I'm Jim and I just got my Mini about four months ago. I've always wanted two cars, the 911 Porshe, ('68 "S" would be nice,) and the Morris Mini Cooper. It took the re-emergance for me to finailly get the Mini first. It being built by BMW, having A/C, and being blown, (super charged, hey I'm old,) sealed the deal.

My Mini is an 03, Chili Red, with white top and mirrors. There is also the British flag on the top...came that way...

I like to auto cross it at the SCCA solo II evnts once a month. First time out was a real eye opener as to what the car could due and how poor a driver I was. I'm now only a second off or so from the veteran drivers.

Who ever owned it before didn't bother to rotate the tires from front to back. When I tried to get the lugs off, I had to get the torque wrench out and found in an excess of 120 lbs of torque on a lug that should be 88 lbs. Then it took a bat to get the wheels off, (don't ask,) I took out the wire wheel and drill to get off the corrosion, now they slip off and on with no drama.

The first time out at the autocross I did some tire smoking antics that revealed a weakness in the tires, left them with some small chunks missing and they are nearly down to the wear bars. My wife thinks I should replace only two tires. I couldn't disagree with her more. But, most wives do not understand the significance in a matching set of new rubber for this type of car. Besides the fact that they are the original rubber, and here in Las Vegas, tires go off by age as well as wear. The rubber will dry and weather check in four to five years, no matter the amount of wear.

Am I being too obsessive? I should change all four, right?

Well time for an oil change. I took it into the shop for info on what it might need, service or other wise; they told me it didn't need anything till 15K. Synthetic oil or not it gets new oil at least every 4K mil. In fact that is how I found this fourm. I was looking for a "how to" change the oil, and came upon this site. Just got back from Sears with the obligitory 36mm socket and corrisponding socket wrench to match. Do the Germans need to over engineer everything? The same 13mm wrench could have done both jobs,ey? Why a f 'n 36mm nut? I guess we're lucky that they didn't put on a huge drain plug too.

Thanks for having the info I needed to get the oil change done properly. I'm using 5w30 Mobil 1,(says full synthetic), cuz I can get it at Walmart 24 hrs a day, and at $4.95 a qt., it beats the $6.95 a qt for the Red Line.

Later,
Jim
WWJD

 

Oh yeah, you gotta get all four at once. You're going to have to get the other two soon anyway. I mean, if your right shoe showed a little more wear than your left, you wouldn't just replace the right one, would you? I daresay your dear spouse wouldn't either!

Also, don't skimp; get the best set you can. These forums are very helpful for tire info. Also check out MINI2.com for even more tidbits.

 

What size wheels are on the car? 15 or 16? Good luck sifting through the NAM archives on tires. I tried and could not get through them all. Welcome.

 

Thanks,

I have 16"s on it. The stock Dunlops 195/16 run flats are on it now. I am most likely going to replace them with the same. Tire Rac seems to have the best deal on tires. Who do you get to do the mounting and who does the warrentee work?

My son says I need the after market LSD, (that use to mean something very different when I was growing up!).

The question is will I stil be in G stock with it?

 

I know very little about AutoX, but I do know that the aftermarket Limited Slip Diff. will put you in a new class (STX I believe).