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MoP consistently meets or exceeds my expectations.
This past Tuesday Gollum had the summerwear mounted, and received a thorough inspection after the winter, and before the competition season.
I posted previously that the Extended Warranty covered the brakes, and it did - but it covers components listed that are out of spec. That includes rotor width, pad depth, and of course a myriad of other data.
Gollum's front rotors were under spec by .5mm, so MoP replaced them, however the front pads were find. OK, I get it although doing rotors without pads is not my usual approach. I should have ponied up for the pads out of pocket, but I was too slow to make that decision. When Gollum and I got reacquainted I wasn't impressed with the brake feel, and the new rotors showed an asymmetrical wear pattern leaving an inch wide band of dark surrounded by an inner and outer band of smooth. So I was scratching my head just a touch.
Yesterday afternoon Mark S. called me from MoP, and started a conversation about my "warranty issue"....
What warranty issue Mark?
Well after a few calls, we want you back in for front pads under Warranty! So Mark, or Martin, or Jeremy, or Joel had apparently decided that rotors without pads wasn't quite right.
And this morning the new pads went on, and I had a hard look at the old ones.
The old pads had plenty of wear, and I was astonished by their size - I've never seen a larger brake pad on an automobile. They surely could have gone a lot further.
However, now I have GREAT initial bite, and my normal brake feel, and one hundred percent confidence as I have always enjoyed.
For MoP to reach out to me in this case made me very grateful indeed, and I go into Sunday's opener grinning.
By the way, I'm thinking Springfield, and the Feds have sent me a check (allegedly tomorrow), and I drove last year's A052 in the rain today, and so our lunch date will hopefully be in the next couple of weeks.
By the way, I'm thinking Springfield, and the Feds have sent me a check (allegedly tomorrow), and I drove last year's A052 in the rain today, and so our lunch date will hopefully be in the next couple of weeks.
Nothing inspires confidence like fresh brakes and good rubber...
Of course my competition tomorrow includes two National Champions (Kuehls), one gent that beat me like a rug in 2019 (Lucier), and another who I do believe is QUITE quick (Jue) and whoever knows what else.
Sunday the 4th dawned clear and cold - 28 degrees air temp according to Gollum as we headed southwest down 495 en route to Devens.
Registration for the inaugural event of 2022 had looked great the night before with 85 cars and 20 novices among them. Folks from out of state that we had missed last year were coming, and I reckon most of us were feeling a bit optimistic about this year, and a touch of spring fever as well.
The main drag in Ayer has not gotten any smoother, and all looked welcoming and familiar as we crawled up the hill to the airfield entrance and swung left for registration. I was delighted to see a busy paddock with plenty of trailers in evidence.
Gollum and I backed in, and put on the war paint and raising the tire pressures a bit to adjust for the cold temperature. The surface of the airfield does warm quickly in direct sun however, so I was pretty sure the tires would be capable once we started 1st heat, normally around 9:45 or so.
After prep, paddock walk with greetings and a elbow bumps, and coursewalks I'd a sense we were in for a good day. The course was not complex or deceptive, flowed nicely, and I expected it would be kind to our novices.
Did I mention it looked fast? Of course I often expect a course to be fast after walking it, only to discover when driving that it was more technical than expected.
So Gollum and I gridded for 1st heat, and proceeded to address the course. First run was a clean slow lap to give me a baseline on the course. Even without pushing too hard I sat on the rev limiter for three corners going down the main straight, and admitted that this course did have a real 3rd gear section. Plan adjusted!
Second run felt better, and fortunately there was a lovely straight section for the braking and 3-2 downshift when the fast offsets lead into a five cone slalom. Gollum and I never muffed a shift all day. I also elected to use 3rd briefly earlier in the run, where the initial elements on the taxiway after the start gave way to a right hand sweeper onto the main runway.
Out of the taxiway, and sweeping onto the main straight...
Having turned a 63 and a 61, my 3rd run dropped us into the high 59s, which made me grin. Good progress and clean driving. National rules three runs are all we get, so I still think along those lines. Of course we were given a fourth run before the end of the heat, and so I went out to push, and made two mistakes as a result. Sometimes pushing works, sometimes not... Lately I've tried to avoid fixating on Live Timing and thinking about other cars in my class, and when I finally looked I realized two things - one which I expected and one that I did not.
Expected was the relative times in STU, which this year has been joined by many very good drivers with well prepared cars. Both Don and Brian Kuehl were driving their Civic Type R, sporting a good chassis setup, well over 300 whp, and 265mm tires. Brian is a past National Champion by the way. Oliver Lucier ran his lovely Boxter S, and since he'd whipped me throughout 2019 I knew what to expect. Oliver is a PCA instructor I do believe. Dana Nicgorski was awesome on the day, wheeling a Fiat 124 to the top spot, which I'd have declare impossible had I not seen it. That car has a Stage 1 tune, and makes only 180 whp, a paltry amount compared to the other competitors. On the other hand I think they may have gotten it below 2,300 pounds!
