R50/53 Here she is! Pics of my Cooper S
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3rd Gear
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 287
Likes: 0
From: San Francisco, CA
Hey boys and girls.
Yes the title does read correctly, I finally got to pick up my MCS. I will spare you all the details of why it is a month overdue. I just got in last night after a hellish 1700 mile drive from dallas to california over the last two days. I will post more pics later, but I thought these might be a nice teaser. I will be tied up for most of the day but later on I will get to a chance to reply to any questions so don't think that I don't love you because I haven't responded. Enjoy!
Here's a overview of her specs:
'03 DS/W MCS
Premium, Sport, Panther Leather, PDC, R90's
and now the aftermarket goodies::D
UUC Shift ****
Magnaflow Exhaust
Mini-Madness Intake
Mini Mania Armrest
Alpine 634 Changer w/soundgate converter
Hardwired Valentine One Radar Detector
Yes the title does read correctly, I finally got to pick up my MCS. I will spare you all the details of why it is a month overdue. I just got in last night after a hellish 1700 mile drive from dallas to california over the last two days. I will post more pics later, but I thought these might be a nice teaser. I will be tied up for most of the day but later on I will get to a chance to reply to any questions so don't think that I don't love you because I haven't responded. Enjoy!
Here's a overview of her specs:
'03 DS/W MCS
Premium, Sport, Panther Leather, PDC, R90's
and now the aftermarket goodies::D
UUC Shift ****
Magnaflow Exhaust
Mini-Madness Intake
Mini Mania Armrest
Alpine 634 Changer w/soundgate converter
Hardwired Valentine One Radar Detector
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3rd Gear
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 287
Likes: 0
From: San Francisco, CA
Thanks for all the great feedback. Here are some more pics.
Pic of the Valentine 1 hardwire install
1700 miles with dog in lap
whole lot of nothing
red rock
not going to lie to you, I didn't find anything remarkable
I wonder who's faster the S or the Hare?
Ahh, so close to the break in being done. I should right an article called how to finish your break-in period in 30hrs.
Another pic outside this industrial/agro plant
The Noodge!
Alright, here is some of the hellish details.
1- I had to drive 1700 miles in 2 days
2- I had to abide by the break in period rules: don't stay at one speed for too long
3-I got a stomach virus at 3 am after my first days drive. You can only image what it is like trying to drive 12+hrs the next day after puking out your brains out for hours and continue to while on the road. And no, I didn't get any on the mini!
Well I don't have too much to complain about, I did get my mini! but the whole stomach virus thing was a real downer. But all is well now, and I got the mini detailed today and boy is she pretty. Oh and one last thing, I would highly, suggest getting a magnaflow system and a rogue intake, although I didn't have much time to test out the stock system, my new setup pulls like a bat out of hell. The two S's I had previously test driven felt like entirely different cars compare to the new setup. Well worth every penny. No lagging, gobs of torque everywhere in almost any gear. I give it the two thumbs up. I wish the exhaust was a bit quieter just for more of a sleeper effect, but what the hell, who says you can't be a bit rowdy every once in a while. Hope you all enjoy.
Blake
Pic of the Valentine 1 hardwire install
1700 miles with dog in lap
whole lot of nothing
red rock
not going to lie to you, I didn't find anything remarkable
I wonder who's faster the S or the Hare?
Ahh, so close to the break in being done. I should right an article called how to finish your break-in period in 30hrs.
Another pic outside this industrial/agro plant
The Noodge!
Alright, here is some of the hellish details.
1- I had to drive 1700 miles in 2 days
2- I had to abide by the break in period rules: don't stay at one speed for too long
3-I got a stomach virus at 3 am after my first days drive. You can only image what it is like trying to drive 12+hrs the next day after puking out your brains out for hours and continue to while on the road. And no, I didn't get any on the mini!
Well I don't have too much to complain about, I did get my mini! but the whole stomach virus thing was a real downer. But all is well now, and I got the mini detailed today and boy is she pretty. Oh and one last thing, I would highly, suggest getting a magnaflow system and a rogue intake, although I didn't have much time to test out the stock system, my new setup pulls like a bat out of hell. The two S's I had previously test driven felt like entirely different cars compare to the new setup. Well worth every penny. No lagging, gobs of torque everywhere in almost any gear. I give it the two thumbs up. I wish the exhaust was a bit quieter just for more of a sleeper effect, but what the hell, who says you can't be a bit rowdy every once in a while. Hope you all enjoy.
