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Well guys heres a start of a build thread for my car , I wish I would have started it when I 1st got the car but o well , better late than never . So starting below is how she 1st looks and sits with a 15% pulley, intake,headers with no cat and 1 ball mod. Currently sitting on 15x8 et25 rpf1 reps.
I then sold the rims and got new lighter weight 15x8 et20 rims and 5mm spacers with new 205/50r15 ejunk tires. I'm also going to COMPLETELY transform this car. Just you continue to read.........
Last edited by MiniManAdam; Oct 11, 2020 at 09:20 PM.
Black trim / accents on grey are classic and really show off the car's lines. Red towing padeyes are a nice touch as well. Cool that your garage # is 53.
Black trim / accents on grey are classic and really show off the car's lines. Red towing padeyes are a nice touch as well. Cool that your garage # is 53.
hahahaha OMG I never thought about that Haha Haha I'm putting up an R in front of it now
maybe that explains all the luck I have had with this car working on it the garage.
I also been debating on should I paint the headlight trims ,door handles and window trim black ? I kinda like them chrome as it's not too much chrome and I have the chrome lip on my rims to match .. what do you guys think ? I cant decide. Then I'm stuck with chrome tail lights for now if I did do all the stuff black. I know I can heat and open the taillights and dechrome them but that's too much work.
Last edited by MiniManAdam; Apr 22, 2020 at 07:34 AM.
I also been debating on should I paint the headlight trims ,door handles and window trim black ? I kinda like them chrome as it's not too much chrome and I have the chrome lip on my rims to match .. what do you guys think ? I cant decide.]
Maybe you could tape them off with black masking tape or something to see how it looks first. The headlight bezels for starters.
Looking good, maybe use some plastidip or vinyl on the chrome so it can be removed if you don’t like the look, or photoshop some pics before painting.
On the taillights, the lenses won’t come off with heat like the headlights, at least for the facelift taillights. Not 100% sure on the pre FL, but I would look at some other threads to see if the pre FL lenses need to be cut off like the FL ones.
Looking good, maybe use some plastidip or vinyl on the chrome so it can be removed if you don’t like the look, or photoshop some pics before painting.
On the taillights, the lenses won’t come off with heat like the headlights, at least for the facelift taillights. Not 100% sure on the pre FL, but I would look at some other threads to see if the pre FL lenses need to be cut off like the FL ones.
I had used platidip on the car already and I actually liked it. But to do the window trim I would use a trim cover tape and plastispray the headlights covers then...
and i know this sound odd but my car is an 04 , so it should be preface lift ? How do I differentiate exactly ? From the few things I've read I swear it's the facelift but it's an 04...
Last edited by MiniManAdam; Apr 22, 2020 at 04:46 PM.
You have the pre-facelift headlights. Your car should also have the five piece dash instead of the three piece, and the rubber upper motor mount instead of the oil-filled rubber mount inside a steel can, among other differences.
I would leave the chrome to match the wheels, but then I’m not a fan of the blacked out look. I usually think it looks a bit too goth with the blacked out headlight trim.
04’s can be confusing as the later production ones have some FL items like the three spoke steering wheel, fluid filled motor mount, and cabrio brace holes, but facelift normally refers to model year 05 and 06 hardtops.
Some bigger changes were Teflon Superchargers like the JCW, but with regular sized pulleys, different ECU, tune with pops and bangs, more HP, optional LSD, lower manual gearing, and optional auto.
Obvious cosmetic changes included projection xenons, taillights w/ reverse lights, smooth chrome grille surround, 3 piece dash, three spoke steering wheel, different door panels, center console, and upholstery pattern on the front seats.
You have the pre-facelift headlights. Your car should also have the five piece dash instead of the three piece, and the rubber upper motor mount instead of the oil-filled rubber mount inside a steel can, among other differences.
I would leave the chrome to match the wheels, but then I’m not a fan of the blacked out look. I usually think it looks a bit too goth with the blacked out headlight trim.
Im finding my car is a hodgepodge . I got 3 spoke steering wheel and my tail lights looks post and my headlights are pre..I have low washer warning on my gauges but have the clock above the rear view...lol its odd.
You might have missed my post about the 04’s being confusing since it was posted a couple of minutes before yours, probably while you were typing.
The pic of your car earlier in the post doesn’t have FL taillights. They would have white backup lights about the size of half dollars in the lower corners if they were. Also, if you bought the car used the previous owner could have made changes to the car which would make it even more confusing. Three spoke steering wheel upgrades are popular as well as FL taillights upgrades. MINI even had a Factory retrofit kit for the FL taillights which included the red rear foglight by the exhaust tips and an adapter harness for the new location of the reverse lights. It was available in both US and Euro (amber) versions.
