I could try that I guess.
It is set up so I can swap out the resonator.
Thanks for the suggestion.

 

Finally got both MINI cleaned this weekend only to find out snow and rain this week :(

 

Rare 2007 MCS , nice shots.

 

I backed it into a f---ing concrete pillar.

Left rear bumper has scratches and some of the trim pieces popped out of their clips. No dents or anything. I'm guessing ~$500.

 

Oh no...

 

Yikes

 

Those things are hard to see sometimes! Hope that no metal was bent.

 

Worn bushings can produce strange effects, for sure. Excellent write up. Thanks. Love the thoroughness on projects. Impressive.

Up to Page 16 on your CRX build. Wow and beyond. What a find, and what work you do. Love it, too. I have a very soft spot for CRXs. My sister owned one and it's one car that I really enjoyed driving. Always wanted one, but it just wasn't the right time and situation for it, so I missed out. My sister's '90 CRX Si was stolen a couple of years back. She was just starting to get things on order for a total refurbish. We were all heart broken. It was never recovered.

When do the Koni Yellows (of course they have to be the yellow ones ) and TWS springs go on the Mini?

 

After, 2 months of back and forth Mini of Peabody declined my petition to stand behind their warranty of rust.
They told me that I had too big of a gap in dealer visits (from 2009 30k miles-2011 50k miles). The reason it was never at the shop was because the car had nothing wrong with it and all it needed was oil changes that were done by the PO at an indy.

Soo... I wrote them a strongly worded letter of dissapointment had it fixed myself and done right. I also had them redo the scoop because it faded dif then the rest of the body...





And for good measure, I was grabbing some parts for my 3rd Gen 4runner at the local junkyard and saw this!!! (no this isnt a design flaw causing premature rust).

The other side of this scrapped mini looked the same.

 

Sorry to hear that. :( But I am glad it fixed. looks much better. I pop my taillights out every year and put some wax and grease on the seam after mine was done. Done this to the upper boot grip handles area also. Behind the trim.

 

CooperSAZ - love the CRX build thread. You do excellent work. I bought a black CRX back in '89. Man, that thing would hug the road.

 

Thank you! Oh good, I am glad you enjoy it! I received a lot of feedback on it from others wanting to do the same thing. With the torque specs, the pics and the narrative, people have stated they feel more comfortable with tackling their refurb of the car. It was well taken care of before me so I was hoping to just clean it up and carry it forward. Only open items on him that are left is the paint/bodywork, the new motor (DOHC VTEC) and the fuel system overhaul (e.g. tank and pump). Then I am done I think. I agree, CRXs are great little cars. They really started the pocket rocket generation and aftermarket world kick off for Honda back in the 90s. Unfortunately, most of the chassis left have been raced out or beaten to heck. I’ve been offered quite a bit of money for him and have declined every time. I will be buried in one of these two yellow cars. Haha

Great question! I hope this year. Kids are at that age now where braces are coming into play. $$$ I have a few things to patch up on the Odyssey (axles, oil pump seal). I keep hoping certain items go on sale where it forces my hand to pick up parts for the MINI and just get it done.


Oh excellent! I am glad you liked the thread! Thank you for the kind words. Very much appreciated. Yes! So you go way back and knew the vehicle! They are great little cars. It is a great weekend car for a trip up to Sedona with the wife. (e.g. hiking or golfing)

 

I have a '93 Civic Coupe EX-O that I bought new and still only goes out on nice days, so I know what you mean about the offers. And I already gave my wife instructions on that burying thing... probably in the Civic .

CRXs are extremely coveted, and get fewer in number every year, so make sure you install a kill switch or tracking or something in it to thwart anyone that might try to take it. I tried to get my sister to put more security into her's, but she didn't. She drove it at least once or twice a week to keep the battery fresh. One night they decided to drive it to a restaurant in a well lit popular area of town, went in to dinner and after finishing came out to an empty parking space.

Enjoy it, but make it secure.

 

Oh cool ok! The ’92-‘95 Civics are a great generation as well! I guess I am stuck in the ‘90s. After about 2000, the Civic has been grown in size to become fat, overweight and bloated. But that appears to be the course for many of today’s vehicles. The new Civic is about the size of an Accord now.

Agreed. These cars are easy to take and you have to take the proper precautions to ensure it does not leave for a “test drive”.

Thanks!

