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1st GearNew members: make an initial post and introduce yourself as you shift from Neutral to First Gear. Current members: meet some of the new members.
I'm brand new to the forum. Just bought an R53 Mini with a little over 100k miles on it and figured I should join a forum.
I've spent my entire driving life with Civics and Corollas, which were great, reliable cars, but not fun in the least. I was looking for something to replace my old Honda, and I wanted something fun, unique and lightweight. The R53 fit the bill perfectly.
I don't know much about the car - have never worked on anything other than Japanese and American cars - so I'm excited to play with it.
Welcome to NAM and congratulations! Loving the chrome mirror caps. We have a ton of great DIY tech articles on our site, which can help you work on your MINI. Just go HERE and click on the "tech info" tab at the top. Is it currently all stock? What are you plans for it?
@PelicanParts thanks for the link. Looks like you guys have everything you could think of on there. I'm sure I will be using lots of those DIY links. It is bone stock right now. First thing is to replace the Mini logos on the wheels. I just ordered those. Considering plasti-dipping the wheels too - I like the pattern, but the finish is wearing off of the alloys in a few spots.
@PelicanParts thanks for the link. Looks like you guys have everything you could think of on there. I'm sure I will be using lots of those DIY links. It is bone stock right now. First thing is to replace the Mini logos on the wheels. I just ordered those. Considering plasti-dipping the wheels too - I like the pattern, but the finish is wearing off of the alloys in a few spots.
@TrueEddie Thanks! GO Gators! Are you alumni?
You're very welcome. If you ever need any help please don't hesitate to let me know. Plastidip is a good alternative if you're wanting to change up the wheel color here and there. Have you ever thought about rattle can painting them for a more permanent fix? I've done this more than a few times with friends wheels. It works pretty well.
I'm brand new to the forum. Just bought an R53 Mini with a little over 100k miles on it and figured I should join a forum.
I've spent my entire driving life with Civics and Corollas, which were great, reliable cars, but not fun in the least. I was looking for something to replace my old Honda, and I wanted something fun, unique and lightweight. The R53 fit the bill perfectly.
I don't know much about the car - have never worked on anything other than Japanese and American cars - so I'm excited to play with it.
Welcome. Not too hard to work on, does have it quirks It you need anything let me know. 2 MINI owner here to help.
Looks like the headlight are a little faded ? Those wheel are R84 X lite wheel
Those wheels look great! I was actually thinking about doing a gunmetal color. So that image is right up my alley. I've done a headlight restoration with a nice 3M kit since I took the photos. So they look a lot better.
You're very welcome. If you ever need any help please don't hesitate to let me know. Plastidip is a good alternative if you're wanting to change up the wheel color here and there. Have you ever thought about rattle can painting them for a more permanent fix? I've done this more than a few times with friends wheels. It works pretty well.
Those wheels look great! I was actually thinking about doing a gunmetal color. So that image is right up my alley. I've done a headlight restoration with a nice 3M kit since I took the photos. So they look a lot better.
Great, yea the HL in FL get toasted on the sun. Glad i can help.
That sun toasting thing sounds pretty good about now. It was -7 degrees here this morning. Sun's just not toasting anything yet... only up to 12 degrees by midday.
Civics weren't that bad to drive, were they? Mini's blow by just about any other car in driving fun factor levels!! Mega smile induction systems.
Gunmetal or dark titanium gray on those wheels would look really great on your silver Mini.
That sun toasting thing sounds pretty good about now. It was -7 degrees here this morning. Sun's just not toasting anything yet... only up to 12 degrees by midday.
We are in some crazy heat wave right now. Been high 80's all week. Supposed to be in the 90's by Sunday/Monday.
Gunmetal or dark titanium gray on those wheels would look really great on your silver Mini
Or Bronze! I've been seeing that wheel color show up a lot lately and it sure does look good. It'll contrast on his MINI color very nicely.
We are in some crazy heat wave right now. Been high 80's all week. Supposed to be in the 90's by Sunday/Monday.
Or Bronze! I've been seeing that wheel color show up a lot lately and it sure does look good. It'll contrast on his MINI color very nicely.
