IDK if anyone else has noticed but getting anything shipped these days SUCKS! I ordered rear brakes 12/23/20 and they finally arrived last night. My new rear sway bar was also delivered. I went with a 19 mm Eibach. I should probably have labeled this thread BUDGET R50 build because that's honestly what it is. I love to drive and tracked cars and bikes back in the day but this is "justa" DD that I'm having some fun with. I hope to get the brakes and RSB done this weekend and MAYBE start my battery relocation. I've got the + cable, battery, and mount. I need a fuse still. That's all I got for now...

 

I finally got time to work on the mini!!! Ok so I started with the rear brakes. It didn't occur to me until I got it all apart that I loaned out my rear brake tool . Oh well. I improvised. If you ever find yourself in this scenario, you can use a two jaw puller and a pair of right angle pliers to get it done.




It's kind of a pita because you have to constantly go back and forth between the puller and the pliers. The piston won't go back in without pressure on it but it needs to turn WHILE the pressure is applied.

Enough of that though.

MORE PICTURES LOL.







I bought the same Brembo Xtra line rotors for the back as I did for the front. There are a few differences worth noting though. The areas that don't have pad contact, excluding the face, have either paint or powder coating on them. And the rears are not drilled all the way through, only dimpled. They do look nice though IMHO.

Next we have the new rear sway bar. It's a 19mm Eibach (part number 5701.312) It was packed well, has a very attractive red finish, and is adjustable (only 2 holes though).
Its a piece of cake to install. I removed all 4 subframe bolts, and the rear shock from one side, then pulled it out the other. When I installed the new one I left the plastic on it to protect the finish since I was working alone. The subframe did not fall with the bolts removed for anyone wondering.
As far as the Eibach gos, I basically got it because it was the cheapest one available. I'd love a fully built super lite 400 hp turbo monster with every imaginable go fast and look pretty part there is bolted onto the thing but that's not realistic. This is a dd that has to stay reliable and economical. So I buy the cheapest quality parts I can find. For this car, I can't really see much benefit to another 19 mm bar that basically just costs more. They may be slightly better in one way or another but I doubt I would honestly be able to tell the difference. And I went with a 19mm over any of the bigger ones because after reading probably hundreds of other posts I think this size will work best with my wheel/tire size and suspension setup.

I took a bunch of pictures so I'll throw them up for your viewing pleasure.

 

Nice! Shame on Brembo they arent fully cross drilled. I have the Xtraline drilled on my S80 (front & rear), the rears are also a solid disc but they are "fully" drilled. On the left the rears for the Volvo. The coating is excellent btw, I have been using them almost 2 years and they still look great.


Nevertheless I will be going to take the same route as you regarding the discs, as I already have good experiences with them.

How do you like the Bilsteins btw? No lowering springs used right? To be honest, I dont think the Mini needs lowering springs as it already sits quite low.

 

Nice @JerBear !

I have to admit I get so stoked when you get to work on your car.

Careful testing that RSB considering your earlier accounts of your tires not being very sticky in the cold. I’m with you on “a 19mm is a 19mm.” No need to pay a premium as long as the mfg is reputable.

I much prefer those dimpled rotors over drilled. Fully drilled rotors look cool, and in theory dissipate heat more efficiently, but at the cost of durability and longevity. You’ll rarely see anyone serious with drilled at the track. Slotted and solid mostly.

 

ND yes I was kinda bummed at first to see the rears weren't drilled all the way through but as Trag mentioned (after you posted lol) I think it's probably a strength issue. They look good and the new coating is beautiful but you can't even tell there not "fully" drilled unless you get real close and look at them. I basically only buy the drilled rotors because they look cool.

And yeah Trag I've never heard anyone serious on a track messing with drilled rotors. They aren't as strong and if heat is an issue there are other solutions to cooling. But that said, a lot of big name expensive big brake kits have multi-piece drilled rotors. There is a big difference between Brembo Xtra-line and Wilwood though.
As I mentioned before though I don't track this car so I'm good with what I bought.