 

I deal with MINI of Peabody as well and it's been hit or miss on their support for design flaws. I've run across several on our 2 MINI's. From the looks of the rust it's a flaw. An oil change or regular service wold never have prevented the rust issue. Also, when was the last time anyone has seen rust damage on a modern car, it has to be a design issue.

 

That's why I went to a Mini... always favored small fun drivers. You're right about Civics, have gotten way too big. Bigger than the first Accords and even lost the double wishbone suspensions that actually made those old Civics so fun on the twisted sections of road.


If you have a piece of trim that rubs into the paint, or a tiny rock chip that you miss and you drive in New England during the Winter, more specifically here in Maine, you're gonna have big rust, big time, really soon. You wanna see modern cars with rust pits and paint bubbles? Come on up to Maine. Maine puts more salt and snow melting chemicals down on roads than any other place I've lived or driven through where snow falls in Winter.

You really have pay close attention to your painted surfaces if you drive a car you might really like up here during Winter. I have always had a Winter beater, cause I can't see driving a nice car in a salt bath. Not good for any part of a car. My 1998 Frontier truck started to rust about 4 years ago and I keep that thing as clean as I can, thoroughly wash it out when it's above freezing and keep painted areas waxed and rock pits sealed. Can't stop it. Rust will take hold somewhere. Salt and chemicals will attack any component, brakes, brake lines, suspension, frames, bodies... the works.

Newer cars take longer to show signs of rust, true. But they will still show deterioration after a couple or three Winters up here.

Folks that drive a nice car in the Winter in Maine will usually dump it in 2-3-4 years. Leases allow that with ease. Others seem to scout out lease returns from the southern areas and keep them for a while. I see plenty of really expensive rolling stock being used during snow storms. Between the salt/chemicals/rock chips, they are getting hammered. But those drivers can afford a new car every Spring or two anyways, so I guess it's no big deal.

If I get attached to a car, I keep it away from that kind of cruelty.

 

Replaced my vacuum pump simply as a preventative measure!!! Bought this 07 MCS second hand and have no idea how the previous owner kept it maintained!!

 

My reference point on rust was (is) my first new car, a 1977 Honda Accord plus I lived in Hyde Park, NY. That Accord turned to dust over the 4+ years that I owned it, the front fenders had holes several inches in diameter and there was more minor rust almost everywhere, there was nothing I could do to stop it. I also like to keep cars a longtime and between my wife and kids we have cars built between 2001 and 2012 and none have, what I would consider rust. Granted, we take good care of them all, most are garaged, but one of our two 2009 MINI's has been with our youngest daughter up at Syracuse University for the past 4 years, freezing it's barn doors off, another daughter, living in Denver, drives a 2004 BMW X3, which she's driven for 8 years, including 4 years in central Pennsylvania at college and now 2 years in Colorado. Both of these cars have lived outside since the girls left High School and show only insignificant rusting around dings and rock chips, etc.. I know Maine offers up some brutal winters but my basic point was modern cars are light years ahead of where they were when it comes to anti-rust technology versus when I started driving in the 70's. I guess it's kind of ironic that I now drive a 2011 X3 in the winter and save my 2009 MINI for the summer. I guess it's because I like driving the MINI so much more than anything else :-)

 

Done replacing the water pump, upper radiator hose and radiator coolant.

 

Turned 100,000 miles this morning.

 

Looking to keep it 100k more?

 

Been known to drive a vehicle till the doors fell off and then I welded them on. My Land Cruiser has 328,000 miles. My truck has 270,000 miles. The mini has been a pretty good vehicle with only one required repair that included a new throttle body. Debating what to do. Sell it and buy a new one... keep it and drive it... trade it in on something else...

 

Recently I replaced the original oem tank with a metal tank as a precaution to preclude the much documented drama involved with the failure of the oem tank. After the installation, the new tank's design opened up the area enough for me to see the close proximity of the new tank to the exhaust header heat shield. Out of curiosity and some concern, I then a search for a temperature reduction of the coolant tank and the surrounding area that would also be a cost effective. Hence I found a thread on NAM that inspired me to apply to the heat shield DEI Cool Tape purchased at Oreillys at a very reasonable price. I covered the underside of the shield and the area just on the topside of the shield. Call it a placebo? I can't say. But the following thread got my attention:
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...reduction.html

 

Great point on the double wishbone suspension! Sad that it is gone now...

 

Very cool find. Seems it worked a bit for him.