I guess today was a busy day for mods but the install for all three was about an hour. My buddy Jasun from NAM met up with Peter from M7 today and brought me back an M7 strut brace. I love the black coating it matchs my new DFIC perfectly. The brace is very impressive in person and I hope once it stops raining I can test it out.
The second mod is the Texas Speed Werks engine dampener. I had the Helix before but didn't care for it because it was almost impossible to adjust once installed. The TWS, by far, is excellently designed and manufactured. The fit and finish is flawless! The price is double of the Helix but well worth it, I would even pay triple.
The last mod is for safety and it looks cool. I jumped the brake light connector from the bottom brake light to the top one that isn't used even though there is a bulb in the socket. The whole thing only took about 5 minutes and best of all it only cost $1.79 from Radio Shack.

 

You car gets more and more impressive every day.

Please keep us informed about the TSW engine dampener; looks like a very practical mod.

 

Thanks Cooper, this car is like a drug and I'm hooked, I'm sure you can understand. The new goal is to itemize the Mini for my taxes.
How do yo like your drilled rotors and EBC pads?
M

 

Dude, your quick!

The engine bay is looking nice...

That painted M7 logo on the strut tower brace looks Killer!

Somebody is quite an artist

You gotta hook me up with the brake light mod.

BTW, who is Mike?

 

Thanks Jasun for picking that up for me today and doing my silver M7 logo. It pulled the whole theme together. Sorry when I was typing I put by friend Mike from AZ who also has a silver Mini, I was talking to him when I wrote the thread. I did an edit because I wanted to make sure you got the credit Anytime you want we can do the brake mod, it is so easy and I really think it might save my life one day. I have never been cut off so many times in my life till I bought this car.
Thanks again Mike..oops.. I mean JASUN lol
Mario

 

I was thinking about both the M7 strut bar and the Texas dampener. They both look great. Post with some diving impressions when you get some better weather.

 

I will, maybe tomorrow. I have the TSW tightened all the way, it may be too tight but we will see. I'm glad I got the strut brace because my shock towers were starting to mushroom already and I didn't even notice. The strut brace need some mussle to get it on because of the warping. I guess about 80% of Mini's strut tower mushroom really bad, even more so when they are lowered.
M

 

hey mario if you are thinking of getting some brakes you should strongly consider the wilwoods from todd at TCE. I just installed a set and they are KICKASS!!!

 

Hey Justin, how are things? What size did you get and do they come in cross drilled?

 

everything is going great thanks for asking! putting on a water to air soon... can't wait to see the results...

yes they do come in cross drilled as well as sloted. got the 12.2's... that is the only way to go... anything else is overkill for the street... you can do the big kit... but thats just retarded for street use... 12.2 cross drilled... powdercoated calipers... SWEET also, you can up the rears too if you want... doesn't do much... but looks killer!

 

Mario-

With that nice new clean DFIC, I'd highly suggest getting an Oil Catch Can.

I installed one (cheapo from ebay) when I installed my DFIC and am amazed at what it catches, I sure am glad that oil isn't going in my nice new DFIC.

Do IT!

 

Hey Mario....

I like the look of your engine dampner and its placement. What year is your car? The reason I ask is that I have purchased an engine dampner from a guy in NY that goes by "Shoe" and the look and placement of the dampner is different from yours. I'm not sure what manufacturer my dampner is but I thought, through my research, that it was a TSW.
I am also interested in the tailight mod. Can you describe what you did in detail?
Also, do you have a head to go with that cam? I have a JCW head and was wondering if it is necessary to go with a different head or just do a Schrik?

Cheers, Doug.

 

I pulled my IC off recently, and not a trace of oil in the horns/runners or the IC whereas before I'd always get the oil, (even with an OCC but using the old routing rather than the preferred setup.)
I don't know if the oil causes any real detectable problems, but it's nice to know it's not there, regardless.

 

That ETD (Engine Torque Damper) kit sure looks good...

If anyone's got questions about our ETD kit, just PM me!

 

Any bulging in bonnet since strut bar install?

 

PM me, if you order the parts I will help you install them. I only live 80 miles from you and plus it is a nice drive.

 

The hood sits perfect. I heard you spray the underlining of the hood with water and then close the hood so the foam makes a nice mod of the top of the strut tower.
M

 

check on cowl vent side and see. I did saturate the underside but I still have misalignment

 

What's the old routing method vs. the new prefered method?

 

I would like to know more about this as well.

 

Clean that Alta filter!

 

Mario,

When you say the car handles better, how did you quantify that? Did you use a g force meter? if you did, did you compensate for your weight? Please let me know.


I had to ask before some other dork did!

 

also, if you had to take a guess how newton meters stiffer is the car after you have added the strut bar what would it be. Inquiring minds would like to know. We will stand by later for an exact figure... but a guess will do for now. But if you are afraid to quote exact results we understand... we are used to it here on NAM

 

Please let us know if this was before or after your morning ***** too.

BTW shouldnt this be on the suspension forum?