Shap's 2006 Astro Black Mini Cooper S R53
Discussion
Hi All,
Thought i'd start a build thread with my latest car - a 2006 Astro Black Mini Cooper S. But before we get there, a brief introduction and past car history!
It all began at my last year of uni in 2007, where I purchased this beast: a 1999 Rover 200vi. It was basically the BRM without the fancy interior and orange mouth. 1.8vvc engine pushing out about 143bhp. Same engine would later be used in the MG ZR160 where it got a new exhaust and throttle body to free up the extra 17bhp.
This served me well when I graduated and was driving from Bristol to Exeter daily. My new job was with several car nuts, and we had various interesting machines in the car park, including a late 80's bmw 6 series. They thought I should upgrade to a V6, which is where the next car came in. A pug 406 coupe.
The Rover was put up for sale and moved onto a cheap third party fire and theft insurance policy, which as it turns out was a mistake. Whilst waiting for a buyer the road it was parked on unfortunately flooded. Quick phone call to insurance company who confirmed flood damage wasn't covered (the clue would be in the fact it's not be stolen or set fire to...). So the Rover was scrapped. RIP. After 6 months of ownership of the Pug I started doing a masters course which involved driving Exeter to Southampton weekly, as well as various trips at the weekend to see family members. Whislt fuel was cheap(er) in 2007, it was still averaging low 20's (high teens when thrashed!) which was not sustainable. So the decision was made to go green. Say hello to my Yaris Diesel!
This was the SR spec, so had a host of TTE parts on it, including tasty wheels, spoiler and lowering springs. I fitted the optional TEE backbox which you can just make out in the picture. In all fairness, this was an entertaining car and it suited my needs at the time, giving insane MPG on the motorway. A move back to Bristol saw my mileage drop, and promotions at work meant I could get something 'fun' Which is where this came in...
2005 EP3 'premier' edition. So the last run out with Recaro seats, momo steering wheel and tinted windows. This was mildly modified, with Kpro remap, unsilenced B pipe. Sounded insane and made just shy of 220bhp. What a machine. This was sold early 2012 to finance a house purchase. So the hunt was on for something cheap to reduce my outgoings for a while. Which is where another Yaris came into my life:
For those who don't know, its the Yaris T Sport with 105bhp. Toyota actually did things properly with this car, extra chassis seam welding, discs all round, unique interior to the T sport and lightweight wheels. Weighed under a tonne, with 0-60 of around 8 seconds. Again modified this one slightly, had it lowered and put on a strut brace. Really entertaining little car, with low running costs and brilliant MPG. Kept this for about 18 months before the itch for something different took over. Which saw me purchasing this:
2008 Mazda mx-5 non sport 2.0. Had a unique spec with cream leather, which I haven't seen on another Mx5 since. They were either custom ordered from factory as the normal leather option was black, or black, or they were re-trimmed by a previous keeper. Really lifted the interior. Again, mildly modified this with lowering springs, the later sport alloy wheels and the option exhaust tips which are a bit beefier than the stock pea shooters. Things were going well at work at this point, so I treated myself to my dream car. I had been watching these for years, ever since the concept was first released. Prices were getting affordable so decided to make the leap into ownership.
2012 GT86. Not much to say about this, apart from it was a brilliant drive. No real modifications to this aside from a rear splitter and the TRD red starter button inside. Kept it for about a year until a job move meant I needed to buy a new house, so again it was sold for something cheaper to run. Sold the GT86 to a dealer for a decent price and picked up a 2007 seat Ibiza diesel. I have no pictures of this because... well its an uninspiring diesel Ibiza. Why would I?!
Which brings us up to Feb this year. I was considering a track day car and was eyeing up another Yaris T Sport. The new house had a garage, they were cheap to run and to buy, and with a few mods reckon it could hold its own. Whilst browsing I came across a supercharged yaris for sale in south wales, which got me thinking... Could this be the ultimate Yaris T sport? But doubts about reliability, insurance etc crept in, so I parked the idea. But the want for some supercharger whine was still there, so I started looking for a Mini Cooper S. I had considered these before I bought the Mx5, but discounted them due to reliability concerns (more about this later!!!) and running costs... but I decided to bite the bullet. Found this car locally, it had a very solid MOT history, and had only had two former keepers. The last chap having owned it for nearly 9 years. It looked clean enough with no damage (aside from scuffed plastics) or stone chips, drove well, had a fresh 12 month MOT with no advisories, deal stuck and I took it home with me. Here's a picture on collection day... shiny.
