After 12 years I am now back in a MINI! I originally bought a new 2004 'justa' after being misled about the availability of pepper white for 2005 (I was going to order a stripped S in pepper - but ended up in the justa because I couldn't afford anything else on the lot). Not much additional engine performance to be had cheaply at the time but I did a rear bar, lowering springs and some 17" wheels during the 3 years I had it. I changed jobs and really couldn't justify the $425 per month payment for a 10 mile / day commute, so I sold it.

Fast forward to Spring 2018, and coming down the home stretch of an addition we built on our house, I started looking for a new toy...I briefly toyed with a 2nd gen but came back to a 1st gen pretty quickly. I am now the caretaker of a 2005 MCS with 119k. No pics but it is dark silver with black roof and S-heavies, so pretty standard fare. Over the last few weekends I have replaced the clutch (valeo single mass), serviced the supercharger, replaced: rear main, crank position, trans input and some other leaking gaskets and seals. I also installed new axles, ball joints, clutch slave, a new water pump, and 17% pulley, and a 27mm front bar while it was in pieces! I have receipts from the PO that document replacement of the power steering pump and fan, as well as LCA bushings (twice!) so didn't feel the need to go there. I buttoned it up yesterday, refilled all of the fluids and took it around the block to "make sure".

On the to do list for Fall / Winter: boost gauge, O2 sensors, 22mm rear bar, coilovers (tbd), ATI crank pulley and new tensioner assembly and a new stereo headunit for hands free phone use via bluetooth. Long term wants include a big valve head / cam / tuning, exhaust, lightweight wheels / performance tires, and some better seats. Once I get to something worth seeing, I will take some pics. Until then, it's good to be back and I am looking forward to the excellent tech support and camaraderie that NAM had always been know for!

 

Hi and welcome back to the Mini and especially a gen 1, minidryver!
2005 and 2006 are my absolute favorite Mini's and arguably the best they ever built. They are raw, they are handling monsters, they are fun and they are small, with big room inside (big boy here).
Congrats on getting back into the Mini you wanted in the first place! We hope it is everything you wanted!
Now show us some pics and what you are doing to it!

 

Welcome Back

 

Congrats on the 05 MCS and good job on the maintenance work. How does it feel after all the work was done?

 

So far so good. The trans shifts a bit smoother and the clutch pedal is far lighter. The roads have been wet so I haven't really pushed it in the turns yet, but there seems to be a tighter feel to the steering/suspension with the new ball joints. Now to put some miles on the new clutch before finding out what the 17% pulley offers...

 

Nice

 

Nice, welcome back!