OK, Christmas break is over... Reconstituted the front end, at least structurally. All back together in one piece. Still have some paint repair to do, but that's low on the priority list right now. Looks fine for a 10 year old car... you can see some scuffs and such, in this pic of my new-to-me gently used RMW splitter. This splitter is beastly. It's one massive solid panel. I could snowboard on it. It may be the strongest thing I've ever held... A few scuffs on the bottom because... it's a splitter. This will go on for track days only. Definitely not made for mountain twisties. But, with the underbody panels and the GP skirts, I'm hoping this will give me a little more stability at speed... I need all the help I can get, at triple-digit speed. Built some custom jack points, to replace the factory points, so I can roll right on and off the lift with the GP skirts, without fooling with the jack point extension blocks, hockey pucks, etc. Yes, I cut a hockey puck in half. Sure, I could have some custom jack points machined. Maybe I will at some point. But these will work fine, and don't weight much, and were easy. Three hockey pucks (75mm) rear, 2.5 hockey pucks (62mm) front. Should protrude just a few mm below the skirts. I don't use the little trap doors anyway, so the skirts should be more aero than usual, with the holes mostly plugged by these. I'll pull off the factory points and install them today. Need to test with the factory jack for roadside repairs, I may need to get a small flat-top scissor jack to use instead, since the factory jack can't engage these like the factory points. Installed my Greene Performance camber/caster plates, once I figured out that the BC coilovers had a top nut with integrated bushing that's close enough to fit. I started with them adjusted like this. Max caster, and about half max negative camber. I'll tweak them a bit as needed. If I'm reading the gauge right. looks like I have about 7 degrees of caster with these. Haven't driven the car at speed yet to evaluate, but it definitely has more "on center" feel than before. I can tell that just driving around the neighborhood. Annnnnnnddddddd.... Yesterday was a huge day. After a couple of failed attempts to get the car titled... I got'er done. A truly amazing day. Went to the main NC DMV office in Raleigh early. Successfully titled the car in the name of the guy who bought it at insurance auction (via power of attorney), then transferred that title to me (via power of attorney), then titled it in my name. Then called DMV theft inspection unit, and (incredibly) they had an appointment available at 2PM. Went home and buttoned things up to be ready for the inspector. Inspector arrived at 2, was done by 2:30. I took inspection report to the local DMV office 10 minutes from my house, got a 10 day permit for the car. Back home at 3:00, drove the car to the local safety/emissions inspection shop. They were slow today, done about 4:00, passed first try. Drove the car back across town to the DMV office with the safety/emissions inspection report and registered the car, got a plate, and ordered personalized plate. Emailed my insurance agent and added the car to my policy. DONE. Street legal! Taxes and fees were almost exactly the same amount I paid for the car (or at least, the shell). YOLO. Now time to schedule all the other stuff I need to have done... exhaust repair, windshield replacement, paint repairs, top and tonneau fabrication, etc. Which is fun to schedule, when the car has no roof and we're in a El Nino rainy pattern... And I need several dry-ish days to pull out the interior, strip and repaint the cage, give it a few days to cure, and re-install interior. And the rest of the TVS stuff should arrive in a couple of weeks... and I have a weekend at VIR in late February... still lots of work to get it ready.
Please let us know when you're gonna be at VIR. I live just down the road and would love to stop by and see your car. I'm sure there are some other local forum members that would like to be there too.
I'll be at VIR Feb 27-28, Good Lord Willing and the Creek Don't Rise. So I installed these: Drilled out the center pin on the old rattling plastic OEM points, and pulled them off. Mounted the new ones... Front: Rear: PERFECT. So much easier to get on the lift, with no danger to the skirts. Highly recommended mod, if you have aero or GP skirts. Also fixed the passenger side hood latch and cable, so everything latches like it should now. And red-dipped my driver's side latch handle, and oil dipstick. No more yellow in the engine bay, except for the oil fill cap label. Adjusted my front and rear camber, now that I have the caster plates installed. I'm going to try running -1.25 F / -1.0 R static camber. With the caster set to +7degrees, I get added dynamic camber when I turn in. Measures -1.65deg on outside wheel, with steering wheel turned 1/4 turn, and -2.0deg with 1/2 turn of steering. I might bump front camber up a bit more, but want to see how little I can get away with.
Wow, lots of progress. I like the last picture outside the DMV. Btw, I am going to make a suggestion. Why repaint the rollbar! I think it adds just the right touch to make sure everyone understands this MINI is special (super special) and has some history. Just a suggestion, leave it asis.
Whelp, I just caught up on this thread dating back to before X Mas. What a roller coaster. I like the never say die attitude: you will have success! Oh, and beware of inhaling aluminum oxides when sparking up a intercooler: there haven't been many CDC controlled studies on the long-term effects...
I may need to redo my jackpoints with the new side skirts...Problem is I have the TSW mounts with the toggle bolt like the one on your hockey pucks. Any ideas how to get that toggle bolt out now that it's deployed?
Yep, I had the same ones on the old car. You just unscrew them. Eventually the screw comes all the way out, and you can retrieve the toggle through the hole separately. No drama. A magnet helps.
It's doubtful, but I'm sure Jan thought up another solution already. If not, jack points are quick and easy to fabricate.
OEM jack points plus the Aero/GP extension blocks will accommodate most any skirt design. But I prefer my solution.
Had a glorious drive today... 50 degrees, seat heater works. Drove about 50 spirited miles. Clutch didn't slip, axles didn't pop out, no parts got pulled off the car, and I didn't take flight. The car handles great with the added caster. Steering feel is fantastic, turn-in is even more direct. And the car is crazy fast. I can't adequately describe it, because that would incriminate me. I can't imagine what it's going to be like when the TVS and Vipec are on... I kinda love it. I've spent the last couple of days organizing the garage, getting it ready to actually be a place where two cars can park. First complete garage clean out and re-org in 15 years. Still have 2-3 days of work to do, it's a big job. And then have to do my workshop, probably a few more days in there. But, eventually, the Mini will park in there like it did before all this foolishness started. Just a sample of the wonders that were in there... 10 years worth of brake rotors for several Minis, BMWs, Chryslers, Hyundais...
Back in the day, it would. But not at current scrap rates ($3 per 100 pounds). Not even worth driving across town for.
Tell me about it! I should have ditched all my brass in 2007 when it was $2.50 per pound, currently sitting on a couple hundred pounds waiting for it to go back up. Last run of steel scrap I took in gave me a tank of gas to get there and back.
Hey Blimey, Nice to see all the progress. I would be interested in a separate thread on your thoughts regarding the maxjax after the cleanup and reorg compared to other lifts like 4 post or scissor. Having a lift is definitely on my wish list but I have trouble deciding what is best for me. Would love a 4 post for stacking but not sure I have the ceiling height. Then I think scissor is the right choice so I don't have setup/tear down time wasters but then I think would I really want to drive over that scissor platform every day? It would be like having a giant speed bump in the garage plus having to step around it when not in use. Anyway would love to have your thoughts if you get around to it. And now back to the thread of awesome.