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Got some parts in (lower ball joints, upper ball joints, new shift cables, belt tensioner, among other bits and pieces) so things will actually start to go back on the car now, instead of coming off. I may pick up a front set of Koni Sports for the front, as they're still the original JCW sport shocks and probably badly worn out, but I really don't want a repeat of the broken pinch bolts when I was changing the Koni Special Actives on my '03. Anyway, I swapped out the shifter, and mounted the new shifter cables. Thankfully, all the issues with shifting were from the cables, as the new ones shift like buttah.
Got the LCA bushings off the LCAs. So much easier to do when the subframe is dropped! Have the Powerflex bushings ready to go in Cravenspeed short shifter. Just need to modify the shifter cover box so that it doesn't hit. I've read its a smart idea to keep the shift box covered so you don't let in dirt, hot exhaust and noise into the cabin. New vs. Old Everything mounted up Got replacement tail lights as the originals had some cracking and hazing. Originally was looking for deals on Ebay, but ended up finding brand new Valeo ones on for 85$ shipped from Rockauto, which were only a little bit more money than the ones I was finding on Ebay!
Soul,
I think Maryland isn't much different with the road salt, etc... Another delay as I just saw where the rear brake lines are rusted where the go up toward the floor. That will def. flunk Md. State inspection. So rear brake lines were ordered and that looks like a fun job. Also refinishing the outer edge of the aftermarket wheels where the clear coat failed and now I decided to paint the flares.
I did get a little bling from UPS today, strut tower brace. A fun piece at last!
Some goodies came in! Excited to start putting things back on the car now! Also, with the aid of heat, I was able to get the two pinch bolts off of the front knuckles, so I can easily swap out the front shocks!
Had some time over the weekend to get out the welder and fix up the damage on the exhaust. The Pre-cat was almost completely cracked, with only had about 1/8 of it still holding on. I cut out the part holding it on and removed the pre-cat before welding it back up. Also fixed the broken exhaust hangers on the cans. I will paint the rest of the exhaust to hopefully stop it from rusting. The precat was barely holding on. Ended up just cutting the rest off. I removed the precat Welded it back up Cleaned up the rear exhaust cans Welded the mounts back on
Hello Everyone. Hope everyone is doing well considering whats been happening. I ended up having a lot more free time, so was able to finish my GP project! Ran into a couple more issues, mostly around rusty and worn out suspension, but i ended up getting the car running and i've put about 500 miles on it over the past couple weeks. I got the AC charged, and it is really cold, even in the hot weather. If anyone has issues with weaker AC, change the evaporator as rock chips had destroyed most of the fins on the old one.
Also changed out the fan resistor, put in a RMW shorty header
Ended up replacing the front suspension Found the top hat was completely cracked around where it had been attached. Replaced it all while it was apart New bump stop - the old one had completely failed reused the spring All installed on the car Had a custom Whalen shifter **** and brake handle made Feels great in the hand with the Cravenspeed short shifter Decided to put a new evaporator and compressor in the car as the AC wasn't strong before. My other Mini had a failed alternator so i threw in a new alternator on this and put the old one in my other mini Replaced the hand brake lines. They were completetly siezed. It's nice to have a hand brake again. Put in some new speakers while the car was all apart New bushings, Inner and outer ball joints etc.. Put in a RMW shorty header It's done! So nice to be able to take it for a spin I got the front suspension worked out, but they couldnt change the rear. Any thoughts on whats wrong?
I got the front suspension worked out, but they couldnt change the rear. Any thoughts on whats wrong?
Modern alignment machines indicate what tools are needed. On Mini the rear is set by using a "special BMW tool", [go figure]. The guy saw that and probably said screw-it.
I just had mine done and that's what it said on the screen. My guy went to his toolbox and came back with a 3' long heavy duty screwdriver. I asked him joking, "is that the BMW special tool?"
He said "yep"!
The difference is, according to him, the BMW tool holds things in place when tightening the nut making the job easier.
Without the tool you have to tighten the nut and figure out how much the adjustment changes, loosen the nut and set things about 1 degree more[to allow for the change when the nut is tightened] so when tightened up the setting is correct.
That's what he did and after 1-2 tries tightening the nut it was spot on.
He's almost my age and been wrenching a loooong time. I guess the difference between a real mechanic and a wrench spinner...
robj
PS. good job getting back on the road! And with ice cold air, [needed today!]
