Most liked posts in thread: What did you do with your MINI today?

Got the driving lights off, prepped and dipped last night. I had really been wanting to avoid dipping them, but to buy a set of OEM black housing, or redo them was just looking too spendy for an already spendy enough upcoming project. These came out fine, and made sure that I got it thick enough that it will pull off in the future. Also, got in the black door handle covers and door cups, test fit and fine, so that should alleviate having to take the handles off of Wolfgang when wrap time comes. Belt-line black out kit is in, gas cap cover is in, and black LED side repeaters test fit and fine. Waiting on black Scuttles. The COOPER S emblem will be replaced with simple, black R53 emblem. Also going with a blacked out MINI Wings on the rear.

The wrap color is now the hangup. Was really trying to go with a Dodge Sublime Green, but the sample we were told was close, is NOT close, way too much yellow. I have about 8 other samples coming, having resigned myself to the fact we may not get an exact match, but in the ball park will be fine, so long as I love it. This Gloss Lime, I just don't love.

It's all cosmetic, and I'm looking forward to switching it up. Shop time is scheduled for the week of October 12th, but I am biting at the bit to get it done. Not that I don't love Wolfgang, he's a sharp MINI, just preserving his beauty with a face lift, is all.

 

Busy day, painted the fading scoop with a peelable spray vinyl. It's basically like plastidip but finishes smooth and glossy.





Not sure how I feel about it yet.




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Finally got around to color matching the ultra gauge display to the rest of the gauges.

Downtubes, wrapped, including the PITA cup holder, and getting the lines matched up. Before and after:

 

Put the clip on heat shield with attached
insulation wrap onto the turbo oil
supply line. My R55 is a 2009 so it
didn’t come with one. Only 37K and
the previous owner was OCD about
oil changes and idling before shutoff
so the line probably isn’t coked up
already. Also put the WMW turbo wrap
on last year when I bought it.
Used a couple hose picks and a
long thin screwdriver to do the wrap
without having to take a bunch of stuff apart.

 

More tinkering as the conversion to the Green Machine comes.

Got a set of Scuttles for $20 on Ebay to black out, they got prepped, and painted last night. Should look good with the Green S in there, and the Blackout LED indicator light. I have one more addition that I will work on tomorrow, and hope that it'll work. The green S shot is simply mock up with some vinyl I had. Properly cut ones will go in its place.

Blackout Grill is all set to go.

New Scoop is here.

MINI driving light covers got a touch of green. Lights themselves got some yellow film. Grass Green Vinyl is the wrap color.

Modified the puddle lights to go with the green.

 

Low tire pressure light came on
when I started the MINI this am.
3 tires 36#
1 tire 24#
Removed 1 screw from middle of
left rear tread groove
Placed 2 Dynaplug inserts
Good to go.
As you can see I wasted one of the inserts trying to insert it.
Got to start my workday almost on time

 

Smoked LED side markers on, rotated tires, chameleon film on headlights done, LED DRL ion, side scuttles finished and ready for install, aftermarket from lip prepped (scrubbed, and scrubbed, sanded,and scrubbed) adhesion promoter and 5 coats of plasti-dip after deciding to not wrap it. October is fast approaching, can't wait to see the transformation.

 

Re the CVT - we have two notable ones in our club, one is coming up on 200K, the other on 300K miles. Both have the fluid changed regularly at the dealer (so they use the correct fluid)

 

Got a couple shots before the disassembly starts. October will be here before I know it, and then, the Greening begins.

 

Mine is the British Racing Green, with the white top. Wish the top was black. Might tackle that eventually.

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Silk Green was a one and done color. It came out in the Summer of '02 and was gone by November of the same year. My R50 Silk Green is a 9/02 build, with white accents, emerald interior, black dash and green/black leather seats. It has a Welsh Dragon sunroof cover and is the Welsh Mini.

 

Had a late lunch with my Mini.

 

I picked up a few “special order” parts from MINI for my motor swap project coming up this Winter.

 

Took my Countryman to lunch at a Japanese Sushi and Bento Box house, wonderful. Filled up the 16 CM with Shell 91 best we can do here in Colorado. I figure this fillup will last three weeks unless I do the 5280 Color Drive this Saturday.

 

Yes I had waited too long. The lenses were getting rather yellowed especially toward the top. I didn't take a picture of the before.

The first picture of that frosted lens is due to many go around's with wet sanding. 500, 800, 1,000 & finally 3,000.

Then I followed up with some pretty coarse compound followed by finer compound.

After all that I cleaned up all the sanding & compound schumtz. Then hit it with some Meguire's headlight UV protection spray. It took me about 3 hours or so to get the result. For both lights. It about killed me.

Thank goodness I have a Griots 3 inch random orbital. I can't imaging trying to this by hand or with the trusty cordless drill.

 

I have been using this product on my MINI since about new. Replaced it this spring with new and the lights looked like new after taking off the 14 yr old film.

https://smile.amazon.com/Lamin-x-MN003T-Headlight-Cover/dp/B004C1WSAI/ref=sr_1_5?crid=1OBA23PJNW4I3&keywords=lamin-x+headlight+film&pd_rd_r=39ed0e0b-e96b-45e8-9938-9ed70f110f2f&pd_rd_w=uksva&pd_rd_wg=MToVW&pf_rd_p=9e334aac-d5e5-42f4-99b3-257ad129944e&pf_rd_r=XZBZGREZG3JS3JVSBZ7Y&pid=5YJYdYL&qid=1569419955&s=gateway&sprefix=lamin+for+headlights%2Caps%2C251&sr=1-5&vehicle=2004-32-218-1--17-6-5-4825-111-1-1-2648--&vehicleName=2004+Mini+Cooper

 

Fronts were done a while back. Finally, rears.

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My silver wheels are easy to keep clean because they are ceramic coated with Gyeon Rim.

I just use soap & water and rinse.

 

I spent a #uvkton and got a new turbo pipe and assorted coolant hoses replaced. Replaced the brake fluid, bled and reset Codes.
Ear to ear grin PRICELE$$



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Post a picture of the “gunk” you are talking about? It may be Cosmoline a wax like substance they spry inside panelists to prevent rust. It tends to leak out when the engine gets warm and looks like candle wax.

You can wipe it off with a cloth and some simple green cleaner but be careful because of you rub to had it will remove the pain also. The under hood and rear hatch jams are not clear coated like the rest of the car.