Hello, i was in the market for a honda civic si and a vw gti with dsg. I drove both of them and i was finally going to go buy one. I went to honda and i drove the si and it was weak and everyone has one. I drove the gti i loved the car but it did look like a mini van.

Long story short i spotted the mini and started to chuckle because it just looks funny , drove it and i purchased it. I don't know much about minis but it had low miles and i got it for a good price.

It has exhaust , oz rims and front and back strut bars with 58k miles .





I would appreciate if i can get some info about the minis and what to look for , thanks
R_G

 

Nice car, congrats and welcome! You'll find all sorts of information here!

 

Welcome. Nice car, and great color. It's a little too late for "what to look for" I think. It's yours now!

I know what you mean - it's hard to get past the looks. Even for a vintage British (and other) car enthusiast such as myself. But one drive, and I was sold.

 

The best approach here, as in any forum, is to start reading the threads! It takes a bit of time and effort, but the rewards are large. It'll take a while, however, before you know it, you'll be joining in and adding good advice based on you personal experiences. It's like most things in life, you get back what you put into it!!

 

Haha, yes it's to late. I was asking about Service issues. I been reading a lot on them but I wanted to know is if the cars came from factory with Dinan exhaust and intake box that has Dinan on it if that is stock or not.

 

very quick look yeilds a DINAN badge in place of the Cooper one on the boot

you want to look into this as the DINAN upgrades are desirable (?) ... looking at the exhaust it appears you have that upgrade at a minimum . . . . and you obviously have after market wheels. I'll guess you do not have run flats or a spare so think NOW how you will handle a flat tire . . .

 

I just purchased the car on Saturday . I been looking in too Run flats that offer good grip. I have triple A while I choose/look for run flats.

The car has Dinan front strut and rear. The air filter box has Dinan on it as well. My question is are they desirable upgrades and are they good ?
Does any one know if this forum works with Tapatalk?

 

Welcome aboard. Good Luck

 

You're the first I've heard ask about tapatalk so I'm not sure if this forum supports it yet.
Post another question on it and someone more literate in electronics than me will give you a response.
Oh and nice car and welcome to NAM.

 

Tapatalk makes its super easy sharing pics , navigating forums and a lot more using a smartphone .

Also does any one know if they make clear bra for the mini that won't yellow over time or look like orange peel .

 

If you go to FORUMS under General Mini Talk, pull that up and then do a search (in the right hand side of screen) for clear bra there's lots of threads where folks have installed them.
Searching this site is ok, just have to be in correct forum.
I assume you know your car is a 1st gen.

 

Nice car!! Same as mine

Check to make sure that the Bypass Valve is closing all the way. When I got mine the car felt a little sluggish.....I found that the spring in the BPV was weak, and was not allowing the supercharger to build boost like it should. I replaced the BVP with a Detroit Tuned unit...and WOW, it was a whole new car, it felt like it gained 50hp!

Other than that, I would check the front lower control arm bushings, and give it a oil and filter change. Enjoy the car...I love mine!!

 

Thanks i will definitely check on it

 

just found out my car is a single cam, dang(The first gen's). Oh well, i still like the little car, mpg is kind of horrible but oh well, it's just money. The car is fun tho

 

Umm, that is most certainly NOT a bad thing!!!!!

Yes, a 2nd gen will yield better MPG, but think about the extra gas you will be putting into the loaner while the r56 having the camchain tensioner repaired for the second time, or routine head decoking....

Edit: I apologize in advance if I hurt anyone's little feelings with that last brash sentence. First gens are certainly without their issues. After doing the Midlands to Getrag swap, I know this all too well.

 

Oh, and to answer OP's question, that Dinan equipment could possibly have been dealer installed, but NO, they didn't come that way. It's all aftermarket. As to whether it's good or not depends on what you want out of the car. If you want "improved touring," (who doesn't?) then it's very good. Dinan is quality stuff.

 

I feel better now. Thanks

 

That's good to hear, as I don't really want to mod the car. It's perfect the way it is with the exhaust and what ever else it has. I drove another r53 2005(stock) and mine feels faster. So I'm happy.