Hello all.
I have been lurking on various forums for years but this is the first I've joined and this is my first post.
I recently bought my first Mini Cooper, it is a silk green 2003 R50 5 speed.
I freaking love it! I have had 40+ vehicles in the 20ish years I've been driving and this is easily in my top 5 for most fun to drive!
I wanted to make a rather large post with lots of pictures but my computer glitches too much so I keep losing everything I type before I can even post it.
My solution is a bunch of smaller posts.
My hope is to make a build/maintenance thread and update it as I accomplish things.

 

So far I have changed the engine oil and fuel filter, made a big mess changing the transmission gear oil


Changed what I assume are the original spark plugs


Changed the fuel filter (no pictures of that)
Installed a set of Bilstein shocks and struts, left the stock springs.
This was my solution for compressing the springs, it worked quite well.

 

So this was the car the night I brought it home. Maybe I should have started with this picture lol.

 

I added 35% tint to everything but the windshield. I'd have gone with 5% but NC actually checks the tint on state inspections and 32% is the limit.

 

Somewhere on NAM I read a DIY instructional on a CAI for R53's. The guy used a 2" ABS 45 and a K&N filter and modified his airbox. I used the same 2" ABS 45 from the other post but a different filter. I also didn't modify my airbox. I removed it intact in case I didn't like the results. I started by leaving the factory intake hose and just sticking the elbow in the end of it with the filter stuck to that but it looked like poo.


The throttle body is 2" OD so I grabbed a 2" coupling off my bench and clamped the 45 directly to the TB.


Much better. But now I had the vent hose just kinda chillen there not hooked to anything. I pulled the elbow back off and used a step drill bit to drill a hole in the elbow and tapped it to 3/8" NPT (I think, running off memory) I had some quick connect fittings and tubing lying around and it just happened to be the exact same size as the hose on the valve cover.

 

Something I'll throw on here that I didn't do (came with the car) is it has some kind of steel skid plate under the front. Looks like it covers pretty much all the important bits but it makes working on anything under there a major PITA unless you remove it. Removing it is easier said than done. Whoever installed it used about 8 different kinds of screws and bolts. At some point I'll pull it back off and make a trip to the hardware store to get a matching set of fasteners to attach it with.

 

The most recent addition was a new set of wheels and tires.

I went with a 15x8" with an offset of 20 and 205/60-15 tires. More sidewall = softer ride. Even with the taller sidewall it still handles better than the 195/55-16's they replaced. It may be because there wider and have more grip or it could be because the old tires were pretty worn and hard.
Anyway, here's some pictures for anyone out there wondering if this tire size is an option and how they look on a stock height car.

 

I worked on my DIY intake a little more tonight. Temps here in the 90's the last couple days and it got me thinking about making a heat shield for the air filter. So I hacked up some 3/16" plexi and made a shield to fit between the engine and filter. I haven't decided if its worth the hassle of putting a piece in the bottom. This is what I came up with so far, I think I'm going to try to find some kind of gasket to help seal the gap between the top of it and the hood.

 

My front brakes were hammered so I ordered a set of Brembo pads and rotors. The rotors are drilled and zinc plated, pads are ceramic. Stock size replacement parts not a big brake kit. I haven't driven on them yet so I cant give any info as to how they compare to stock. I plan on bedding them in after work today then seeing how they do. I'm also trying to figure out if I should paint the calipers or not. Anyone have any suggestions for what color would look good on a silk green R50? Black? Red? Maybe just leave them alone so I don't draw attention to my chitty stock brakes? Lol.
Anyway, here are some pictures for your viewing pleasure...

 

Ok so I've had a few days to drive on the Brembo OEM style replacement brakes. They are very smooth and produce a lot less dust but I'm not really sure they are much stronger? They do stop very good and I notice zero fade from getting them hot but that's with spirited STREET driving only. I don't even think I'd try them on a track. I admittedly don't have much to compare them to though. I bought this car needing front brakes so I'm comparing worn out cheap brakes to quality name brand replacements. So far I guess I'm happy with them. It's a DD car that see's 150+ miles per day. They get the job done.

 

I gave up on the plexiglass for a heat shield on the intake. I'm making a box out of 16 gauge steel. I plan to coat it in spray bedliner. I cut a piece out of the bottom to direct air from the pipe that comes in through the grill up towards the filter but I realized that that tube and the mess hooked to the bottom is just some sort of intake resonator/silencer. I may remove that whole mess and stick a simple 90 in the end of that hose pointed directly at the air filter. I need to figure out though if there is any risk of water spraying in there while driving in heavy rain. It looks like that mess that's stuck to the bottom of the factory intake is designed to drain off any water that might get in there...

Here's some pictures of what I have so far though because threads without pictures suck ha ha.

 

I finished the heat shield for my intake. I coated it in spray on bedliner once I got it how I wanted it. I put some edge seal on the top and side also. I'm pretty happy with how it came out.

 

I just went through your topic, you are making good progress!

I have the Brembo Xtra line discs (front and back) on my daily driver. I like them very much for the looks + performance (spirited daily driving).

 

Thanks! I plan to replace the rear brakes with the same when they wear out. They were new when I bought the car. I'm also having a hard time not spending money on "go fast" parts. I specifically bought an R50 for fuel economy/reliability because I drive a lot. I'd love to do a full exhaust, tune, port the head with better valvetrain, maybe a cam. But I'd end up 15 hp short of a stock R53 for more than it would cost to upgrade and probably wouldn't be as reliable. I'm trying to focus on looks and handling for now while still maintaining some level of ride comfort. I think a Whiteline rsb is next...

