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Post by zoona on Aug 23, 2021 14:03:28 GMT
I have got myslef a new car. Well it's second hand and it is on it's way form the other side of the country... I initially started looking for a cheap R53 cooper S that i could bomb around in for a bit as i need to give our hire car back in a few weeks. But as i looked, the older R53 and R56s were really tatty. To the extent that anything that needed fixing could easily expand to replacing everything that touched it. Lots of rust. But i drive a couple and thought they were bloody brilliant. Then i realised that they really are Canoeing tiny. Not that the clubman is massive, but is a much more usable space. Time rolls on and I found this one. Only 48k miles and it has all the toys, and looks like it is in good condition. It is insanely expensive for what it is, but i like it. So i cleared it with the financial controller. Can't wait to get hold of it. It's just going to be a daily, not taking it on a track, but have some plans for it.
This is a call out for decent mini forums and other sites (preferably US based) where I can get some goodies.I am mainly calling on Horney for this... but if anybody else has any useful info, pile in.   |
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Post by Horney on Aug 27, 2021 23:03:44 GMT
Yes! Loved my Clubman. I think the R55 actually handles better than the hatches due to the slightly longer wheelbase.
R55 group on Facebook is good resource.
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Post by zoona on Aug 28, 2021 1:04:17 GMT
really?... facebook a good source of information?!
I'll check it out.
It arrvies on Sunday! woop woop
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Post by zoona on Sept 17, 2021 0:35:04 GMT
I fitted an apple carpplay/Android auto box into the mini over the last couple of days. All works well, but there is some interference in the audio (whining where the pitch is proportional to the revs), so need to get to the bottom of that. But nav is actually usable, which is what i need right now. Also decided I want to tidy up the exterior - get a couple of scratches sorted, and replace the stripes (they are starting to peel a bit). Also need to get some winter wheels/tyres and replace these awful summer tires. I am thinking black stripes with gold pin stripes. Then some new gold wheels for summer wheels, then use the existing ones with winter tyres. Maybe these: fifteen52.com/collections/gold-bronze-wheels/products/tarmac-evo-_-gold?variant=39286704734274Or maybe these: www.xxrwheels.com/wheels/xxr-530Or maybe Enkel pf01... Not sure at the moment. Any experience on width of 17" wheels? Have read that 8"width is too much... |
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Post by zoona on Sept 17, 2021 0:40:51 GMT
Ooh. And dechrome.
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Post by zoona on Nov 1, 2021 0:42:45 GMT
Got some new wheels. Xxr 530 with continental extreme contact. Needed to get some hubcentric rings before fitting them though The current tyres are the very definition of ditch finders.  And started the dechrome:    The petrol call was the first thing I did, and one of the most complicated shakes. Got a couple of winkles, but will do it again now I have guy a better idea of what I am doing. Have done headlight surrounds, side indicator, rear handles and started the belt line. Need to finish the belt line, do the grill and then wrestle the main door handles out. That looks quite involved. Then redo the petrol cap and side indicator markers. V complex shapes and think I can do a better job of them now. Quote enjoyed learning how to do it. If you are thinking about it, give it a go. It's not that hard. |
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Post by zoona on Nov 7, 2021 23:37:57 GMT
Quite happy with the wrapping results. The side markers are pretty bad, but the rest turned out ok. I still need to do the main door handles. Bit more involved to get them off (requires gutting the door), so need a stretch of time when I can afford to have it sat for a day.  |
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Post by zoona on May 10, 2022 19:13:48 GMT
I have booked it in to the body shop to replace the front bumper, and repaint the roof where it has been damaged by somebody dropping something off the roof rack. It's also going on tomorrow to be detailed. I took the stripes of this afternoon ready for that. After the roof and bumper have been finished in going to get new stripes put on. Also decided to remove the front number plate. Loads of people do here with no problems, even though it's illegal. It looks so much better with no plate, and I quite like it with no stripes as well actually. Because of the work in the house, we are having to keep the cars outside, so it's bloody filthy from all the tree jizz.  |
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Post by zoona on May 24, 2022 18:31:00 GMT
I have done three things recently: - I took off the wrap from the petrol cap cover and the from bonnet badge, and sprayed them with spray on vinyl. The petrol cap had some really hard curves on it, and it had started to lift. So i thought i would give it a go. Seems to work very well, but i did manage to introduce some dust...
- I got a boot liner for it. It is bloody impressive. I should't be this excited about a boot liner but it is amazing.
They have a UK version as well (www.ukcustomcovers.com/). If you are looking for something like this, i can definitely recommend them. They fit perfectly. - I bought some Euro spec rear lights because red indicators are FUCKING STUPID. they are impossible to see. I am terrified of people hitting me, so i thoght I would swap. It's almost a plug and play replacement. But the fog light and reversing light are on the opposite sides. So i just had to find the right pin on the plug, depin it and extend each one to the other side of the car. I had to buy some BMW specific pins as well. And i managed to order 36 of them (don't ask)... so just in case anybody wants any...
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Post by zoona on May 25, 2022 15:34:57 GMT
Service history here doesn't seem to be very important. The number of cars I looked at where there wasn't one and it was just shrugged off by dealers was crazy. Even better, individual dealers keep that history to themselves, so a dealer won't give me the service info in my car when it was owned by somebody else (this was Audi) and won't share between themselves. But some report to a thing called Carfax, which you can then see but it's very limited info. Anyway, this means that for some service things I want to go to a dealer and get a proper bit of paper. So I took the mini in to flush the brake fluid. They did their usual "free inspection" and I got some hilarious suggestions... $60 spark plugs (I know this because I recently changed them). How do you get to a $500 estimate for this?  $200 of suspension top mounts. Ok, suspension out, spring off. But $1100? Rotate tyres. Pretty sure you have the wheels off for other jobs, and it is a 15min job even with lifting the car as well  I think my favourite is mirror glass for $550 though. The replacement glass is expensive ($300), because heated/dimming bullprarrie canoe. But that still means a $200+ fitting charge.  I reckon I can do all these myself, but don't want to tackle the drive belt and water pump pulley. Nowhere near enough space for me to attempt those. Mini wanted crazy money for that too... |
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le sigh