Drove it to the movies, and saw Gravity in Imax 3D. Wow! That's all I have to say.

Dave

 

I'm going tomorrow to see that movie in 3D!

 

Installed the JCW carbon fiber/alcantara shift ****, e-brake and boots. Had no problem with the shift **** at all...one quick tug and the whole thing (boot included) came right off. The e-brake on the other hand was a p.i.t.a. Still not fully on there....but it'll work for now

And not today, but this week....finally put on my 3" turbo back ALTA exhaust. Sounds AMAZING!

 

Chrome handle backsplash?
Can you post a pic, can't help my interest juices are flowing!

 

Technically yesterday, but...

Picked him up from the dealer. Had clear bra installed. Drove as much as was possible (not enough, given that I still had to work...)

 

Congrats on your new MINI, QuietHarper. It looks fantastic.

I have a suggestion for your first mod. Get rid of those airbag warning labels from the sun visors. It makes a big difference in the way the interior looks when the top is open, especially since you have an all black interior. That was one of the first mods I did after taking delivery of my Roadster. Check out my Garage to see how it looks. The easiest way to accomplish this mods is to soak a paper towel with Dry-Erase Cleaner and let it sit for about 15-20 minutes over the label. Then start at one corner and you'll be able to peel the label off. Then finish the clean-up with a little GooGone and your set. You might see a little bit of shine from where the label was but because of the angle the sun visor sits, I don't notice it. Just condition the whole visor with an interior detail spray to even out the surface.

Happy motoring and please don't forget to wave.

 

Wish I would of known about that trick, one of mine was peeling and it was easy to get off, using Goo Gone (not Goof Off dont use that stuff it will wreck things), I decided to do the other one and it was a nightmare, took over an hour and only came off in small pieces.

 

This actually happened last week Wednesday, but better late than never to show off my new Checkered Flag roof top.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/98275529@N07/10060147516/

 

Woke up this morning before work and gave her a bath....

Had to clean off the cheeseburger that someone had smeared all over it.

 

My Roadster got a little treat to Waterless Wash, clean wheels, windows, a full vacuuming and now ready for another week of TDD.

 

We joined Central MD MINI Motorists for our first club drive. 20 MINIs showed up in the misting rain and drove country roads for an hour or so to Catoctin Colorfest. We did not go to the festival but greatly enjoyed the cars and the drive. Thanks for bringing it closer to western MD. Much fun.

 

I got rid of the big ugly plate holder that was on my R55

 

--

 

So, since my brother was visiting Japan for the week, I decided to take his 2007 R56 out since I've never driven the R56. I've had my R53 since 2006, so I was expecting some differences between the two, chief among which is the transmission, since his is auto versus mine which is manual. Also, mine has 103k miles, and his has 62k. Here's what I noticed on my short, but identical drives:

-Steering in R56 feels lighter compared to R53
-Because of the turbo in R56, throttle response from a stand doesn't feel as snappy as the R53, but that could've been due to the automatic
-Ride quality is about the same
-R56 appears to have more sound deadening compared to R53
-Performance wise feels very similar

I think the simplest way to describe the R56 compared to my R53 is the newer one feels more refined, but with regards to the engine and tranny however, those differences alone made me realize I'm perfectly happy with my R53, and have no intention in selling it. I suppose if I drove a R56 with a 6-speed, my impressions would've been slightly different, but even so the auto in the R56 wasn't too bad. Shifts were quick and seamless, and in sport mode, everything felt tighter and more aggressive. As far as automatics go, the one in the MINI is better than most. I'll always still go for a manual in a MINI though.

 

I think the steering ratio is slower too. Did you try sport mode? That weighs down the steering from 'lazy one handed commuting' to 'two hand grip highly recommended'. It also gets rid of 90% of throttle lag especially from a stop.

 

Put my Subaru lip back on, and removed the Plastidip up front for some refinishing in the following days.

 

Changed spark plugs today. I got a new windshield on Friday. Did you know there is a bulletin for install of the little heat shield on the top of the turbo on the oil pipe? They have made the metal thicker and have added a wrap for the pipe as it bends down to the head level. Got it installed free at the dealer while getting a new inspection sticker.

 

Where/how to hide those ugly holes in your bumper??

Sent from my SCH-I535 using NAMotoring

 

Turb'olantern.

 

Installed my first rear sway bar! It was so much fun! Downpipe is next once my gasket comes in from Way :-)

 

On Saturday she got new wheels and tires and a wash (now it's raining go figure).

 

I used bumper plugs, you can see 4 (yes, friggin 4) of them in the pic. They look much better than the empty plate holder.

 

K, so it was really Saturday, but Nudnik had his oil changed and new plugs installed.

Plugs were a little overdue. Man he's purring now....

C ya,
Dutch

 

They work pretty good, but kinda pricey.
https://www.bumperplugs.com/index.ph...y&path=1_11_88

 

That's what I used, the color was perfect. It would've cost me that much to buy materials.