Haha thanks but when it looks good as that one does and it wont drive it kills me inside on the plus side I got my exercise this week rode 36 miles on my bicycle haha

 

Thanks!!!

 

So I've had the Mini back on the road a whole five days and on my way to lunch, this terrible clanking noise has begun. Popped the hood to find something on the lower passenger side vibrating all over the place, clanking into the frame and everything else. No idea what it is yet but I was able to make my hour long drive home. My feeling it's a brake line that come loose. One thing to the next! Like I need another thing to spend money on!

 

Sorry to hear that hope you find the issue and its cheap. It seems we are all having some issues lately I guess its best to get them all set for the winter but I agree to much money into these cars lately

 

At the dealer today looking at buying a SECOND Mini now...... The bug has bitten. 2015 Cooper S in Chili Red.

 

Finally got 'round to putting in new tail lights, OEM stuff.What a difference ...the originals are so fogged .

Now I can experiment with trying to get the clear covers off the old ones and see if they can be restored.

70,000 miles this morning.I'm planning on 100K more...

 

First day. Ordered new floor mats

 

That's the nature of the beast... For the five years you are paying for it, everything is great... just general maintenance, but as soon as you pay it off and think you are going to get some relief, you start having to replace parts! This and that and the other thing needs replaced because those five years of driving have taken its toll. I honestly feel bad for the car, but my VW is going to be seeing a lot more mile solely because I just can't trust my Mini to be reliable right now. Really wish I could afford to complete overhaul the engine and replace everything!

 

I installed the updated hatch striker. I'm surprised the first owner never complained about the rear hatch rattling.

Then again MINI seems to think this simplistic part is worth gold.

My game plan is to keep the car till Feb or Mar of 2016 before selling it on or trading it in.

 

I am sorry to see other owners having a few recent issues. Hang in there!

Spent some time on the Mini today with swapping out the rubber caliper bushings. As the MINI ages, the brake pedal feel was becoming spongy. For whatever reason, that drives me nuts. So I recently bled the brakes and that improved things. I then took the next step since each set of pads/rotors are new to swap out the rubber bushings for metal bushings. My hope was to increase the pedal feel and I can say that I accomplished that…

There are more pics in the build thread but I will leave a few here.

The Kit:






Cleaned up






Bought a new Porter Cable 7424XP polisher and went to town cutting, polishing and waxing the roof of my MINI. Great results!

 

CooperSAZ, you might want to go to braided stainless brake lines to help stop the spongy pedal also. As the rubber lines get older they tend to bulge a little also when pressure is added.
Roof and calipers look really good.

 

My body man friend helped me take the rattle out of my hatch. We adjusted the rubber 'stoppers' and he did just the slightest hmmper work on the latch loop.

 

I tired adjusting the rubber stoppers and nothing.

I've heard of people wrapping electrical tape around the loop, but as much as I hate this car I hate hack fixes.

 

Thanks! Ok, time to add this to the next round of brake bleeding.

 

Looks great, I would like to do the same to my r53 with SS lines as well but recently cant even keep Barnaby on the road.

 

Thanks. Did you find out why Barnaby was leaking from the other day? He looked good in the pic, just not the fluid coming from underneath him.

 

Thanks! So far all I know is it was coolant leaking. I used to have a garage and more tools but times have changed. So I had to have him towed down the street to a mechanic. I am thinking its the coolant hoses and wanted to replace those with silicone hoses all around but am still waiting to see what it is. I am also replacing the tank, water pump, thermostat and housing all at the same time so itll be like a new cooling system. Thats the plan at least lets see what happens this week

 

I just did the noise generator delete for .90 cents

 

I took my MINI for its first solely for fun drive.

 

Oh I like those wheels, nice choice.

 

Used the Eagle One Surface prep mitt for the first time, took my paint from feeling like sandpaper to feeling like silk. Highly recommended alternative to the clay bar.

 

Hmmm... lets hope it is something simple like a line. I am trying to find a good time to replace the water pump. Mine has 108k on him now... I am thinking of doing that during the Summer of 2016 so its on my time instead of walking out to the car or while driving him. One less thing to worry about then.

That is Dec for me! I am swapping the radiator, lines, thermostat/housing but leaving the pump for now. While I am there, the CPS o-ring, dip stick o-ring and the oil pan gasket. And since that is stuff that is typically no fun to replace, I am trying to work it to where I am swapping the shocks out for Koni Yellows and the TSW springs, powerflex LCA bushings and a larger swaybar in back. All new mounts, endlinks and spring pads to get him to ride well again (suspension refresh). Busy holiday period of time while I am off of work.

 

06 R53 MCS JCW Checkmate
Replaced front brakes with...
-Brembo Slotted Rotors
-Brembo pads
-new sensor
-Milltek Header
-Spec Stage 3 Clutch/Aluminum Flywheel
-JCW Shift **** was also added...
+Oil Change and Trans Fluid

If feels like a new car...Love it.

 

Yea I am hoping its a clamp or line too! I am actually praying to the MINI Gods haha Luckily I picked up the whole coolant refresh kit from MINI and ECS. It was the pump, housing, thermostat, and coolant etc. I am thinking of having them install all this stuff at the same time to hope in solving the problem. I just hit 134k and would really like it to last me until 300k so I am refreshing stuff as needed and thinking of silicone hoses next.

As far as suspension goes I am saving up for the FSDs and then already have the powerflex CAB, all ball joints, front sway bar bushings and just need the struts and rear sway bar before I install all that after the winter! Cant wait itll be like a new car!!

 

That's a long shopping list, I wouldn't want to be your wallet, sounds like a fun setup!