Fast Italian!
Fast German! Fast Japanese!
Unexpected was that Gollum and I were not DFL on the day, which we were spared only because Phil Jue's pretty 350z never made it under 60 seconds. He might have had a bit of stiction, or someother fault in the rear end, not sure. A video he shared showed a sudden slide in a fast left hander that I would not have anticipated under the circumstances. Phil caught it with fast hands, but that sort of thing is not confidence inspiring.
After acting as started for the second heat, I grabbed a quick bite to eat and realized that I was a bit tired, and lacked ambition, so I did not take the afternoon runs. I rested a bit, and then resumed as Starter for the 4th heat to see all the last minute battles and good driving. I reckon I don't do enough walking, but my left knee does not like it much, and I do not wish to have a 3rd surgery to replace it. My sister reckons I'm a wuss, and perhaps she is correct.
So Gollum pulled like a train, cornered on rails, and never put a tire wrong all day. Not as sure about the driver but that is as usual. A good day enjoyed thoroughly, and as always I am most grateful to all the NER volunteers that made the event go smoothly, despite COVID.
Charlie...
Just FYI... I wonder if you have seen this thread (link) about F56 engine mounts? The post I provided the link to includes a video of the engine movement during different car maneuvers and I thought of how doing autocross and the like would affect this... The overall thread discussion is good too.
Charlie...
Just FYI... I wonder if you have seen this thread (link) about F56 engine mounts? The post I provided the link to includes a video of the engine movement during different car maneuvers and I thought of how doing autocross and the like would affect this... The overall thread discussion is good too.
Agreed. In my case Gollum's passenger side mount was caught leaking at 72k miles, and healed under warranty.
My it has been a while. Gollum and I are older, and in my case no wiser, cannot speak for the car.
I've mounted some Continental DWS 06 Plus in a 215/25-17 for the winter, and left the good light rims on the car. I couldn't face the weight of those OEM tentacle wheels!!
We've been here and there, but no road trips, and no racing. Gollum at 95k miles and I at 66 yrs are settling a bit, but not entirely.
Gollum still gets a good 3rd gear run onto 128 every morning, and we still enjoy our corners, I am still at this geriatric age working on NOT being in any sense an aggressive driver - a perennial battle.
Gollum turned on the Check Engine Light this morning after that 3rd gear pull, and turned it on again after an off/on cycle. After I'd contacted MoP, on the next drive cycle, the SeS light remains off - go figger.
I'll own Gollum in another 10 months, which will cut $500 out of my fixed income budget - I think of selling him, and looking for a truly low maintenance beater.
Thus far I have not been able to seriously consider it.
My it has been a while. Gollum and I are older, and in my case no wiser, cannot speak for the car.
I've mounted some Continental DWS 06 Plus in a 215/25-17 for the winter, and left the good light rims on the car. I couldn't face the weight of those OEM tentacle wheels!!
We've been hear and there, but no road trips, and no racing. Gollum at 95k miles and I at 66 yrs are settling a bit, but not entirely.
Gollum still gets a good 3rd gear run onto 128 every morning, and we still enjoy our corners, I am still at this geriatric age working on NOT being in any sense an aggressive driver - a perennial battle.
Gollum turned on the Check Engine Light this morning after that 3rd gear pull, and turned it on again after an off/on cycle. After I'd contacted MoP, on the next drive cycle, the SeS light remains off - go figger.
I'll own Gollum in another 10 months, which will cut $500 out of my fixed income budget - I think of selling him, and looking for a truly low maintenance beater.
Thus far I have not been able to seriously consider it.
Gollum is addictive.
Cheers,
Charlie
Charlie... I got you beat in the age department and I have given no thought at all to selling the JCW, let alone any of our other MINIs. They all have their place and each bring a smile to our faces every time we ride in them. No point in giving that up. You are only as old as you think you are. I look back at the parents of friends of mine when I was a kid, and they were “old” at a much younger calendar age than we are at. Take care that the calendar doesn’t influence how you think of what should be...
Glad you still get to take your daily 128 ride. You are fortunate to have such a fun, quaint, and picturesque route to ride on. Clearly that ride and Gollum bring a smile to your face.
That wouldn’t be with a beater.
And I am sure you will enjoy it with the Continental DWSs and hope you get to do the same with this holiday season.
The start of the video is crazy...
Thanks for posting.
