Today, I became the enthusiastic owner of a silver '03 Mini Cooper S. The car has a nicely understated appearance that belies its chutzpah. Eclipse gray (I think) with the white roof and mirrors. Chrome door handles. Electric blue leather seating and gray plastic dash facade. Standard 17 inch alloys with 205 45-17 Kumhos. I has all of the standard convenience features and seems to drive nicely. So, far so good. The previous owner did some upgrades, but I will need some time to figure exactly what they were. The shocks have been upgraded but I don't know what brand or model. They seem a little firm, but not teeth rattling. They are yellow and the springs are purple. It looks as though there is also an aftermarket rear stabilizer. It's grey and looks to be a larger diameter than 19mm. But, I didn't measure it. Anyway, I love the way it handles. My wife thinks it is a bit rough. But, it's not her car, so, who cares.
:-)

I have lots of questions, but I won't leave them here. I'll create other threads.

Thanks in advance.

tw

 

Welcome
Post pics and we'll tell you what you have on your car.

Also your car is probably dark silver, eclipse gray isn't an R53 color.

As for shocks and springs, you may have KW coilovers being yellow and purple.

 

Welcome.

IMHO, the 03's were the best year, but I am kind-of partial.


If you recline the seat all the way back, it can be comfortable enough to sleep in there.

 

Yes, Dark Silver is the color. I like it quite a bit. I was looking at the 2010 color list and saw that Eclipse Gray was similar, but then found a 2 inch square leaflet in the document pouch. It showed that Dark Silver was indeed the color.

I will get some pictures up as soon as I can (maybe tomorrow). I am curious about lots of stuff. I caught a nail in the center of the left rear tire and went to get it repaired. I noticed that the rear shock had a label that said "FSX." I have no clue. Nothing pops up in a web search. They also looked like they have been there awhile. The dust protector is cracked and they are pretty grimy. Anyway, there is some noise coming from the backend, but I don't know what is normal for aftermarket suspension. I will be seeking advice on what to look at.

I will probably move my questions to another thread, so, as to not take up too much space here. But, thank you again. This MCS is great fun to drive.

tw

 

Quite an improvement on the dog house, me thinks. Hey, maybe a 12V TV/DVD and the dog house will even be better.

I must confess that I can just tell the difference between Gen1 and Gen2 cars, but the small differences between years eludes me. Just need more time. I sure like mine, though.

 

Welcome to the forum, good luck in finding out what all you have on your car, it will be nice to know when people ask.

 

Hello!