Mini Cooper S, life after the MR2

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JohnnyC
Posts: 7001
Joined: Tue Dec 14, 2004 10:25 pm
Location: West Yorkshire

Mini Cooper S, life after the MR2

Post by JohnnyC »

Just thought I'd put some pics up of my life since the MR2.

Despite the Mini being faster and handle better than the MR2 NA, I am missing the whole 'Japanese Sports Car' thing :cry: , especially after having spent the weekend with a load of Mitsubishi FTO's.

Here's the car, already spent over £2,500 on it. £500 of that being on tyres to replace the bloody awful run flats it came with.
It's not a lemon, the problem is me #-o Like a lot of people on here, a car is also a hobby.

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Here's where some of the money has gone...

Found some spoon had changed a single spark plug
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Brakes had plenty of life in them, but weren't up to the standard I'd become used to with the Carbotechs on the MR2, so had to be replaced
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BMW/Mini say the fuel filter NEVER needs replacing, so I change that
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BMW/Mini also say the gearbox oil never needs replacing
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Crazy oil change intervals, something like 20,000 miles. So an intermediate oil change gets done
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Car has reasonable service history, but some garage skimped here so I've been breathing in some new diseases
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Discover the car has a mushroomed strut tower (common Mini and BMW problem it seems :roll: ), must have hit a big pothole with a previous owner, so decide to change the shock absorbers, top mounts etc etc.
Car drives perfectly though, so it probably wasn't essential that I did this
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Thanks to the incompetent designers at Rover, shock absorber is attached to the hub via a single bolt - they skimped on the nut on the end by putting the thread inside the hub itself ](*,) So obviously, due to its location, rusts & seizes and shears. 2nd hand hub had to be sourced.
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Bought some plates that fit above and below strut towers to help prevent future mushrooming, and use them to also fix it
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Latest pic with an Aero grille
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So life after the MR2 NA,
The good:
The Mini is faster, better handling, a lot more modern (traction control, cruise control, heated windscreen & washer jets, automatic wipers & headlights etc). Insurance is half that of the MR2.

The bad:
The Mini is very poorly designed in many areas and has many common problems. Road tax is higher. Fuel consumption is worse, around 29mpg.

I think I need a Japanese sports car :-k
Last edited by JohnnyC on Fri Jun 07, 2013 3:31 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Magic Beans
Posts: 4789
Joined: Thu Nov 24, 2011 1:01 pm

Re: Mini Cooper S, life after the MR2

Post by Magic Beans »

Nice car :)

It's back in the day where they looked good, before they became huge fat looking things. It's crazy how a "Mini" is now bigger than my 1 Series :lol:
craig
Posts: 43936
Joined: Sat Dec 18, 2004 3:44 am

Re: Mini Cooper S, life after the MR2

Post by craig »

Magic Beans wrote:Nice car :)

It's back in the day where they looked good, before they became huge fat looking things. It's crazy how a "Mini" is now bigger than my 1 Series :lol:


You should see the Minin countryman! It's as big as a BMW X5! :lol:

Nice car Johnny, looks pretty tidy :thumleft:

I bet you're looking at MR2s though behind the scenes. :twisted: :wink:
Ben
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Joined: Fri Aug 01, 2008 9:49 pm
Location: Oxford(ish)
Contact:

Re: Mini Cooper S, life after the MR2

Post by Ben »

Looks nice, actually. Bet you love the supercharger whine :wink:
2001 BMW M5 (Bahnstormer) | 2004 RX8 231 (the Racecat) | 2001 Volvo V70 (Swedish eBay barge)

Previous:
1989 MR2 Mk1b T-bar | 1988 MR2 SC Super Edition
uglee
Posts: 934
Joined: Mon Dec 20, 2004 12:38 pm
Location: Ayrshire

Re: Mini Cooper S, life after the MR2

Post by uglee »

Ooch thought you were going for the mini for something more reliable and better on fuel?

2 weeks after mine had gone I knew I should have held onto it. Luckily it's back in my garage now :)
JohnnyC
Posts: 7001
Joined: Tue Dec 14, 2004 10:25 pm
Location: West Yorkshire

Re: Mini Cooper S, life after the MR2

Post by JohnnyC »

benedwards64 wrote:Looks nice, actually. Bet you love the supercharger whine :wink:

Supercharger whine is nice, but you get used to it and eventually only hear it when the car is full and under load.
Wasn't going to modify this, but have ordered an enclosed air filter cone to increase whine noise, and will NEED (:wink: ) a stainless exhaust as the mild steel one is rusting on one of the backboxes \:D/


Magic Beans wrote:It's back in the day where they looked good, before they became huge fat looking things. It's crazy how a "Mini" is now bigger than my 1 Series :lol:

I was thinking of the fatter R56 'S, but the failure of timing chain tensioners put me off. Glad I didn't as those French engines are all now falling over due to carbon build up.


RedMR² wrote:I bet you're looking at MR2s though behind the scenes. :twisted: :wink:

Have to admit, I'm thinking of it :)
Being asked by FTO owners what I drive wasn't a pleasant experience :mrgreen: #-o


uglee wrote:Ooch thought you were going for the mini for something more reliable and better on fuel?

You're right, I was.
But after taking voluntary redundancy I wasn't doing the crazy mileage anymore.
There still isn't anything else I'd really like.
The Celica VVTL-i would be nice, but I've already had the 140bhp version.

If I were to go back to an MR2 it'd have to be a BEAMS or turbo, but I don't think the chassis is really up to the crazy power of the turbo :-k
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uglee
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Joined: Mon Dec 20, 2004 12:38 pm
Location: Ayrshire

Re: Mini Cooper S, life after the MR2

Post by uglee »

I think the chassis is upto a standard turbo no problem. Problems arise when there is bigger turbos and higher boosts involved. The power delivery becomes markedly more on and off in nature. Which couple that to a well balanced but inherently twitchy chassis means an unpleasant driving experience.