We are still cleaning up from rain, freezing rain, sleet and snow on Friday. This all congealed into a 2” thick mess on my driveway that I am have “fun” driving on in my Wrangler. This mess may be there until spring...
No MINIs out in this mess. The JCW and R56S are in the garage on battery tenders and the the ‘04 Cooper is in the shop for a new alternator, steel brake lines and power steering lines... Yup a bunch of $$$, but, hey, it’s a MINI...
I suppose the snow pounding your area got a few days ago is melting off. Glad to hear the JCW is behaving...
Last edited by Eddie07S; Feb 6, 2022 at 08:03 AM.
Reason: Typo
Hey Eddie, wanna sell me another set of A052 at a discount?? Just kidding of course, but dammit it is time.
I let the lads at MoP take the salt off of Gollum, who is now sporting 99,861 miles - so the century before the next tank.
The car is flawless. When I brought it in today, the Tech that took it for cleaning set in the drivers seat, fired it, and grinned at me. He said, this surely is one of the nicest Works cars we see! I smiled back and said, that I was glad they were as proud of their work as I was, which pretty much covers it.
So early spring fever is arriving and I am thinking about MOTD and good rubber and fixed incomes....
I know from your messages that you have taken very good care of your car. But it's also a revelation regarding the quality and durability of the "F" series engines. They're almost like Honda/Toyota engine quality.
Hey Eddie, wanna sell me another set of A052 at a discount?? Just kidding of course, but dammit it is time.
I let the lads at MoP take the salt off of Gollum, who is now sporting 99,861 miles - so the century before the next tank.
The car is flawless. When I brought it in today, the Tech that took it for cleaning set in the drivers seat, fired it, and grinned at me. He said, this surely is one of the nicest Works cars we see! I smiled back and said, that I was glad they were as proud of their work as I was, which pretty much covers it.
So early spring fever is arriving and I am thinking about MOTD and good rubber and fixed incomes....
A seasonal quandary.
Cheers,
Charlie
Good to hear from you...
Funny thing is, I had just mentioned to my wife that I need to get the State inspection done on the R56 as I have a track day coming up at the end of April... How time flies... Then I opened the notification for your post... Great minds...
And, no, no spare rubber around... But last year I did snag a set of 215-45x17 RE71R when they went on clearance at TR. They’ll fit either the R56 or the F56 and do well on either. That was definitely a money saver...
Looking forward to hearing about your annual trek to MOTD.... or as the case may be... The “D”. I know you like to go there on the off season.
Originally Posted by dpcompt
I know from your messages that you have taken very good care of your car. But it's also a revelation regarding the quality and durability of the "F" series engines. They're almost like Honda/Toyota engine quality.
That is nice to hear. A true BMW engine helps. But the rate I am putting miles on my Works car it will be 30 more years before I get to 100K and know how good it really is... . It has just turned over 10k. But in that amount of time it has had 4 oil changes. One at 1000 for break-in, then the other 3 were the dealer’s annual change...
As for longevity, my 2012 R56 N18 has ~70k miles on it with no issues, and a lot of those miles were on the race track. It has a lot to do with how it is cared for... But, admittedly the Gen II MINIs had their issues...
I had a '12 R56S and drove it on the '14 MTTS. I sold it with around 40,000 miles. Always ran great and never used a drop of oil. I replaced it with a '15 F56S which was also trouble free car.
Well, Gollum passed the Century mark. And dropped a part!
I sympathize...
But it is just the little cover for the rear tow eye, that interrupts the bumper cover out back. Since it's missing I have a small hole - about 1.5 by 2". A breeze on my butt.
Replacement (in primer) $37.50. Color match the Rebel Green - $55.00.
Oi vey, I reckon I'll double check those clips!
But in fact Gollum is flawless, and I am considering a race or two this year - we shall see.
The Falkens will more than just “do”. I predict you will like them and maybe enough that you will get in a race or two with them. I like them better than the RE71Rs, if that means anything.
Well the hole in Gollum's butt is healed, as Today's Collision painted the replacement tow hitch cover, and refitted it. Perfect color match, thank you!
Jon, you might be prescient on those Falkens. they were fitted today and to my surprise the side walls (225/45-17) are a bit wider than the Yokohama A052. The tightest clearance is to the JCW Pro shock body, where a sheet of paper can pass, but I am not sure I could get a matchbook cover in there.
Nonetheless I approved the fitment, and have 30 miles on them. We shall see.
Still too cold out around here to even think about pulling the soft rubber tires out of their winter storage. The last thing I want to do is see if they will crack with sub-32 temperatures still in the forecast...
I will say it is interesting as to how easy it is to slide the crap-tastic Hankook AS RFTs when on a rotary on a cold day ...