I started out with the sway bar on the stiffer setting. My cheap tires aren't bad above 50ish degrees but I always ease into any changes involving brakes, tires, or suspension. I haven't had a chance to play with it yet but I did take a drive over to Franklin this morning and there is noticably less body roll. It seems more balanced now. We'll see what happens when I start pushing it. I have the option to back off the bar to the lower setting if it's too much for these tires.


​​​

 

ND I am very happy with the Bilsteins. I have the B4's. They are stiffer than stock but still very smooth and comfortable. I have stock springs. I actually took pictures while I was working on it because I'm looking into the sport plus springs. I'm trying to figure out the weight issue. I guess there are like 8+ different front and rear springs based on trim, weight, options. I want them matched to the car more or less but would like to try something a little stiffer without lowering the car too much. 1/2"-3/4" lower would be ok. I definitely don't want it any higher though. I'm thinking if the springs aren't matched to the car and there too stiff the car will sit higher. I gotta do some more reading to see if I can figure it out.

 

Front springs: two green stripes.

Rear springs: two purple stripes.


As I understand it, the stripes on the factory springs tell you the rate/height/specs whatever. If anybody has a listing of what all the colors mean and wants to post it up, please be my guest. I think I read a thread somewhere on NAM awhile back where someone had compiled a bunch of info on stock springs. I haven't been able to find it though.

 

I have the B4s on my Volvo S80 and I absolutely love them. I replaced the suspension after 200.000 miles, so needless to say that it improved the handling a lot I will probably choose the B4s again with a lowering spring (Eibach preferred) for the Mini.

Thanks for the feedback!

 

I've been contemplating lowering springs too. I think I may just wait and get a set of budget coilovers though. I have my eye on the Solo-Werks S1 kit (ECS Tuning) and also found a TUV certified kit on eBay for $389 with free shipping. Its listed as JOM Mini MK1 & MK2 Euro Height Adjustable Coilover Suspension Lowering Kit 02-14.

 

Just sold the 2 we got in stock, getting more, I would jump on them while they are on sale and free ship. Solo werks

https://www.ecstuning.com/b-solo_werks-parts/v-mini/

 

That is a really good deal. I have been reading reviews on the Solo-Werks and the eBay kit I mentioned. The Solo-Werks have great reviews. Probably not much out there that even compares at that price point. I finally found some reviews on the eBay kit (easier said than done) and I wont be getting them. I also have WAY too many irons in the fire. I like to do 1 thing at a time then drive with it for awhile to see how the car changes as a result. I just put an RSB on so I'm playing with that at the moment. I may honestly try to squeeze a little more power out of it before I mess with the suspension any more. It drives GREAT with the B4's and bigger sway bar. My only complaint is the wheel gap, which is probably as much to do with my current tire size as it is the ride height.

 

It was cold and wet on the way to work this morning, well maybe cool depending on your perspective, 38 degrees Fahrenheit. I have a few turns/curves that are good for testing differences in suspension, tires, brakes etc. I pushed her pretty hard into an off-camber right hand turn. I'm not exactly sure of the speed but I was mid throttle in third gear. I got lots of understeer. I expected that. What was different than pre 19mm RSB though was lift off oversteer. Prior to upgrading the rear bar letting off the throttle would just reduce the amount of understeer. And it was more or less directly proportional to the amount of throttle input, i.e. very predictable. This morning, as soon as I lifted my right foot the front end hooked and the back immediately rotated. On dry pavement the understeer is all but gone with the larger bar. It was noticeably less even with cold damp roads. The (snap?) oversteer is new though and although it'll take some getting used to I like it.

 

My little brother inspired me to put a better shift **** in the MINI. I bought an acrylic "Q ball" **** awhile back. Just got an adapter since MINIs use some kind of stupid snap on thing. If I like it I may either get a short shifter with the correct threads on the end or go my brothers route and cut the top of the factory shift lever and thread the top. I'm not really digging the adapter but I love the ****. I should have put it in today but injured my back last week and I've been trying to take it easy to give it a chance to heal. Maybe tomorrow I can pop it in.

Here's some pictures. I went with acrylic because we have an anodized metal **** in the mustang and it gets got as hell in the summer sun

 

Well like I had hoped, I was able to work on the MINI last night. Please excuse the disgusting state of the car as I've been busy lately and its cold out lol.

