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Agreed on cost of that NOS door card! Believe me, I wrestled mentally before committing to purchase but I'm admittedly fussy about condition of stuff and my car was essentially as-new otherwise. That new card was the 2nd received after the 1st from another online dealer, which clearly had been unwrapped for inspection at some point and rejected. I likewise did so and got a prepaid shipping label to send it back. I also tried hard to find a suitable used card but combo of my relatively remote location, PFL vs FL fitment styles, speaker grille type and various interior colors available on 1st gen all conspired against me. Communications with several auto dismantlers along with pics furnished revealed those as having unacceptable wear and tear. I think the Brits are spot-on calling those businesses "breakers"! Further, BMW raised retail price on the specific P/N I wanted nearly 2X, seemingly in direct proportion to the few NOS remaining worldwide.
Last edited by MCS4FUN; Oct 30, 2023 at 07:30 AM.
Reason: Typos
I used to be fussy as well, but I have too many cars and projects to have the luxury. So, we take good enough and roll with it. Both my mini's are a little rough in appearance- they never get washed (they're clean inside), but there's just too many projects asking for $$.
Nevertheless, it's nice to see a super clean ride and all the care paid to the details...
I've kept every receipt (including every drop of oil) I've put into the car since 2003.
My folio is bursting at the seams @ near 3" thick.
Thicker than the folio for my aging dog's vet bills <@ $10,625>.
Last edited by Here2Go; Nov 4, 2023 at 05:18 AM.
Reason: correction: <>
I've never attempted to "pump" my own topic with daily posts, so no real updates planned going forward. For example, my buddy with previously shown 2006 R53 Checkmate JCW and I headed out this morning for intended BBQ lunch over local mountains in Camp Verde, however road construction with lengthy delays had us turning back halfway there and return home. No complaints, since those highways had been severely torn up from winter weather impact with significant pot (kettle?) holes needing to be dodged most everywhere. Much better now with fresh smooth asphalt and nearly complete. Thank you ADOT!
The only recent upgrade being replacement of (6) M8-1.25 phosphate coated bolts securing the M7 aluminum strut tower plates to the Helix camber plates below with high quality 10.9 grade zinc plated 17mm diameter flange hex bolts plus matching 24mm washers below to eliminate unsightly rust stains emanating from those prior phosphate bolts. Just a cosmetic tweak but nicely corrected a small aspect that bugged me.
WRT the cost rollup shared previously, some of those expenses were discretionary (such as the new OEM driver side door card) and some of that avoidable (replacement of fuel pump/filter plus tow charge to nearest MINI dealer if performed at time I acquired) but it's too late now to roll back the clock. Nonetheless as a do-over, I remain convinced (for me), buying low mileage examples preferrable to a "project car". As always, YMMV.
At this point, the car has fully achieved my "taming for streets/highways" objectives and is a blast to drive. Further gains towards that would involve replacing the full set of poly bushings with OEM or equivalent rubber and same for the 4-1 performance header with OEM. I'm not inclined to do any of that in the spirit of this highly modded but now milder R53. Feel free to reply on any aspects of interest posted during the prior 2.5 years or clarification on those as well as suggestions for further refinement. I prefer the relatively stealthy appearance, thus I'm not particularly interested in aero wings, dechroming or the subjective appeal of those add-ons whatsoever. For reference, total vehicle mileage is now 7.5k.
You did really well for yourself and this car, and likely saved it from the eventual scrap heap if it had stayed a “race” car.
IMHO - I would not bother with the effort to replace bushings or the header, as you said. If anything maybe look into if there is anything (coating?) to protect the finish, headlights and tail lights from that AZ sun.
Otherwise, at this point I would enjoy the car to the fullest.
Interesting comments. For those not familiar with my R53, it was never intended nor modified as a "race car" but instead for occasional track days yet not subsequently used for that. Performance mods resulted in the car riding too low, too harsh and too loud for practical driving on streets and highways. Those aspects have been corrected with all related projects completed, resulting in a very pleasurable driving experience with grins galore.
Regarding sun exposure, this car has been garaged since new and seldom driven at lower desert altitudes thus no fading or damage to the paint, trim or headlights (noting, my town is at 5k' elev with most drives in local mountains up to 8k' elev).
