When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
I just completed the 3 rebuild of another 2008. I found this car at the local Auction and it was in pretty bad condition. It's difficult to see in the pics, but on the initial inspection, the interior was super dirty, they had ripped out the aftermarket radio, cut some random wires, the brakes looked terrible, and there was dents and dings all over the car. Mechanically, I had no way of confirming anything, but I could tell the core of the vehicle looked pretty good, plus, this car was loaded almost every option. So I figured, why not, let's jump in and see what happens. A friend was already in line for one of my rebuilds and really wanted a black car, and this one fit the request.
One of the larger dings on the hood. The rest of the car had numerous dings all over.
First stop was the car wash. If I was going to have it parked out front of my house, it had to look half way like a normal car.
Started the tear down and I'm amazed how quickly I can disassemble these cars. I've developed a standard list of parts and components that I would replace when it comes to the mechanical. When I finish a rebuild, I don't want the car to give any issues for a part that I decided "it doesn't need it yet." So I've been tearing them down to the block. As long as the pistons look okay (no impact marks from valves or other damage), then it's safe to continue with a top-end rebuild. This includes, water pump, water pipe, thermostat housing, timing chain, rebuilt head, coils, spark plugs, etc. If there are any broken parts, they are typically replaced, just to be on the safe side.
The pistons turned out to look in great condition. Here is a pic of 1 cleaned piston (left) and the before cleaning (right).
I couldn't find any obvious reason why the car was sold to the auction house. The timing chain, cylinder head and other components looked good. After I got it back together, I did determine the starter was bad and the brakes/rotors were in terrible condition. My thought was considering how the previous owner treated the car (dirty, broken interior parts, etc), the starter was the final blow and they threw their hands in the air.
You can see the new Bilstein shocks.
The seats hadn't been clean probably since the day it rolled off the line.
During the cleaning process. Light sanding to rough up the fibers.
After
I skipped a bunch of steps because I didn't document this build in the detail as the others.
I have a contact with Paintless Dent Repair that was able to get out the hood dent as well as 95% of the other dings. After a good cleaning and polishing, it was beginning to look really good.
Next was determining the stripes layout. My friend wanted 2 up the middle and I thought it would really look good to match the finish/color of the wheels.
The stripes ended up covering a lot of imperfections (chips & deep scratches) in the paint that didn't come out with the polishing.
Complete.
Even though the wheels are aftermarket, I was able to find some Mini logo center cap dome labels. It's the little details that complete the package.
This car will live its life in Dallas, but due to the current environment, my friend wasn't able to fly up and pick up the car, so he optioned for transport.
This was a different kind of rebuild because of the unknown. The difference between the other cars and this one wasn't much. Broken pieces, missing bolts and screws from previous repairs or modification, but the core of the car was solid. I found a factory radio and the interior was returned to factory status and cleaned up like new.
Stay tuned for the next rebuild. #4, 2008 MCS Blue
Last edited by texasmontego; Mar 31, 2020 at 08:27 AM.
Nice work. It's pretty amazing how cheaply you can pick up a Mini and how easy (sometimes) it is to bring them back.
It’s been a lot of fun. Yes, these rebuilds have had their share of frustrations, but it’s been a great learning curve and fun. Each car has been a little different and each one has their own challenges. I’ve got one more left to do that I will be keeping for myself, but I’m already looking to back fill my project list.
My neighbors have already commented on the lack of Mini’s parked on the street. Haha
Great job on the restoration! I've literally never heard of anyone sanding leather seats before.....lol Its nice that car came with real leather though. My JCW Clubby came with those seats but my current R59 just has vinyl.
