Hi all!

I have loved and wanted an R58 or R59 since i saw the first one at the San Francisco Auto show back in 2012 or so.

I recently had the opportunity to finally get one. I really wanted a JCW R59. But there aren't a ton for sale, and those that are are either: too far out of my budget, have more miles than i prefer or have N14 engine--I prefer N18.

So in my search I found this nice, welll optioned R59 S. I got it from the second owner. 45k miles, clean carfax and fully dealer serviced from new. NAV, HK stereo, heated seats, PPF on the whole front end, bi-xenon.

Previous owner had pretty new run-flats, but the first week I had a tire failure. So I took the opportunity to get non run-flats. I got the NTB version of Conti DSW-06's

While the wheels were off i got a nice surprise...PO had a 19mm ALTA rear sway bar on there already. I had the tire shop adjust it to the most aggressive setting :-)

The interior was VERY black and had a lot of hard-plastic. So that was one of the first things I addressed, I got brushed metal dash inserts and door pulls...real metal by the way :-)

Then I got a very nice set of Rooster Red dash panels and arm rests from a fellow NAM member (THANKS AGAIN! AAA+++ deal).

I also swapped the US glove-box with the big knee bump for a flat euro style---i think it looks way better. It was a bear to swap and I didnt catch the soft close gear yet--i need to figure that out ---guidance welcome!

You can see start, middle and end results in the pics. I am super happy---it softens up the interior and gives it some POP.

The car is at the dealer now getting JCW tune kit and JCW brembo breaks. I bought a JB+ from another NAM member in another great transaction.

I'd like to find some nice used JCW rockers.

I will get a JCW shift ****, black out the grill and front/rear light surrounds.

I really want some Union Jack rear tail lights... but they are a bit spendy....maybe there will be a black Friday sale (vendors, HINT HINT)

That's it for now.

I love the car and am excited to personalize it and dial it in.

-mark (aka fossilfuel)
austin texas

 

Ps---i also want to dump the Open-meter and get a coolant temp guage in it's place.

Cheers,

-mark

 

Very nice. You are right, the red does make quite a bit of difference and adds color to an otherwise very dark interior.

 

I think everyone wants that in place of it. I need to swap up the glove bock on my R58 also.

 

I love the glove box door.
Where can I get one??

 

For the smooth US version

https://www.ecstuning.com/Search/Sit...h/51162752811/

 

minidd99,

I got mine used on ebay. Again, it was harder to install than I expected. Actually, getting the old one OUT was the hardest. The glove-box itself is part of the whole dash plastic moulding, so it doesn't come out. The hinge pins for the door are easy enough to get to and slide out. The right "track" / stop is easy. But the left side would not release easily...that side has the gear and soft-open feature. You can't see it (its up against the side of the radio center stack). I kinda had to force the left side out and when i put the new on in, it doesn't work the soft-open gear---so now the door just drops when I open it (so i push the open button with my thumb and lower the door gently with my hand). I may try to look in there with a mirror or camera to see better if i can get the gear to work....i may have broken it getting the old one out :-( But i didn't see another way to do it----maybe pulling the whole center stack out (which seems a bit excessive!) Advice is welcome.

Anyway, I am glad i did it and happy with how it looks...just know that --i at least-- had a hard time getting the door off and was un-able to get the soft open to work/ catch on the replacement one.

Your mileage may vary :-)

-mark (fossilfuel)

 

Keep in mind that R58 R59 glove box door is fatter as it is part of the crash safety for the passenger. So changing it out could make it less safe for a passenger. There is also the block on the floor that is also part of the crash safety parts.

 

Thanks Steve!! Couldn't have done it without you :-)

-m

 

Thanks this could be a Christmas present.

 

I didn't realize they had those parts without padding. No wonder you wanted something "softer". Good call. And looks good to boot.

 

looks great congrats....looking for my 6th MINI and a second for our driveway....Im thinking R59 is my next.

 

Go for it! it's worth it...

 

Find a tachometer from the junkyard complete and swap out to get rid of openmeter that's what I did. Companys make a guage pod that attaches to tach

 

thanks for the idea. The piano black and carbon is so monochromatic. I'm running the checkered dash inserts and door panels

 

Nice combo. Offset the black on black which is see most of the time when I was looking at R58/R59s

 

Looking good!!!

 

The fatter glove box door isn't so much for crash safety Its extra capacity since the Roadster lacks the interior volume of a standard mini. More room to put **** also the Roadster has a lock on the glovebox most other Minis dont have.

 

I think that is 100% true. My VIN lookup includes "S493A Storage Compartment Package" Which may be or include the deeper glove box door. That said, it just looked funny to me with the 'bump"

For me, i rarely have a passenger, i don't need the extra storage and the MINI glovebox organizer shelf doesn't fit right in the bigger glovebox door.

I did already have a glovebox lock and just swapped it over into my new Rooster Red dash pad.

As I said the only real downside was getting the left side toothed track out and getting the new one to 'catch' the soft open gear (mine doesn't)....i'd still like to figure that out :-)

Cheers,

-mark

 

Updates:

I now have the JCW brake kit, tuning kit and strut brace installed. I did a light under hood detail (it was a mess from previous owner)
I ditched the runflats and added a JB+ I bought from a fellow NAM owner.
I know I don't have a "factory JCW," but I hope the JCW guys will let me hang out with them :-)

Next (probably) black grilles and front/rear light surrounds, JCW wheel centers, different mirror covers (not sure what yet--maybe red, maybe grey union jack?).... and I am thinking about Koni FSD shocks. Then maybe aero rockers.

She sure is fun!!! Some of this stuff has been a bit pricey, but I have another car (italian) that makes Mini mods feel like a bargain!!!

-mark

 

Congrats! Now you have more go and also more stop.

 

No the glovebox in the R58 and R59 isn't any bigger than a hardtop glovebox. It just has that thicker door for the knee crash protection. You will also see on the floor there is a wedge that changes the angle of your legs/feet. I can't explain it all as I'm not the safety engineer that came up with it, but that is what they made the fat glovebox door and floor wedge for.

Also the R57 cabrio has a locking glovebox but no fat door. As MINI put locking gloveboxs in a convertible cars so you can lock it when parked with the top down.

 

I have to disagree (a teeny little bit)....You are correct that the glove box hole/void inside the dash is the same, but the door---with the bump--- has more volume (and the door defines/controls a chunk of the glove box storage and is where the MINI factory glove box organizer sits ----which is why that factory organizer doesn't fit right in the bumped glove box door (ask me how i know :-)

That minutia aside, I think you are also correct that the bump in the door and the extra 'wedge' on the floor are (mostly) for crash absorption. I also have a SMART car with a big hard-styrofoam wedge under the passenger floor-forward...sort of made of the same stuff the inside of a motorcycle helmet is (a very thick version of a styrofoam coffee cup)---it deforms to absorb a lot of impact force.

All in all, i suspect the glovebox sizing and bump have more to do with crash safety than volume. Do the Euro R59's have the bump too?

 

Hey, "ESC" and "Way".....do you guys have a first names? Or are there multiple respondents there participating in threads (in a good way). I just like to know who I am chatting with -- makes it more friendly :-)

-mark

 

Mike here at ECS Glad to chat, I have an R58 JCW and R52 Convertible currently.
I have not seen that bump on euro cars.