What did you do to your mini today?
4th Gear
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 307
Likes: 0
From: North Phoenix, AZ
Today I completed my fender painting project. I spent several evenings sanding and using filler primer until the textured feeling was gone. No need to rush as my paint was still in shipping status. I ordered the paint(astro black) and clear coat from paintscratch.com which is the same company I ordered the Chili Red paint I used for the mirror caps.
Here is my recommended supply list:
Three cans of filler primer
Three cans of Base coat
Three cans of clear coat
Sent from my iPad using NAMotoring
Here is my recommended supply list:
Three cans of filler primer
Three cans of Base coat
Three cans of clear coat
Sent from my iPad using NAMotoring
I'm sure he wouldn't mind doing it to his MINI as well!
5th Gear
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 1,083
Likes: 112
From: Mount Doom, Mordor
Well, technically it's not "to" my MINI *yet*, but it *will be* tomorrow....
Prepped the supercharger that is going to replace my original. Now it's cleaned, and has new oil in the snout and water pump drive gears.
I also swapped out the phillips-head screws on the bonnet vents for some nice stainless steel socket-head allen screws.
Tomorrow the nose comes off the car so I can do the swap. It's getting a new water pump as well, and new o-rings for the dipstick tube and crank sensor....
C ya,
Dutch
Prepped the supercharger that is going to replace my original. Now it's cleaned, and has new oil in the snout and water pump drive gears.
I also swapped out the phillips-head screws on the bonnet vents for some nice stainless steel socket-head allen screws.
Tomorrow the nose comes off the car so I can do the swap. It's getting a new water pump as well, and new o-rings for the dipstick tube and crank sensor....
C ya,
Dutch
OVERDRIVE
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 12,326
Likes: 6
From: PA
Re-blinged the 05 Justa I recently purchased.
-front and read Wings replaced
-new chrome MINI tag frames, front and rear
- new chrome boot handle. Learned to always open the boot before you remove the old handle. Then learned there us an emergency boot release under the rear seats.
-front and read Wings replaced
-new chrome MINI tag frames, front and rear
- new chrome boot handle. Learned to always open the boot before you remove the old handle. Then learned there us an emergency boot release under the rear seats.
6th Gear
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 2,836
Likes: 6
From: North Denver Colorado
OVERDRIVE
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 12,326
Likes: 6
From: PA
And me, of all people... have owned 5 MINIs in 6+ years and never knew that was there. Goes to show how often I had lifted up the rear seats.... never. 
Would have been nice to have a little slack in the wiring to the boot handle. Had to remove the interior boot cover to do that job.
Would have been nice to have a little slack in the wiring to the boot handle. Had to remove the interior boot cover to do that job.
4th Gear
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 307
Likes: 0
From: North Phoenix, AZ
She got her brake calipers did 
About to start on the driver's side (boy, I wish we had 2 hyrdaulic jacks!).
Pontiac Blue behind the Royal Bronze wheels. I'll take pics of the whole car when it's finished
About to start on the driver's side (boy, I wish we had 2 hyrdaulic jacks!).
Pontiac Blue behind the Royal Bronze wheels. I'll take pics of the whole car when it's finished
3rd Gear
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 196
Likes: 2
I was just laying down looking through old files and what do you know? I find a picture of my mini all photoshopped the way I wanted it to look 6 months ago when I first got this wonderful machine.
Well, 6months later and I think I've done better than what I had originally imagined! Sorry for the instagram'd pic :P
Well, 6months later and I think I've done better than what I had originally imagined! Sorry for the instagram'd pic :P
5th Gear
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 958
Likes: 0
From: San Antonio, Texas
What did I do to my MINI today? I puzzled over the apparent fact that the black paint has washed off the MINI emblem on the boot. It certainly is a different look, all chrome colored with the raised MINI letters still visible, but it seems a sort of odd occurrence even if it is water-based paint.
Took off front wheel to find front breaks are shot. Looks like I might have some mushrooming and the top of both struts are cracked. I did paint the 4 lug bolts black so that's a plus. Now to get top hats and and try to flatten the mushroomed thingies.
4th Gear
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 535
Likes: 0
From: Hickory,NC
I took Baxter out for a spin through the mountains of North Carolina with a couple members of the Tarheel Minis. Those that have made the Bridal Veil Falls run at MOTD might recognize this setting. One does not have too many opportunities to drive a convertible Mini UNDER a waterfall!
Sent from my iPad using NAMotoring
Sent from my iPad using NAMotoring
Last edited by Swimbaxter; May 9, 2014 at 09:14 AM.
5th Gear
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 1,083
Likes: 112
From: Mount Doom, Mordor
I also had the cracked rubber bushings in my strut mounts, and went with Ireland Engineering's fixed plates to get a little extra camber and better handling. They work well also, and they are a lot thicker than the stamped metal ones that come stock....
HTH!
C ya,
Dutch
5th Gear
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 1,083
Likes: 112
From: Mount Doom, Mordor
C ya,
Dutch
5th Gear
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 1,083
Likes: 112
From: Mount Doom, Mordor
I got a fair part of the supercharger swap done. Should be able to finish it tomorrow excepting the pulley. It's stuck on the old supercharger, and won't come off, so it looks like I'll have to get a new pulley to be able to finish the swap....
C ya,
Dutch
C ya,
Dutch
thanks for the reply! I am a bit confused on what all I need to replace. I do think I need to do the hammering to flatten them a bit. Those look great for the top side. What I can see from there are cracks going horizontally across both (when looking straight at them) of the parts inside the wholes. Sorry don't know the terms real well. I am replacing the springs in a week or so. Do I need the upper mounts replaced or would the Ireland camber plates replace those? Bit confused. any help would be great!
I got the VIP plates and brace bar from http://www.vipcustomparts.com/suspension%20parts.htm and they worked great for the slight mushrooming I had. If it's really bad, you might have to jack the car up and hammer the mushroom down a bit, with a piece of 2x4 between the hammer and the strut tower.
I also had the cracked rubber bushings in my strut mounts, and went with Ireland Engineering's fixed plates to get a little extra camber and better handling. They work well also, and they are a lot thicker than the stamped metal ones that come stock....
HTH!
C ya,
Dutch
I also had the cracked rubber bushings in my strut mounts, and went with Ireland Engineering's fixed plates to get a little extra camber and better handling. They work well also, and they are a lot thicker than the stamped metal ones that come stock....
HTH!
C ya,
Dutch
5th Gear
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 1,083
Likes: 112
From: Mount Doom, Mordor
thanks for the reply! I am a bit confused on what all I need to replace. I do think I need to do the hammering to flatten them a bit. Those look great for the top side. What I can see from there are cracks going horizontally across both (when looking straight at them) of the parts inside the wholes. Sorry don't know the terms real well. I am replacing the springs in a week or so. Do I need the upper mounts replaced or would the Ireland camber plates replace those? Bit confused. any help would be great!
Van at VIP makes really top-notch stuff, and it was nice supporting a local businessman when I got mine....
C ya,
Dutch
Last edited by joe_bfstplk; Oct 6, 2012 at 09:33 PM. Reason: forgot a bit...
1st Gear
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 49
Likes: 0
Installed my power flex front control arm bushings using the sawzall method. Took about 3 hours for both sides DIY on jack stands.
It completely changed the feel of the car. My bushings were so bad they came out in two parts! I only have 92,000 km on my car too. (54,000 mi). So happy with them.
It completely changed the feel of the car. My bushings were so bad they came out in two parts! I only have 92,000 km on my car too. (54,000 mi). So happy with them.
