I was wanting to know what are some of the better parts that aren't the mini brand? I haven't had to replace anything beside a battery, the power steering(thankfully it was under a safety recall and the dealership fixed it) and the thermostat and housing. That fixed the leaking coolant problem for almost a year.


Recently it went to the dealership(because of power steering pump) and while my mini was there they found some things that need to be repaired. Didn't get them to do it, because of the repair bill. Costly. We have our own garage at home. So we put it on the lift and found that it needed new bushing for the control arm. They aren't gone yet. I figured since we had to replace them that I would go ahead and replace the arm joints too. I have been debating on what brand to get.
I also have a leak in my radiator. You can actually see it when you look at it. The leak is right at the top on the passenger side. I figured since we fixed the thermostat that it just went to the next weakest point. I got new radiator hoses and a Nissens radiator brand. I hope that is a good brand. I was wondering what else should I think about replacing since I have to fix it too.


Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks

 

A few things I've learned from the various forums are AC Delco branded or Litens belt tensioner from Amazon is oem but a lot cheaper, ATI or PRW fluidgel crank pulley for smoother engine and more reliability, Powerflex control arm bushings will possibly last the life of the car, VibraTechnics passenger side motor mount is good but pricey, the oem coil and wires are used on many 220+ hp builds, don't use Denso plugs as people think they are more prone to blowing out and possibly stripping the head threads in the process, R56 front brake calipers are a good upgrade from stock R53 especially if you need to buy pads and rotors as the price of used R56 S calipers can be fairly cheap.

 

As far as your LCA bushings, I would use Powerflex Polyurethane bushings, you don't want to have to change them out in a few years, they will also make the front end tighter. While you have the front half of the chassis lowered, you may as well change the inner ball joints. There are tons of how-to's and video. You can source your parts from Pelican or Way Motor Works. There are several other vendors here, these are just the ones that I use. Shop around get your best deals. Pelican has tons of step by step tutorials which will help you out a great deal.

 

Thanks again for the recommendation, gumbedamit.

OP, as stated above, Powerflex is the way to go. They're a much better investment in that they provide prolonged tire life, improve performance, better handling and they are more cost-effective than OEM bushings. I linked them below for you to review. If you want, shoot me a PM with the last 7 digits of your vin and I'd be more than happy to put together a parts quote for you to see what your parts investment will be for the jobs you need to get done. It should be much less than what you were quoted by the dealer. I also linked our tech articles below. They should help you tackle these jobs. Let me know if you have any questions and I am just a PM away.

http://www.pelicanparts.com/catalog/...pg4.htm#item21
http://www.pelicanparts.com/techarti...tech_index.htm

 

Here are 2 pictures of my 2004 Mini Cooper. I hope I done it right.

 

Thanks for the replies too. They have helped a lot.
Thanks,
Sarah

 

Did you add strut tower plates? Strut tower mushrooming is a known issue with Gen 1 models. Also, for fantastic handling on the twisties, install a heavier adjustable RSB. You won't believe the difference that will make.

 

May want to consider scheduled changes if not already accomplished.