Blake
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2nd Gear
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 146
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From: Long Beach CA
Your car is beautiful Blake, and the pictures of the lonely scenery add a nice contrast to the bold color and design of your MINI. It's really a great backdrop, your MCS is like a storm racing through a dry, dusty, and faded wasteland.
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3rd Gear
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 287
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From: San Francisco, CA
Jcs,
Stay strong, the last few are a real doozie. As for the hardwire setup, I just went to valentine1.com and ordered a $19 direct wire kit. I had tweeter home and car audio install it. Took about 30 min. to do and cost about $35. All teh cars that I have had my v1 in I have gotton hardwired. Any semi compentent car audio store can do it in less than an hour.
Sick Mod Boy. Thanks for the compliments. You all haven't seen anything yet. I actually photograph cars for a living (which is why the point and shoot digi shots are a bit embarrasing) You can check out some of my stuff at http://www.bluelineimaging.com . Here's a small teaser of my automotive work
Stay strong, the last few are a real doozie. As for the hardwire setup, I just went to valentine1.com and ordered a $19 direct wire kit. I had tweeter home and car audio install it. Took about 30 min. to do and cost about $35. All teh cars that I have had my v1 in I have gotton hardwired. Any semi compentent car audio store can do it in less than an hour.
Sick Mod Boy. Thanks for the compliments. You all haven't seen anything yet. I actually photograph cars for a living (which is why the point and shoot digi shots are a bit embarrasing) You can check out some of my stuff at http://www.bluelineimaging.com . Here's a small teaser of my automotive work
2nd Gear
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 146
Likes: 0
From: Long Beach CA
Hey bmarvin81, I just checked out the site and those are some awesome pics! I am so jealous, your job sounds more exciting than my dull office world. Since you take digital pics, I wanted to ask about your thoughts on the Leica Digilux 1. I'm thinking of getting one, but I wanted to know how it compares to other digitals in that price range.
BTW my fave pics are the ones of the Boxster and the Audi, love the blur effect, maybe we can see your mcs tricked out in similar photos.
BTW my fave pics are the ones of the Boxster and the Audi, love the blur effect, maybe we can see your mcs tricked out in similar photos.
3rd Gear
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 207
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From: Sequim Washington
hi. i was wondering why you went to texas to get your mcs. im from texas and i came to california to get my mcs. so whats up. also why didnt you let me know i have a whole truck load that i needed a point man to run in front of me for my drive to california next week you sure could have been used. nice car. look forward to seeing your rig with the improvements. 
4th Gear
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 548
Likes: 1
From: Cramerton, NC
>>Sick Mod Boy. Thanks for the compliments. You all haven't seen anything yet. I actually photograph cars for a living (which is why the point and shoot digi shots are a bit embarrasing) You can check out some of my stuff at http://www.bluelineimaging.com . Here's a small teaser of my automotive work
>>
Nice shots. Are you using a view camera for your auto work? I shoot a 4x5 (landscape work) and am planning on doing some photos of my MCS (very similar to yours but with DS/DS) when it comes in 6 months.
If only I lived near some salt flats.
See ya,
JS
>>
Nice shots. Are you using a view camera for your auto work? I shoot a 4x5 (landscape work) and am planning on doing some photos of my MCS (very similar to yours but with DS/DS) when it comes in 6 months.
If only I lived near some salt flats.
See ya,
JS
Neutral
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 7
Likes: 0
From: DFW, TX
Wonderful pictures! And not just cuz there's a MINI in them either... they were just really well done pictures! :smile: I have to ask... where was that picture taken with the big red rock behind the car? And where the heck did you find that "Here it is" sign on the side of the road? I totally have to find that sign :smile:
Cheers,
Bob
Cheers,
Bob
3rd Gear
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 187
Likes: 0
From: Saint Simons Island, GA
The pix, the website, THE MINI ... some of the best on MCO!! One quickly runs out of superlatives in this MINI-business, eh? I should find thesaurus.com, eh?
