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General MINI TalkShared experiences, motoring minutes, and other general MINI-related discussion that applies to all MINIs, regardless of model, year or trim.
@Here2Go Your cabrio braces look better than those from Mini. You did a much better job of finishing the welds, making them disappear, in fact. Those from Mini are not particularly clean. Really nicely done. Given how hard these are to find, I think you've found a side business.
Thank you. That is a nice compliment.
'truth be told - It's been 15 years since I've welded anything. I must confess; I've always been better at grinding metal than I am at welding.
I just recently discovered my welding helmet was broken (wouldn't stay on my head). I welded these braces by braille.
It took a while to get my vision back.
Stuck these shift **** cover caps on my F56, increased the O.D. of the **** from the original 2.0" to 2.24". I was never psyched about the small dia ****. These were worth every penny (to me) and they almost matched my dash. Also available in Gloss black.
Replaced the driver (left) rear wheel hub/bearing at 164k mile on our '06 R52S. The passenger side rear was done just before we bought it at 158k miles back in 2021.
But, in the process of replacing the hub I noticed that the emergency brake lever/pivot for that LR caliper is stiff (almost stuck) - so, that explains why even after replacing the parkng brake cables just after we purchased the car, the handbrake didn't seem like it could adjust correctly (not tight enough) and that the parking brake held, but not confidently. I'll order up the replacement caliper and install it later in the week
@Jason Cornelius That is a funky center "display". what all is in there?
if you are talking about my 53, that’s a Chrono pack gauge cluster. Above steering wheel I have RPM and MPH then in the center cluster there is oil temp and pressure, water temp and fuel level.
@Jason Cornelius whoa...just looked that up...that ain't cheap! Good for you ha ha....no it's pretty cool looking...haven't seen something like that before
@Jason Cornelius whoa...just looked that up...that ain't cheap! Good for you ha ha....no it's pretty cool looking...haven't seen something like that before
Not the world’s greatest pic, seller sent it to me.
Headlight washer and missing cover Mini sports antenna pulled from clubman. Didn’t have an antenna at purchase, so I had to drill out the remains of the broke off one.
Replaced the LR brake caliper with a rebuilt Duralast unit from Autzone (there was a 20% off coupon code for ship-to-home delivered orders, too, and the core return is a simple drop-off at the store in town). I went with that one as it includes their lifetime warranty (which I have used with good results for parts on my other cars) and I tend to keep my vehicles a long time. Now the parking brake on our R52S will actually hold the car completely on the slope of our driveway
Replaced the LR brake caliper with a rebuilt Duralast unit from Autzone (there was a 20% off coupon code for ship-to-home delivered orders, too, and the core return is a simple drop-off at the store in town). I went with that one as it includes their lifetime warranty (which I have used with good results for parts on my other cars) and I tend to keep my vehicles a long time. Now the parking brake on our R52S will actually hold the car completely on the slope of our driveway
Good to hear you caught the issue and fixed the problem yourself!
Several years ago we had and independent garage R&R the rear brakes on our '04 R53. They were inexpensive compared to the dealer and the car seemed to stop well.
Flash forward- 2wo years later I was preparing to move to the SW only to discover then that the hand/parking brake was completely inoperable at holding the car. Having lived in FL (flat terrain), at the time; there was never a need to set the brake.
Headed for the mountainous desert region - A parking break is almost a must. Long story short: I wound up having to take it into the dealer. The independent garage never dialed back the caliper to release the ebrake cable. The dealer had to replace both damaged calipers.
That cost me $1,200.
Officially made the R53 mine today, stroked for $205 by Ohio, but tag and title are mine. Rear sway bar last bit from clubman coming over then the poor R55s gets a bath and for sale sign.
Just finishing up getting a new rad + support fitted --- deleted the green a/c sticker and went old school for namesake.
It's late now, so will bleed tomorrow --- any tips or tricks for bleeding are appreciated because last time it was a total bubbly bugbear that had me cussin' hardcore LOL hoping this time it'll go smoother.
Does the LEAP diverter go on when you’re done. Mine is still sitting in the box.
mine is still sitting in the box too!
Hadn't planned on installing it just yet --- this spring/summer I'm planning on getting all my accumulated stuff finally put on and the diverter is on that punch list!
Just finishing up getting a new rad + support fitted --- deleted the green a/c sticker and went old school for namesake.
It's late now, so will bleed tomorrow --- any tips or tricks for bleeding are appreciated because last time it was a total bubbly bugbear that had me cussin' hardcore LOL hoping this time it'll go smoother.
When I replaced my thermostat, I bought one of those vacuum tools for the cooling system… best tool investment ever. Once I finished buttoning up all the coolant hoses, I attached the tool to the overflow tank, purged the system, then refilled. Haven’t had to touch the cooling system since.
I've worked and enjoyed fabricating with fiberglass for nearly half of my life as well as in my former career. I absolutely detest all these aftermarket body "add-ons" made of PUR these days.
This is a project I've been looking forward to doing for quite some time now.
While not necessarily "today" - I designed and fabricated my lower "duckbill" rear hatch spoiler in the beginning of February.
Because of the colder temperatures; I waited 3weeks to ensure that all the chemical products have fully cured.
Today was a beautiful sunny 61°. I took the opportunity to finally install it.
I didn't document all of the process. This is not a "how to" as it is more of an experiment...(in which I may elaborate upon in a future post).
I initially started off by cutting and shaping a piece of foamcore to the curve underneath the back window of the hatch.
My intentions were aimed at creating a simple duckbill design. Having been somewhat satisfied - I moved on to fiberglass.
A few hours of lay-up, sanding, prep & paint...
I mounted the finished duckbill to the back hatch of my Mini.
12 hours labor, $70 materials (pro rated) and 3weeks total cure time during the process.
I'll lay the vinyl stripes in a couple of weeks when the weather stabilizes and the spoiler has a chance to acclimate.
01-29-2023, 02:53 PM
mine is still sitting in the box too!
