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General MINI TalkShared experiences, motoring minutes, and other general MINI-related discussion that applies to all MINIs, regardless of model, year or trim.
Lol yes I got away from this one clean.
As how the installation is done there are 15 screws under the lip has black RTV and then the support rods believe me it is hard as a rock,it will rip my bumper off before it comes a part.
Ben
Coopersaz
I see you are in AZ
My son just relocated to Phoenix last week.
And got interviews by chanel 12 for opening day of baseball.
Ben
Yes. Oh excellent! Wish him the best of luck!
We really can't complain about the weather out here. Yes, it grows hot but it rains some 30 days out of the year, just enough to look forward to it and enjoy. Snow is 2 hours north, enough to enjoy and then to return home. Downside is... not many people here know how to drive in the rain.
Went to drive the car yesterday and the battery was dead after sitting for 3 days. Charged it and off I went only to have it dead after being in Wal-Mart for 15 minutes. Picked up a new battery at Advance Auto (hey, it was on sale) so now instead of 480CCA I have 790CCA... Neat.
Installed a race (black) Powerflex engine support bushing to compare how much of a difference there is between that and the sport (yellow) I had in before
Changed the air filter. This has got to be the dirtiest one I've ever seen in my life. It was like sludge. Prolly never been changed by the previous own. The filter said UK something something on it and was red under all that grime.
Think you probably just upped your MPG by 3-5 miles per gal, good find.
I have a hunch the cabin air filter is in similar shape...maybe check that too while your at it. And BTW, dont bother with cheap aftermarket cabin air filters either. They fit like crap so particles/pollen get by and dont have the activated charcoal embedded in the filter....OEM cabin filter works on stuff down to 300 microns....
Distressing on how the MINI is turning into a Maxi.....
And all that BS over crash issues with pedestrians as excuse for the front bumper and broader hood line...Anyone seen a Honda CRZ lately ? It has a nose like a 70's Fiat X19....Is Honda banned from sales in the UK ?
Doubt it....
Distressing on how the MINI is turning into a Maxi.....
And all that BS over crash issues with pedestrians as excuse for the front bumper and broader hood line...Anyone seen a Honda CRZ lately ? It has a nose like a 70's Fiat X19....Is Honda banned from sales in the UK ?
Doubt it....
Well, if pedestrians would just stop crashing into MINIs, all this growth would be unnecessary.
I don't know how much bigger MINIs will get in the future, but the trend isn't too good at the moment. I got to drive a friend's Hyper Blue R53 way back in 2005, and I had never driven anything so good. Perfect rigidity, balance, tight steering and power. It was awesome. Felt like it was carved out of a single billet. Just a refined modern rendition of the original MINI. I'll go drive an F series when I take the Roadster in for maintenance later this month to see if it impresses me the same way that the R53 did back in 2005.
I got to drive an original Issigonis MINI for a few weeks while in England a long, long time ago. That made me a total fan of MINI. I even drove a MINI derivative (I didn't know that at the time), an MG 1100, when I first had my driver's permit. Ugliest little car that I ever loved to drive. It had a very cool interconnected hydraulic suspension system and all the interior quirks associated with the original MINI.
Will be very interesting to see how the newest and bigger MINI relates. A lot of us would like to see a smaller MINI model again. Maybe something like the Rocketman concept.
Distressing on how the MINI is turning into a Maxi.....
And all that BS over crash issues with pedestrians as excuse for the front bumper and broader hood line...Anyone seen a Honda CRZ lately ? It has a nose like a 70's Fiat X19....Is Honda banned from sales in the UK ?
Doubt it....
Yes, it is borderline offensive how large Mini is making the new Minis. I recall reading an article a while back that said BMW’s intention of increasing the size of the Mini is to get it to the same frame/platform as the 1-Series BMW. That way, they can save money during production with not having so many different chassis to make. Kind of sad IMHO.
Originally Posted by MiniRoadstah
Well, if pedestrians would just stop crashing into MINIs, all this growth would be unnecessary.
I don't know how much bigger MINIs will get in the future, but the trend isn't too good at the moment. I got to drive a friend's Hyper Blue R53 way back in 2005, and I had never driven anything so good. Perfect rigidity, balance, tight steering and power. It was awesome. Felt like it was carved out of a single billet. Just a refined modern rendition of the original MINI. I'll go drive an F series when I take the Roadster in for maintenance later this month to see if it impresses me the same way that the R53 did back in 2005.
