Tweaked the front alignment yesterday from 0L, -.7R camber, 0 toe to -.3L, -.7R, 0 toe by taking out the nylon pin and shifting the strut inward on the left mount and a tiny turn of the left tie-rod to compensate. Got the rear alignment from -1.7L, -1.7R camber, 1/8" toe in to -1.3L, -1.3R camber, 1/16" toe in with the eccentric adjusting plates on the oem control arms today on my lunch hour (took less than 20 minutes). Now I'm ready for those stickier summer tires and lighter wheels (it'll probably be at least another week before they get here).
Your car, in the end, is a machine. It can always be fixed or upgraded . It just depends on how much money and time you have. Everything on your car so far sounds like wear and tear maintenance stuff. I have that issue with the family car. But the expenses of fixing it is still less than the cost of a new car. So it is still under break fix scenario. I hang onto my cars as long as I can.
Got the emissions done yesterday, she's good for another year I get them done at a local Euro shop in Fayetteville about 2 miles from my house, they happened to have an 09 Clubman in the last bay getting a new timing chain. Shop owner said the early 2nd Gen MINI's have kept his lights on for years. He then asked why he hasn't seen mine in his shop for repairs yet.....
Got the paint protection film and glue removal done last night. Just for the front bumper this took 8 hours over three nights of work. What a mess. Yes, paint near pristine underneath, except where the plastic razor blades dug into it. I think I have 5 spots now where the tool chopped right down to the base plastic. But then I am already painting Dark Silver 871 on the scratch my garage door put on the tailgate a few summers ago, so why not inhale some more cancer-causing fumes to fix up the front bumper? Then this morning I ordered exhaust brackets and hangers to replace missing and worn parts (this car was one-ball-modded by its first owner, and he ditched even the $46 bracket on the resonator side ^@#$%!!), all in preparation for the Milltek install.
I was thinking of getting a mask the other day while spray painting my roof rack bars... Thanks for the reminder! New parts are always awesome,but what's a one ball mod?
It’s when the cut one muffler off the stock R53 exhaust to make it flow a little better and sound louder. With that name I would never do it out of principle
The R53 resonator (muffler "ball" on the passenger side) is replaced by a small 90 degree pipe running the exhaust directly into the driver side and out. Few know that the dual tips on the regular S without JCW or aftermarket mufflers is all coming from the driver side muffler. The detour through the passenger part plus some serious weight are removed.
@Sully You'll be happy to know that I just paid off my tires But don't believe I'll be going with the FSR's. I heard some very mixed reviews at MOTD this year and about 5 people told me they prefer the Bilsteins over the Koni's longevity and performance-wise. SO today I'm on the hunt for some Bilsteins. The MINI is fine, she's her normal angry self (aside from a bit of a rough ride). She almost got me in trouble today, but it wasn't a cop
Lol... can’t wait to hear about that.. You ever owned Bilstiens? On BMW they come in three different settings if memory is correct. I found them pretty stiff over short bumps. But the last set I owned was many years ago.. and wasn’t on a MINI. Wonder if anyone here has experience with them.
Had that parked Explorer been a cop it woulda been 95+ in a 55 from an on ramp..... But I was provoked, and I'm working on my temper in traffic so don't start. I threw a set of Bilstein shocks on my 68 C10 and they seemed fine. That truck handled like garbage, body roll so bad you felt like you were gonna roll it some times. I just ordered the struts, new front mounts, bump stops, and boots for the front, new mount bushings for the rears. I'm assuming the rear mounts and all hardware front and rear is still good. All parts should be here in a week.
I had Bilstiens on my 99 Miata. I liked them, a lot. They kept my tires planted very well on rougher country roads, compared to the factory dampers. With the other mods on that car, the ride was already pretty stiff, but the Bilstiens did a good job of controlling wheel travel, especially when the pavement got a bit rough in a corner. CD
BItsy always had a fairly rough/stiff ride (more rough now than ever) and if I hit a patch of rough road she's had a tendency recently to wonder a little bit. The guys at Bavarian Repair told me they think she has the sport suspension, but other than the firm ride, I'm not sure how to tell. I can't find any visual indicators that would tell me yes or no. I ordered the sport version Bilstein dampers, fingers crossed that wasn't a bad move. Does anyone know for certain how big of a difference there is between R56 Sport and Standard ride quality? If any?
Took my wife to dinner in the Helmet. By her request. She is afraid the R53 is going to brake down, it does need some work. Well thats her excuse, I think she just digs the R58
I think she's saying "drive it or lose it!". Does she know you threw your GoPro at that squirrel on the Dragon?