Nice car, love the roof, but is this thread for 'Coopers,' and not 'S's'? We seem to be a minority here, is all. No offense intended.

I like this one :)

Not to derail, but what exhaust do you have? I like the tip and am in the market...

Miltek. The tip fits nicely back there, which is one of the main reasons I went with it. The sound is also very nice too, especially when you remove the resonator :razz:

Do you have any videos of the sound?

I may be able to fish some older ones up but i'm not sure if they got lost when my laptop crashed years ago. Any of those sound clips would have been before the resonator was removed.

I may have some spare this time weekend and will see about recording some videos. Been wanting to for a while...

Haven't found an exhaust video yet, but i did find some pictures with the completed black out!

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...0/IMG_4439.jpg

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...0/IMG_4435.jpg

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co.../IMG_44371.jpg

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...0/IMG_4436.jpg

After installing springs and having a wash (Darkness might recognize this :razz: )
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...42728_9803.jpg

Some last minute track day mods
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...m/IMG_4609.JPG

Just after a point by from an e92 m3 :D
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co..._1642147_n.jpg

Some fun at the dragon
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co..._4214606_n.jpg
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...035800_402.jpg

And since we had a question about exhausts here is my magnaflow w/DDM intake at WOT with a 3 -> 4 shift at 6k+ rpm (get to ~110 before braking for turn 1) i do have other videos but they are sans the intake so sound different
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_o27dkh2eM

Hey... that's my house! That sure was a fun day of wrenching :nod:

edit: also, lol apex

OLD PIC::popcorn:
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Did that use to be one of the Red Bull minis? Looks just like one, minus the huge redbull can on the back and vinyl all over it

Yes, it's a former Red Bull MINI. I cut the can mounts from the back cover and roof and fiberglassed them in. I also removed the coolers from the back and fiberglassed in the cooler lids. In my opinion, makes for a nice little two seater with a decent sized trunk.

This is what I started with...

Attachment 174323

This is after finishing the fiberglassing and painting, still missing a couple of trim pieces and the LED third brakelight above the rear window...

Attachment 174324

You did some great work to clean up the back where the coolers and mounts were! Did you consider making the back panel open up for easy access in the truck or was that not possible with the way it was?

It could be done, but with much difficulty and fabrication. Then I could not guarantee the weathertightness of the lid. I would rather have a smaller access with a weathertight lockable compartment, which I have now.

Darkness - i LOVE the murdered out look of your R50!!!

Thanks! I looked in your gallery and your mini looks alot like mine used to! Do you have any plans for yours?

I've got a TON of ideas - mainly b/c after 122.8k, the stock items are finally nearing the end of their life.

Next spring, I'm re-doing the entire suspension. I'm thinking of either sticking w/Sachs replacements shocks and using H-Sport springs or going with Koni FSD's w/H-Sport's, Powerflex bushings all around, VIP engine stabilizer and tower plates w/strut bar.

After that, it'll be the exhaust - Megan Racing R50 w/DDM CAI.

Then I'll slowly start the "murdered out" process....... joey mod'd headlights, blacked out slats on the grille, R53 front bumper, etc. I'm undecided on wheels though - thinking along the lines of: NM Engineering RSe07 [black], Enkei PF01 [black] or a few Tenzo wheels [black, of course] - either the Type M (Vers. 1) or Project 7.

Should definitely be interesting/fun.

DDM cai is quite awesome, i think a ride in my car helped convert darkness to the growly beast :razz: deffo not the quietest intake lol but a very nice sound aka not ricey :grin:

i also have had good experiences with stiffer engine and transmission bushings (mine are IE but should be basically the same)

on the h-sports front darkness and i have had different experiences.... i will leave it at: i have them on my car still and he doesn't :-/

you definitely won't get bored with big plans like that! and if you get really stuck chad @ detroit tuned has helped me out (i used to live in ann arbor)

i eventually stopped lying to myself and pretending i would ever be done with the mods :roll:

The DDM was recommended to me a while back but I've never gotten around to buying/school is where my $$$ goes. I'm geek'd at the potential my "justacooper" has and can't wait to get started - if only I were a tad more mechanically inclined and had the proper space........

As far as the H-Sports, what's not to like about them? I'm kind of "green" on this front, but I know that I don't want an extreme drop (this is a daily driver) in height or something that's going to rattle my bones either. I've browsed a few of the other posts re: suspension updates and H-Sports seem to be the most mentioned option. I'd be curious to know if anyone has used the MINISPEED springs (via way motor works) or the Bavarian AutoSport set.......

I've been down to Detroit Tuned before, I'll definitely be hitting Chad up again now that I've got my laundry list of things to do!

stuff like the intake and exhaust are pretty easy, even the lower engine mount just a couple of bolts and pretty tough to mess up if you want to start doing some things on your own

as for the h-sports it wasn't a case of not liking them as much as one snapping and them him upgrading to coilovers, i can't recall if they (h-sport) figured out why, darkness would know more than me, we both do a fair number of hpdes, i think it quite a rare thing likely just a bad batch of alloy and it just as possible on any spring set up (i have seen the same thing happen to leading wheel companies, everyone has to get the material from somewhere and h-sport isn't some shady backwater company...) i also want to move to a more hardcore setup eventually but for a street or semi street car i think they are a pretty solid choice, mid drop and decently fun but not overly aggressive rate

Or you can run no exhaust like me....:razz:
Attachment 174305

that is prolly an even easier install :P

Here is a good pic...lol.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...NIK/mini-2.jpg
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