Allow myself to introduce . . .
Allow myself to introduce . . .
. . . myself. 
Name: Shannon
Gender: male, baby!
Age: 42
Location: Indianapolis
Occupation: packaging designer
Rides: 2005 MCS, Hyper Blue
The Story:
How about some photos? Everyone likes photos!
The first thing I did was take Jasper (yes, I named the car) to get detailed inside and out. Jasper was driven by a woman who kept it vacuumed but not much else. So as you can imagine the interior had a lot of schmegma in the buttons and switches.
The exterior got a stage 2 polish which really restored the luster of the paint. The engine bay got cleaned as well. So glad I payed someone to do all this. The guy spent 8 hours total!
Things I have done so far:
bought a Bentley service manual
replaced burnt out exterior light bulbs
replaced power steering cooling fan
installed LED interior lights
changed the oil and filter
recharged the K&N drop-in filter
rotated the tires
installed aero upper grill
blacked out the chrome belt line
replaced valve cover gasket
replaced spark plugs, wires, and coil
How he sits now:
Thanks for looking!
Name: Shannon
Gender: male, baby!
Age: 42
Location: Indianapolis
Occupation: packaging designer
Rides: 2005 MCS, Hyper Blue
2007 Subaru Outback
1999 Honda Shadow A.C.E. Tourer
1999 Honda Shadow A.C.E. Tourer
The Story:
The new MINIs always appealed to me, but it wasn't until a year ago that I started getting that itch that just HAD to be scratched. So I did a bunch of research and forum browsing during winter '14-'15 (including NAM, of course).
Then I decided I ought to drive one and see what the experience was like. In February '15 I test drove a '07 MCS at a Ford dealership near my home. Must say I was quite impressed, so I starting searching for one that was more in my price range.
Around the beginning of May '15 I went to check out this '05 Cooper S I found on craigslist. It showed normal signs of wear and had almost 150,000 miles, but overall it was in pretty good shape. I paid for a pre-purchase inspection (PPI) so I could see what I would be getting into, and nothing they found scared me away. So we negotiated the price, shook hands, and he (the car) was mine!
The odometer hit 150k right about the time I took the car home. It was and is daily drive-able, and I have a punch list of needs that was provided by the shop that inspected it. My goal is to chip away at those needs - performing as much as I can by myself. Then when the car has a solid platform of reliability I can start making enhancements.
The previous owner had replaced the clutch and fuel pump within the last year. They had also put on some wider Team Dynamics wheels with Falken tires. The p.o. gave me two additional sets of OE wheels - one that has bad all seasons, and one with a set of bad winter tires. Some of those OE wheels have dings and curb rash. I plan on getting them repaired and getting a new set of snows. But I digest.
Then I decided I ought to drive one and see what the experience was like. In February '15 I test drove a '07 MCS at a Ford dealership near my home. Must say I was quite impressed, so I starting searching for one that was more in my price range.
Around the beginning of May '15 I went to check out this '05 Cooper S I found on craigslist. It showed normal signs of wear and had almost 150,000 miles, but overall it was in pretty good shape. I paid for a pre-purchase inspection (PPI) so I could see what I would be getting into, and nothing they found scared me away. So we negotiated the price, shook hands, and he (the car) was mine!
The odometer hit 150k right about the time I took the car home. It was and is daily drive-able, and I have a punch list of needs that was provided by the shop that inspected it. My goal is to chip away at those needs - performing as much as I can by myself. Then when the car has a solid platform of reliability I can start making enhancements.
The previous owner had replaced the clutch and fuel pump within the last year. They had also put on some wider Team Dynamics wheels with Falken tires. The p.o. gave me two additional sets of OE wheels - one that has bad all seasons, and one with a set of bad winter tires. Some of those OE wheels have dings and curb rash. I plan on getting them repaired and getting a new set of snows. But I digest.
How about some photos? Everyone likes photos!
The first thing I did was take Jasper (yes, I named the car) to get detailed inside and out. Jasper was driven by a woman who kept it vacuumed but not much else. So as you can imagine the interior had a lot of schmegma in the buttons and switches.
The exterior got a stage 2 polish which really restored the luster of the paint. The engine bay got cleaned as well. So glad I payed someone to do all this. The guy spent 8 hours total!
Things I have done so far:
bought a Bentley service manual
replaced burnt out exterior light bulbs
replaced power steering cooling fan
installed LED interior lights
changed the oil and filter
recharged the K&N drop-in filter
rotated the tires
installed aero upper grill
blacked out the chrome belt line
replaced valve cover gasket
replaced spark plugs, wires, and coil
How he sits now:
Thanks for looking!