I got the front suspension worked out, but they couldnt change the rear. Any thoughts on whats wrong?
Modern alignment machines indicate what tools are needed. On Mini the rear is set by using a "special BMW tool", [go figure]. The guy saw that and probably said screw-it.
I just had mine done and that's what it said on the screen. My guy went to his toolbox and came back with a 3' long heavy duty screwdriver. I asked him joking, "is that the BMW special tool?"
He said "yep"!
The difference is, according to him, the BMW tool holds things in place when tightening the nut making the job easier.
Without the tool you have to tighten the nut and figure out how much the adjustment changes, loosen the nut and set things about 1 degree more[to allow for the change when the nut is tightened] so when tightened up the setting is correct.
That's what he did and after 1-2 tries tightening the nut it was spot on.
He's almost my age and been wrenching a loooong time. I guess the difference between a real mechanic and a wrench spinner...
robj
PS. good job getting back on the road! And with ice cold air, [needed today!]
Thanks, yeah, that makes sense. There's these side covers that the GP has as well that makes it a lot harder to access. I'm going to have to go to the guy that does my s2000 and just take our time with it.
Update:
The car is still running well and hasn't missed a beat since May.
Just went through the thread, looks good! Good to see that someone is taking care of that sweet GP. But too be honest, I was eyeballing the S2000 (thats the ricer part in me) hahaha
Tell me more about it, looks like a turbo build with the added fmic
Just went through the thread, looks good! Good to see that someone is taking care of that sweet GP. But too be honest, I was eyeballing the S2000 (thats the ricer part in me) hahaha
Tell me more about it, looks like a turbo build with the added fmic
Put about 2k miles on the GP over the Summer and Fall! Will try and get the car out as much as I can before winter hits, and our first child is born!
Haha, yeah, it's a 2001 model, and has been modified a lot over the 14+ years since I bought it! It's been turbocharged in the past, but it's been recently converted to a supercharger setup. Makes less power than the turbo did, but it's a lot more reliable and still makes 420whp! The intercooler you see is a water to air setup that I custom built for the supercharger system I have. It keeps IATs within 10 degrees of ambient and has enough to capacity to keep itself cool in the summer.
Doesn't the supercharger fit the characteristics of the high revving vtec engine better than a turbo setup? Its not about max power figures, but driveability. Max power figures always do well on parties, but how the car drives (drivetrain, suspension, power band, etc) is much more important
Cool!
~~~ Max power figures always do well on parties, but how the car drives (drivetrain, suspension, power band, etc) is much more important
Gotta agree with this! My 500+ WHP is all at the high RPM's, which is useless around town unless I want to attract all kinds of attention by down-shifting. Gonna try a lower turbo A/R someday after I make a run at one of the Texas U.S Mile events. Need all the HP this brick-on-wheels can make, if I want to break 200MPH in a standing start mile.
Doesn't the supercharger fit the characteristics of the high revving vtec engine better than a turbo setup? Its not about max power figures, but driveability. Max power figures always do well on parties, but how the car drives (drivetrain, suspension, power band, etc) is much more important
It's a centrifugal supercharger, so boost increases linearly with RPM, so it mimics the n/a feel of the car, only with a lot more power. Also makes it a lot easier to put down the power! Haha, that is very true! I do miss the midrange torque of the turbo, but my drivetrain doesn't (3 broken differentials, 2 broken transmissions, 2 broken axles, and 1 blown clutch disc)!
Originally Posted by oldbrokenwind
Gotta agree with this! My 500+ WHP is all at the high RPM's, which is useless around town unless I want to attract all kinds of attention by down-shifting. Gonna try a lower turbo A/R someday after I make a run at one of the Texas U.S Mile events. Need all the HP this brick-on-wheels can make, if I want to break 200MPH in a standing start mile.
I couldn't imagine 500whp in a FWD Mini! I'd bet it's a smoke machine with the flick of your foot! Very cool accomplishment though and i'd love to hear how it does on a mile run!
Been a while with the updates, but I've just been having lots of fun driving the car. It's been driving so well and feels so special! Still don't have a perfect feel with my shifter though compared to my old 2003 Mini, so I ordered the weight linkage for the transmission mechanism - i have already replaced the shifter linkages, put in a short shifter, and have a heavier Whalen Shift machine **** but have a bit of side to side play when I am selecting a gear. Changing out the linkage is pretty simple, you just remove the air box and ECU, pull off the intake pipes and you have access to the shift cables and linkages. As I've already changed the cables, they popped off very easily. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves, but I should I have replaced them when I had the car apart before. New vs. Old
So I got it all back together and while the feel has really improved, there's still play in the shifter side to side (left to right) so the last piece to the puzzle is the shift box. I may buy a new one. Only problem is its underneath the exhaust and exhaust shields, so it makes it a longer process! May become part of my winter projects!
