwoods this month, though, so who knows. the old rotors were a bit warpy and pulsated at higher speeds. Maybe the new stuff will be better, but I am not planning to do anything to the brakes of my new blue Mini.

JCW should have even better brakes than stock - if that's what is on the car, just get pads and rotors, flush, braided lines and be done with it. Everything else is for track day use or looks.

Never heard of a really good short shift kit. What I did upgrade was the shift knob. Got the carbon JCW (I think Outmotoring still sells it at a good price) and I love it so much, I am getting it for all my cars.

Bushings on shifter mechanism is on my to-do list. never felt like there was an issue. Stiff engine mounts, especially lower, make shifting easier, but be ready for other vibrations you may not like when you install that stuff. I tore out the poly bushings from the lower mount after one week. Could not handle the exhaust rattle I was getting.

As for upgrades - mine have a 15% pulley and intakes (DDM works for the perfect in-cabin super charger orchestra sound). I am about to get a Detroit-Tuned bypass for the more-modded car, and if it feels good, it'll go into all cars.

check your radiator fan for resistor failure - pretty much fails on all cars and should be replaced with a better solution that lasts. Lots of writeups about that job online.



other updates and services I did early on:

fuel filter and pump on the high mile car, just filter on the low mile car. Both looked like tar was in the gas.

Plug wires (don't touch the coil),

new coolant tank

I lost the rear seats and make your own GP seat-delete compartment cover.

new battery - 5 years old? ditch it.

HID bulbs for fog lights - matches HID low beams in color now and is brighter, but being fogs, they don't blind people like HID bulbs in regular low beam housings do. Will do that in my non HID car, too, but put yellow/warm HID bulbs in.

full brake fluid flush, new rotors, etc

Bluetooth OBD2 plug and an old Android phone in a cradle to run Torque app for engine monitoring (boost, temps, etc). Most expensive part was the phone mount.

I'd have to look at the car to think if more, but the list is rather long

 

Coiling all sell Vibratechnics Rubber motor mounts (upper and lower) and transmission mounts. I have all 3 of the softer street version but he also has stiffer race mounts.

The top motor mount is the best you can buy and will not fail and leak like the OEM one. Way of Walmart Motor Works made a copy of the upper VT mount that looks like a high school kid made it in his garage. :lol:

https://www.greeneperformance.com/collections/mini-oem-performance-parts/products/vibra-technics-mini-cooper-s-r53-07-04-07-08-min906m-right-hand-engine-mount

 

So far I've shied back from spending the coin on these fancy mounts. I also seem to be jacking up my engine once every half gas tank lately, so I have plenty of opportunity to swap the leaky type before it fails, all at $45 a pop.

 

I will beat a dead horse. When I was still running with the track racing crowd back in the day I watched all sorts of awful stuff happen to Meagan parts on the track and on the street. Don't waste your dollars on their stuff.

 

That's a personal choice that only you can decide. Add up all the money and time you spend on those $45 OEM mounts and you may see if differently someday. That's what I did.

 

I've done one myself last year (no sunroof), and it was about $100 in supplies once you add the good glue. An experience in tearing down the car in places you never thought you'd disassemble, but otherwise a royal pain in the arse. Mostly the removal of old glue from the headliner - HOURS or sticky scraping and inhaling solvent/goo-gone before it seemed fine. Then when it was all clean came the install and it was something only experienced guys will get right on the first try. I have some folds in the fabric on one side and there are corners that just came right back off the backing where the cleaning clearly wasn't perfect or the glue was sprayed on too thick.

I'd never do this myself again unless the cost was far higher than what you've been quoted. Again, that cleanup, unless the guy has some magic juice that gets the glue off, is worth the money alone

 

I'll get to these buggers sooner or later. Until then, I barely drive my cars anyway. They are more therapy than necessity for me

 

problem for me - up north here, there's no place that does headliner work. No demand. Clearly a problem of the southern climates. My Florida Mini was losing the headliner the moment it was north of Alabama...

 

Nice job. Colin had exact reproductions made of the GP gauge faces and I got a set. They look awesome.

 

Lookin' damn good. Love that headliner. Perfect.