Mini Wagon - R55
Discussion
Good evening all
New shed incoming.......
The continuing rise in fuel prices meant that my better half's Merc ML 350 is getting a bit pricey to run as a daily driver. My wife has a 100 miles round trip 4 days a week which, at 28mpg, was getting a bit wearing......
A little mention of this to me resulted in me looking for fun, frugal run around......
The ML is staying but she wanted something for the commute. It had to be able to fit our two dogs plus a couple of kids when needed!
Ive always liked Minis....I've owned a beautiful R53 in the past, a super modded R56 JCW and finally a petrol R55 - all since been and gone.
I decided to start looking for a diesel R55 Clubman....great fun to drive, very quirky and surprising roomy....
I trawled FB, Autotrader, Ebay for several days. Came close to getting a lightly damaged one on Copart too! Prices for these are all over the place from £500 snotters with broken timing chains up to £5K+ JCW versions.
Eventually, I found something very unusual.....a Hampton edition. This means facelift, limited run, full lounge interior, special paint (Reef Blue), special wheels, great spec - heated seats, cruise, etc.
Guy selling it was a private seller, having owned it for 7 years as a family car and now getting rid due to the immiment arrival of a Polestar. I loved it as soon as I saw it...but it did have issues:
Both front anti roll bar bushes perished.....terrible knocking at any speed
Diamond cut wheels knackered
Rear brakes binding (just had new pads fitted)
Noisy tensioner on cold start (N47 BMW engine)
Long story short - got it for a bargain - £1400
First pics:
Lovely colour
Lounge interior with red piping
First job was to tackle wheels. This is a cheapy car so didnt fancy 400-500 quid wheel refurb so decided to tackle it myself. I've watched plenty of Youtube videos showing how to improve diamond cut wheels with various grade grit sanding followed by polishing
Wheels prior to sanding - pretty knackered - kerbing and lacquer peel
In process
Finished result
Really happy with how they came up! About 30-40 mins of sanding, polishing and then lacquering. Two wheels down, two to go!
Handed the car over to the missus - smiles all round!
Part of the cheapy fleet - R230, R55 and L322 Overfinch - all for about £10K!
Next up was to tackle some maintenance issues.
First, the anti roll bar bushes. The specialists will tell you you have to drop the front subframe down to do this job. Frankly, i was not keen to do this on the drive so set about tackling it differently.
Front wheels off, jacked up, wheel liner out, disconnected ARB from hub, drop tie rods from hub and get a very long 18mm ratchet spanner. You can JUST about undo the front of two bolts holding the bracket over the ARB bushes. ONce undone, I managed to bend the bracket up, slide the bush out and then replace. Challenge was then to bend the bracket back down and refit the huge bolts which screw into the subframe.
First side was about 90 mins start to end. The 2nd side was a nightmare due to seized bolt. Ended up putting lots of heat in the bolt and using a huge piece of pipe on the end of the spanner.....we got there in the end.
Result? No more knocking and fixed for £6 (price of two bushes). Specialist wanted £400+ due to labour charge to drop subframe.
Next rear brakes - the MOT had shown advisories of rear pads so the owner had them changed. God knows you fitted them as when I got the car the brakes were smoking from one side as they were binding. Caliper off only to reveal knackered piston - I suspect whoever changed pads didnt wind the caliper back correctly (it rotates). Long story short - new caliper from GSF, fitted in 30 mins, job jobbed!
Today it completed its first 100 mile round trip at 56 mpg! Its great fun to drive, very darty and very different to the lumbering ML. But its not the last word in refinement....
Im now down a slippery slope as I want it to be near perfect. Both rear doors are rusty but I have found a pair in colour from a breaker.......a trip to Yorkshire is calling!!!
Other points - the N47 likes to rattle its chain on cold start. It runs a oil pressured tensioner which loses it pressure over night. First 2-3 seconds are rattly as the tensioner builds pressure but then it quietens down. I may try to change the tensioner (push in spring type) but is a bastXXard to get to....
