Hi Folks,

I just bought a 2004 MCS, chili red with white roof and bonnet strips. The car is quite basic, 16" wheels, no cruise, but it does have a sunroof. I got the car in Toronto. I am enjoying my first British car in about 25 years, I hope this works out better than my old MG Midget!

So here are some of my questions:

What is the best shop manual to buy?

I need new tires (I guess tyres on a Mini ) do I go with run flat or conventional?

Can I fit 15" wheels for non-run flat snows?

I have rack mounts on the roof, how do I tell which roof rack they are from?



Thanks in advance for your help

Matthew
Ottawa, Ontario

 

There was a thread recently in which Bentley got highly praised and was considered to be better than Chilton's. I heard it can be expensive though, Bentley.

I have an MC coupe so can't help you with your S questions. There is also a section called First Generation on the main forums page of NAM which covers MINIs built from 2002-2006.

Hope this helps,

CROC 411

 

I would pay more for a more accurate manual.

The time savings alone will offset the cost. If you're left pondering...you're wasting time (=money). And the first repair will pay for the book itself so don't be afraid to spend money here.

If you can get your hands on a factory manual, they are the best...

 

Yep the Bentley's is more expensive ($100?) but a better manual. Worth every penny...
Go for conventional tires. Cheaper and ride better. Also quieter. Most people here ditch the run-flats for conventionals as soon as possible. Not sure about the 15" on a MCS. Might have brake clearance probs...

 

Thanks for the advice, I will go to Toyo T1R conventional tires. I had good results on my Miata.

I will post more questions in the appropriate sections.

Matthew

 

Glad to have you on board. We'd love to see some pictures of your beautiful MINI...

Donna

 

Hi Donna, I think I can manage that, I did the dreaded first wash today. Thankfully the paint looks good, even close up.

Matthew

 

nice looking ride there!

if you want to mine this site, use www.google.com, and type in site:northamericanmotoring.com followed by the search terms that reflect your questions.

works a bit better than the search function here...

 

Looks great! Exactly what our first MINI looked like. I still love CR..

Donna