Its a 2006 with Chilli pack, meaning Xenon Lights, air con, part leather interior, floor mats. It also had the panoramic roof, chrome mirror caps, chrono pack inside... oh and a LSD! So this is where the mini adventure started... watch this space for updates on the first 6 months of ownership!
Thought i'd start a build thread with my latest car - a 2006 Astro Black Mini Cooper S. But before we get there, a brief introduction and past car history!
It all began at my last year of uni in 2007, where I purchased this beast: a 1999 Rover 200vi. It was basically the BRM without the fancy interior and orange mouth. 1.8vvc engine pushing out about 143bhp. Same engine would later be used in the MG ZR160 where it got a new exhaust and throttle body to free up the extra 17bhp.
This served me well when I graduated and was driving from Bristol to Exeter daily. My new job was with several car nuts, and we had various interesting machines in the car park, including a late 80's bmw 6 series. They thought I should upgrade to a V6, which is where the next car came in. A pug 406 coupe.
The Rover was put up for sale and moved onto a cheap third party fire and theft insurance policy, which as it turns out was a mistake. Whilst waiting for a buyer the road it was parked on unfortunately flooded. Quick phone call to insurance company who confirmed flood damage wasn't covered (the clue would be in the fact it's not be stolen or set fire to...). So the Rover was scrapped. RIP. After 6 months of ownership of the Pug I started doing a masters course which involved driving Exeter to Southampton weekly, as well as various trips at the weekend to see family members. Whislt fuel was cheap(er) in 2007, it was still averaging low 20's (high teens when thrashed!) which was not sustainable. So the decision was made to go green. Say hello to my Yaris Diesel!
This was the SR spec, so had a host of TTE parts on it, including tasty wheels, spoiler and lowering springs. I fitted the optional TEE backbox which you can just make out in the picture. In all fairness, this was an entertaining car and it suited my needs at the time, giving insane MPG on the motorway. A move back to Bristol saw my mileage drop, and promotions at work meant I could get something 'fun' Which is where this came in...
2005 EP3 'premier' edition. So the last run out with Recaro seats, momo steering wheel and tinted windows. This was mildly modified, with Kpro remap, unsilenced B pipe. Sounded insane and made just shy of 220bhp. What a machine. This was sold early 2012 to finance a house purchase. So the hunt was on for something cheap to reduce my outgoings for a while. Which is where another Yaris came into my life:
For those who don't know, its the Yaris T Sport with 105bhp. Toyota actually did things properly with this car, extra chassis seam welding, discs all round, unique interior to the T sport and lightweight wheels. Weighed under a tonne, with 0-60 of around 8 seconds. Again modified this one slightly, had it lowered and put on a strut brace. Really entertaining little car, with low running costs and brilliant MPG. Kept this for about 18 months before the itch for something different took over. Which saw me purchasing this:
2008 Mazda mx-5 non sport 2.0. Had a unique spec with cream leather, which I haven't seen on another Mx5 since. They were either custom ordered from factory as the normal leather option was black, or black, or they were re-trimmed by a previous keeper. Really lifted the interior. Again, mildly modified this with lowering springs, the later sport alloy wheels and the option exhaust tips which are a bit beefier than the stock pea shooters. Things were going well at work at this point, so I treated myself to my dream car. I had been watching these for years, ever since the concept was first released. Prices were getting affordable so decided to make the leap into ownership.
2012 GT86. Not much to say about this, apart from it was a brilliant drive. No real modifications to this aside from a rear splitter and the TRD red starter button inside. Kept it for about a year until a job move meant I needed to buy a new house, so again it was sold for something cheaper to run. Sold the GT86 to a dealer for a decent price and picked up a 2007 seat Ibiza diesel. I have no pictures of this because... well its an uninspiring diesel Ibiza. Why would I?!
Which brings us up to Feb this year. I was considering a track day car and was eyeing up another Yaris T Sport. The new house had a garage, they were cheap to run and to buy, and with a few mods reckon it could hold its own. Whilst browsing I came across a supercharged yaris for sale in south wales, which got me thinking... Could this be the ultimate Yaris T sport? But doubts about reliability, insurance etc crept in, so I parked the idea. But the want for some supercharger whine was still there, so I started looking for a Mini Cooper S. I had considered these before I bought the Mx5, but discounted them due to reliability concerns (more about this later!!!) and running costs... but I decided to bite the bullet. Found this car locally, it had a very solid MOT history, and had only had two former keepers. The last chap having owned it for nearly 9 years. It looked clean enough with no damage (aside from scuffed plastics) or stone chips, drove well, had a fresh 12 month MOT with no advisories, deal stuck and I took it home with me. Here's a picture on collection day... shiny.
