Yea the top sits tight and close to the knee dash lower section and that upper center dash cover ( that is colored ).

 

Can a mod move this thread into the R50/R53 forum? Not really an intro anymore. Could whoever does that also change the title to this: "Seth's '03 MCS - Maintenance/Mod Log"? Thanks in advance.

 

Update time. So I tried replacing the window regulator and motor this past Sunday, but all the guides I could find said you needed to have the window lowered to a certain point so you could access the spline gears that hold the window in place to the regulator. I can't lower my window because my motor isn't working. That's the whole reason I'm doing this in the first place. Seems like a design flaw that if your window motor stops working, you can't take anything out because the window will be stuck to the regulator. Just as I was about to pack it in, I decided to try and hit the door frame in front of the window motor with a mallet, something I had read you were supposed to try if the window stopped working and you could still hear the relay clicking. I had already tried this without the door trim panel off the car by beating my hand on the spot the motor would be, but it didn't work so I bought the regulator and motor assuming the motor was the issue. So I bang on the door with the mallet and presto, the window works again. I'm really pretty angry this was the solution to my problem, as I thought I had already tried doing it and now I'm broke because I spent the last $300 I had on these 2 parts. At least my window works again.

I also replaced the other gray down tube and cupholder trim today with the anthracite versions. Now the upper center console is fully anthracite.









Up next will be chrome speedo, tach, and vent trim rings. Then I'll go for anthracite speaker covers for the doors.

Mechanically, the car feels perfectly fine at this point. I just need to watch the P/S pump leak and top that off whenever necessary - and pray it doesn't get worse. I think the window is still on its way out, that mallet just bought me some time. But it seems like I won't be able to replace it myself anyway.

 

Looks great, coming along. Let me know if you need any parts. Sometimes the fonzie trick will work for some time on the window motor until it finally goes.

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...t-working.html

 

So I've been thinking about potential mechanical upgrades to the car now that all of the major mechanical problems are fixed (as far as I know). I'd like to get NAM's thoughts on some components and the order in which they should be installed.

I'll start with a little description of the foreseeable future of the car. I am a full-time student and will be for at least the next two years, so the car is mostly going to be used as a daily commuter to and from school. Beyond that, I might move on to a four-year university for mechanical engineering. I'm not sure if I will have the time to track the car, nor do I know of any tracks/racing events in my area. I think getting the car track-ready might be an interesting endeavour once I get some money, but I don't know if I'll actually be able to race it. For now what I want are components that add some "sportiness" to the car without compromising much on comfort and daily drivability.

For brakes, I think I'd just like something that looks nice and keeps the brake dust down. On stock pads, my brakes act like they can't get over a stomach bug and constantly vomit brake dust. If I had the money, I think I'd go for a 4-piston Wilwood BBK with EBC Redstuff pads. The Wilwoods look awesome, and the drilled/slotted rotors stop awesome. The Redstuff pads keep the brake dust down, which is a major plus for me.

As for suspension, I'm not really interested in dropping the car and "stancing" it with the dumb camber people seem to like. I'm not going to replacing my wheels with aftermarket units because I like the white R85's. I just want something to tighten up the frame as my car came without the sport package, so no stiff suspension like my dad has on his R50. What would you guys recommend for suspension components?

Exhaust is something I want to look at eventually as I do like more aggressive notes and the pops and burbles R53's seem to exude with a less restrictive setup.

As for possible power upgrades, I'll definitely be getting a 15% WMW pulley reduction package at some point and some kind of CAI. A lot of what I read on CAI's leads me to believe most of them are very similar in terms of performance (and that performance gains are minimal anyway) and that the differences come in to play with how much supercharger noise is allowed into the cabin. I think I'd like to get some of that noise, so something like an Alta intake might be what I'm looking for.

If you guys have any other suggestions or clarification questions, please do ask. I'm new to this stuff so any info you have would be super helpful.

 

Suspension was not part of the Sport Package. The Cooper S stock (Sport Suspension Plus) suspension was the stiffest of any model. If the shocks and struts on your car are original they need replacing. A lot of owners replace them with Koni FSDs. Some owners also add a larger (adjustable) rear anti-sway bar for better handling.

 

Huh, I suppose my shocks are pretty worn out then because I don't think my dad's have been replaced with 185k miles and his car feels stiffer than mine. The car drives fine, however, and doesn't pull to any side. I will check out those Koni's, I have heard of them.

 

Koni FSD or Bilstien B4 if you want a good ride close to stock.

 

Can someone please do this? I'd really like some feedback from more people than just the couple who come to thread and I think a lot less people browse the 1st gear threads than the R53 general talk, where this now belongs.

 

Does anyone know if this gray piece has a part number? I can't find it on realoem and I need to get the anthracite version of it.

 

You have to buy the complete door card (51417113431 and 51417113432).

 

Ah that sucks. Well, something to put on the list.

 

Did you replace the Alloy Patina dash with an Anthracite dash?

 

No, not yet. I'm not sure if I want to do that or not.

 

A pricey endeavor to convert the interior trim from alloy patina to anthracite

 

I know, I really just want to get that door piece in alloy patina to match the surround, but that's not possible. I just add anything I think I might want in the future to my list for reference.

 

I think the door pull and surround are attached to the door card with plastic rivets. I know some owners have painted the assembly but I'm not sure what was involved.

 

Yeah, I'm not too worried about it, just something I want to take a look at in the future. I found a passenger door assembly for $95 on eBay but I think I'd rather get OEM for something like that.

 

Yea correct , Its one in all molded piece,

 

love the interior shots

 

Thanks! Still not done in there, I need to find some wooly seat inserts and I'm stuck deciding on whether I should go for chrome trim rings for the gauges/vents or anthracite. I just know that white silver has got to go! Going for a darker/cozier look on the inside and the brighter yellow and white will stay on the outside.

In other news, I just finished a little experiment I was conducting on my last tank of gas. It's left me very confused and wondering if my odometer or wheel speed sensors are messed up somehow. This past tank I've been trying to maximize my fuel economy to see what kind of mileage the car is capable of 100% in the city. The tank before that was also 100% in the city, but I frequently did WOT pulls every time I drove the car and I ended up with 23 MPG. This time around, I short shifted frequently and only went WOT maybe 3-4 times in total. To put that in perspective, I'd guess I normally go wide open around 30-40 times for varying lengths on a normal tank. I filled up tonight after having completely babied the car for 275 miles and I ended up with only a 1.5 MPG gain. I got 24.4 MPG.

Is there something wrong with my car or is that probably accurate? Of course I'm not using the computer for these calculations, they are by hand. I was expecting upper 20's, maybe even hitting the 30 mark if I was lucky at the speed and revs I was keeping the engine at.

 

Without knowing the speed (MPH) you averaged for the tank, it's difficult to say whether your mileage was normal.

When I lived in San Francisco (where City driving means lots of hills and stop signs) I got as low as 17 MPG while averaging 15.5 MPH

I can get 30-35 MPG cruising on the freeway in 6th gear.

 

I suppose I should have mentioned that. My average speed sensor has been only slowly creeping up from an average of 5.5 MPH to 6.5 MPH since I've had it so it's no help

My average city driving is actually quite fast, I'm often cruising at 45-50 MPH in 5th or 6th on my short ~10 minute drive to and from school every day. Beyond school I'd still say my average is 30-40 MPH.

 

Creeping along or going WOT too often will definitely adversely effect your mileage

 

How would creeping along adversely affect my mileage? I wasn't loading the engine by trying to go up hills in 6th at 40 MPH or something, I practically never went over 50% throttle.