Well

here is is, the third week of March.....and...well....my MINI IS HERE!

after a long wait.....she arrived this past Sunday. I went down to the dealership (Woodlands MINI) and the salesman, Aka DeMesa, took some snapshots. I still don't have her yet, she's getting the aero package put on. The them of this car is...red....and black

 

Congrats!!!! See you in Topeka.
Chris

 

About two weeks to go (April 4th) to the first Autocross w/NEOHIO region. Get to do it in ASP....should be interesting as it will be my third ever Autocross so I have TWO built in excuses....I'm new AND the class! Can't lose..... I won't do too many, five or six between NEOHIO and Akron SCC. What I am TRULY looking forward to is tracking the MINI with BMWCCA.......

 

Excellent advice here. Only one question. If you are running stock class why order the Xenon's to get stiffer front springs. Wouldn't you want softer up front to aid rotation and adjust with the shocks if necessary?

 

Stiffer springs will help with transitions, making the car flatter in slaloms. With a free front sway it is easy to soften the front. Dialing in softness with shock adjustment is the final fine tuning, course dependent. I am not a chassis engineer but I did stay in a Holiday Inn Express last night (my excuse if I am waaaayy off base.)

 

>>Excellent advice here. Only one question. If you are running stock class why order the Xenon's to get stiffer front springs. Wouldn't you want softer up front to aid rotation and adjust with the shocks if necessary?

Would someone explain the Xenon-front spring connection to me? Different springs if you order Xenons???

 

>>>>Excellent advice here. Only one question. If you are running stock class why order the Xenon's to get stiffer front springs. Wouldn't you want softer up front to aid rotation and adjust with the shocks if necessary?
>>
>>Would someone explain the Xenon-front spring connection to me? Different springs if you order Xenons???

BMW is well known for having spring rates dictated by the exact options on the car... so an all options cooper would have stiffer springs than a stripper... to compensate for the extra weight... so the rumor is the Xenon lights get you a stiffer front spring in exchange for the weight of the better lamps...

In the end I personaly would rather have lower overall weight (esp up front) than the slightly stiffer springs... but in reality either way will not make or break a cars ability to do well... we are talking a few pounds of weight and a few pounds difference in spring rate.... small details.

 

>>>>>>Excellent advice here. Only one question. If you are running stock class why order the Xenon's to get stiffer front springs. Wouldn't you want softer up front to aid rotation and adjust with the shocks if necessary?
>>>>
>>>>Would someone explain the Xenon-front spring connection to me? Different springs if you order Xenons???
>>
>>BMW is well known for having spring rates dictated by the exact options on the car... so an all options cooper would have stiffer springs than a stripper... to compensate for the extra weight... so the rumor is the Xenon lights get you a stiffer front spring in exchange for the weight of the better lamps...
>>
>>In the end I personaly would rather have lower overall weight (esp up front) than the slightly stiffer springs... but in reality either way will not make or break a cars ability to do well... we are talking a few pounds of weight and a few pounds difference in spring rate.... small details.
>>

_______________

Does this hold true for Cooper S or just standard MINI's?

How heavy are the lamps anyway?

 

>>>>>>Excellent advice here. Only one question. If you are running stock class why order the Xenon's to get stiffer front springs. Wouldn't you want softer up front to aid rotation and adjust with the shocks if necessary?
>>>>
>>>>Would someone explain the Xenon-front spring connection to me? Different springs if you order Xenons???
>>
>>BMW is well known for having spring rates dictated by the exact options on the car... so an all options cooper would have stiffer springs than a stripper... to compensate for the extra weight... so the rumor is the Xenon lights get you a stiffer front spring in exchange for the weight of the better lamps...
>>
>>In the end I personaly would rather have lower overall weight (esp up front) than the slightly stiffer springs... but in reality either way will not make or break a cars ability to do well... we are talking a few pounds of weight and a few pounds difference in spring rate.... small details.
>>

_______________

Does this hold true for Cooper S or just standard MINI's?

How heavy are the lamps anyway?

 

>>>>>>Excellent advice here. Only one question. If you are running stock class why order the Xenon's to get stiffer front springs. Wouldn't you want softer up front to aid rotation and adjust with the shocks if necessary?
>>>>
>>>>Would someone explain the Xenon-front spring connection to me? Different springs if you order Xenons???
>>
>>BMW is well known for having spring rates dictated by the exact options on the car... so an all options cooper would have stiffer springs than a stripper... to compensate for the extra weight... so the rumor is the Xenon lights get you a stiffer front spring in exchange for the weight of the better lamps...
>>
>>In the end I personaly would rather have lower overall weight (esp up front) than the slightly stiffer springs... but in reality either way will not make or break a cars ability to do well... we are talking a few pounds of weight and a few pounds difference in spring rate.... small details.
>>

_______________

Does this hold true for Cooper S or just standard MINI's?