 

Consolidate the build, then save up for a R53 projectcar ?

 

Really like how the rotors fill in those wheels. Looking good!

 

nd-photo.nl, sound advice. But this is one of 5 vehicles we (my wife and I) currently own. Our toys are a 77 Plymouth Arrow GT and a 94 Ford Mustang GT. The Plymouth will go to my son when he is old enough but to be honest I'm kind of bored with the Mustang....maybe I'll try to talk my wife into replacing it with a JCW

BRG56, Thanks! IMHO they are more for looks than performance. They have a much better plating than eBay rotors and the pads dust less.

 

Awesome! A JCW would fit right in :D

 

Nice progress . I’m really digging the CHONK in that wheel/tire setup. Combine that with your raw sheet metal intake shield before you painted it and I thought you might be headed off in a Mad Max direction. (Which would also be badass)

To answer your call for caliper color suggestions.. I’d go for a silver or gunmetal paint to maintain a new-from-factory look while rustproofing. Admittedly, I’m a fan of subtle calipers. Screaming red jelly beans under my wheels look a little immature imo.

I recently painted my new set of JCW calipers on my R53:



Disassembled to paint with a small brush.



POR-15 Silver #42506 - high temp caliper paint.


You can see the before pic of the raw metal (lightly coated) in one of my build thread posts if curious.

 

I didn't even know por-15 made caliper paint! And I really like the way that looks. I think I'll bum that idea off you. Most people I talked to locally said paint the calipers red but I just wasn't sold on the idea. I mean if your running Wilwood or JCW calipers or do the porsche conversion and they come painted that's one thing but stock brakes on an R50....silver (or black) would look better IMO.

 

[QUOTE=Tragesaurusrex;4543559]Nice progress . I’m really digging the CHONK in that wheel/tire setup. Combine that with your raw sheet metal intake shield before you painted it and I thought you might be headed off in a Mad Max direction. (Which would also be badass)

I was thinking about leaving the metal bare but my fabrication skills suck so by the time I got it how I wanted it, it looked like crap. I have a sheet of stainless in the same thickness as the galvanized I made that intake shield out of, I may make another heat shield because i want to modify the bottom and the factory intake tube/resonator anyway. I also want a bigger RSB. I noticed when I checked the oil yesterday that the rubber on the upper strut bearings is cracked. So I guess some Ireland Engineering fixed camber plates are in order. Never ends does it??

 

I have an ity bity update and also some information on a tire shine product a buddy turned me on to.
First, I put these eBay wheels on my car and I didn't realize it when I ordered them but all the little rivets around the outer edge are gold. Nothing else on the car is gold so that had to go. Same guy that told me about the tire shine also informed me that you can buy those little rivets in just about any color you want. I went with chrome, I hate chrome but this car has a ton of chrome on it so i figured it'd match well.

Next, the dollar tree (dollar store) has this crazy good tire shine (for $1 a bottle) that I found out by accident while spraying the tires in the wind that it does wonders to the plastic trim. All the plastic trim on this car looked like hell. This cheap crap made it look incredible! I was honestly shocked. The trim on this car has driven me nuts since I bought it but I hadn't had the time yet to figure out what to do with it. Anyway here's a picture of the product and the results.

 

So I've had wheel studs and nuts listed in my signature since I joined NAM because I had them sitting on my shop bench (or rolling around the floor board for the last 2 weeks) but hadn't gotten the chance to install them yet. Well I finally put them on. I've seen nice kits for sale for BMW's with gold zinc plated studs but I'm cheap and wanted the longer style nut anyway so I ordered everything separately. I ordered a nice set of zinc plated studs and they sent some black oxide s***. I didn't realize it because I didn't open them right away and by the time I did the seller said it had been too long to return them. I was pissed because I paid extra for the zinc plating so basically I got scammed. The nuts are actually nice though so that's good. I painted the top of the studs so they wouldn't rust then coated them with anti-seize. I installed the studs with locktite and torqued them to spec by hand then hand torqued the nuts. I like how it looks and makes mounting the wheels a lot easier.

 

Nothing new to report but I parked the Mini in the barn Sunday to make room in the driveway for my sons birthday party. I thought it'd make for a good picture so I took one. Edited the color a little. I think it looks good. I like pictures of street cars in rustic or industrial settings.

 

For anyone interested I weighed my wheel/tire combo. The wheel is a Aodhan AH04 in 15x8 and the tire is a Crosswind HP 010 in 205/60-15 (Wal-Mart tire).
The total weight is 35.7 pounds. Aodhan lists that wheel at weighing 17.2 pounds so if that's correct the tire tips the scale at 18.5 lbs. Not too bad IMHO but after driving on them for a few months my opinion is this:

For a cheap street tire they grip well. They are also quiet and balanced (one tire took 1/4 oz., two took 1/2 oz., and the fourth took 1 oz.). But they rub. I think the 15x8 with an offset of 20 is too much. I plan to go down to a 15x6.5 with an offset of 35. I think that'll clear better and also be lighter. If I buy new wheels I will probably also switch to a 195/50-15. Smaller diameter has the same effect as lowering the gearing which this car needs. Takes too much clutch/throttle with the 205/60 for a stock power R50 IMO. The 195/50-15 is listed @ 2.5 pounds less per tire than the 205/60-15 which is also a bonus.
Live and learn I guess. If you are somewhat local to zip codes 23505 or 27855 I will be selling these wheels/tires