Wish me luck!
New shed incoming.......
The continuing rise in fuel prices meant that my better half's Merc ML 350 is getting a bit pricey to run as a daily driver. My wife has a 100 miles round trip 4 days a week which, at 28mpg, was getting a bit wearing......
A little mention of this to me resulted in me looking for fun, frugal run around......
The ML is staying but she wanted something for the commute. It had to be able to fit our two dogs plus a couple of kids when needed!
Ive always liked Minis....I've owned a beautiful R53 in the past, a super modded R56 JCW and finally a petrol R55 - all since been and gone.
I decided to start looking for a diesel R55 Clubman....great fun to drive, very quirky and surprising roomy....
I trawled FB, Autotrader, Ebay for several days. Came close to getting a lightly damaged one on Copart too! Prices for these are all over the place from £500 snotters with broken timing chains up to £5K+ JCW versions.
Eventually, I found something very unusual.....a Hampton edition. This means facelift, limited run, full lounge interior, special paint (Reef Blue), special wheels, great spec - heated seats, cruise, etc.
Guy selling it was a private seller, having owned it for 7 years as a family car and now getting rid due to the immiment arrival of a Polestar. I loved it as soon as I saw it...but it did have issues:
Both front anti roll bar bushes perished.....terrible knocking at any speed
Diamond cut wheels knackered
Rear brakes binding (just had new pads fitted)
Noisy tensioner on cold start (N47 BMW engine)
Long story short - got it for a bargain - £1400
First pics:
Lovely colour
Lounge interior with red piping
First job was to tackle wheels. This is a cheapy car so didnt fancy 400-500 quid wheel refurb so decided to tackle it myself. I've watched plenty of Youtube videos showing how to improve diamond cut wheels with various grade grit sanding followed by polishing
Wheels prior to sanding - pretty knackered - kerbing and lacquer peel
In process
Finished result
Really happy with how they came up! About 30-40 mins of sanding, polishing and then lacquering. Two wheels down, two to go!
Handed the car over to the missus - smiles all round!
Part of the cheapy fleet - R230, R55 and L322 Overfinch - all for about £10K!
Next up was to tackle some maintenance issues.
First, the anti roll bar bushes. The specialists will tell you you have to drop the front subframe down to do this job. Frankly, i was not keen to do this on the drive so set about tackling it differently.
Front wheels off, jacked up, wheel liner out, disconnected ARB from hub, drop tie rods from hub and get a very long 18mm ratchet spanner. You can JUST about undo the front of two bolts holding the bracket over the ARB bushes. ONce undone, I managed to bend the bracket up, slide the bush out and then replace. Challenge was then to bend the bracket back down and refit the huge bolts which screw into the subframe.
First side was about 90 mins start to end. The 2nd side was a nightmare due to seized bolt. Ended up putting lots of heat in the bolt and using a huge piece of pipe on the end of the spanner.....we got there in the end.
Result? No more knocking and fixed for £6 (price of two bushes). Specialist wanted £400+ due to labour charge to drop subframe.
Next rear brakes - the MOT had shown advisories of rear pads so the owner had them changed. God knows you fitted them as when I got the car the brakes were smoking from one side as they were binding. Caliper off only to reveal knackered piston - I suspect whoever changed pads didnt wind the caliper back correctly (it rotates). Long story short - new caliper from GSF, fitted in 30 mins, job jobbed!
Today it completed its first 100 mile round trip at 56 mpg! Its great fun to drive, very darty and very different to the lumbering ML. But its not the last word in refinement....
Im now down a slippery slope as I want it to be near perfect. Both rear doors are rusty but I have found a pair in colour from a breaker.......a trip to Yorkshire is calling!!!
Other points - the N47 likes to rattle its chain on cold start. It runs a oil pressured tensioner which loses it pressure over night. First 2-3 seconds are rattly as the tensioner builds pressure but then it quietens down. I may try to change the tensioner (push in spring type) but is a bastXXard to get to....
Wish me luck!
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