Fixed the splitter, checked all fluids, tire pressures, and bulbs. Getting ready to hit the road headed to 129 for a few days. May the car gods be with my clutch!!

 

Got antsy since the one ball earlier in the day, so I seafoamed her, then headed out to 3 different auto parts stores looking for some clamp on tips. Finally found some that I liked, but realized trying to put them on that there is a metal tab connecting the two pipes. Grrr...

Decided to get her (Charlize) washed, and then went to Kragen and put together a new H/CAI for $50. Not as spiffy as the $250 one, but since the K&N isn't CARB exempt anyways, why pay extra? Throttle response is improved over the stock airbox with drop in K&N, and I can hear the sound of the SC a lot better. Totally worth the $50 in my opinion. I'm going to remove the box completely and re-plumb the intake hose that goes from the throttle body to the filter, and mount the little power cables somewhere.

I haven't noticed any real increase in exhaust note except when letting off the gas...definitely some glasspack action going on now. Tail lights shipped today, and I contacted the seller about the $20 difference. Waiting to see how that turns out...

I ran into a fellow mini-er at dinner, he had a newer non-S model that was all stock because of the warranty. My cheap-o intake made me feel better somehow since I wasn't rolling in a stock mini anymore!

Tomorrow I hope to get the tips put on, and I'll get some pics up. I will probably get the magnaflow eventually, but new tips and the one-ball should hold me over.

 

Newish tires...shitty ones with good tread from my old rims...still have traction issues. Can't wait for the new rims (16.2lbs) and wider/stickier rubbers (225 star specs)

Looks on shop guys' faces when they saw the mini...sad

Same guys...def a diff look when I came back to pick up the car...there were 2mi extra on my trip. I think someone cleaned the driver seat too

 

M7 Aero Splitter.

Had to dremel out an area for the OEM Center 10mm bolt, and M7's Aero Directions for the installation are actually for the OEM S Bumper....specifically the placement of the front bolts which have the rubber washers is much different than in the directions.

Other than that all went well, took my time and came out perfect. Lots of measuring, measuring again, drilling holes, loc-tite on bolts ect.

Have not taken to the road yet, but I get a sense there should be much better handling / steering at....highway speeds.



Splitter006.jpg?t=1283968859

Splitter2GoodPic.jpg?t=1283982101

 

Did my second seafoam treatment, mostly white smoke, not the dark black stuff i had the first time, maybe do one more and I should be done for a while

 

That's one GREAT looking MINI!!!

 

Ugh I was gonna do red with my black stripes till that pic lookin good

 

Clay bar-ed it, applied scratch X, then NXT 2.0 wax from Meguiar's. Shined the "Chrome" and the tail pipe. Tomorrow, the wheels and interior!

 

can't say that "I" did anything, but i did just pick my car up from the dealer after having a ton of stuff fixed . coolant reservoir replaced, both front side front struts rubber mounts replaced, fixed inop driver-side window motor & replaced oil pan gasket. sigh...

looks like i need to grab that bentley manual soon!

 

Just finished consoling mine, after a lady tapped my rear bumper when her foot slipped off the brake at a stop sign.
I felt a decent-sized thud, but I honestly don't see any damage; I'll know more after I go visit my body guy tomorrow, though.

 

Thanks D-W.

I think I am gonna leave her this way for a while Replaced all wearable parts in last two years, and upgraded all parts I could to 05/06 except the tranny. Basically turning back the odometer....which will have 100,000 miles this week Thanks to the mods I have done, and lots of help from our club mechanic in Worcester, it runs and drives even better than a brand new 03'.

It's a keeper

 

I have three bumpers in my attic Doug. Two Aero and one I turned into a GP bumper....they all have some sort of ding like that. Barely noticible...but I know they are there .

I guess we can just be thankful she wasn't going faster than she was. It's easy to remove these rear bumpers if you need to take a peek. I do mine on the ground. No lift or jacks/stands needed.

Good luck tomorrow.

 

I reserve one clay bar only to be used on my MINI's rims. They really come out nice after that too.

 

What fenders are ya running? Those look pretty hot

 

I second that emotion! Sure would like to see it in person... Any chance you could make it to THIS? I know it's late notice, but we sure could use some more MINIs!

 

LOL that l@@ks really cool. Can I be the Dot ?

 

A Classic has already assumed the Dot position. But the more MINIs we get, the more likely we are to take just one, big picture! Instead of individual pics of the letters that have to be photo shopped together to spell nemini.

 

Me? They be stock no black paint. Used some of my club mechanic's Greasy Shine on it. I came close to pulling the trigger painting them DS, but as I eventually removed all the chrome, car looks much less busy now - dark silver and black with only few rather obscure red accents inside and outside the car.

 

This is really cool. Send ya a PM

 

Today I tried to fit new clamp on tips to the factory exhaust. It didn't work because there's a support welded to the exhaust and my sawzall blade was too short to reach it without jacking up the car. Instead, I refined my new intake by adding a small street elbow into the stock intake tube and clamping it all together. It's probably not as efficient and straight flowing as a $200 kit, but it's got to be better than the stock box with the FILTHY K&N drop in I had.

I went to Lowe's and got the door panel plugs for $2.50, and I replaced the cabin filter (also friggin' NASTY by the way, TOTALLY worth the $12 for the cheap replacement and the 5 minutes it took). Then I took it for a test drive with my incredible on video mode. Kinda hard to hold the phone, steer and shift, but I took a bunch of videos and sound clips. I don't know where to put them up, but it would help for those on the fence about the one-ball.

One word to describe the intake and one-ball? Awesome.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UiEt_SqmT34

Here's some pics of the intake system I'm using. Filter $25, chrome tube $11, reducer $8, street elbow $2, hose clamp $1.50




[edit] I remembered the cheap mods thread, and had some time tonight so I created some rear seat pull straps out of some webbing and 550 cord, and cut up my old sun shade so it'll fit in the moonroof. It's got skulls on it! I started after midnight though, so I guess it should be another post.

 

I'm toying with the same idea. Mostly stock colors but carbon fiber in some areas and slit accents of red here and there.

I meant the vented piece the scuttled mount to...not sure what mini guys call em if they aren't fenders

 

Take a look at Lyle's Vinyl Styles dry CF vinyl scuttles and gas cap. They really make a subtle difference on DS/B. See pics buried deep in this thread.

And sig. pic >/

 

Got rid of my rear seats. Love the raw sound from my exhaust, hate the annoying whining of the fuel pump.

Also got rid of my sub, amp, and tools that were just taking up space in the spare well.

Overall, I lost about 110 lbs today!

 

My MINI got some new shoes tonight. Sport Max 925's.



have plans to powdercoat them a lighter silver, or something similar.

 

Close but not quite I've been lookin at those and haven't quite pulled the trigger yet.

I was talking about his vented version of this part: