So the project begins. I am currently on leave from the middle east, and have been working for the last week on my R53.
I have installed: a BSH lower engine mount "RACE version", TSW's X-brace, TSW's "CAN" mount replacement, an M7 tower brace, The M7 DFIC, a M7 C-wing,a full set of Autometer gauges (only the boost gauge is hooked up so far) and 17X7 Konig feathers wraped with 215/45/17 Nitto NT-01's.

I ran at Bandemere speedway last Wednsday with just the DFIC,BSH mount, X-brace and the wheels and tires, my best time was a 15.3 @ 89mph. If that seems slower than it should remember I am at 6000 feet and it was 85 degrees.

The DIFIC holds way too much heat when you arent moving, I could feel that it was down on power due to the heatsoak so I am going to have to fix this problem somehow.

The next night I put the M7 wing on, and the tsw mount. I took the car out the next morning to take some pictures in the mountians, and in 50 degree weather the car feels way faster. The NT-01's grip like glue and the braces stiffend up the chassis quite a bit. I was in the middle of taking pictures when an older Ferrari went past in a "spirited" manner, so I figgured why not and went after him. I actualy feel that I could of gone around him if I really wanted to but staying right on his tail was good enough for me.

Then today I destroyed a S/C belt and had to call Way Motor Works and get a tensioner tool overnited to my house. The car should be back in working order tomorrow, If I dont go $-wheelin with my buddies.

Heres som pics of everything,

 

no pics, but cool build thread

 

Sorry heres the pics, had to get them loaded.















This goes on tomorrow with the new belt Thanks Jan

 

cool build, you going to put your rear grilles back in?

 

Nope I actualy have a JCW Aero kit that is going to get cut and a custom diffuser.

I only have a week left until its back over to Kuwait, and a lot of the parts I have here are really labor intencive to install, so look for a full build thread when I get back for good.

 

I've gotta finish heat wraping that RMW shorty header and get it ready to install as I an changing the belt. I know the car is going to need a good tune after this, and the exahust is going to be LOUD as hell.

 

Dude, Your car is Kickin. Have fun and be careful!!!

 

Rick <<<>>> Lookin GOOD !! I've got those same NT's, when new w /my pea gravel driveway they looked like those ice creme cones covered w /nuts !! Fantastic tires. I'll pm you about some other things, hope you get to drive it w /the header etc BEFORE you gotta leave~~~THANKS !!! OBEY

 

Way to go and welcome back to the states!!!

 

So I didnt post yesterday after the belt and header install?

Maby thats because it was 1:00 AM when I finaly got done! Yup good Ol' Murphy got me. (Whatever can go wrong WILL!)

So the day started off great, I finnished wraping the header, had to use some bailing wire on the collector (angles and clamps or ties dont get along).


Then I finnaggled the stock POS out of the hole. (They really dont give you much room)


I took a couple pics of the D!CKS GARAGE special exhaust in its entireity off the car, and about the same time the UPS guy got to my house with my overnighted belt tensioner tool. (THANK YOU WAY MOTOR WORKS)


The belt went on slicker than snot (way easyer than compressing the tensioner by hand like when I installed my pulley when I got the car). At the same time I installed some cheap insurance, a tensioner stop from D/T. (Well worth the $20.00) Yes my S/C belt just broke without one, but I lucked out the belt split right down the center and only half of it came off and shredded, the other half kept the tensioner from hitting the crank pulley. (It also helps that the car was at idle when it broke.)


Then all hell broke loose and Murphy pretty much kicked me square in the gobbler sack! I stuffed the RMW header in the hole bolted it down and all was well until, I put the O2 sensors in. The pre cat sensor went fine like it should, but the post cat sensor went in half way and stopped! I tried to back it out and it was extremely tight! Finaly it came out and the threads on the O2 where mangled badly! to make matters worse the first 3 threads on the header bung where also messed up! I was mad enough to punch the radio in the garage and needless to say it will never work again.

After assessing the damage I found the header could be saved, but the O2 sensor was FUBAR! So I needed an O2 sensor, and a 18mm on 1.5 thread tap on short notice. Ralph Schomp MINI had the sensor but was closing (parts dept.) at 6:00 it was already 4:30 and I had 35 miles to go in rush hour traffic. Luckly I made it with 28 minutes to spare $244.00 later I was looking for a tap. Eric one of the best mechanics at Schomp was willing to let me borrow one for the night. Great (THANK YOU ERIC) only thing was the biggest he had was a 16X1.5 it looked like an exact match to the sensor, so I took it. I got home stuck the tap into the stock header's O2 bung and it slid right through turns out it is a 18X1.5. Now being 7:00 the search began, I tried 6 different stores including SEARS (they are supposed to have everything) and the biggest I could muster up was a 14mm.

Then I remembered from high school that we threaded a spark plug into the O2 bung on my AMC to rig up a kit to blow flames out the exhaust. (Dont ask we where all kids once, just know it WORKS) What I needed was a spark plug thread chase. I picked one up 5 minutes from my house right as the store was closing and went back to the garage. I riped the chase out of the box and stuck it in the OEM header PERFECT match. I got the threads cleaned out threaded the new sensor in, threw the rest of the car back togeather (after taking the bottom of the shifter box off), snaped a quick pic and want for a test drive. Everything works perfect, and wow what a differance. Now I just need 550cc injectors and a tune.

 

Have fun bro!

 

So today after yesterdays experiance I decicded to go 4-Wheelin with some friends. It was a great day on the trail even though it originaly looked like rain. I even got some new body damage on the Ol' Zook, I toar off the passanger side mirror on a tree coming off a rock.

Heres the pics (you didnt think my whole leave was going to be spent on the MINI did you?)












Incase you didn't know I am the one in the white, and IT'S NOT A JEEP, IT'S A SUZUKI. The guy in the black has a JEEP, thats why he's behind me!

 

Suzuki Samarai FTMFW!

 

70 degrees outside, and right into limp mode! I am running out of fuel, need to get 550's and tuned. atleast I know the parts are working.

Today I am taking the rear seatbelts out, and maby the rear seatback mounts. I would also like to get started on removing all that A/C nonsence tonight.

 

I havent started on the A/C yet but, the rear belts are out and so are the seat mounts. All in all I probably took out another 8 pounds of useless junk. (Hey every little pound counts, every ounce adds up)



And the automotive mullet leans just a little closer to the racecar in the rear side.

 

I started the day off by going on a little cruise through Boulder Canyon, I took some decent pics and even saw a couple more MINI's up there.



Then it was down to buisness again. Today I took the front end apart, got rid of the A/C that didnt work anyhow (a whole 3 drops of fluid came out of it), removed the side curtian airbags, and did a little test fit of my JCW front bumper.

 

So, going to ditch the DFIC for one that works?



Looks like things are coming together nice.

 

Like a Snow water methonol injection kit?

YES

Realy the DFIC dosent do too bad up here where the air is thin, there was no loss in boost pressure, its great when you are moving, and the exit scoop is going to look **** up. The only problem is it gets hot in stop and go traffic, and at the drag strip. You dont need all your power in traffic any how and at the strip its easy to throw a bag of ice on it between runs.

I do like your new cooler but the $900 bones has to go other places, the DFIC will suit my needs until I can think up a front mount, there's plenty of room without the A/C condenser. And the Snow kit will take care of the rest.

 

Not my IC, just one I saw.

There was a thread on MINITorque about a new FMIC and it looked really nice.

 

Now that looks like an I/C setup that I would like to have!
It would save me a ton of fabrication work, but the price is way up there.

 

I kinda left this thread hanging. My computer craped out on me the day before I left to come back to Kuwait, so I couldnt post anything. On my last night at home I got my autopower "RACE" roll bar in (it will definately need to come back out and get painted). I can't post pics from the government's computers so I will include them in the main build thread when I get back home.

Instalation of the bar took me about 4 hours working alone as usual. WOW did it tighten up the chasis of the car. It might have added 50 pounds or so back into the total weight but, it feels so balanced that I can live with the extra weight. Its a differance that you can even feel in day to day traffic around town, and it even got rid of a few rattles from all the hard engine mounts.

I dont have much more on my wish list to still buy, just the clutch/flywheel, 550 cc injectors, a Devils Own water meth kit, some dyno time and a good tune from Jan at RMW.

I have been looking into and thinking up some new tricks for better performance, so keep an eye out in a few months for the build up thread.

 

speaking of those. Do they just pop out? I kinda want to take them out.

 

Yes they pop out to the inside of the bumper, some of the heat sheild might need to come out, but it can go back. You can also cut the mounting tabs off of the bumper cover for a cleaner look.

On the JCW aero kit, you need to use a dremmel or something else and cut the back out. But be really careful one slip could really mess things up.

 

If you where folowing this thread it has been continued, with new stuff here.
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...continued.html