Winters keep getting crazier. In 21 years here in Maine, I have to say without any reservation, that this is by far the worst Winter for skiing (Alpine and Nordic) we have experienced. We get a little snow in the mountains and then it melts and we get a little more and it melts again. We might have 3 to 5 inches of natural snow cover on the mountain summits at this point. I normally get 25-40 ski days in a year. I've gotten as many as 60 days. My average has been falling off the last 10 years and so far this year I've only gone skiing 5 times due to really poor conditions. Still hoping for some big snow before it gets warm enough to get the bicycle out.
I'm going to have to find a more reliable Winter sport.
Yes! Bronze would look good on a silver car. I saw a silver BRZ last Winter with a set of fairly massive bronze wheels and it made an impression right away.
Winters keep getting crazier. In 21 years here in Maine, I have to say without any reservation, that this is by far the worst Winter for skiing (Alpine and Nordic) we have experienced. We get a little snow in the mountains and then it melts and we get a little more and it melts again. We might have 3 to 5 inches of natural snow cover on the mountain summits at this point. I normally get 25-40 ski days in a year. I've gotten as many as 60 days. My average has been falling off the last 10 years and so far this year I've only gone skiing 5 times due to really poor conditions. Still hoping for some big snow before it gets warm enough to get the bicycle out.
I'm going to have to find a more reliable Winter sport.
Yes! Bronze would look good on a silver car. I saw a silver BRZ last Winter with a set of fairly massive bronze wheels and it made an impression right away.
And this is why I live in Florida - it was 60F and beautiful out today. Of course its 98F in August, but I try not to think about that during the rest of the year.
Anyone know of another way to re-charge the key on an R53? I read in the manual that the battery in the key is supposed to re-charge itself when you drive, but mine is just staying dead. I commute about 15 miles one way with an average speed of 60 mph every day. I would have thought that would be enough to give it some juice...
And this is why I live in Florida - it was 60F and beautiful out today. Of course its 98F in August, but I try not to think about that during the rest of the year.
I know about that nice Winter season you have down there. Lots of family in Tampa/Orlando/Miami. Even lived there a little while a long time ago.
Visit down there quite a bit. Spent end of May through mid July last year helping out family. May was OK, but the rest of the time was a little warm. It wasn't the 98F part. It was the humidity part. But other than Summer, it is nice down there.
Anyone know of another way to re-charge the key on an R53? I read in the manual that the battery in the key is supposed to re-charge itself when you drive, but mine is just staying dead. I commute about 15 miles one way with an average speed of 60 mph every day. I would have thought that would be enough to give it some juice...
Winters keep getting crazier. In 21 years here in Maine, I have to say without any reservation, that this is by far the worst Winter for skiing (Alpine and Nordic) we have experienced. We get a little snow in the mountains and then it melts and we get a little more and it melts again. We might have 3 to 5 inches of natural snow cover on the mountain summits at this point. I normally get 25-40 ski days in a year. I've gotten as many as 60 days. My average has been falling off the last 10 years and so far this year I've only gone skiing 5 times due to really poor conditions. Still hoping for some big snow before it gets warm enough to get the bicycle out.
I'm going to have to find a more reliable Winter sport.
Yes! Bronze would look good on a silver car. I saw a silver BRZ last Winter with a set of fairly massive bronze wheels and it made an impression right away.
That's a bummer. The skiing in Colorado, thankfully, is usually pretty good. It's been a good year this year, but there are definitely those years where the snow could be better. I remember when ski hills were able to make it to or even after July 4th. We used to have a big BBQ July 4th at Arapahoe Basin.
I was also thinking that copper would look good too. A bit of a darker copper. Silver is great because you have a lot of wheel choice colors.
That's a bummer. The skiing in Colorado, thankfully, is usually pretty good. It's been a good year this year, but there are definitely those years where the snow could be better. I remember when ski hills were able to make it to or even after July 4th. We used to have a big BBQ July 4th at Arapahoe Basin.
I skied at Arapahoe Basin as late as June 2nd one year. And it wasn't even that good a snow year out there back then. Glad to hear you're getting a better Winter! Someone has to. Some of the ski areas in the Northwest weren't even able to open the last couple of years, or if they did open, it was only for about a week. They're finally having a pretty good year up there as well.
We're getting torrential rain right now and temperature's up to 44.1F at moment. Raining all the way up to the top of the mountains. Can't buy snow out here this year without getting rain or a big warm up right afterwards. We're still skiing, but conditions are not that much fun. Still hoping for snow from the next storm this coming weekend. All we can do at present.
