The factory LSD is good for street use as it helps you especially when it is wet.

It is, however, not that good for the track as it does not allow enough torque transfer.

 

You know you can order the rear fogs from about anywhere. I did the same on my JCW kit. I didn't like the blanks and installed the fogs. (though I have them wired up as parking lights and brake lights...not fogs)


Well said. I've put 14K on in about 4-5 months and wash the car (BY HAND....lol) at least 3 times a week for the most part.

I'm just not sure if it's because I enjoy the car so much or because it's so small, I can wash it in minutes....

Doesn't matter, I enjoy doing it.


Mark

 

Tried to slip the LSD into my order, but was informed this morning that it's too late, already in production (which I assume probably means already scheduled, I can't imagine it's actually being built within 24 hours of ordering). That's ok, I'll be fine.

Might reconsider my wheel choice and go with the RGR's. Over 2 lbs lighter than LM's, and a fair bit cheaper too. Still forged and gorgeous. Will probably go with Pilot Exaltos for rubber, based on reviews and test scores at Tire Rack. Not a bad price too.

 

Did you order DTC?

 

Si.

 

Well well well, here we are. My car has arrived and I'm picking it up in the morning. I'll try to get some pics up right away.

I agonized over what wheels to go with. For stockers I stuck with S-winders, since I knew they were coming right off (and I kinda like the looks of them). First I was going to go BBS LM, despite the angina-inducing price. Then I thought about RGR's, with their slightly lighter weight and lighter cost. Then I was ready to go RGF (which I had a set of 15's of on my now-departed Scirocco), but with them only coming in 16's, I couldn't do it. So I'm back full circle to LM's. The fact that Tire Rack doesn't have the RGR's in stock helped make the decision. For tires, it's Pilot PE2's.

Now I'll have to deal with the suspension sooner than later. Based on a ton of research, I think the best solution for me and my needs/desires are Koni FSDs and H&R Sport springs. I'll deal with that in the next couple of weeks.

Thanks for everyone's input as I struggled to pull the trigger. It was equally difficult to settle on exactly what to order, given the myriad of options, colors, upholsteries, etc. The final result is in my sig. "Film at 11" (errrr, tomorrow afternoon some time).

 

Congrats, can't wait to see pics...

One suggestion though... check out NM Engineering springs, I think you'll be happier than the sport springs. Just a suggestion.


Mark

 

This was a cool post to read through, Kevin. Glad to hear you're about settle into our insanity! I don't have the car experience that you do and ordered my MINI a year and a half ago for very different reasons, but I'm floored over how this little car has added a whole new dimension to my life. Big events and little runs go on all the time and the people - well, you got to see it through this post.

I wish I could have seen this earlier and worked you over on the sunroof... I know you have the heat to deal with, but there's nothing like tipping them both up on a cool night with the street lights flashing in from above. Like you really need to hear this NOW! Maybe your next MINI!!!

Get some pics in your gallery when you get it home! Enjoy!

 

Congrats!!! Time to start your motoring experiences!!! I am at 6 months since new and I still hand wash the MINI all the time and look for excuses to drive places.

 

I read through it again (first time in a while since it had gone dormant) before posting tonight, and it was good for me all over again.

As for the sunroof, if I were still living in California, it would be essential. But I'm outside of Phoenix now, and while the roof would be nice for a good portion of the year, it would be hell to have during the summer. Heat and dust out here also influenced my decision to go PW including the roof (though I love the color anyways). Happy to save the cost, the weight reduction up high, the extra headroom, and less complexity. No regrets on leaving it off.. other than if I could still be out in California living around the corner from the beach, then I could have had a sunroof and an ocean.

My only regrets are ordering sports suspension, when I've now decided that I want to lose the wheel gap right away. And not going LSD, which I tried to do the following morning after ordering, only to be too late. Not a huge deal as I'll probably never autocross or track the car, but still would be good to have, especially considering it's about to become extinct.

OC, I'm quite familiar with NM, being a VW guy for a couple of decades. I'm sure you probably know that NM is Aaron Neumann of Neuspeed. Not sure who their spring OEM is nowadays, but for ages it was H&R. If you bought Neuspeed springs, they were simply H&R's with Neuspeed's logo. Later on they changed to some German company called Gruber. That was a good decade ago. I've used H&R stuff for ages so I'll stick with what has served me well. I'm sure whatever Aaron is selling is good stuff, too. I'm a little surprised their Mini portfolio is still so small.. it's a good market and they should dive in deeper. Maybe they intend to over time.

 

That build is going to be sweet! I can't wait to see it with the LMs on.

 

Drumroll.........

Here are some quick pics with bad sun angles, I'll get some better ones in the next few days. But you'll get the general idea. The car is FANTASTIC! My build came out awesome. The car thusfar seems flawless, including one of the best paint jobs I've seen in years.. much better than my last 2 BMW paint jobs. Virtually no orange peel, just smooooooooooth....

 

...and a few more. I'll upload to my gallery tonight in higher rez.

 

And lastly, a couple more interior shots.

 

Sweeeet ride Kev.... CONGRATS!

 

Wow! Congrats! Very nice. That's one of my top 5 exterior combos.

 

Very nicely done! Just when I thought I'd seen every possibility... The painted wheel arches really do change the look and what kind of floormats are those?

When do the wheels go on?

 

Floormats are cocomats from cocomats.com ... which are by far the best quality coco's out there. Beware of "catalog" mats, they are of greatly inferior quality. They're black with "natural" colored dots. If I were to do it over again I'd probably get white dots for more contrast. But these still look great, and they wear like iron (I've had several sets by now). Also they trap dirt and crud within the fibers, rather than just sitting on top. You know how it always seems that you and/or a passenger tracks small crud onto your mats right after vacuuming? That kinda stuff doesn't show at all on these. Just shake 'em out periodically.

The wheels were ordered this morning and everything is in stock at Tire Rack in Indiana, so I hope to have them about a week from today. After I slap 'em on, I'll decide how "urgent" it is to lower the car. If it looks like it's sitting too high, then the springs/shocks will be swapped right away.

 

My wheels have arrived.. BBS LM (or the "Let's Motor" edition, as I call them). Next (and hopefully last!) will be suspension.. NM springs + Koni FSD.
More pics in my gallery, and also here...

http://gallery.mac.com/kevin.l.collins#100197

 

They look so small on Mini's.

 

heh-heh ... Jethro!

All white exterior, anthracite interior, very sharp ... wheels look great!

Congrats, and best of luck!

 

Agreed. The fat lip makes for a relatively short spoke length, so any size on any car tends to look smaller than they actually are. That's OK, I LOVE the look, and the big lip is a big part of why I've always lusted after these.

 

Jethro's lookin' good with those new shoes. And these most recent pics do him justice - there was something out of proportion with the other photos.

Welcome to the insanity!

 

Update: the car is now tinted and clear bra'd, waxed and primped. For suspension, I ordered an H&R Touring Cup Kit while Alta was doing a special for $600 for the holidays. It will go on next week. In the meantime, there are a bunch of new pics here, in case anyone's interested in seeing its progress...

http://gallery.mac.com/kevin.l.collins#100197

 

Looks great!!! Thanks for the nav screen shots. I've never really seen all that it can do. Glad I didn't see this before I ordered mine or I may have dropped another two grand on my MINI.

I am also considering the coco mats. Had them for years in Fiat Spider convertibles. I have the black carpeted mats in the MINI and they show footprints the first time someone sits in it.

So KevinC, hope that you feel that those of us that participated in trying to convince you did not lead you astray.