Its a 2006 with Chilli pack, meaning Xenon Lights, air con, part leather interior, floor mats. It also had the panoramic roof, chrome mirror caps, chrono pack inside... oh and a LSD! So this is where the mini adventure started... watch this space for updates on the first 6 months of ownership!
Edited by Shappers24 on Wednesday 20th May 17:02
So the newly purchased R53 was taken home, and the job of tidying up a few bits began. As you may notice from the first picture it was missing an aerial, so a stubby was sourced and fitted. I hadn't noticed that the rear fog light was cracked, so off to eBay for a replacement, which was cheap enough and managed to fit without removing the rear bumper. Bit of squeeze reaching the connection around the back box mind...
Not quite sure how I missed that, but I guess we could argue that it's close to the floor...? Or maybe it was just new car excitement. I'd read online that the dipsticks on these are an interesting design, and because of the various bends it has to pass through they are prone to snapping. So an OEM new item was bought as a preventative measure.
Whilst I was at it I put in a new pollen filter (which was filthy), and replaced the stereo with something which I could connect the phone to. Only a cheap unit, but the colours match the OEM dials and it serves its purpose. One of the easiest stereo replacements I've done in the end
Another bug bear of mine is rusty nuts... They really cheapen the look of a car
So these were replaced with some black ones. Also highlighted that it needed new centre caps too!
The only other issue I had at the time was the drivers wing mirror glass which had been replaced at some point with an aftermarket part. It was horrific, it was massively magnified which basically made it unusable. Again off to eBay for a replacement part, and this was fitted with minimal fuss. They just clip in, and I understand over time they have a habit of falling out (hence the cheap replacement).
Next on the list of jobs were the brakes. It had recently had a new front caliper as it had seized, but this was rusting already...
so I decided to get the brakes from the later R56 cooper S. These were the same brakes as fitted to the R53 JCW, and are a direct fit once you swap over the brake lines.
So armed with a really helpful YouTube video of a chap in the states who did a step by step I cracked on. Whilst I've done a few things to cars before, I've never tackled brakes before. The swap went easily enough, the hardest part was changing the brake lines, as once it's loosened off it starts dripping brake fluid everywhere. Lots of rust and crud up in the arch too which didn't help matters.
So with the caliper bolted back on (More about this a bit later!) and the brakes bled I was ready to go. Much improved look and feel with these brakes, I am a sucker for a red calliper
So after the first few successful weeks... it all started going wrong. And the mini adventure would turn into more of a nightmare... stay tuned!
Not quite sure how I missed that, but I guess we could argue that it's close to the floor...? Or maybe it was just new car excitement. I'd read online that the dipsticks on these are an interesting design, and because of the various bends it has to pass through they are prone to snapping. So an OEM new item was bought as a preventative measure.
Whilst I was at it I put in a new pollen filter (which was filthy), and replaced the stereo with something which I could connect the phone to. Only a cheap unit, but the colours match the OEM dials and it serves its purpose. One of the easiest stereo replacements I've done in the end
Another bug bear of mine is rusty nuts... They really cheapen the look of a car
So these were replaced with some black ones. Also highlighted that it needed new centre caps too!
The only other issue I had at the time was the drivers wing mirror glass which had been replaced at some point with an aftermarket part. It was horrific, it was massively magnified which basically made it unusable. Again off to eBay for a replacement part, and this was fitted with minimal fuss. They just clip in, and I understand over time they have a habit of falling out (hence the cheap replacement).
Next on the list of jobs were the brakes. It had recently had a new front caliper as it had seized, but this was rusting already...
so I decided to get the brakes from the later R56 cooper S. These were the same brakes as fitted to the R53 JCW, and are a direct fit once you swap over the brake lines.
So armed with a really helpful YouTube video of a chap in the states who did a step by step I cracked on. Whilst I've done a few things to cars before, I've never tackled brakes before. The swap went easily enough, the hardest part was changing the brake lines, as once it's loosened off it starts dripping brake fluid everywhere. Lots of rust and crud up in the arch too which didn't help matters.