5th Gear
Joined: Nov 2015
Posts: 963
Likes: 5
From: Formerly "Glacial" ME, now FL, USA
Oh, behave! Good job getting that Mini cleaned up. Especially the smegma. Amazing how good they hold up inside. Something I've always noticed, and the seats don't even show much wear. Wheels and tire size look good in the wells. Fun car. Lots of these getting new homes lately. A good thing.
Is it really that green there now? Nice weather if you can get it this time of year.
Is it really that green there now? Nice weather if you can get it this time of year.
I will be hitting you up soon because I have some plans for Jasper this winter.
I already have a brand new set of Koni FSDs - still in the box. But there are other things I will need.
pads & rotors
bushings
motor mount
I forget what else (I have a list at home. lol)
Originally Posted by MiniRoadstah
Oh, behave! Good job getting that Mini cleaned up. Especially the smegma. Amazing how good they hold up inside. Something I've always noticed, and the seats don't even show much wear. Wheels and tire size look good in the wells. Fun car. Lots of these getting new homes lately. A good thing.
Is it really that green there now? Nice weather if you can get it this time of year.
Oh, behave! Good job getting that Mini cleaned up. Especially the smegma. Amazing how good they hold up inside. Something I've always noticed, and the seats don't even show much wear. Wheels and tire size look good in the wells. Fun car. Lots of these getting new homes lately. A good thing.
Is it really that green there now? Nice weather if you can get it this time of year.
Thank you, MiniRoadstah!
There is a rip in the driver's seat. Not too bad, but I plan on having it fixed some day. Not real high on my to-do list.
I do like the wheels. They were originally white, and the p.o. rattle-canned them black. They did an alright job, but there are some chips in the paint. I plan on getting the wheels powder-coated over this winter, and I've been trying to decide on a color. Originally, I was going to stay with black, but now I'm thinking like a flat aluminum/alloy.
As far as the weather - yeah! It's been unseasonably warm, and my lawn is still green.
But when the snow starts flying, I'll put the winter set on my Outback and plow right through it!
I've spent enough time on forums to know that errrrrbody likes pictures!
I seriously cannot stop laughing. I read the title and when I clicked and saw that, I 
. What a great thread to start the day. I'm into Subaru's as well (have an STi). Jasper is a great looking R53. While you work at fixing it up, we have some great DIY help that can be useful to you. If you need any parts be sure to let me know as I am here to help.
. What a great thread to start the day. I'm into Subaru's as well (have an STi). Jasper is a great looking R53. While you work at fixing it up, we have some great DIY help that can be useful to you. If you need any parts be sure to let me know as I am here to help.
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Trending Topics
. . . myself.
Name: Shannon
Gender: male, baby!
Age: 42
Location: Indianapolis
Occupation: packaging designer
Rides: 2005 MCS, Hyper Blue
The Story:
How about some photos? Everyone likes photos!
The first thing I did was take Jasper (yes, I named the car) to get detailed inside and out. Jasper was driven by a woman who kept it vacuumed but not much else. So as you can imagine the interior had a lot of schmegma in the buttons and switches.
The exterior got a stage 2 polish which really restored the luster of the paint. The engine bay got cleaned as well. So glad I payed someone to do all this. The guy spent 8 hours total!
Things I have done so far:
bought a Bentley service manual
replaced burnt out exterior light bulbs
replaced power steering cooling fan
installed LED interior lights
changed the oil and filter
recharged the K&N drop-in filter
rotated the tires
installed aero upper grill
blacked out the chrome belt line
replaced valve cover gasket
replaced spark plugs, wires, and coil
How he sits now:
Thanks for looking!
Name: Shannon
Gender: male, baby!
Age: 42
Location: Indianapolis
Occupation: packaging designer
Rides: 2005 MCS, Hyper Blue
2007 Subaru Outback
1999 Honda Shadow A.C.E. Tourer
1999 Honda Shadow A.C.E. Tourer
The Story:
The new MINIs always appealed to me, but it wasn't until a year ago that I started getting that itch that just HAD to be scratched. So I did a bunch of research and forum browsing during winter '14-'15 (including NAM, of course).
Then I decided I ought to drive one and see what the experience was like. In February '15 I test drove a '07 MCS at a Ford dealership near my home. Must say I was quite impressed, so I starting searching for one that was more in my price range.
