A MINI (R53 Cooper S) Adventure
Discussion
I’m amazed at the number of oem parts that are still readily available for the R50/R53.
Most manufacturers would start to switch the supply chain off after 8 years, that they can still supply at reasonable cost 17 years on is remarkable.
I’ve said it before, I always check the dealer price first, before going to eBay or MarketPlace as 9/10 tge dealer is cheaper for a new part….
In other news I bought this the other day….
An OE mobility kit including mounting bracket….£40 delivered.
There’s a guy selling one on FB for £100
Most manufacturers would start to switch the supply chain off after 8 years, that they can still supply at reasonable cost 17 years on is remarkable.
I’ve said it before, I always check the dealer price first, before going to eBay or MarketPlace as 9/10 tge dealer is cheaper for a new part….
In other news I bought this the other day….
An OE mobility kit including mounting bracket….£40 delivered.
There’s a guy selling one on FB for £100
Shiny tray fitted and whilst under there sorted out my wonky exhaust. Basically, the clamp in the middle of the centre section wasn’t up to the job so replaced with a Halfords U clamp. Unfortunately it sits a little low and I’m concerned it’ll catch on something. Inverting it would fix that but the heatshield is too narrow above the exhaust. That join in the exhaust is in stupid place, if it were a few inches near the downpipe then there would be loads of clearance.
A while ago I picked up a pair of matching aero side skirts. They weren’t quite in the condition described but 20 year old side skirts can’t really be mint, can they?
Anyway, a few new clips and cautious relacquering in a couple of spots then polishing to within an inch of their lives has got them to this:
The little grills are both present which is nice as they tend to go missing. The textured black paint is well chipped on the underside but not too awful on the faces you’ll see.
Overall, I think they’re just about ok to fit but I just can’t decide if I want to. I quite like that the car is completely as it left the factory. Decisions, decisions…
Anyway, a few new clips and cautious relacquering in a couple of spots then polishing to within an inch of their lives has got them to this:
The little grills are both present which is nice as they tend to go missing. The textured black paint is well chipped on the underside but not too awful on the faces you’ll see.
Overall, I think they’re just about ok to fit but I just can’t decide if I want to. I quite like that the car is completely as it left the factory. Decisions, decisions…
That was good timing….
Fit them….
I did mine yesterday…..not going back to the standard skirts….
Back in the day, it was a popular mod to just add the aero-skirts, I never did and regretted it.
On a red car they will look great
Fit them….
I did mine yesterday…..not going back to the standard skirts….
Back in the day, it was a popular mod to just add the aero-skirts, I never did and regretted it.
On a red car they will look great
Edited by wobert on Sunday 1st October 16:31
Edited by wobert on Sunday 1st October 17:05
wobert said:
That was good timing….
Fit them….
I did mine yesterday…..not going back to the standard skirts….
Back in the day, it was a popular mod to just add the aero-skirts, I never did and regretted it.
On a red car they will look great
They look well on yours Fit them….
I did mine yesterday…..not going back to the standard skirts….
Back in the day, it was a popular mod to just add the aero-skirts, I never did and regretted it.
On a red car they will look great
Edited by wobert on Sunday 1st October 16:31
Edited by wobert on Sunday 1st October 17:05
Yeah, BITD there was a dealership whose parts team sold via the MINI2 forum and they would put together bulk orders to BMW in Germany for the skirts. You had to wait until they’d got enough orders but they were really cheap. I got a set for my original R53 and they did indeed look great:
MDifficult said:
Definitely fit them. On the R53 I think the non-aero front and rear bumpers, with the aero side skirts is THE best look. You won’t regret it.
Can’t disagree with this, but the aero front grills are a much better look.not very difficult to trim the lower aero grill to fit a standard bumper.Edited by and31 on Sunday 15th October 19:51
I’m in no rush to fit the skirts, I do think they look good but they’re not in the greatest shape. I may have a go at repainting the textured black in the spring.
I’m not a fan of the aero front or rear bumpers. The rear in particular looks cheap. The front is ok but the aero grills aren’t for me. I like the chrome!