Here is the box stock R50 5 speed Midlands shifter.







I popped the **** off without much drama and slid the threaded adapter onto the plastic lever and it just happened to be the exact same size. It was actually a teeny bit snug and I had to smack it with the palm of my hand a few time to seat it all the way down. With the set screws tight I couldn't move it at all. Very Nice! Buuuuuuuuuuut, it was a solid 2 inches higher than the factory ****.....which is already too high.




This is with the boot pulled up, still looks like crap. It also reminded me of driving the old 1950 something International Harvester dump truck on my neighbors farm growing up. Notice how the boot is stretched tight too.




So I pulled it all apart and took an angle grinder with a cut off wheel to it. The goofy looking plastic piece on the top of the lever is held on by friction. You can see the hash marks about halfway down the shaft. I ended up removing all the plastic. The only downside is the shaft is a smaller diameter so the adapter isn't as snug. I remedied that by wrapping it in 1 layer of self adhesive electrical insulating tape.



This is the end result. I cut about 2 inches off the shaft to get it to the same height as factory.

 

I saw a tip on NAM somewhere to do a conversion to a more "handle" style ****. I also had the orb one, but the Mini shifts way better with a handle type ****. Try it out somewhere in the future, when you are ready to try something different

 

Yeah I already had this one but the cool thing is the adapter is a standard thread size so I can easily swap out whatever I want now 😁.

I was thinking maybe something like this. I had this "****" in my old Conquest TSI back in the day and loved it.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Universal-M...-/402532504717

 

I also looked at that type, try it out and let me know

 

Ha ha will do.... although I don't know when. I'm enjoying the Q ball for now, plus it matches my white top and mirrors perfectly

 

I will probably try another after putting in a short shifter, as aftermarket short shifter has threaded end, which makes it a lot easier to try out stuff

 

So this happened on my way to work yesterday. I'm not happy. Freaking Norfolk/Chesapeake VA roads suck! I have to say given the force of impact these rims are tough as nails! The offending pothole was so big that it knocked my sat-nav off the windshield! Tire still holds air and believe it or not there is no vibration either. It does pull to the left now which is odd because the front right tire took the impact. The shoulder of the road just past the impact crater had no less than 7 cars with flat tires sitting there and one with a missing wheel! I'm guessing the 3 wheeler had a ball joint or something that was already bad but still. It was around 0445 am so it was obviously dark and also raining. I was following a minivan in a construction zone with a car in the lane next to me and a jersey barrier on the other side, nowhere to go. The fact this little car is even still driving is pretty cool IMHO. I already ordered a new rim from GoodWin.

 

What is maybe more surprising is my $36 Ling Long tire didn't explode into a fiery ball of death either! lol sorry nd I couldn't help myself ha ha.... But I am honestly surprised it didn't pop.

 

Driving home from work today and I see steam coming out from under the hood. Radiator is leaking from the left side (right side if your facing the car looking under the hood). It's been veeeeerrrrry slooooooooowly losing coolant since I bought the car. Was never able to figure out where it was coming out, pretty sure it was evaporating as fast as it was leaking. I could faintly smell it from time to time and had to top off the reservoir every once in awhile. It's been bugging the crap out of me because I freaking hate knowing there's a problem and not being able to find it. Kinda glad it's broke because now I can fix it. I wonder if the pothole from hell yesterday is what finally did it in??

 

Are you going for an aluminium rad or oem? Also consider replacing the fan (or at least the resistor)

 

Were you at the high rise bridge when you hit the pothole? This time of year is always bad and with all the rain we have received it is amazing that the roads don't all just wash out. You should get Andy Fox to do a segment on the damage. Good to hear your car survived.

 

I sure was! Were you in the area that morning (early, like 5ish)? It was total carnage! I put a claim in with VDOT, I don't expect to be reimbursed for the damage but its worth a shot. They sure as hell tax us enough to fix these problems lmao. I keep telling myself its justa R50. Its my DD and I bought this car to drive not take to shows. At 150+ miles per day these things are bound to happen. Its still frustrating.