Around the beginning of May '15 I went to check out this '05 Cooper S I found on craigslist. It showed normal signs of wear and had almost 150,000 miles, but overall it was in pretty good shape. I paid for a pre-purchase inspection (PPI) so I could see what I would be getting into, and nothing they found scared me away. So we negotiated the price, shook hands, and he (the car) was mine!
The odometer hit 150k right about the time I took the car home. It was and is daily drive-able, and I have a punch list of needs that was provided by the shop that inspected it. My goal is to chip away at those needs - performing as much as I can by myself. Then when the car has a solid platform of reliability I can start making enhancements.
The previous owner had replaced the clutch and fuel pump within the last year. They had also put on some wider Team Dynamics wheels with Falken tires. The p.o. gave me two additional sets of OE wheels - one that has bad all seasons, and one with a set of bad winter tires. Some of those OE wheels have dings and curb rash. I plan on getting them repaired and getting a new set of snows. But I digest.
Then I decided I ought to drive one and see what the experience was like. In February '15 I test drove a '07 MCS at a Ford dealership near my home. Must say I was quite impressed, so I starting searching for one that was more in my price range.
Around the beginning of May '15 I went to check out this '05 Cooper S I found on craigslist. It showed normal signs of wear and had almost 150,000 miles, but overall it was in pretty good shape. I paid for a pre-purchase inspection (PPI) so I could see what I would be getting into, and nothing they found scared me away. So we negotiated the price, shook hands, and he (the car) was mine!
The odometer hit 150k right about the time I took the car home. It was and is daily drive-able, and I have a punch list of needs that was provided by the shop that inspected it. My goal is to chip away at those needs - performing as much as I can by myself. Then when the car has a solid platform of reliability I can start making enhancements.
The previous owner had replaced the clutch and fuel pump within the last year. They had also put on some wider Team Dynamics wheels with Falken tires. The p.o. gave me two additional sets of OE wheels - one that has bad all seasons, and one with a set of bad winter tires. Some of those OE wheels have dings and curb rash. I plan on getting them repaired and getting a new set of snows. But I digest.
How about some photos? Everyone likes photos!
The first thing I did was take Jasper (yes, I named the car) to get detailed inside and out. Jasper was driven by a woman who kept it vacuumed but not much else. So as you can imagine the interior had a lot of schmegma in the buttons and switches.
The exterior got a stage 2 polish which really restored the luster of the paint. The engine bay got cleaned as well. So glad I payed someone to do all this. The guy spent 8 hours total!
Things I have done so far:
bought a Bentley service manual
replaced burnt out exterior light bulbs
replaced power steering cooling fan
installed LED interior lights
changed the oil and filter
recharged the K&N drop-in filter
rotated the tires
installed aero upper grill
blacked out the chrome belt line
replaced valve cover gasket
replaced spark plugs, wires, and coil
How he sits now:
Thanks for looking!
Welcome, nice combo the anthracite interior parts , downtubes, trims are nice ! Love the hyper blue was almost going to get that for my convertible R52.
" installed LED interior lights " That one of the first most helpful mods especially getting in and out of the car at night.
Looks very clean and you have a tiny bit of hazing on the taillights, not too bad. Mine did this and I just swapped out for MINI Euro Taillights.
__________________
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Milltek | Genuine MINI | Forge Motorsport | NM Engineering | ECS Performance | M7 Speed
Customer Service Hours: 8am-8pm EST|Sales Team Hours: 8am-11pm | SAT 10am-7pm 800.924.5172
MINI Guru/ MINI Owner Since 2004 | NEW Lifetime Part Replacement | Local Pickup
Milltek | Genuine MINI | Forge Motorsport | NM Engineering | ECS Performance | M7 Speed
Customer Service Hours: 8am-8pm EST|Sales Team Hours: 8am-11pm | SAT 10am-7pm 800.924.5172
Welcome, and congratulations... that looks great inside and out for a 150K car! Do you have any before detail pics?
Looks like the strut towers might have slight mushrooming so look into some strut tower plates. Also, I'm not sure if it's just the lighting in the pic, but is the lens on the wiper stalk red?
Looks like the strut towers might have slight mushrooming so look into some strut tower plates. Also, I'm not sure if it's just the lighting in the pic, but is the lens on the wiper stalk red?
Thanks, ECSTuning!
Yeah, last year I put LEDs in my Outback's interior and license plate lights. It really is a cheap and easy upgrade.
