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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 own a hyper blue ‘06 r53 purchased a few years back. Hasn’t gotten much use and I’ve dragged it along with me through two moves (to my wife’s chagrin). Now a bit more settled, I plan to take the car out for a few track days. I have a big brake kit, koni yellows, IE non-adjustable camber plates, and poly bushing sitting in my garage ready to go on. The only things standing in my way are my insane children and my wife’s never-ending to-do list.
Welcome to the forum. Start talking about cars that cost twice as much and the wife will be more supportive of the MINI. How old are the kids? Can you get them involved in the project?
Download https://www.motorcycleroads.com and pick out an attractive day trip in your area and get her/them excited about the thrill and zen of MINI motoring. My co-pilot is ready for some wind in her hair at the drop of a lug wrench.
Download https://www.motorcycleroads.com and pick out an attractive day trip in your area and get her/them excited about the thrill and zen of MINI motoring. My co-pilot is ready for some wind in her hair at the drop of a lug wrench.
Thank YOU!
I've been looking for something like this to take our MINI on!
Welcome to the forum. Start talking about cars that cost twice as much and the wife will be more supportive of the MINI. How old are the kids? Can you get them involved in the project?
The kiddos are young and essentially feral. They are more interested in turning my tools/parts into projectiles than helping.
BSH motor mount in - yes, it is upside down but seems to be the same dimensions either way you flip it. I can only assume this will cause the car to burst into flames. "Jerry didn't you know about the well documented failure mode associated with an upside down BSH logo...?"
OEM upper motor mount on it's way out...
Then a terrible surprise... I mean, how did the previous owner even accomplish such a thing?
Installed a new rear sway bar. Purchased from@WayMotorWorks
Removing the rear shocks...
OEM sway bar (17mm?) out...
Hollow 25mm sway bar
Brain: initially put the sway bar on a soft setting until you're used to how it handles Ego: go super stiff bro... Brain: you're not a very good driver... Ego: stiffer than Jeff Bezos in a helicopter flying over the Seattle space needle Brain: idiot
And the real reason we buy performance parts for our cars.... stickers!
Checking out your progress I notice on the picture of 'full service mode' that there doesn't appear to be any strut tower defenders.
Those bare knuckle strut towers are a known weak point resulting in bulging and distortion. Way has an easy solution for that: https://www.waymotorworks.com/strut-...0-r52-r53.html
The bolts torque to 25#.
Checking out your progress I notice on the picture of 'full service mode' that there doesn't appear to be any strut tower defenders.
Those bare knuckle strut towers are a known weak point resulting in bulging and distortion. Way has an easy solution for that: https://www.waymotorworks.com/strut-...0-r52-r53.html
The bolts torque to 25#.
Installed a new rear sway bar. Purchased from@WayMotorWorks
Removing the rear shocks...
OEM sway bar (17mm?) out...
Hollow 25mm sway bar
Brain: initially put the sway bar on a soft setting until you're used to how it handles Ego: go super stiff bro... Brain: you're not a very good driver... Ego: stiffer than Jeff Bezos in a helicopter flying over the Seattle space needle Brain: idiot
And the real reason we buy performance parts for our cars.... stickers!
Please be careful on full stiff setting that you put your new 25mm bar on! Even at full soft it is 226% stiffer than stock. Your bar is currently set at 383% stiffer than stock!
PS: I love your suspension mods! I have been running this set up with TSW lowering springs for many years on my 2005 R50. After many years of driver instruction, it can handle better than a lot of higher hp cars!
Your car won't be boring at full stiff right off the bat! I would advise full soft to start. If you're in the NE, there a bunch of trackheads on here that frequent Watkins Glen, Lime Rock and Palmer. Hope to see you at some of these if you're in the area...you're going to have a blast on the track wherever you go!
PS. Regarding the feral kids who want to turn your parts and tools into projectiles, have you considered turning the tables on them and making them into projectiles?
PS: I love your suspension mods! I have been running this set up with TSW lowering springs for many years on my 2005 R50. After many years of driver instruction, it can handle better than a lot of higher hp cars!
Spot on: "If you can't go fast with 90 horsepower, 900 won't help you."
LOL! This is exactly the way I feel at track days with certain 'drivers'..."All car and no driver" They're usually the ones who refuse to point a MINI by because they can go faster than them on the straights.
This is exactly the way I feel at track days with certain 'drivers'..."All car and no driver" 
They're usually the ones who refuse to point a MINI by because they can go faster than them on the straights. 