Using the production date of your car should help determine what items came on the car when it left the Factory.
You might have missed my post about the 04’s being confusing since it was posted a couple of minutes before yours, probably while you were typing.
The pic of your car earlier in the post doesn’t have FL taillights. They would have white backup lights about the size of half dollars in the lower corners if they were. Also, if you bought the car used the previous owner could have made changes to the car which would make it even more confusing. Three spoke steering wheel upgrades are popular as well as FL taillights upgrades. MINI even had a Factory retrofit kit for the FL taillights which included the red rear foglight by the exhaust tips and an adapter harness for the new location of the reverse lights. It was available in both US and Euro (amber) versions.
Using the production date of your car should help determine what items came on the car when it left the Factory.
you are correct , the previous owner changed ALOT of things befor I got it...
my next demod is I'm hoping the trailer hitch is the bolt-on one, lol p.o had a hitch put on the car for the bike rack so I gotta remove the hitch and stuff and sell it off as I'm never gonna haul anything with a mini of course and I'd like to reinstall the stock light back there .
Im finding my car is a hodgepodge . I got 3 spoke steering wheel and my tail lights looks post and my headlights are pre..I have low washer warning on my gauges but have the clock above the rear view...lol its odd.
Facelift production (2005 model year) began in July 2004. The 3-spoke steering wheel was introduced in December 2003.
Got on my bumper fins now..I will take a pic how I bent the heat shield underneath so it meets up and tucks onto the front of the pieces underneath so it actually stops the air from traveling up and around in the bumper area. It directs it out now, not the best as I should install some metal plating under too to finish it but it more looks than function .
I test drove it around for awhile too just encase they were too close to the exhaust but with the heat shield they didnt even get warm.
You might have missed my post about the 04’s being confusing since it was posted a couple of minutes before yours, probably while you were typing.
The pic of your car earlier in the post doesn’t have FL taillights. They would have white backup lights about the size of half dollars in the lower corners if they were. Also, if you bought the car used the previous owner could have made changes to the car which would make it even more confusing. Three spoke steering wheel upgrades are popular as well as FL taillights upgrades. MINI even had a Factory retrofit kit for the FL taillights which included the red rear foglight by the exhaust tips and an adapter harness for the new location of the reverse lights. It was available in both US and Euro (amber) versions.
Using the production date of your car should help determine what items came on the car when it left the Factory.
I scored one one of these kits....even came with wiring harness to spice in the fog.....very nice kit.
Added the euro version tails as well with the amber directionals up top...
Got on my bumper fins now..I will take a pic how I bent the heat shield underneath so it meets up and tucks onto the front of the pieces underneath so it actually stops the air from traveling up and around in the bumper area. It directs it out now, not the best as I should install some metal plating under too to finish it but it more looks than function .
I test drove it around for awhile too just encase they were too close to the exhaust but with the heat shield they didnt even get warm.
Looks good, but hard to see. Can you post a pic or two with more lighting? Where did you get the fins?
Originally Posted by Eurothrasher
I scored one one of these kits....even came with wiring harness to spice in the fog.....very nice kit.
Added the euro version tails as well with the amber directionals up top...
Nice! I picked up a Euro version kit before they became NLA and just used the taillights since my car already had the fog.
It’s Eurothrasher’s car so hopefully he knows who made it and it’s not unknown from a previous owner.
Im talking about the one under the window..I have the same one on my roof now like his minus the fins, mine will have a bigger spoiler attached to it instead and I wanted a wing underneath my window also..looks cool imo and would keep dirt and grime off of it which I HATE .
what I used for my lower fin diffuser thingys were 2 universal diffuser rear bumper fin things..I cut each one to length and pieces them up.
I also been considering the support bar I attached a pic of since I have a sunroof car..I also made an offer on a similar one in the marketplace forum on here so if he doesn't take the offer I'm getting this one.. then soon an adjustable sway bar and front strut bar too eventually . And if I come across some cabrio diagonal support rods for cheap enough or find them in a salvage yard , ille do those too.
Last edited by MiniManAdam; Apr 25, 2020 at 07:34 PM.
Yes, I was referring to the spoiler under the window. R52 is the cabrio and I think some people use spoilers designed for it on hardtops. See this thread for some R52 spoilers: https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...iler-wing.html
I tried getting a better pic of the diffuser things and how I used the heat shield with them..with all these aero pieces on, driving tidy on the freeway ( and its VERY WINDY out) I can feel the extra drag...lol, o well. It looks cool I think.