Having lurked here for a while, I appreciate that you vendors often chime in and give good advice to us newbs. Keep up the good work!
Yeah, last year I put LEDs in my Outback's interior and license plate lights. It really is a cheap and easy upgrade.
Having lurked here for a while, I appreciate that you vendors often chime in and give good advice to us newbs. Keep up the good work!
Welcome, when you can see what you are doing at night, its helps, plus it looks allot cleaner like LEDs should have been there in the first place
I am glad to help whenever I can.
__________________
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Milltek | Genuine MINI | Forge Motorsport | NM Engineering | ECS Performance | M7 Speed
Customer Service Hours: 8am-8pm EST|Sales Team Hours: 8am-11pm | SAT 10am-7pm 800.924.5172
MINI Guru/ MINI Owner Since 2004 | NEW Lifetime Part Replacement | Local Pickup
Milltek | Genuine MINI | Forge Motorsport | NM Engineering | ECS Performance | M7 Speed
Customer Service Hours: 8am-8pm EST|Sales Team Hours: 8am-11pm | SAT 10am-7pm 800.924.5172
I seriously cannot stop laughing. I read the title and when I clicked and saw that, I . What a great thread to start the day. I'm into Subaru's as well (have an STi). Jasper is a great looking R53. While you work at fixing it up, we have some great DIY help that can be useful to you. If you need any parts be sure to let me know as I am here to help.
. What a great thread to start the day. I'm into Subaru's as well (have an STi). Jasper is a great looking R53. While you work at fixing it up, we have some great DIY help that can be useful to you. If you need any parts be sure to let me know as I am here to help. I had a bugeye wagon for a while, but I had to sell her because I didn't have the budget to keep making improvements. In retrospect, I could have kept her - I got a better job about a year after she sold. I just would have had to park her for a while to save money.
This is her. She still lives near me. Maybe I can buy her back some day!
She had KYB struts with Mach V springs. Kartboy short shifter+bushings. That's about it for mods - other than cosmetic. And I repaired a lot of little things: replaced a CV axle, ball joints, front wheel bearings, one steering knuckle, etc.
Thank you!
Welcome, and congratulations... that looks great inside and out for a 150K car! Do you have any before detail pics?
Looks like the strut towers might have slight mushrooming so look into some strut tower plates. Also, I'm not sure if it's just the lighting in the pic, but is the lens on the wiper stalk red?
Looks like the strut towers might have slight mushrooming so look into some strut tower plates. Also, I'm not sure if it's just the lighting in the pic, but is the lens on the wiper stalk red?
Aaand yes, the lens on the stalk IS red. I’ve been meaning to read up on that. Does it light up when the washer fluid is low or something?
This is when I picked him up from the p.o.
I'll put some before and after pics here:
Before the detail:
The A-pillar, before and after:
Engine bay, before and after:
Passenger door, before:
I got a "budget kit" from Mach V Motorsports, AKA FastMINI. It was about $85 shipped, but much easier than going to brick-and-mortar stores looking for the right bulbs.
When I was switching to LED interiors in the Outback, I would get bulbs from Walmart because they're the cheapest. But no single Walmart had ALL of the bulbs I needed. So it took me a couple weeks of hitting different stores to get all of them. I saved money, but it was kind of a hassle.
You did not see our Ziza kits, they have all the bulbs plus the glove box, puddle, vanity and trunk light. Also with a nice PDF install sheet We also have lic plate and potions marker leds.
We also have lic plate and potions marker leds.
__________________
MINI Guru/ MINI Owner Since 2004 | NEW Lifetime Part Replacement | Local Pickup
Milltek | Genuine MINI | Forge Motorsport | NM Engineering | ECS Performance | M7 Speed
Customer Service Hours: 8am-8pm EST|Sales Team Hours: 8am-11pm | SAT 10am-7pm 800.924.5172
MINI Guru/ MINI Owner Since 2004 | NEW Lifetime Part Replacement | Local Pickup
Milltek | Genuine MINI | Forge Motorsport | NM Engineering | ECS Performance | M7 Speed
Customer Service Hours: 8am-8pm EST|Sales Team Hours: 8am-11pm | SAT 10am-7pm 800.924.5172
You did not see our Ziza kits, they have all the bulbs plus the glove box, puddle, vanity and trunk light. Also with a nice PDF install sheet We also have lic plate and potions marker leds.
We also have lic plate and potions marker leds.edit: I didn't change the vanity bulbs. Not a big deal for me.