What camera did you use for these photos? I'm looking for a new 3+ MP, small digital w/ good batteries and easy-to-use storage device
What camera did you use for these photos? I'm looking for a new 3+ MP, small digital w/ good batteries and easy-to-use storage device
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3rd Gear
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 287
Likes: 0
From: San Francisco, CA
Thanks for all the great responses. I'll try to answer all of the questions in this post.
The reason why I went to texas was two fold. First reason was because I live in california I get the california special when it comes to mini's or as they like to call it a $4,000 markup :evil: Secondly I have family in texas that I was going to see over the christmas holiday and my car was supposed to be in at that time and then I could just drive it back. Also the guys at Moritz Mini in arlington texas are the best. They have no markup (unlike John Roberts in dallas that has a $2000 markup), they are very friendly, and as of last week they had two trucks of minis come in that are available at list. I think they said they have almost 30 instock now. So if you have been holding out for an S or even a standard mini, go to these guys, they are the best!
Back to the other questions. The photo with the red rock in at red rock/cathedral rock state park, just east of gallup, NM off of I-40. The pictures don't do the place justice, it is vey moab esque in that there is huge rock formations that take on a life of their own. Very cool place.
As for my automotive work, I shoot a variety of formats. I have a fuji gx617 for panos, a toyo view camera for clients that require huge negs (almost pointless these days with high quality drum scans, but hey, it's thier money), a contax 645 for just about anything, a mamiya 7II for most of my travel work, and the beast of them all, my canon power shot s110 digi camera Sadly enough it has been the best $300 I have ever spent on equipment. I bought it at a time where I was getting bogged down with work and I wasn't shooting anything for myself. Sometimes even a profesional photographer wants to do some mindless point and shoot work with available light. I would highly suggest any of canon's power shot line of cameras. They are excessivly small, incredibly simple, and most importantly tons of fun.
The "here it is" sign is off of i-40 and between gallup, NM and flagstaff, AZ. After about 500 miles of interstate it all looks the same. I'll try to remember some other landmarks around it.
Binx, thanks for the comment about the dog, he's the best. I got him from a shelter about 8 months ago and he has been such a life saver. He keeps me sane during the crazy times. His real name is Mr. Tiny (tiny was the name the shelter gave him and I felt bad he got such a wussy name, so I added a Mr. to it for some machismo) he also goes by: The Noodge, Mr. T, T-Nasty, T-Nut, T, and Big Man to name a few.
Sickmodboy, in regards to the leica digilux camera, I love leica's I used to have an m6 outfit but it just got too damn expensive for the little use it got. There is no doubt that leica uses the finest glass known to man, which is nice, but because of their smaller market share of the digi market, their amount of R&D is limited because they can't justify huge endevors because of thier main focus. The consumer digi cam market is great these days, there are so many great cameras out there it is very hard to go wrong. Like I stated earlier, any of the canon power shot line is great, the nikon coolpix line is also nice. But the most important factor is if it makes you want to take it everywhere with you. There are some awsome 3+ mp cameras out there, but they are just bulky and akward to carry around. My power shot is smaller than a pack of cigarettes and I throw it in my back pocket almost wherever I go, just incase some strange event happens. Also, I keep it in my armrest most the time I am in my car (unless it is summer time) There are so many odd sitings you can capture on the road. I once saw a new 360 modena that had a license plate frame that said "my other ride is a pornstar" nothing says class like a reference to **** on a $200k car.
Enough of my rambling, glad you all like the pics. I hope I answered all of the questions, if I didn't feel free to ask again and I will try my best
Blake
The reason why I went to texas was two fold. First reason was because I live in california I get the california special when it comes to mini's or as they like to call it a $4,000 markup :evil: Secondly I have family in texas that I was going to see over the christmas holiday and my car was supposed to be in at that time and then I could just drive it back. Also the guys at Moritz Mini in arlington texas are the best. They have no markup (unlike John Roberts in dallas that has a $2000 markup), they are very friendly, and as of last week they had two trucks of minis come in that are available at list. I think they said they have almost 30 instock now. So if you have been holding out for an S or even a standard mini, go to these guys, they are the best!