I got to drive an original Issigonis MINI for a few weeks while in England a long, long time ago. That made me a total fan of MINI. I even drove a MINI derivative (I didn't know that at the time), an MG 1100, when I first had my driver's permit. Ugliest little car that I ever loved to drive. It had a very cool interconnected hydraulic suspension system and all the interior quirks associated with the original MINI.
Will be very interesting to see how the newest and bigger MINI relates. A lot of us would like to see a smaller MINI model again. Maybe something like the Rocketman concept.
Great post and feedback. I have had a few friends catch up with my about purchasing a used R53 because they prefer that chassis/ride if they were to get into Minis… But it’s a challenge finding a well taken care of Mini that isn’t going to need $1000s of work the minute you buy it.
Yes, it is borderline offensive how large Mini is making the new Minis. I recall reading an article a while back that said BMW’s intention of increasing the size of the Mini is to get it to the same frame/platform as the 1-Series BMW. That way, they can save money during production with not having so many different chassis to make. Kind of sad IMHO.
Great post and feedback. I have had a few friends catch up with my about purchasing a used R53 because they prefer that chassis/ride if they were to get into Minis… But it’s a challenge finding a well taken care of Mini that isn’t going to need $1000s of work the minute you buy it.
Thanks... I go way back with Mini. There are fewer and fewer R53s in good condition out in the market.
Would be great if they just updated the engine and safety stuff in a "New" R53 sized re-issue. I think it would be a successful move on BMW's part, since almost no car ever gets downsized after the normal bloating that occurs in subsequent model updates. Unfortunately in most cases, profit $$ always wins the day in the corporate world vs the enthusiasts, so there's little chance of that ever happening.
Yes, it is borderline offensive how large Mini is making the new Minis. I recall reading an article a while back that said BMW’s intention of increasing the size of the Mini is to get it to the same frame/platform as the 1-Series BMW. That way, they can save money during production with not having so many different chassis to make. Kind of sad IMHO.
Great post and feedback. I have had a few friends catch up with my about purchasing a used R53 because they prefer that chassis/ride if they were to get into Minis… But it’s a challenge finding a well taken care of Mini that isn’t going to need $1000s of work the minute you buy it.
I do also like the 53 vs 56 there are so much more you can do with that chassis than any other gen 2. And about $$$$$$ sooner or later you will spend the $1000s.
If I ever buy another I will have to accept the consequences of owning one.lol
My car has a owner named cash machin.lol
Changed the air filter. This has got to be the dirtiest one I've ever seen in my life. It was like sludge. Prolly never been changed by the previous own. The filter said UK something something on it and was red under all that grime.
Sadly, that's what my CABIN air filter looked like when I bought my R53 with 150k miles on it. Probably the original filter. I thought I was going to puke. lol
Did you use a kit or stuff you had around the house?
I've used kits, home remedies (baking soda/toothpaste) and this method is way easier and lasts a long time. Much better results, but requires a little taping.
Debadged, added tint and stripes to 16 justa / JCW. Next I need Black Wheels. If anyone has these JCW wheels in black and are dying for silver and want to trade (in the socal area) these only have 700 miles on them and are pristine.
On the yellow headlights, the fast way is to spray with "LA's Totally Awesome" cleaner (they have it at the 99 cent store). Your car will cry yellow as the oxidation drips right off with no sanding scrubbing. Rinse it off. It will etch the plastic so it will leave a white haze. That white haze buffs off much more easily than the yellow. You can use car wax or headlight restoration paste followed by your choice of UV blocker / sealer. This method takes about 2-3 minutes per headlight.
I think ECS probably has the largest inventory of older JCW Parts, but these became NLA around 4yrs ago. I was very lucky to score this off ebay from a chap who purchased it new in 2002, but never installed it.
You can still get these for the 05 and up, but they changed the ebrake handle assembly configuration some, and they either have no logo or the newer style logo which doesn't match the ones on the older cars.
Thanks, yes we do! They still have the same part number they just updated it with the 2008+ JCW updated logo design. I have one of the old design logos also. You can see it in that thread. Yea, they have no logo or the newer jcw logo.
Distressing on how the MINI is turning into a Maxi.....
