I fondeled the R56 GP a little today. OK OK... so I was REALLY digging my hand(s) up it's undercarage!

IMHO this is NOT what (Well all of what) MINI has in store for the car. There is too much left out, and not enough new to justify the price gap.

The rear diffuser is legit though, not just show only add on's out of the CHALLENGE car catalog. It is one facia pice that looks like the Challenge pices, and a slick rear undertray that join's seamlessly to it.

I like the new color but it's a little dark, and the graphics look much better in person.




Dale, if you are going to the MTTS stop in Pheonix Friday, dont forget to sign the signature car. I did twice (once with my screen name and once with my actual sig.

 

I installed yellow (3000K) bulbs in my fog light assembly. Haven't seen them at night yet, but definitely yellow.

 

Soooooooo yesterday morning I drove my MINI (06 MCS JCW) to my house after i got off work. I stopped at the gas station and filled her up with some 91 octane fuel since thats all they have here in the sticks. I took a nap and then woke up and got ready for work and drove the MINI back to the same place enjoying the drive to work in every way possible... Now I'm sitting at work looking at my MINI outside wondering what kind of rims would look good on her since the car is Sonic Blue with Silver mirrors and a silver roof. And I have been pricing out some tie rods since both of mine need to be replaced since they have seized and looking at timing chain gaskets and oil pan gaskets since there right next to each other might as well replace both and be worry free and not have to tear apart the entire front end twice. ohhhh and last thing just for fun been adding all kinds of goodies to the basket to see how much I'm going to spend on all the performance parts over the years and im looking at approximately $15,000 in parts since I'm planning on doing all the labor myself...I'm making it a 10 year project. =)

 

Will do. MTTS is all the vaca I get this year. I'm doing the Phoenix-LA leg. Hopefully $$ will be better next year. To that end, I've been pounding the ground looking and I've got a couple irons in the fire, so I guess we'll see what pans out when the fit hits the shan. Oh well, interview tomorrow morning, so off to sleep, if I can with all the thunder and lightning that's rolling in right now....


C ya,
Dutch

 

last week, during my 4th of july vacation i...

installed CB Radio
made a CB Radio Mic Holder
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-i...A/s960/397.jpg
installed rear view camera (no tv yet)
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-D...c/s960/386.jpg
re-vinyled my steering wheel to look like an R56 (shiny center ring, matte black control covers) and painted tach ring
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-5...Q/s960/399.jpg
installed Oil Pressure Sensor
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-Y...U/s960/401.jpg
wired said sensor, and oil temp sensor to gauges
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-z...s/s814/338.jpg
finished wiring additional 12v electronics into knee bolster
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-5...Y/s960/384.jpg
re-installed engine damper
took the silver paint off the seat handles that say "Press"
wash, wax and vacuum

 

Installed the JCW shift **** last night. Was a great drive this morning!

 

Last week I install the Spare tire and tray from Detroit Tune for the Clubman since I'm no longer riding on RFT tires. Then upgrade to the JCW carbon fiber hood scoop and installed the hood scoop shield. Upgrade the head light bulbs with PIAA H13 Xtreme White Plus.


http://www.tirerack.com/lighting/det...9&autoModClar=

 

Good: Installed the JCW strut brace and new heat shield. Shiny underhood bling!

Bad: Got my first scratch (car door scrapping my passenger side mirror.

Ugly: Splattered more bugs on the leading fascia of The Black Shoebox.

 

Did the Dinan strut bar , put the new Axis 17's on , installed JL audio 6x9's and 5 1/4 components , almost done with the arm rest . Tomm doing new interior black out the chrome , joey mod and hopefully boost gauge .

 

K, so it was yesterday, but I drove him to a job interview....

*Today* I drove from Phoenix to Scottsdale for the MTTS Phoenix party (which is in Scottsdale) via Bagdad, Prescott, and Jerome. I met a bunch of nice Sin City MINI Club folks at the Bagdad turnoff and ran the "Twelve Miles of Terror" in the rain with them. Had a great lunch at El Gato Azul in Prescott, and then up over Mingus to Jerome on the way back to Scottsdale.

