Mini Cooper S, life after the MR2

[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 , 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 Like a lot of people on here, a car is also a hobby.








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

Found some spoon had changed a single spark plug


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


BMW/Mini say the fuel filter NEVER needs replacing, so I change that


BMW/Mini also say the gearbox oil never needs replacing


Crazy oil change intervals, something like 20,000 miles. So an intermediate oil change gets done


Car has reasonable service history, but some garage skimped here so I've been breathing in some new diseases


Discover the car has a mushroomed strut tower (common Mini and BMW problem it seems ), 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


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.


Bought some plates that fit above and below strut towers to help prevent future mushrooming, and use them to also fix it




Latest pic with an Aero grille



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

[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

[craig]

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

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

Nice car Johnny, looks pretty tidy

I bet you're looking at MR2s though behind the scenes.

[Ben]

Looks nice, actually. Bet you love the supercharger whine

[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]

Looks nice, actually. Bet you love the supercharger whine

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 ( ) a stainless exhaust as the mild steel one is rusting on one of the backboxes

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

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.

I bet you're looking at MR2s though behind the scenes.

Have to admit, I'm thinking of it
Being asked by FTO owners what I drive wasn't a pleasant experience

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

[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]

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

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

[synXero]

I'd love a shot in yours uglee

[JohnnyC]

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

Scorpion exhaust






New headunit


New window seals to stop the streaked windows






And the big one...Aero bodykit (as per the Minis in the Italian Job remake)














Before


After

[aussieGT]

The right noise is important

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]

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

defo liking the kit you have fitted too

[JohnnyC]

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

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

15% reduced SC pulley is on the list

[pistol pete]

hmm might have to order her one then..

yeah the sc pulley is well worth doing

[slipping clutch]

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

defo liking the kit you have fitted too

You could double up and get two exhausts Pete - one for the mini as well

[slipping clutch]

That mini really looks the part with the new bodykit - good job

[JohnnyC]

The spending never stops

New ARB bushes and brackets and nuts


Halo sidelights fitted




Bigger R56 Cooper S front brakes and stainless lines all round


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


Put the reduced pulley on, just needs to go on the car at some point

[wilki]

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

The colour coading and new grill really help set it off

[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]

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