What did you do to your mini today?
#6652
5th Gear
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Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Pensacola, FL
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Today, I blacked out the lower grilles on the Astro Black 2009 MCS. The MINI came with the Chrome-line exterior trim package. The beltline, headlight rings, and taillight bezels are still to be blacked out. I am replacing the chrome grille trim with a JCW black grille trim. The door handles, mirror covers, and boot handle will done in carbon fiber vinyl.
#6656
Gave the car a quick was in anticipation of my freshly painted trim rings coming back from orangecrush on Monday. No detail work as I'm super busy this weekend and it's going to rain all week...supposedly. The fact that I didn't detail it means clear weather, if I had, it would rain all week.
But, that's not what I did. What I did do was very simple. Removed the "Cooper S" from the back. I've been toying with painting the letters or just removing them altogether for a nice clean look. Decided to take them off. Fishing line removed them super easy and then a clean up with goo gone to get rid of the sticky stuff. Ended up with a lot of embedded dirt especially between the o's so after I finished washing I hit up that area with some car polish and a microfiber towel and it came out smooth and clean.
Before and after...
I shot this one in case I want to put the letters back, I know how they go.
But, that's not what I did. What I did do was very simple. Removed the "Cooper S" from the back. I've been toying with painting the letters or just removing them altogether for a nice clean look. Decided to take them off. Fishing line removed them super easy and then a clean up with goo gone to get rid of the sticky stuff. Ended up with a lot of embedded dirt especially between the o's so after I finished washing I hit up that area with some car polish and a microfiber towel and it came out smooth and clean.
Before and after...
I shot this one in case I want to put the letters back, I know how they go.
#6657
I replaced my Brisk plugs that had less than 15K on them for the NGK Platinums that came with WMW pulley kit and guess what? The hesitation is gone. She's running better than ever before. I thought for sure the plugs should have been fine, but then I realized I got 14S plugs, which aren't cold enough for the 15% pulley.
So the only issue left to deal with is the leaky CV joint on the passenger side, then hopefully it is smooth sailing for years to come.
So the only issue left to deal with is the leaky CV joint on the passenger side, then hopefully it is smooth sailing for years to come.
#6660
#6663
#6666
I'd say 80+%. Out of 10 cars today though I think I was the only automatic (there may have been one more) and today was the first time I actually felt at a disadvantage having an automatic, for some reason my "automanual sport shift" whatever you want to call it refused to stay in first gear and kept jumping to second so I was losing a lot of power through turns =(
I'm not a great (read: actually pretty bad) manual driver but I got the chance to drive a buddy's manual 06 Civic Si and it wasn't bad..
I'm not a great (read: actually pretty bad) manual driver but I got the chance to drive a buddy's manual 06 Civic Si and it wasn't bad..
#6667
I'd say 80+%. Out of 10 cars today though I think I was the only automatic (there may have been one more) and today was the first time I actually felt at a disadvantage having an automatic, for some reason my "automanual sport shift" whatever you want to call it refused to stay in first gear and kept jumping to second so I was losing a lot of power through turns =(
I'm not a great (read: actually pretty bad) manual driver but I got the chance to drive a buddy's manual 06 Civic Si and it wasn't bad..
I'm not a great (read: actually pretty bad) manual driver but I got the chance to drive a buddy's manual 06 Civic Si and it wasn't bad..
#6669
Finally installed my minimotoringgraphics dash decal (the second one they sent me, since the first one was messed up).
What a waste of time. While the coloring was slightly better, I can still see the printing lines (banding is what the local graphics company called it). They resized the middle piece of the dash, so it actually covered the whole panel, but the steering wheel one was still too small, and BOTH VENT HOLES WERE MISSING!
Way to go guys! Thanks for wasting my $70. Good thing 3m bought you out. It's also too bad you're the only major player in the mini graphics game.
DON'T BUY FROM MINIMOTORINGGRAPHICS.
I'll be going to see Lyle up the peninsula soon for my vinyl needs; it's much more difficult than it looks on YouTube.
What a waste of time. While the coloring was slightly better, I can still see the printing lines (banding is what the local graphics company called it). They resized the middle piece of the dash, so it actually covered the whole panel, but the steering wheel one was still too small, and BOTH VENT HOLES WERE MISSING!
Way to go guys! Thanks for wasting my $70. Good thing 3m bought you out. It's also too bad you're the only major player in the mini graphics game.
DON'T BUY FROM MINIMOTORINGGRAPHICS.
I'll be going to see Lyle up the peninsula soon for my vinyl needs; it's much more difficult than it looks on YouTube.
#6671
5th Gear
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Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Pensacola, FL
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More blackout work today. I removed the taillight and headlight trim rings and went to work. I scuffed the chrome with some fine sandpaper and came back with a Scotch pad to take out the abraision marks. I then painted them using Krylon Satin Black Paint for plastics. Here are the results.