2nd Gen R56 Cooper S Most liked posts in thread: What to do first?

Kind of suprised that you havent got your own already...or that you havent taken HER MINI.....It happens all the time 1 person gets a MINI and pretty soon you become a 2 MINI family.....Happy Motoring ( when she lets you drive)

 

You might consider the walnut blasting first then, the seafoam gets some of it off but it's more smoke n mirrors IMHO.

 

I forgot, was this brand new? The tailpipe soot is normal you'll get that, most cars you don't notice it or even look at tail pipes
I'd got with the catch can set up first if new.

 

I have a set of the stock 17" wheels off my mini, they are white. Need repainted, but are straight wheels. with continental runflats mounted. 1 doesnt hold air, another is pitted. the other 2 are worn evenly across the thread but are at less then 15% of life. I would sell the wheels for 225+shipping and not really any les if u want the tires removed and u have to pay for dismount. so if the difference is cheaper in shipping it would be worth it.

 

Residual black soot on the tailpipes of the MCS is normal. It's not due to carbon buildup, just leftover hydrocarbons from normal engine combustion.

I know I'm going against the grain here but I believe catch cans are a huge waste of money for this car, especially for how much companies like BSH are charging. If you're on a budget like you say, the more money you can pocket for every day consumables the better. Catch cans only band-aid the carbon buildup problem. Either vent the crankcase to atmosphere or clean the intake ports/valves by hand or with a walnut blaster. Just take a look at the intake ports after a couple of years and if they're gummed up, time for a good cleaning. If you're somewhat handy, you can do it yourself.