So with the caliper bolted back on (More about this a bit later!) and the brakes bled I was ready to go. Much improved look and feel with these brakes, I am a sucker for a red calliper
So after the first few successful weeks... it all started going wrong. And the mini adventure would turn into more of a nightmare... stay tuned!
So all was going well with the Mini, until one day reversing off the drive I noticed a rather large wet patch. Have a quick look and looked like coolant... so popped the cap off and sure enough the car was below the minimum coolant level. Hmm. So it was booked in at my local mini specialist to have a look at. The thing with coolant leaks on the R53 is that its usually one of four things:
That's not where the bad news ends however... the garage give the car a once over and come back with a rather long list of faults...
- The expansion tank, either the cap leaks or the tank itself can split causing fluid loss. both relatively cheap fixes.
- the thermostat can go - again a relatively easy cheap fix
- the radiator leaks - slightly more costly and time consuming fix
- the water pumps had it. The most costly repair as it buried deep inside the engine bay with the supercharger and requires most of the front end stripping it off.
That's not where the bad news ends however... the garage give the car a once over and come back with a rather long list of faults...
- both top mounts split and need replacing
- lower arm bushes perished and need replacing
- Front brake pipes severely corroded and at risk of splitting
- Rear brake pipes severely corroded and at risk of splitting
- exhaust excessively corroded
- rear disks pitted
- signs of oil leaks
Edited by Shappers24 on Wednesday 20th May 17:03
I'll be following this with interest, as I think a R53 is probably going to be the base for my next track car later this year. Damn shame about having to fork out so much on a car with a fresh MOT, but it goes to reinforce the fact that this shouldn't be any guarantee of a car's condition! Bit of a rookie error on the brake front, but just be thankful that you weren't going faster when it decided to fail...
Great read and good choice... can’t beat that whine!
Spookily mine has had very similar faults to yours.
It needed new brake pipes front and rear due to rust.
Oil leaks.
New top mounts.
New bushes,
Oh and that bolt your referring to on the caliper came out on mine as well....just after a day round Oulton Park!
Good luck with it, yours looks nice, well worth investing the cash in it to get it sorted.
Here’s mine!
Spookily mine has had very similar faults to yours.
It needed new brake pipes front and rear due to rust.
Oil leaks.
New top mounts.
New bushes,
Oh and that bolt your referring to on the caliper came out on mine as well....just after a day round Oulton Park!
Good luck with it, yours looks nice, well worth investing the cash in it to get it sorted.
Here’s mine!
Maty said:
Great read and good choice... can’t beat that whine!
Spookily mine has had very similar faults to yours.
It needed new brake pipes front and rear due to rust.
Oil leaks.
New top mounts.
New bushes,
Oh and that bolt your referring to on the caliper came out on mine as well....just after a day round Oulton Park!
Good luck with it, yours looks nice, well worth investing the cash in it to get it sorted.
Here’s mine!
Nice looking R53! I think they are getting to the age where common problems raise their head... interesting about your calliper bolt as well; had you recently had any brake work done? Spookily mine has had very similar faults to yours.
It needed new brake pipes front and rear due to rust.
Oil leaks.
New top mounts.
New bushes,
Oh and that bolt your referring to on the caliper came out on mine as well....just after a day round Oulton Park!
Good luck with it, yours looks nice, well worth investing the cash in it to get it sorted.
Here’s mine!
I promised myself I wouldn’t Mod this one... but that’s not gone to plan!
maxwellwd said:
I do like these and was very close to getting one, but in the end I went for the later model R56 S, Just that but more modern and better for longer journeys, even though they have their fair share of issues (timing chains cough). But that supercharger whine is pretty great
I’ve not driven a R56 but had heard they are a bit more refined. To be honest they were out of my price range of what I wanted to pay, unless I got a very leggy early model, and as you say they’re not spared their own host of issues. Did I read somewhere that fuel pumps can be problematic as well? Nice colour yours! Yeah I did the R56 S brake upgrade on mine just like you did. Although I had to give in and take it to the garage (I followed the very same easy video on YT until that point). When I came to undo the brake pipe it was having none of it and I was scared of it snapping so I took it to the garage.
It took a full days hammering round Oulton Park (until I destroyed the rear brake pads - I think the calipers are sticky - so a job for another day) to getting less than 1 mile from Oulton and I heard a weird noise from the front end - turned out that bolt had disappeared and the caliper had rotated forwards.