Just now viewed all post pics and descriptions, having not seen before. Wow, what a project! It's startling what road salt and subsequent corrosion does to exposed aluminum and steel components. No such issues here in AZ. Doubtful my R53 was ever driven in rain and won't during my ownership, unless I get caught out in a summertime monsoon storm. I'm amazed how some people use such unique and special cars as high mileage daily drivers vs a dedicated wintertime beater. Go figure. In any case, congrats on the great work you've done refreshing this GP1...
Just now viewed all post pics and descriptions, having not seen before. Wow, what a project! It's startling what road salt and subsequent corrosion does to exposed aluminum and steel components. No such issues here in AZ. Doubtful my R53 was ever driven in rain and won't during my ownership, unless I get caught out in a summertime monsoon storm. I'm amazed how some people use such unique and special cars as high mileage daily drivers vs a dedicated wintertime beater. Go figure. In any case, congrats on the great work you've done refreshing this GP1...
Thanks. It was a labor of love and worth restoring as there aren't many of these still around - that aren't crashed or museum pieces. It is pretty crazy how weathered these things can look! I saw another Mini enthusiast use the metal colored spray paint, so that might be something I do on the more obvious pieces in the engine bay. All the plastic parts have come back to life with some cleaning and correct products. And you're right, it does blow my mind that someone would daily drive this car for 15 years, but it allowed me to buy it at the price I could afford at the time! I would love to have a pristine R53 though! I'm sure your car is really nice!
Did you happen to see Way from Way Motor Works new toy? If you are on Facebook check it out. He got a GP1 with 14,652 miles on the clock.
I couldn't add the link as it is marked private.
Did you happen to see Way from Way Motor Works new toy? If you are on Facebook check it out. He got a GP1 with 14,652 miles on the clock.
I couldn't add the link as it is marked private.
I didn't see it! I am on facebook, but maybe not on that Mini group page - which one? He already had a GP1 i think too, but with a lot more miles. That one has 132,348 less miles than mine, lol
As the parts were off I decided to change out the plug wires while i was in there. With the larger intercooler, you have to remove it to access the spark plug holes, something you don't have to do with the regular r53.
I didn't see it! I am on facebook, but maybe not on that Mini group page - which one? He already had a GP1 i think too, but with a lot more miles. That one has 132,348 less miles than mine, lol
Nice find! Very jealous on such a low mileage example! Would love to drive a super low mileage original to see how it feels compared to mine!
And thanks. The new shifter parts have helped with the feel of the gears. I also adjusted my Cravenspeed shifter a bit lower, so there's a bit more resistance when shifting gears. It makes it feel more mechanical, like my Honda S2000 shifter.
Had some time over the weekend to get out the welder and fix up the damage on the exhaust. The Pre-cat was almost completely cracked, with only had about 1/8 of it still holding on. I cut out the part holding it on and removed the pre-cat before welding it back up. Also fixed the broken exhaust hangers on the cans. I will paint the rest of the exhaust to hopefully stop it from rusting. The precat was barely holding on. Ended up just cutting the rest off. I removed the precat Welded it back up Cleaned up the rear exhaust cans Welded the mounts back on
Was it hard to gut the precat? How did you do it? Does hammering work? Thanks
Was it hard to gut the precat? How did you do it? Does hammering work? Thanks
I tried to hammer it out, but that did not work. I ended up drilling it out with a large drill bit - wear a respirator and do it outside, there's a lot of dust. Basically one you'd use to cut holes in 2x4's to run electrical wire - maybe 1.25 inch or so. That broke up the cat and then I was able to remove it with a chisel afterwards.
I tried to hammer it out, but that did not work. I ended up drilling it out with a large drill bit - wear a respirator and do it outside, there's a lot of dust. Basically one you'd use to cut holes in 2x4's to run electrical wire - maybe 1.25 inch or so. That broke up the cat and then I was able to remove it with a chisel afterwards.
Thank you so much, nice car by the way. Between the deleted precat and the RMW header, was there a big noticeable difference in power, sound, and noise?
