Just purchased 1stGEN 06 R53 Hardtop S manual, blue body, white top...keep'in it simple....First things first, in military, NAVY, 11yrs strong. Always loved BMW performance, now enjoying something smaller than my E65 745li..Love to MOD, so I will be on here a lot...Thanks GUYS

 

Welcome aboard (this is an Army guys's attempt to make a Navy guy feels at home). I am on my second MINI R52(convertible) JCW and I have modded mine pretty heavily. I learned a lot on my first one and applied those lessons to my current one. There are a lot of traps in the modding process. If I had gained the amount of HP claimed for every mod I did on my first one I would have about a bazillion HP on that one. HP Claims are overstated by a huge margin. On my second one I did not fall for any gimmicks. I have spent less and achieved more as a result. Feel free to share your goals and I will do my best to steer you in the right direction. Where are you located?

 

located in Jax, FL...Like your sign. photo, clean car...i am going to get mine tinted all black (LIMO) next weekend, baby steps..LOL

 

Welcome! You chose the right car to modify and enjoy. You'll find a whole host of fun stuff to do to your car at sites like ours, and lots of information on these pages.

 

A journey of a thousand miles starts with the first step. There is really no end to modding your MINI. You just have to identify your goals and budget and work within those parameters.

I like the tinting option and I think it would make your car look great. I wont be tinting mine because I mostly drive with the top down and when it gets really cold I roll all my windows up and I think the tinting looks bad in that scenario.

Helix is a great resource for advice, parts and service. If you need any help with installation of parts closer to Jax another option is Maitland Imports. They are also very experienced MINI people.

 

@helix13mini: Thanks for the resource and information, much appreciated...

@swimbaxter: i agree with you about the convertible and tint, i will be contacting you if any questions, i am also going to remove my grill driving lights, i want that sleek look, not baja

 

Cool! I'm new this week too. Enjoy the ride! Go Navy! Beat Army!!

 

@Paul, welcome bro...GO NAVY....

 

Ughh... I am going to be sick if this turns into a Go Navy thread

 

Haha, nah I am down representing for now...LOL...wait..wait........GO NAVY!!... Ok now I am done

 

Yah, I'm done. Just have to cheer for 5 generations of Navy. All officers, including an admiral, my uncle.What the heck 150 years ago...pass the rum and turn north when you can, savvy. Sorry, I'm proud of it. got aced out of Anapolis at the last cut and did ROTC at Oregon State Univ. Oh, the stories...Just look at Gomer Pyle reruns.. Oh well. Loving the mIni! Now driving a bit this this new week with Mini-me:, creams the old Rx-7 (1980) or the 89 Honda CRX-si. Both different, ...both lose! What a ride. I stay in the lines! But hell, they're all straight! Ha! Now time to calm down. What a fun few new days!

Pau;

 

Itty bits./ How does one tell one year from another? I used to be a VW Bug guy long ago, and still can just point out to my son which is a 56 through 76. I had a '73 super Beattle. Nice until an old lady rear ended me 25 years ago. No protection on those old gals. I had years of Chiropractics. still not quite right Got my RX-7 in 1993 to compare to the now '05 Mini. Mini wins! How do I tell Mini year from year?. I know there's sneaky things. Money on the table with my 17 year old son on. so I need hints! Thanks!