That's ok, if you need and other Ziza leds we have let m know if you need help on the install. We have reverse lights for the 7/2004+ also. When I back up you can actually see.
Yes that's my R52 . 
__________________
MINI Guru/ MINI Owner Since 2004 | NEW Lifetime Part Replacement | Local Pickup
Milltek | Genuine MINI | Forge Motorsport | NM Engineering | ECS Performance | M7 Speed
Customer Service Hours: 8am-8pm EST|Sales Team Hours: 8am-11pm | SAT 10am-7pm 800.924.5172
MINI Guru/ MINI Owner Since 2004 | NEW Lifetime Part Replacement | Local Pickup
Milltek | Genuine MINI | Forge Motorsport | NM Engineering | ECS Performance | M7 Speed
Customer Service Hours: 8am-8pm EST|Sales Team Hours: 8am-11pm | SAT 10am-7pm 800.924.5172
The car looked good in the pre pics for 157K, and great after the detail. I was wondering about the red lens because the wiper side is normally yellow for the wiper fluid warning light. The red lens is usually on the turn signal when the factory alarm is installed.
Nice! Sedan or hatchback?
I had a bugeye wagon for a while, but I had to sell her because I didn't have the budget to keep making improvements. In retrospect, I could have kept her - I got a better job about a year after she sold. I just would have had to park her for a while to save money.
This is her. She still lives near me. Maybe I can buy her back some day!
I guess I went from one blue bugeye to another.
And they both have hood scoops!
I had a bugeye wagon for a while, but I had to sell her because I didn't have the budget to keep making improvements. In retrospect, I could have kept her - I got a better job about a year after she sold. I just would have had to park her for a while to save money.
This is her. She still lives near me. Maybe I can buy her back some day!
I guess I went from one blue bugeye to another.
And they both have hood scoops!
). He's fully built and a bit of a track rat now. I had an '02 bugeye sedan before my STi. Loved that thing. Yours looked super clean! You should definitely consider buying her back in the future. You sure did! Which is pretty funny if you actually think about it. If you buy her back you'll have two! 
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First gen USDM STi, so the blobeye or peanut eye, chestnut eye (so many variations ). He's fully built and a bit of a track rat now. I had an '02 bugeye sedan before my STi. Loved that thing. Yours looked super clean! You should definitely consider buying her back in the future. You sure did! Which is pretty funny if you actually think about it. If you buy her back you'll have two!
). He's fully built and a bit of a track rat now. I had an '02 bugeye sedan before my STi. Loved that thing. Yours looked super clean! You should definitely consider buying her back in the future. You sure did! Which is pretty funny if you actually think about it. If you buy her back you'll have two! And yeah, my old bugeye was pretty solid. It still had a lot of room for improvement, but it was reliable and fun to drive. At least I know that the current owner has continued to give it love!
Gah! I should shoot him a text. You know - just to keep in touch.
The red lens/light is usually only on the blinker stalk when the alarm is installed from the factory, or dealer.
I was thinking of just buying the stalk for now because I read this in the following post "...Already had the light stalk with the red indicator btw anyone looking for a visual deterrent this will do; mine worked when I installed it with no programming as it came pre-programmed to work."
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ml#post4144013
ECS has it for around $75. The rest of the alarm retrofit kit is over $200, plus you need to code your car for it to work.
Maybe the red washer fluid indicator is from the pre face-lift MINI's.
I was thinking of just buying the stalk for now because I read this in the following post "...Already had the light stalk with the red indicator btw anyone looking for a visual deterrent this will do; mine worked when I installed it with no programming as it came pre-programmed to work."
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ml#post4144013
ECS has it for around $75. The rest of the alarm retrofit kit is over $200, plus you need to code your car for it to work.
Maybe the red washer fluid indicator is from the pre face-lift MINI's.
Your "track rat" sounds great, and I wish I had one. One of my goals is to autoX the MINI next year. I've never autoX'd, but I bet the MINI can kill it. I mean, even with wore out shocks and bushings, Jasper really loves the on ramps and twisty roads. Gnome sayin?
And yeah, my old bugeye was pretty solid. It still had a lot of room for improvement, but it was reliable and fun to drive. At least I know that the current owner has continued to give it love!
Gah! I should shoot him a text. You know - just to keep in touch.
And yeah, my old bugeye was pretty solid. It still had a lot of room for improvement, but it was reliable and fun to drive. At least I know that the current owner has continued to give it love!
Gah! I should shoot him a text. You know - just to keep in touch.
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