You'll have to try mine next time I'm visiting my parents in Bradford, much more than a standard turbo but being NA means the power delivery is linear and the drive is more 'flowing' if you know what I mean. The chassis doesn't feel overwhelmed in the way a higher boosted turbo does.
JohnnyC
Posts: 7001
Joined: Tue Dec 14, 2004 10:25 pm
Location: West Yorkshire

Re: Mini Cooper S, life after the MR2

Post by JohnnyC »

You may be right, and the V6 sounds even better than the 3S-GTE :twisted:
The right noise is important :thumleft:

Here's a little noise from my Mini :)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VcX6r-1ATMs
Last edited by JohnnyC on Mon Jun 03, 2013 6:27 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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synXero
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Location: London, Edinburgh, or the Highlands!

Re: Mini Cooper S, life after the MR2

Post by synXero »

I'd love a shot in yours uglee :lol: :roll: :roll:
JohnnyC
Posts: 7001
Joined: Tue Dec 14, 2004 10:25 pm
Location: West Yorkshire

Re: Mini Cooper S, life after the MR2

Post by JohnnyC »

Some updates, I only managed to keep it standard for the first year :eye:
Have now spent several thousand on it, keeping it tip-top, just like the MR2 :)

Scorpion exhaust
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New headunit
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New window seals to stop the streaked windows
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And the big one...Aero bodykit (as per the Minis in the Italian Job remake)
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Before
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After
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aussieGT
Posts: 1249
Joined: Fri Mar 12, 2010 4:17 am
Location: Staffs/Stoke

Re: Mini Cooper S, life after the MR2

Post by aussieGT »

JohnnyC wrote:
The right noise is important :thumleft:

Here's a little noise from my Mini :)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VcX6r-1ATMs


Argh - that damn s/c whine, ooh addictive….
pistol pete
Posts: 7068
Joined: Mon Feb 11, 2008 5:47 pm

Re: Mini Cooper S, life after the MR2

Post by pistol pete »

nice .. we have a cooper S in grey.. the missis loves it,
would like to get her an exhuast..

Have you considered doing the smaller SC puller to get some extra poke, its on ours and really makes a difference :thumleft:

defo liking the kit you have fitted too
JohnnyC
Posts: 7001
Joined: Tue Dec 14, 2004 10:25 pm
Location: West Yorkshire

Re: Mini Cooper S, life after the MR2

Post by JohnnyC »

pistol pete wrote:nice .. we have a cooper S in grey.. the missis loves it,
would like to get her an exhuast..

Have you considered doing the smaller SC puller to get some extra poke, its on ours and really makes a difference :thumleft:

Do get an exhaust, the pops it makes is better than the supercharger whine :)

15% reduced SC pulley is on the list :wink:
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pistol pete
Posts: 7068
Joined: Mon Feb 11, 2008 5:47 pm

Re: Mini Cooper S, life after the MR2

Post by pistol pete »

hmm might have to order her one then..

yeah the sc pulley is well worth doing :thumleft: :thumleft:
slipping clutch
Posts: 1844
Joined: Sun Jan 30, 2005 1:22 pm

Re: Mini Cooper S, life after the MR2

Post by slipping clutch »

pistol pete wrote:nice .. we have a cooper S in grey.. the missis loves it,
would like to get her an exhuast..

Have you considered doing the smaller SC puller to get some extra poke, its on ours and really makes a difference :thumleft:

defo liking the kit you have fitted too

You could double up and get two exhausts Pete - one for the mini as well :clown:
slipping clutch
Posts: 1844
Joined: Sun Jan 30, 2005 1:22 pm

Re: Mini Cooper S, life after the MR2

Post by slipping clutch »

That mini really looks the part with the new bodykit - good job :thumleft:
JohnnyC
Posts: 7001
Joined: Tue Dec 14, 2004 10:25 pm
Location: West Yorkshire

Re: Mini Cooper S, life after the MR2

Post by JohnnyC »

The spending never stops :mrgreen:

New ARB bushes and brackets and nuts :shock:
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Halo sidelights fitted
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Bigger R56 Cooper S front brakes and stainless lines all round
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Still to do...

Putting on a new waterpump (as a precaution as it's on 90K miles now).
I don't want to have to dissasemble the entire front end of the car ever again and don't know how long superchargers last - so figured I'll put a brand new supercharger on :lol:
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Put the reduced pulley on, just needs to go on the car at some point
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wilki
Posts: 320
Joined: Tue Feb 01, 2011 8:52 pm
Location: Barnoldswick

Re: Mini Cooper S, life after the MR2

Post by wilki »

Must admit I have a little soft spot for a nice mini :D

The colour coading and new grill really help set it off 8) :thumleft:
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pistol pete
Posts: 7068
Joined: Mon Feb 11, 2008 5:47 pm

Re: Mini Cooper S, life after the MR2

Post by pistol pete »

You will defo notice the charger pulley change.. Get a map to suit as well.. Really gives it that edge it needs.. Also remove the sound deadening under the bonnet.. Then you really here the charger whine..
JohnnyC
Posts: 7001
Joined: Tue Dec 14, 2004 10:25 pm
Location: West Yorkshire

Re: Mini Cooper S, life after the MR2

Post by JohnnyC »

Yeah, can't wait to put it on. It's just finding the time as the whole front needs to come off.

Got my insurance renewal, told them about the supercharger pulley - no change to renewal price :shock: :thumleft:
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