Back to the other questions. The photo with the red rock in at red rock/cathedral rock state park, just east of gallup, NM off of I-40. The pictures don't do the place justice, it is vey moab esque in that there is huge rock formations that take on a life of their own. Very cool place.
As for my automotive work, I shoot a variety of formats. I have a fuji gx617 for panos, a toyo view camera for clients that require huge negs (almost pointless these days with high quality drum scans, but hey, it's thier money), a contax 645 for just about anything, a mamiya 7II for most of my travel work, and the beast of them all, my canon power shot s110 digi camera
Sadly enough it has been the best $300 I have ever spent on equipment. I bought it at a time where I was getting bogged down with work and I wasn't shooting anything for myself. Sometimes even a profesional photographer wants to do some mindless point and shoot work with available light. I would highly suggest any of canon's power shot line of cameras. They are excessivly small, incredibly simple, and most importantly tons of fun.The "here it is" sign is off of i-40 and between gallup, NM and flagstaff, AZ. After about 500 miles of interstate it all looks the same. I'll try to remember some other landmarks around it.
Binx, thanks for the comment about the dog, he's the best. I got him from a shelter about 8 months ago and he has been such a life saver. He keeps me sane during the crazy times. His real name is Mr. Tiny (tiny was the name the shelter gave him and I felt bad he got such a wussy name, so I added a Mr. to it for some machismo) he also goes by: The Noodge, Mr. T, T-Nasty, T-Nut, T, and Big Man to name a few.
Sickmodboy, in regards to the leica digilux camera, I love leica's I used to have an m6 outfit but it just got too damn expensive for the little use it got. There is no doubt that leica uses the finest glass known to man, which is nice, but because of their smaller market share of the digi market, their amount of R&D is limited because they can't justify huge endevors because of thier main focus. The consumer digi cam market is great these days, there are so many great cameras out there it is very hard to go wrong. Like I stated earlier, any of the canon power shot line is great, the nikon coolpix line is also nice. But the most important factor is if it makes you want to take it everywhere with you. There are some awsome 3+ mp cameras out there, but they are just bulky and akward to carry around. My power shot is smaller than a pack of cigarettes and I throw it in my back pocket almost wherever I go, just incase some strange event happens. Also, I keep it in my armrest most the time I am in my car (unless it is summer time) There are so many odd sitings you can capture on the road. I once saw a new 360 modena that had a license plate frame that said "my other ride is a pornstar" nothing says class like a reference to **** on a $200k car.
Enough of my rambling, glad you all like the pics. I hope I answered all of the questions, if I didn't feel free to ask again and I will try my best
Blake
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3rd Gear
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 287
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From: San Francisco, CA
I almost forgot, I also added a driver's side parcel shelf. If you look close at this pic underneath the steering wheel you can see a shelf instead of the standard US knee bolster. Very cool mod!
Enjoy
Blake
Enjoy
Blake
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3rd Gear
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 287
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From: San Francisco, CA
Here is the link to the driver's side parcel shelf that someone was very generous to post a how-to on their site. All the parts come directly from the mini parts catalog at the parts/service dept of your dealer, and can be had for about $70 and the install should take you a solid 10 minutes. Just make sure you order at least 2 of the bolts and clips, I made the mistake of not reading ahead before I order my parts. Doh!
http://www.zangerlivingood.com/mini/ParcelShelf/
http://www.zangerlivingood.com/mini/ParcelShelf/
6th Gear
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 1,444
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Great pictures! The parcel shelf makes it a real MINI in my book.
Thanks for the photo of the V!; there is not much space above the mirror, so i guess it has to be offset. When I hardwire them, I run it off the fuse box from a protected side of one of the fuses. This was I am not cutting any wires, and have double protection with an inline fuse.
Best of luck with your beautiful new ride. :smile:
Thanks for the photo of the V!; there is not much space above the mirror, so i guess it has to be offset. When I hardwire them, I run it off the fuse box from a protected side of one of the fuses. This was I am not cutting any wires, and have double protection with an inline fuse.
Best of luck with your beautiful new ride. :smile: