My Mini flunked the pre-race inspection. I need four new pads and two new rotors, and don't really have the spare time to let my dealer do it (3 hour roundtrip drive on top of the labor time). The $850 price tag seems out of line, too.

Can folks recommend someone in the DC metro area who might actually stock the parts I need to do this for less? I am getting a little panicky about this.

Thanks,
Phil

 

Check with John at Glenelg Service Center, if anybody (non-dealer) in the area has MINI pads and rotors in stock, John does...

 

thanks, will do. wish someone was open Labor Day, but have no illusions on that score, just a day free...

 

John's phone is 410-489-0230. I'm planning to be there Tues afternoon to have him set/tweak my suspension.

 

I expect you've already solved this problem, but just in case you haven't yet I have some new (still in the box) rotors and pads I'm not planning to use soon. They aren't OEM though if that makes a difference (but all are OEM replacement sizes); RacingBrake rotors


for front and rear plus EBC greens for the front and Mintex RedBox for the rear.

 

I could not find anyone who would ship any product before tomorrow, and many of those refused to overnight at any price.

Tomorrow I will drive to Helix in Philadelphia where Eric will install GreenStuff all around and Brenbo OEM rotors in the front as well as flush the brake lines. Time permitting he will install brass bushings as well, but both he and I are on a very tight time schedule tomorrow (mine makes me get there late and his makes him leave there early). All this for about $300 less than the dealership, which could not get me GreenStuff in any case.

I feel a little silly driving to Philly to do this, but I will get all I need and more done, and will save money doing it to boot. I've heard only good things about Helix, so that is another bonus.

Thanks all for the suggestions. I am sure I will find my way to GlenElg soon enough. Kurvhugr, that RacingBrakes product looks like some very serious stuff! I am sure it would go fast in the NAM marketplace.

 

If you want to try someone close to home - Currys Automotive is a good alternative and they can get pretty much the same type of stuff that Eric has at Helix. Either way both good choices. Currys is located i Falls Church, Great Falls, Sterling and Chantilly.

 

Helix is a great choice, I just wish they were closer to DC. I drove all the way to Philly once to have them do some work for me as well. sdw

 

I've had work done at Currys as well and, coincidentally, they got the parts through Helix. The only problem with Currys is they're unlikely to have the parts on hand for a short-notice fix like this one. They're also much more expensive than Helix...many $$ per hour and they take longer to do each job because they're less familiar.

 

Yeah, parts on short notice, over a holiday no less, is the real sticking point in all of this. I am sure Helix will do a great job.

 

does fantastic work quickly.

 

All those parts are in stock locally. At 3.69 per gallon you'd think people would stay closer to home.

 

I would have liked to have done it locally, but I was not having any luck contacting folks with GreenStuff, locally or otherwise, over the Labor Day weekend (no big surprise there) and my schedule this week is very tight, so I went with the sure thing. Tuesday night worked for my schedule. The days you suggested yesterday morning(Wednesday and Thursday days) did not. The dealership telling me they could not get GreenStuff at all made me nervous about just how big a problem it was.

The job is done, and now I can do Mini Mania this weekend! I look forward to using your garage soon.