Okay, so this isn't going to be a full blown fun build like Oscar's rebuild.

Let's just call it a minor facelift.

I picked this up from a fellow member after it got totaled. (2007 MCS in astro black)

It's already lowered, exhaust, wheels, tires, crossbar, cold air intake, etc, etc...

My initial thought was regardless whether I sell it or track it, I was going to put it back as cheap as possible and paint as little as possible.

I'm still with the paint as little as possible, just with a few surprises.

So without further ado, here is the start of a minor facelift.

 

Welcome back! I know you're a shop guy (insurance claims guy here), so looks like a great find for you. Am I missing something in the pictures, or does the unibody damage not appear to be all that bad?

 

I was thinking the same myself. What damage was done to have it totalled?

 

Damage on both doors (minor IMO) rt fender (repairable), hood (replace), headlamps, radiator support, bumpers, etc, etc.

Lots of blending. Both quarters have marks (very minor) basically the entire blue minus the rear hatch and bumper will have to be painted.

Not even sure if the car will have a salvage title. Being that the owner had the car paid off, it's not uncommon for insurance companies to pay the car off and let the owner keep the title clean.

Mark

 

This should be interesting. Have fun with it!!!

 

Do you still have Oscar or did you end up getting the STI?

I didn't mean to plagarize you when I named mine Oscar.

 

LOL, yes, I'm insulted that someone actually had the nerve to name their car the same as mine...

No, Oscar's sold, bought a new 981 Porsche.


Mark

 

How's the Boxter compared to the MINI? I drove one a while back and it felt a lot heavier and less nimble to me.

I still think your Ocar is one of the best looking MINI's I've seen.

 

Can't wait to see what happens with this. Glad you're back, I might be too sometime soon

 

this will be epic :D

 

Sick. In pretty good condition for a "totaled" car. :D

 

Can't wait to see the surprises

 

I would use very little orange paint on the body, and maybe just a little black paint on the roof, but not very much. Good luck.

 

Sorry it's taken so long for an update, I ran into a few snags.

I decided to stay with the astro black but decided to paint the roof Chili red with matching mirror caps.





As we're trying to move the car around, (because it won't start) I decide to start to investigate why...

Turns out the fellow member I purchased the car from decided to drive the living crap out of it and overheat it. I remember the phone call telling me the car was overheating and that they were going to pull over.

I didn't realize they were going to drive the crap out of it.

So, now I've got this!!







Look at the right edge of the pic above. There is a piece of piston missing at top of that pic.

So my options now are...

1) sell the car to a friend that wants to do some engine work.
2) buy a used/rebuilt engine
3) tear into it and drop an LS2 Corvette engine in it.

I've got a friend that really wants the car but I'm seriously thinking of cutting the crap out of this car and doing the LS2 swap.

I have a chassis friend that is coming over Thursday and we're going to look into the feasibility of making subframes. I know I can tear the sheetmetal up and weld in a tunnel. If he can make subframes and I do a mini tub (no pun intended) I might be able to get some tubbed tires in the rear.

I'll know more by weeks end.

Mark

 

Please LS swap it, haha. That engine is a mess :(

 

As cool as an LS swap would be I think you should just build a more powerful MINI based of the stock motor. Head work, turbo work, and everything in between. It would be easier plus you might learn a thing or two that you can pass to the community at large. Do eeeet you won't do eet.

 

Really? An LSX swap into a Mini?!? I'm off to Googleland

 

http://youtu.be/my_J7lmd_-4

 

That car is from my neck of the woods. I saw it several years ago at the Lake George, NY weekend car show. I got a close look at it before the show actually started. From the back it looks almost stock. The interior is basically stock. The guy did a fantastic job with it.

As for the Corvette engine in a MINI, why not? ...I saw an E30 BMW with one at NJMP Lightning track. Wow was that a fantastic setup.

So that is 2 targets for you to aim for. I say go for it.

 

The problem is I got the car for a decent price.... but by the time I add an engine into the equation, I'll be lucky if I break even. (and the sad part is right now I don't know if it'll have a salvage title)

I'll know more by the end of the week.


Mark

 

LS SWAP LS SWAP!!!!!!! Might need some ballast in the boot to balance it out a bit

 

I thought you could pick up a long block for like $3k?

 

That's awesome!!

I'm not against the LSX swap idea, believe me!! I do some work at a performance shop and see some cool stuff come through. LSX-powered Mini would be cool, for sure!

 

Swap, swap, swap. Life is too short to be ordinary.

 

Mark

Evo or STI engine and driveline swap! Then make a wicked oldschool Csl batmobile style body kit for it.

Do it memory of my Mom.

Jeff

p.s. thanks for the post on facebook