I’m not a fan of the aero front or rear bumpers. The rear in particular looks cheap. The front is ok but the aero grills aren’t for me. I like the chrome!
MOT day!
After all the work I’ve done I was quietly confident of a pass. Silly me
The NSF side repeater was working fairly recently and the tester tried a bulb but that didn’t solve it. I had a spare unit so swapped the bulb holder over and it worked. One down!
Now, the NSF outer balljoint was a total shock. These are brand new Lemforder on both sides but the tester was adamant it had failed with lots of play. Arse. Luckily I’ve got a pair of Meyle HD balljoints on the shelf that came in my wishbone kit. I’ve got 10 days to swap that over, retest booked for 1 December.
In other news both the Sachs topmounts have developed a loud creak when they’re cold. No play yet and not picked up on the MOT but something to keep an eye on. If (when) I do change them it’ll be for genuine parts from BMW.
Basically, the lesson learned to-date is that if BMW still supply the part, use it! The aftermarket is now full of such variable quality with even previously reputable brands now just reboxing tat and trading off their reputation.
After all the work I’ve done I was quietly confident of a pass. Silly me
The NSF side repeater was working fairly recently and the tester tried a bulb but that didn’t solve it. I had a spare unit so swapped the bulb holder over and it worked. One down!
Now, the NSF outer balljoint was a total shock. These are brand new Lemforder on both sides but the tester was adamant it had failed with lots of play. Arse. Luckily I’ve got a pair of Meyle HD balljoints on the shelf that came in my wishbone kit. I’ve got 10 days to swap that over, retest booked for 1 December.
In other news both the Sachs topmounts have developed a loud creak when they’re cold. No play yet and not picked up on the MOT but something to keep an eye on. If (when) I do change them it’ll be for genuine parts from BMW.
Basically, the lesson learned to-date is that if BMW still supply the part, use it! The aftermarket is now full of such variable quality with even previously reputable brands now just reboxing tat and trading off their reputation.
Agreed, I’ve said it before, the availability and pricing means it’s usually a more cost-effective solution to going aftermatket.
I’ve recently refurbed the exhaust mounts using oem parts, hangers are £25 each and the brackets for the outers are £6 each.
Unfortunately the brackets are spot welded on plus I found a small amount of rust close by. All fixed now and looking like new.
Unsurprisingly, having laid the car up in the garage for the winter (sorned) I’m already getting withdrawal symptoms, so I’m considering retaxing it from December onwards and limiting my use to dry days only.
I’ve also got my eye on a GP1 as a suitable place to stick some money…..the more I think about it, the more I think it’s an itch I’m going to scratch….
You only live once and after losing my wife of 54 in August, time isn’t working in my favour.
I’ve recently refurbed the exhaust mounts using oem parts, hangers are £25 each and the brackets for the outers are £6 each.
Unfortunately the brackets are spot welded on plus I found a small amount of rust close by. All fixed now and looking like new.
Unsurprisingly, having laid the car up in the garage for the winter (sorned) I’m already getting withdrawal symptoms, so I’m considering retaxing it from December onwards and limiting my use to dry days only.
I’ve also got my eye on a GP1 as a suitable place to stick some money…..the more I think about it, the more I think it’s an itch I’m going to scratch….
You only live once and after losing my wife of 54 in August, time isn’t working in my favour.
tallpaul26 said:
GP1 is a nice thing for sure, but I don’t believe it would be 4 or 5 times the fun of a standard MCS or JCW. I’d be too precious about it. The reassuring thing about my standard S is that if the engine went bang tomorrow it wouldn’t really matter.
That was the exact dilemma I’ve had, but I see it as a low risk option, plus I get to drive it!Replaced the offending balljoint today. As I was there I thought I may as well replace the noisy top mount. All came apart with ease and was just about done when I noticed a little puddle of grease collecting on the floor. b
ks. The inner CV boot had given up and was depositing its grease. New nearside driveshaft ordered. Against the clock now for my retest!
ks. The inner CV boot had given up and was depositing its grease. New nearside driveshaft ordered. Against the clock now for my retest!Gassing Station | Readers' Cars | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff