We just entered the world of MINIs having bought a dark silver '02 Cooper S. The car had low miles (33K) and was very well treated. I have all the records and the car has had the following upgrades:

• Koni FSD shocks + H Sport springs
• ALTA rear bar (not sure of size, are there choices?)
• Power steering fan cover (no idea what for, can anyone explain why this is desirable?)
• 15% underdrive pulley
• Conforti software
• Ferodo DS 2500 brake pads
• S03 Pole Position tires (mostly down to the wear bars) in 205/50/16 size on stock rims
• Brass brake caliper bushings
• Nippon Denso Iridium IK-22 spark plugs

I'm open to sugestions on any other change(s) to pursue over time. The car will be mainly driven by my now 17 year old son and wife part time. She will be tracking the car and eventually both will be doing driving schools.
Frankly the car doesn't need much and I'm not planning on doing much, if anything at all, right now, but over the winter ... well a guy has to do something to pass the time.
I'm looking at Kosei or other light weight wheel in combination with a Falken Azenis tire for track and good all season tire for the rest of the year. No run-flats. I plan on teaching both my wife and son how to install a plug then take it to be properly patched.
What about track brake pads? Any thoughts on replacing the Ferodos? Are the OEM pads good enough for daily use? I don't need anything especially aggressive for the track as my wife, though experienced, needs to learn this car and my son will be just starting out.

 

Welcome to MINIdom, Prima...nice car!! I mostly do milk-runs in my un-modded Cooper...just thought I'd say "hi."

 

Nice, hopefully u got a deal, its hard to find them around here.

The power steering fan cover protects the fan from trash bags, etc. If one gets caught up in it without a cover, u pretty much lose ur power steering. I believe the newer MINIs have covers on them now, but i'm not sure.

The sway bar is either a 19mm or 22mm.

 

Wow, you got a great car with most of the mods it needs already! Nice job!

Concerning brake pads: For the street, I LOVE the Hawk HPS pads for both front and back. They are very low dust but also perform better than OEM, and are not hard on rotors. They can be run at tracks like Gateway with no problem. If you need to go a step further to a full track pad, the Pagid blue is really unbeatable. On stock rotors, they are fade-free all day at the track. They are also very durable; I ran one set for two full seasons! For track days, I just swap my front HPS pads for the Pagids, and then switch back when the day is over. Brad B and I have been looking for a supllier of these other than Webb Motorsports (have had some bad customer service from them). I think Brad was going to see if Bavarian can get them.

Let us know how things progress!

Aaron

 

I think we did well with the purchase. The owner was in the car tuning business, and took good care of the car. It is practically flawless for a 4 year old car. Thanks for the brake tips. I probably will leave that to the spring since the current pads have lots of life. Will we see you at the PCA DE in October? I could use some tips compared to the rear drive 325is.

 

Exhaust + CAI

 

Only thing I can say is wave more. You can never wave too much at another MINI.

And welcome. I'll be that crazy guy waving at you from the othe side of the highway as you fly past. =P

 

I wish I could be there, but I have a work commitment that will take up the entire weekend. :-(
Find Brad B there; he can give you some good tips, as your car is setup very similar to his. Enjoy!

Aaron

 

That's will be on the wish list. Thanks.

 

Sorry to hear that you won't be there. Brad has the Pepper White MCS?

 

Sounds like you landed one sweet ride, as stated earlier, exhaust and a cold air intake would round it out. Steel covered brake lines will really let the great brake setup you have shine. I hope to see you at one of the many Saint Louis Mini Club events.
Not all who wander are lost...............Motor on,

 

We did, but technically it's my wife's car so I don't see it much. I am the wrench, though, so I get to look into all the upgrade stuff. Brake lines didn't do as much for my 325is as the brass caliper pin inserts did, and this car already has those. Still, I expect that brake lines will be on the upgrade list soon enough.
We're sure to participate in some events. Thanks for the welcome.