Background; bought the R53 in July for my daughter. I got it from a friend who just replaced the HG and said it was running great. He is an ASE Certified Master Mechanic so his opinion and his work are gold to me.

Short story is it made it 30 miles up the road before I had to pull over and call a tow truck.

When I got it home, I pulled the codes and it read 302 (misfire cylinder 2). I changed plugs, wires, and coil and it was much better until……….. it sat overnight and then it had the same misfire. Pulled the plugs again to find coolant on top of cyl 2. Car started rough and then would smooth out. But sit overnight ……..and the top of the cylinder would always be wet.

Decided to tackle new HG since I knew that PO had had head fluxed, decked, and replaced all valves, seals, and guides.

Teardown and rebuild went like clockwork (well, very slow clock). New HG and new seals on everything I touched. Block deck was cleaned w large whetstone from Harbor Freight and WD40. Moved back and forth I. A cross hatch pattern until it was super clean. Hit it and the head surface w Brake Clean before install. Wore nitrile gloves during install to prevent oil contamination.

New HG fixed the issue. Engine runs great

Also had to replace L front transaxle, broken end links and warped rotors.

skip to today, first road test and it was great. Definitely lots of room for improvement, but inspired me to keep wrenching.

I have a habit of buying cars in need of restoration, building them up to roadworthy standard and then passing them along. Kinda like folks who build jig saw puzzles, leaving them on the table and then sweeping them off into the box for the next guy

This Mini and THIS forum are inspiring me to keep going. This car is fun and the community here is awesome. Thanks to @jcolletteiii , @ChiefM and everyone else who has posted, responded and shared their stories @Tragesaurusrex

Don’t tell my wife, but I think I’m gonna keep this one for a while. The motor is strong and sorted. Had a blast doing 3k to 6k pulls on a deserted road near me

It needs a new supercharger. The snout bearing whines and it sounds like a washing machine full of bowling ***** in the middle. But jcollettiii gave me links to a few breakers that will probably have a suitable replacement.

I can get a used one and do a 17* pulley on it w new oil and a belt to start the fun part of the rebuild. I already installed a set of headers. Now I need a CAI, 440 injectors and a tune for performance.

after the SC replacement, I will start rebuilding the suspension. It all feels ok, but there are enough knock and squeaks to make you think you’re in a frat house on a Friday night!

I’ll be taking a page out of @jcolletteiii s book and rebuild the front sub frame first. Most of my parts will come from Rockauto and eBay so if you guys and gals have any advice/warnings regarding vendors and manufacturers, please pass them along

Thanks for being a part of this community and helping Mini newbs like me!

 

They are super. fun. cars. Glad to see you're sticking with it!

 

Welcome to the addiction phase of R53 ownership

 

Nice little car you got there! - Glad you decided to adopt 'her".
To compliment that beautiful paint color against (what use to be), black trim, Might I suggest using Kiwi black leather shoe dye.
Sure 'Back to Black' works just fine for a few good months....
I've only had to "re- Kiwi" my trim once every 4years only because of road dirt dulling and sand scuffing the satin finish.

Welcome to the 1st Gen world!

 

Oh yeah! I forget about Kiwi Dye. I used that on my 78 bug and my Spitfire bumper guards ( the Dolly Partons).

great suggestion. Do u use paste or the liquid (called shoe scuff remover)?

ordered a new third brake light today. Opened the hatch cuz the battery was acting up ( lose neg clamp. Thanks PO &#128533 to find my Mini has a Mini pool in the battery box! Simple fix when I get the part.

Also ordered a new flexible metal dip stick. I HATE the stock one so much! Only one worse is the one on my daughter’s Infinity. Literally pre bent and has to go in this tiny little hole under the air intake. Cruel Nissan engineering. That car also has “no dipstick” for the AT. Read the manual ant it says to take it to the dealer. I found that it is a cap, bolted in place that you pull out to check AT fluid level. That was a new one.

God I love cars!

 

I use the liquid bottle with the sponge applicator.
Now keep in mind - It seems like with every company that once produced a great product; somewhere along the line some "genius" in their infinite wisdom, changes the formula.
That being said there are 2wo variants of the Kiwi Black Leather DYE out here. The former being the best.

Below is a snap of the 2wo Kiwi brands you'll most likely find on the rack of your favorite grocery store or other department outlets (Target etc..)


Circled / On the left - is the original formula circa 2015 - which I prefer. On the right is their current formulation which when applied goes on/dries too glossy/shiny.



If you can find the above based on the product # / ID (It can still be found occasionally) - Go for it!
This is the preferred formula which results in a beautiful satin finish.

Also, I see you are out in Arizona. If and when you decide to apply/dress your plastic trim be sure to try and apply it during mild temps and definitely in the shade.
Allow me to continue with more officious injection: If applying while on the car - I recommend getting a sheet of card stock or thin cardboard (cereal box), Press the card stock against the top edge of the wheel arch and the body to scribe a conforming crease which you can then draw/trace a line along the crease made and cut along the line with a pair of scissors. This will give you a nice contour mask that you can lay against the body to protect the paint while applying around the wheel arches. By tracing the top contour of the wheel arch the same mask can be used around the entire arch as you continue to move around the circumference of the wheel arch and body while applying the dye in sections.
It has also been my practice to pre wet a soft cloth shammy (chamois) with a few wet dabs Kiwi dye to gently smooth/blend the dye while it is still wet while working in sections to avoid streaks and "hot spots" (ununiformed finish). Try to avoid heavy applications.

One last note: If your Mini hasn't been waxed or protectant applied - If you should have any mishaps or inadvertently get the product on your paint or wheels - 70% isopropyl alcohol is your friend.

It is my hope that I haven't come across too bombastic or otherwise pretentious in this matter. Kiwi works wonders for tired weathered trim. Successful application is almost an art in itself.

Hope to see more of your progress with that beautiful little car in the future

 

I use forever black:
I wipe the parts down with alcohol instead of the cleaner. Did the wife's Hummer trim 4 years ago and still looks new.

 

Yea AZ sun really takes a toll on those arches. I hit mine all the time with CG VRP.

 

+1 for forever black