It was great to see you over at Way's today, PMG!

Cherie and I finished the stripes on Sputnik today and took both cars over to WMW. Way installed the DDM race intake, reinstalled the turbo heat shield, and installed silver-tipped bulbs on the fronts, rears, and sides to get rid of the annoying egg yoke look.

The turbo heat shield is amazing! Way was able to wrap his hand around the turbo while the car was running and it was cool to the touch. The stock heat shield will burn off your fingertips an hour after the car's been shut off

Blooper is getting aligned on Monday, and they are doing a three-way brake swap so Sputnik will end up with a Wilwood BBK for MOTD.

Matt adjusted the coilovers to raise the back of the car so the new Toyo R1Rs would clear for the autocross tomorrow. The larger wheelwells on the R56 are definitely coming in handy now

It's been a LONG day, and we've still got another month's worth of work to do before next Wednesday

 

I've thrown in the towel. I'll just have to settle for us taking one mini this year

Even with spacers there was still a rubbing noise! I got my girlfriend to creep the car down the street, while I walked beside it, and found that all 4 rotors were scraping their respective pads. I guess they got out of wack during the brake bleed? Back in the garage and I took all 4 brakes apart, compressed the pistons, and rebuilt everything. Pump the pedal to set them and off I went for another test drive. Still there! It's not as bad but its there and I don't like it. I'm still not convinced the brakes are working to the max. I tried on Friday to make an appointment on monday or tuesday to get my coolant flushed, but my mechanic is overwhelmed and couldn't work me in, so no chance he can look at it.

Theres a rattle in the rear when the car returns to idle, which I'm cetain is the heatshield hitting the new bumper. As always with this car, the noise goes away once I get under to check it out. No rear interior in the car because I have no flexible adjusters. I'm hearing a clunking sound in the rear which I'm sure is the endlinks on the sway bar, but honestly I'm tired of jacking the car up.

I'm out of time and out of energy. All this becuase a stupid spring snapped. I'm just going to rest now and hope this cold goes away before we leave

My friend is on his way from Michigan so we can do his springs tomorrow. If his car is anything like the pain in the *** mine is, the engine will probablyfall out of car and crush my leg and I'll end up spending my vacation in the hospital.

 

Man, sorry to hear all that... sometimes it seems the harder you try, the worse it gets.

On the bright side, taking one mini is better than none I guess. (sorry, trying to find the silver lining??)

Hope your friend's springs go easier.

Mark

 

Oh no

I am leaving in a bit, last email check before departing

See ya soon, hopefully you have used up all your bad luck for the year!

 

Well, darn.

 

Whoa - what on earth? Is your MINI going to be done with Surgery soon? Very scary picture

 

^^^is that tool case holding up the car? nice!

Thanks. I guess I'll just take another case of beer and stay inebriated the whole time. Her car is ready to go, all I have to clean and oil the cai filter. I'm sure I'll find a way to set it on fire with the way my luck is going... maybe I'll get her to do it and supervise from a distance. To make my day, one of my contacts got something in them (maybe brake dust, i don't know) now my eye is red as hell and I have one contact in...

We might give the brakes another whirl tomorrow if springs go well. Seems that I'm on the downslope of this cold.

I wish you could buy beer in Indiana on Sunday becuase I sure as hell need one right now.

 

We're in Williamsburg KY, figure we should get into Fontana by noon tomorrow

Mark

 

So what do ya'll do for the first couple of days? A bunch of us (about 10-12) used to go down twice a year for about 4 days to ride the dragon.

At the end of 4 days, we were worn out.... my knees couldn't take it anymore.

Granted, driving a Mini isn't going to be as tiring as riding a sportbike but...

Hope ya'll have fun. Wish I could make it sooner than Saturday.

Mark

 

Darkness,

When you change the rotors (esp with a BBK), be sure to check that they are now centered in the caliper. It may not be rubbing on the pads but on the inner edge of the caliper.

I just swapped rotors last night, backed out of the garage and the car stopped on it's own. I had to pull some spacers out from behind the caliper to re-center them on the rotors and everything went great from there on out.

I've got 3 coats of zaino w/ a clay and a polish underneath. Fresh pads and rotors on the Wilwood setup and all the pressures / fluids topped up. I've gotta get gas tomorrow and pack. Other than that, I'm ready to go.

 

I'll try and check it out after springs tomorrow. Weird thing is that it wasn't making this noise before I started all this work and I changed my rotors and pads last summer and didn't have an issue. It's like a "sch.....sch....sch...sch..." like the rotors are warped or something. On all 4 corners. I don't know. I will check the calipers and see whats what and make sure the rotors are centered.

 

What's the latest Jason? You gonna make it?

I have hot sauce for you called Endorfin Rush.

 

I have an intermittent "squeak" sound from the right front only... had it before the brake job and still have it after... happens at a particular point in the wheel rotation. Doesn't do it all the time, comes and goes, but when it does it, it does it at the same point in every wheel rev (walked beside the car...)... doesn't sound like a wheel bearing... maybe something stuck between the hub and the rotor shield? Hmmm.

 

Ok..I have a working MINI and its my own too!!

Thanks to everyone for their help.

The biggest thansk goes to Will at Bob's Tire and Auto in Lewisville, TX. Without his diligent work above and beyond whats normall I'd still be down. Bring this man you MINI for service when in the Dallas area.

I'm leaving now!!

 

Washed, waxed, fluids checked, and gettin' packed. Heading out tomorrow to visit MINI friends in Memphis. Be at the Dragon Wednesday, mid-day.

 

UJ! I didn't know you were going! Hope to see you and the new PW Clubman there! You know that it's the fastest color, don''t you? :D

 

Mine's back together, minus fluids, the fender liners and the front tires.

 

It's ALWAYS been the fastest color! 40% of my MINIs have been PW! See you there.

Go GreatBear! Sounds like not much left to go.

 

Remember... there's always time for lubrication!

 

I just got a huge rock chip in the windshield. It was coming fast, too.

 

Battle scars are cool
Or at least that's what I have been telling myself after the 4th chip when a @#%* dump truck has dropped some of its load on to the road.
I especially love the sign on the trucks that say "Not responsible for objects coming from road".
Well, where do the think those flying objects originated?

 

Thanks for the consolation. The ones around here don't have license plates on the back either. Not that it matters... if the rock hits the road first and then breaks a window, it's not THEIR fault.

 

That's why it NEVER hits the ground first....always flies off the truck and hit my windshield first... wierd huh?

 

loaded up, alarm set for 4am to head south Tue. See You All There. Be sure and drop my booth to save $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$.

 

I clayed and did 2 coats of Zaino yesterday. Today it rained so It doesn't look like it will be getting any shinier. Cleaning out the inside and packing tomorrow. If time permits, I may install the Kuda mount for the nuvi.