What did you do with your MINI today?

Fun weekend at the races.......

Found a great looking delivery Mini.

Got a couple of fun laps on track.

And hit a milestone with the MINI..........

 

Have the shop that did the mounting check the balance. They may have got it wrong, or it may have thrown a weight. Some wheels are harder to balance than others.

If that isn't it, have them check to be sure they torqued everything down during the alignment. One loose nut or bolt can mess things up.

CD

 

Changed the oil and filter, and had this happen to the o-ring. Never happened before in all the many, many times that I've done an oil change on the MINI. Obviously I didn't have the o-ring/filter cap seated properly, but everything seemed to go together okay. No unusual tightness when I put the cap back on. Luckily I had a spare o-ring in another, genuine MINI filter. Only noticed a problem when I saw a puddle of oil on the garage floor. I compared the pieces of the torn o-ring against a new one, and it looks like I got all of the pieces.

Second picture shows new o-ring on top of the torn one.

 

Washed and Rain-xed today. It's so hot out though. Had to wait till almost sundown.

Speaking of the beating sun... what's a good sunscreen option option for when I have to park in the sun? Aside from this...

 

I don't know where you live, but I live in Dallas. It get's a bit toasty this time of year.

I try not to park in full sun, but don't have a windshield screen for when I have no choice. I have limo window tint on my sunroofs which helps my AC keep up, but I pop the sunroofs up when I park in the sun, to let heat escape. I also have the maximum legal tint on the other windows.

When it is 104 outside, windshield shades just don't seem to help much over any significant amount of time, since they are inside the car. I just try to vent off as much excess heat as I can. I will also park at the end of a parking lot if there is a tree or something else that can provide some shade. Keeping the sun from reaching the car works. Once the sun reaches the car, it is only a matter of time, no matter what you put in the car.

That's my three-cents (inflation).

CD

 

I've used my pop up or a patio umbrella to keep the sun off while working on my car late in the day.

 

I got the new motor mount on. That goo that's in them acts like lock tight on that lower bolt.

 

Ages ago I removed the rear seats, and yesterday I finally made a cover for the empty space. It covers the spare tire I keep back there, and is a mounting point for my fire extinguisher.

 

I only use OEM filters and always change that O ring with every oil change. :ihih:

 

+1 on the OEM filters, Dave. I usually buy them in bulk off of fleabay.

Never had this happen before, and I've changed the oil every 4-5000 miles for 80000 miles!!!!!
I let the car idle after replacing the o-ring, and no puddle on the floor or any leakage from the oil filter cap.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-OEM-Genuin-MINI-Cooper-Qunatity-5-Engine-Oil-Filter-First-Gen-11427512446-/252157534707?hash=item3ab5c2a1f3:g:3fsAAOSwYHxWOn6f

 

Lube the O ring?

 

Installed my new Kicker 6x9's finally. Had the rear interior panel removed for the rear damper adj. cable install and remembered I had new speakers just waiting.......
And then gave the interior a full clean and treatment. Good day all around.

 

Went out for a bike ride after dinner.



Then when I got back home gave the MINI its first bath since the big detail a few weeks ago... with a little refreshment of course.

 

Checked the oil, and drove to work

 

Yep. I always put some of the new oil in a small bowl, and sink the o-ring into that to lube it. Like I said, it was the first time that it had happened in many, many oil changes.

 

In the shop for a new a/c compressor and glue the headliner back up in front of the driver visor.
Might just need the compressor clutch coil, but why do just that when the compressor
is already 13 years old and getting weaker and noisier* anyway.

*actually, it's now pretty damn quiet now that it won't engage!

 

I dusted off mine in the garage. :ihih::lol:

 

Crossed another mileage milestone today.





I did slow down, and it was my passenger that took the picture.

 

Mine has been in the garage since last Tuesday. I've been in a rental car for business. The rental goes back tomorrow. I have to drive my car to the other side of Dallas tomorrow to photograph a Cord. I was supposed to shoot a 1934 Cadillac, a much prettier car, IMO, but the customer has a Cord fetish.

The Cord is black, so I'll be shooting in the evening, which means driving in rush hour traffic, and working late.

At least I can charge 50-cents a mile, and being rush hour, the distance is longer. It is a weird quirk of physics. :wink:

CD