I just meant that it would have likely been kept as a track car if someone else had bought it. That is a lot of wear and tear on the car and after it gets worn out it would likely be cast aside. I suspect with what you have done with it, it will be enjoyed for many years.
As for UV damage… Isn’t UV more intense at higher elevations? But the temps are lower. Not sure which is worse.
Last edited by Eddie07S; Nov 15, 2023 at 06:55 AM.
Reason: Edit
Agreed with UV exposure damage at higher elev, same as with humans (keeps dermo docs busy). Wax and tinted windows helps the car but airborne gravel is always a worry. NH has claims as "The Granite State", however plenty of that in AZ too. Stuff picked up along roadside shoulders by passing vehicles causes lots of chipped or cracked windscreens as well as to frontal areas. Mine has 2 small stone chips but no cracks. Replacement OEM windscreens cost prox 2x vs aftermarket but I'll stick with OEM if/when time comes.
^^^ Thought I'd replied yesterday but seems didn't submit. Agreed with suggestion of PPF on my R53 (and buddy's too) but haven't yet done that. I did have an Xpel PPF kit installed on frontal areas of my 2014 Ford F-150 when new which has held up well (noting, normally garaged as my dedicated tow vehicle with ~ 20k miles at this point). I also considered protection film applied to a fresh unblemished OEM windscreen, however the video below dissuaded, indicating the state of the art technology isn't there.
Another 3+ months since last posted but with no projects needed, not much new to discuss...
Ah, but today my buddy and I (with his 2006 JCW Checkmate) drove 150 miles roundtrip down to Mesa for burgers. What, no burger joints in Payson? Certainly so, but no In-N-Out with the last time I had that being 11+ yrs ago before moving from SoCal. A super nice day for a mountains drive and both R53 ran stellar. Mine now just short of 7.9k miles, I'll soon double total mileage since May 2021.
Sorry, forgot to do that with both parked away in a protected corner spot. No time soon selling for either of us, however I'd likely post both cars here (as you have done) before doing the BaT listing thing. I'm a lot older than most here but I'd rather keep mine simply as Garage Art if my aging body prevents me from driving it!
I hear ya! I've got three Space Blue factory JCWs now, with the one being a Checkmate... but still would like a minty stock one as pictured in the Checkmate brochures (my desktop background).
Glad you're getting a few miles in before they're garage art!
Today was ~ 270 miles round trip loop from my new home base in easternmost Arizona with my buddy in his 2006 JCW Checkmate. This is a run we've been wanting to do for quite awhile when I/we both lived 140 miles west in Payson. After 7 years here seasonally in 5th wheel RVs with access to the high elev pristine mountains just a few miles from Eagar for side-by-side and jeep recreation, I bought a house here. For those unaware of this area, locals refer to it as "The Other Arizona" being quite unlike desert climates elsewhere. My new home is at 7.4k elev on a hillside community surrounded by juniper and pinon trees with ponderosa and aspen treed forests just a few miles to the south.
In any case, today's run was south to Alpine continuing on US Hwy 191 referred to as the "Coronado Trail". From Alpine to Morenci is a near never-ending run of curves and tight decreasing radius, blind turns with many posted at 10mph. No problem when driven briskly but rationally into, then dropped to 2nd gear and on the throttle out. Entering the north end of Morenci is the vast Morenci copper mine complex with miles and miles of terraced mountains along with tailing pilings forming man made ones. We pulled into a scenic overlook not seen by me before which was a wonder to view even if not "scenic" in the normal sense of the term. Continuing south through the mining towns of Morenci and Clifton provided a sense of the working lifestyle in this area, then east at "3-Way" to Mule Creek Road with a lunch stop in Alma, NM and return via Reserve and Luna NM before re-entering AZ and completing the loop at Alpine before heading back to Eagar. A most most enjoyable MINI driving day! Sorry, no stops for pics in the high elevation forests.
Last edited by MCS4FUN; Oct 24, 2024 at 06:54 PM.
Reason: Corrected typo
Looks like a great drive! I've never been to that part of Arizona. I'll go through Payson once in a while after driving up from Phoenix to Jerome via the 89A and then taking the Camp Verde-Payson highway home.
