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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.
My wife and I have been R53 owners since 2008. Her is an '04, mine is an '03. Both Manual, both driven like stolen since purchased, both set for a long line of fixes and upgrades.
I was raised by a mechanic, earned my first car ('78 Toyota Celica GT) by rebuilding the carb and replacing the rear wheel bearing and clutch with hand tools. I finally have a garage where I can put these 2 minis through the paces. Looking forward to meeting you all, and enjoying a new chapter of R53 ownership!
Okay, asked and answered. Here's a shot of the brat pack. Sorry for the setup, they're both in terrible need of a bath/paint refresh, and need a longer space for a glamour shot. "Roscoe" is the black '03. He's mine. "Betty" is the red '04 and belongs to the wife. Both cars are sporting post facelift Superchargers, upgraded pulleys (Me 17%, her 15%) and Valeo SMF clutches. I even have another '05 SC sitting in the garage which had been replaced in 2016. Last fall I was on a road trip and it started making what I thought was the PTO gear death knell, but it turns out that the snout coupler decided to grenade instead, something my guys had never seen on the M45. It still cost me a whole supercharger install when it happened, but the PTO gears are sound, and rebuilding the snout isn't nearly as brutal as rebuilding the PTO gears, and if one of my current units die, I can just do a straight snout swap. There's a small peace of mind in that. The local shop is still on the lookout for a snout to just hand over so we'll see.
We are currently trying to sell our condo, so my hands are kinda tied for the moment. But when that finally happens, I have an entire laundry list of upgrades for both cars, starting with handling and suspension, then moving on to make the engines breath fire. Gotta get the power transfer dialed first. They both already break traction on command.
Swaybars are first, of course.
Wife already has the newer tranny, so I'm getting her the black R90 17" rims, and I get an '06 tranny and will add an LSD since I'll already have it out (She'll want an LSD eventually too, but not in this round). Performance tires next. Then coil overs and tower braces.
After that, the milder engine stuff: Cat Back, CAI.
Next phase will be injectors, header and cam with a tune.
I'm not really sure about the Head unit at this point. We don't track our cars, but we certainly drive them like maniacs most of the time, and she's really interested in the odd rally/autox open track day once dialed in. Problem is that we both tend to stay in the mid range for the most part, so I don't know what type of head will be of the most benefit on a daily basis for our driving style. Been doing a lot of research, and expect to do a whole lot more.
One advantage of getting into tuning these cars so late in the game is that most of the best upgrades are still around. The wheat has been separated from the chaff, so to speak, so there won't be a ton of trial and error on my part. I hate to waste money for no return.
My biggest complaint in all of this is that I have to budget for 2 of everything. There's no way in hell the wife will let me have a better car. LOL!
Hi again! Both look great and I am glad you showed them, even though they are in winter mode!
Are you moving to a place with a larger garage? I mean Minis' are like kids and need their own rooms! And of course a nice working space!
@WayMotorWorks I've already ordered some "go fast" goodies and tools from you, and look to order a whole lot more as time and budget allows. You have always been awesome for our needs (and wants). Please keep doing what you do!
@ItsmeWayne Fully feel you on "Winter Mode" A full on detail is in order. I just can't seem to catch a break on a spot that will allow me to fully wash our cars and give them a full treatment in one go without paying someone else to do it. I guess that's one of the major downsides of living in a metropolitan area. Can't even hand wash them on the damn street. The garage in the pic is a major upgrade over having only on-street parking that we've had for almost 6 years now. I can at least finally tear them down and not worry about leaving parts on the sidewalk or having to put it all back together before dusk to prevent part theft. That's not to mention the times when I have to pack all my tools up in the boot to go back inside for a single ratchet bit. (Yes it's that bad at times.). And just think of replacing the clutch, or dropping the subframe on a public street...not gonna happen. Tiny as it is, the current garage is a big plus! My master plan is for a double car garage and a detached workshop with a lift. But until that time comes, I'll make do with the space that I have. I've already told the wife that I won't settle for a space where I can't work on the cars, but there's a possibility that we will have to move back in to our downtown condo. If that happens, I'll be looking at a monthly garage rental where I can still wrench. I just can't imagine throwing money into labor for someone else to do the work I find enjoyable at this point. And where the hell else would I store all my tools now?
03-07-2019, 11:55 PM