How heavy are the lamps anyway?

 

here she is....took delivery of her today....she's got the aero kit on now......

time to play

 

any comments on what the best option is for a set of stickys to go with my 16" X-lites?

 

Hoosier A3S04s in 205/45 16s which are the same size as 215/40 16s in reality. In fact the RUMINT is that Hoosier is going to foergo even producing the 215s in 04 compound. You can save about $40 a tire and get Kumho Ecsta V700, which will last longer but not have the overall grip of a Hoosier. We are only talking tenths here, but every tenth helps.
Chris

 

>>here she is....took delivery of her today....she's got the aero kit on now......
>>
>>time to play
>>
>>
>>

VERY NICE!!!!!!! I am green with envy.......now I wanna MC.....

 

MoFast,

Are you planning on running in H-stock with the car?? If you are the body kit is an illegal mod, I was going to post the page stating so but I cannot get to it right now. The body kit is a dealer installed option and not allowed in stock. The car does look very nice.

try
http://www.moutons.org/sccasolo

 

>>MoFast,
>>
>>Are you planning on running in H-stock with the car?? If you are the body kit is an illegal mod, I was going to post the page stating so but I cannot get to it right now. The body kit is a dealer installed option and not allowed in stock. The car does look very nice.
>>
>>http://www.moutons.org/sccasolo
>>
If anyone would protest that outside of Topeka, bring me their head on a stick! Locally he should be fine, just ask the others if they mind, and unless they are a MINI fan, they probally wouldn't know any better. Good luck.
Chris

 

>>>> >>If anyone would protest that outside of Topeka, bring me their head on a stick! Locally he should be fine, just ask the others if they mind, and unless they are a MINI fan, they probally wouldn't know any better. Good luck.
>>Chris

I know he should be fine locally but I thought I should point it out. I attended some events that had poeple running in the wrong class for things like that and others seem to not like that very much. I am a believer in that the rules are there to be followed. I hope you do good and have a blast.

 

>>>>>> >>If anyone would protest that outside of Topeka, bring me their head on a stick! Locally he should be fine, just ask the others if they mind, and unless they are a MINI fan, they probally wouldn't know any better. Good luck.
>>>>Chris
>>
>>I know he should be fine locally but I thought I should point it out. I attended some events that had poeple running in the wrong class for things like that and others seem to not like that very much. I am a believer in that the rules are there to be followed. I hope you do good and have a blast.

He'll get waxed the first few times out anyway........what's a little cheating among us chikins????

 

I know that SCCA is pretty **** about their rulings, but last I checked a factory option aero kit will not change your class. Don't get it confused with verbage in the rules regards aftermarket aerodynamics modifications.

Also, the JCW kit is automatically DSP class, no stock or ST classing allowed.

Finally, aerodymaics are fine for street touring classes, for you orciari type out there.

And finally, just to tick off the purists, I believe it was Smokey Yunick who quoted "If you aint cheatin', you aint racin'"

_________________

 

>>I know that SCCA is pretty **** about their rulings, but last I checked a factory option aero kit will not change your class. Don't get it confused with verbage in the rules regards aftermarket aerodynamics modifications.
>>
>>Also, the JCW kit is automatically DSP class, no stock or ST classing allowed.
>>
>>Finally, aerodymaics are fine for street touring classes, for you orciari type out there.
>>
>>And finally, just to tick off the purists, I believe it was Smokey Yunick who quoted "If you aint cheatin', you aint racin'"

the aero kit is "dealer installed" not factory. So not allowed

 

>>
>>Also, the JCW kit is automatically DSP class, no stock or ST classing allowed.
>>
Actually the JCW kit goes directly to ASP or SM

 

the aero kit is nothing more than a cosmetic add-on....had no effect on performance....its just the same as getting a different set of MINI wheels, or getting leather seat vovers instead of cloth

I can't believe the SCCA would interpret it that way......as being an illegal mod.....

probably worth getting a ruling on this

 

The ruling is pretty clear on dealer installed options. In fact the verbage is "no matter how common" any dealer installed option is illegal.

 

True, by the wording dealer installed is not allowed, though I had thought you could order the Mini from the factory with the aero kit, at least by their build list on the web site. If it can come directly from MiniUSA with the kit in place, rather than installed by your local dealer, it would be allowed.

If it is an issue, the Street Touring would be the way to go, as body kits are allowed as part of the draw to bring younger people into SCCA competition.

 

FWD-MX5 in your Dec. 27 post were you suggesting a do it yourself version of the Sport Suspension Plus by using Koni shocks, and buying the S’s rear sway bar & the right springs from a Mini dealer? Anyone know the cost of those two parts from a dealer? You would have to get the Mini sway bar to stay in H stock – right? Would this be a better set up than factory SS+ for H stock? Could use a rear sway bar from someone who is replaceing their S's bar - right? Anyone know how it would be for daily driving and curvy country roads?