It took a full days hammering round Oulton Park (until I destroyed the rear brake pads - I think the calipers are sticky - so a job for another day) to getting less than 1 mile from Oulton and I heard a weird noise from the front end - turned out that bolt had disappeared and the caliper had rotated forwards.
Shappers24 said:
I’ve not driven a R56 but had heard they are a bit more refined. To be honest they were out of my price range of what I wanted to pay, unless I got a very leggy early model, and as you say they’re not spared their own host of issues. Did I read somewhere that fuel pumps can be problematic as well? Nice colour yours!
Fuel pumps can be, even on the later N18 engine version. Needs to be changed out to the high pressure fuel pump. Thanks it is a colour you don't really see much (laser blue)The issue had that for nice looked after R53 S at low mileage with all the work done are near enough the price of a R56 S. Both great cars though. Not sure if I am that keen on the newer variants, although they do go well
So the mini was back with a relatively clean bill of health, I have always been a fan of the 'flame' style wheel which they fitted to the checkmate limited edition of the R53; and then more commonly on the R56. Given the number of mini's produced spares are relatively easy to come across, and I managed to source a set of flame alloys with tyres for a reasonable amount. They weren't in perfect condition from the pictures, but they would do for now. I also took the opportunity to replace the run-flat tyres with some Kumho's. I've run these on both my EP3 and the Mx5 and found them a good compromise between price and performance.
Edited by Shappers24 on Wednesday 20th May 17:04
So the R53 was running reasonably well with all the major problems fixed. One thing about the R53 is there are hundreds of mods for them... both interior and exterior. As mentioned before, it's very easy to spoil the car (in my opinion) so wanted to keep things relatively classy. First up was some leather downtubes for the interior. These were a JCW option from new, but impossible to find second hand. Luckily third party sellers on eBay have done a useful knock off version...
Perhaps predictably these were a nightmare to fit. Slightly too small they were incredibly difficult to slide over the existing tubes. They also required some modification to the car to make them fit, namely some sanding to cope with the extra girth (oo err missus) of the covered tube. Once installed they looked pretty tasty though (excuse the filthy floor mat!)
Invested in some snow foam, for gratuitous foam shots whilst cleaning
Perhaps predictably these were a nightmare to fit. Slightly too small they were incredibly difficult to slide over the existing tubes. They also required some modification to the car to make them fit, namely some sanding to cope with the extra girth (oo err missus) of the covered tube. Once installed they looked pretty tasty though (excuse the filthy floor mat!)
Invested in some snow foam, for gratuitous foam shots whilst cleaning
Edited by Shappers24 on Wednesday 20th May 17:05
One thing which has always bugged me with my R53 was the drivers seat felt loose, like the back wasn't clicked in properly. Couldn't really find a solution online as to what this was, so decided some new seats were in order. It is quite common to fit the latter R56 seats, but that does need some modification to make it work, mainly to the wiring under the seat.
Whilst trawling eBay I came across a set of leather seats from the Park lane edition... black leather with a grey piping round the edge. In the UK the park lane only came in the R50 Cooper spec, but worldwide you could get a park lane R53. The seats are identical shape to the original ones in my car, just much nicer looking. Gave them a good clean up with leather cleaning and conditioner and went about fitting them .
The rears were really easy to fit, just a single bolt holds the backs in place, and the base just unclips.
Looking clean
Rears all installed
Then onto the fronts. Four bolts hold the front seats in place, and just a case of unclipping seat belt pretensioner and the airbag.
Good excuse to give the carpet a deep clean, although it was remarkably tidy under the seats. And all reinstalled
Really happy with how the look in the car. The leather is much more comfortable than the part leather I had before, and it's something different to most R53's you see.
Whilst trawling eBay I came across a set of leather seats from the Park lane edition... black leather with a grey piping round the edge. In the UK the park lane only came in the R50 Cooper spec, but worldwide you could get a park lane R53. The seats are identical shape to the original ones in my car, just much nicer looking. Gave them a good clean up with leather cleaning and conditioner and went about fitting them .
The rears were really easy to fit, just a single bolt holds the backs in place, and the base just unclips.
Looking clean
Rears all installed
Then onto the fronts. Four bolts hold the front seats in place, and just a case of unclipping seat belt pretensioner and the airbag.
Good excuse to give the carpet a deep clean, although it was remarkably tidy under the seats. And all reinstalled
Really happy with how the look in the car. The leather is much more comfortable than the part leather I had before, and it's something different to most R53's you see.
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