Normally it's a half-hour drive to get from A to B, but this was a full day of fun....

C ya,
Dutch

 

Awesome Joe!

 

Gave Vini a bath before heading out to Pasadena for the Minicross event at the Rose Bowl. Gotta look good for his peers.

 

So excited:-D. I'm at disney world right now but last night I put a order in for my black grille trim, and JCW black mesh scuttles. And with that, Outmotoring.com gave me a free license plate frame in black and red lettering. Also don't forget the 10% off. Awesome, can't wait to get home and put it on her!

 

Replaced my Alta CAI Foam Filter with a K&N cone;
It is quieter with the new element, something I was hoping for. I had about 80K with the Alta element it ran flawlessly just getting thin – moving to a dustier state so I wanted to make sure I had a good new element. I think I will be happy with the new element.

 

I stalked mine ..... does that count
I have a box of things waiting...
Just need to get her home

 

Complete top to bottom front to back detailing with clay bar, wax, etc. Eight hours later and Habanero looks better than when it was delivered to me.

 

Replaced the JCW Carbon Fiber dash with bright glossy silver dash from an R50. Never really like the original Pantina one.





Added black Speedo and Tachometer faces from Outmotoring...

Added full toggle bank panel for rear fogs. ( no more blank space )



Added Ian Cull's V6 Auto up circuit with Garage Door Opener feature...was piece of cake to install....damn thing sat in a box for almost two years. Works awesome btw.

Oh yeah, and wired up the Nitros button on my shifter for the CRYO2 Purge sprayer out the Oricari front cowl vent.

 

Full detail this weekend(clay,polish,wax) and blacked out all my chrome. Still have to install my belt line kit but that will wait as I am lazy now! Car looks soooo much better

 

Had a fluttering noise coming from the engine, as if I was riding a bike with a playing card in the spokes. Noise went faster as I accelerated and vise versa. So I took it into the dealer the next day, but I was going to get the chrome around the grille vinyled by Lyle from Vinyl Styles the next day too.

So here's a pic with the stuff off.


Then I noticed in the hood part, that cosmoline built up in there.




So I had to dig it out and clean it before I reattach. SO this is how much I got outta there.


Then reattached and Voila!


Oh and the noise, thinking the worst, maybe it was the chain or some pump failing. Somehow I sucked up a styrofoam pellet into the pulley, that melted which askewed the belt from the pulley, and made some tensioner(I think it's called that) vibrated, which mimicked a chain issue. Popped off the right wheel, located it, picked the pulley clean. No Mo Noise!

 

i have been wanting to do mine with the Cf dash, with me im oposite to you i have the silver brushed metal look dash on my 08 MCs cabrio and sont care for it to much.

 

Put on the grill badge that I got yesterday at the MTTS Minicross a the Rose Bowl.

 

L@VE the Badge!! Would you mind detailing your DIY Badge Install for me, I've got the JCW Grill too on Molly, but am afraid to tackle a Badge Install without a little bit of help.

TiA

 

There are 4 plastic expansion rivets that need to be popped out along the top of the grill. For me, the hardest part was getting to the lower clips that hold the grill on. Supposedly the lower trim comes off and gives better access to the bottom clips that hold the grill on, but in my case it didn't. I had to come at the clips from above by flexing the grill a bit from the top and reaching my hand down to release them being careful not to mash into the radiator. Here is a link to a YouTube vid that shows the removal process.

 

This week or so, I installed all of the mods listed in my sig, save for the brake pulsar , STB, and non-runflats. I set the front camber for 1.7 degrees on each side with zero toe. It works very nicely.

Next on the list are Joey modded lights, but I've got a PW car with chrome surrounds I'm going to keep, so I'm considering the options.

 

Here's what they look like!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/tycobbphotography/7576636030/http://www.flickr.com/photos/tycobbphotography/7576636030/ by http://www.flickr.com/people/tycobbphotography/, on Flickr