MINI projects + friends + beer = garage night! Here’s a taste of what a few of us have been up to at the MotoringFile HQ over the weekend:
Seen in the pics above are new pads, studs, and a bumper swap. Now it’s your turn. What MINI related projects have you undertaken recently? Are any of you out there getting together for garage nights of your own?
Let’s hear it…
<p>Is there supposed to be any info here or just some snapshots?</p>
<p>That is cool that everyone is getting together to have fun…</p>
<p>Wow…! Home grown MINI enthusiasm…! I like! haha… I undertook a project recently to install an aftermarket xenon kit on my ’02 MC… all was sweet until AFTER i had drilled a spot to secure the ballasts that i discovered that the bulbs that came with the xenon kit were too long and consequently did not fit… I was wondering if anyone had successfully installed an aftermarket xenon kit, and if so, how they got around the problem of the bulbs being too long…? Cheers…!</p>
<p>What did you do? Looks like new wheels, studs instead of lug bolts and maybe a pulley?</p>
<p>Or maybe you are installing a new bypass valve?</p>
<p>It is hard to tell what type of beer that is. It appears dark. Is it Guinness?</p>
<p>My girlfriend (JerseyGirl/BagLady) has an extra deep two car garage and we have little “service gatherings” a few times a year. </p>
<p>I recently installed a Moss MINI SSK (extension type) and rear lower control arms on a friend’s JCW. My first time installing LCA’s, but the 3rd time installing a SSK (other two were Helix’s).</p>
<p>Side note: the Helix extension is longer than the Moss and makes a more dramatic difference in the shifter throw.</p>
<p>A few other friends have expressed interest in getting the Helix SSK, so I may do them all at once. A “SSK Party” if you will.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>It is hard to tell what type of beer that is. It appears dark. Is it Guinness?</p>
</blockquote>
<p>No, I believe sitting on the engine would be the always popular <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.threefloyds.com/">Three Flloyds</a>.</p>
<p>Is this article advocating the consumption of alchoholic beverages with mechanical alterations to a motor vehicle. How very irresponsible. Ahem.</p>
<p>The Pig: A project some folks from BluegrassMinis have been working on.
<a href="http://www.bluegrassminis.com/05_Rebuild.htm" rel="nofollow ugc">http://www.bluegrassminis.com/05_Rebuild.htm</a></p>
<p>Mostly Rolling Rock here…</p>
<p>In fact, Greg/onasled is hacking apart my car next week and putting in the H-Sport comp rear sway bar and H-Sport springs.</p>
<p>I took the easy way out! On Saturday Randy Webb did an H-Sport swaybar. On Sunday, I did the glam work–clean and shine.</p>
<p>“No, I believe sitting on the engine would be the always popular Three Flloyds.”</p>
<p>Fantastic! Good beer and car fixin’ always are a good time!</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Or maybe you are installing a new bypass valve?</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Why would someone do that? I mean, I’ve seen some aftermarket ones discussed, but, like the Alta silicon intake hose, I fail to see the point. Anyone care to enlighten me?</p>
<p>Guinness for STRENGTH!</p>
<p>Glad to see grease monkeys and beah are still the garage staples. I can hear the compressor calling me, now, dammit.</p>
<pre><code> BCNU,
Rob in Dago
</code></pre>
<p>Hey remember a few important things about Guinness:
1. Puts hair on your chest ( a good thing)
2. Has less calories than most light beers…(126 in a serving)
3. Has more vitamins and minerals than most other beers
4. A Guiness a day keeps the doctor away!!</p>
<p>Cheers all
and have a pint</p>
<p>Jono</p>
<p>Here in the DFW metroplexmini club, we call them “wrenchathons”.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.metroplexmini.org/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=99" rel="nofollow ugc">http://www.metroplexmini.org/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=99</a></p>
<p>My “big project” that day was dynamat for the front speakers. Others did brakes, springs, oil changes, and the Alta catch can to name a few.</p>
<p>–Jay</p>
<p>There is a sandwich and asprin in every beer.</p>
<p>Hey MrV… What year is your car? I’m just curious because it looks like you’ve got foam on your intercooler cover, whereas my 05 JCW has the foam built into the hood… just curious… maybe it’s already been mentioned on the previous post( re: subtle changes over the years)</p>
<p>Eitherway, how significant is the difference of undynomatted doors vs dynomatted… I’ve used it in other projects with great results, just wondering about the cooper experience with it!</p>
<p>Cheers</p>
<p>Jono</p>
<p>The only “mod” I’ve done so far is putting on headlight protection film. Given how curvy the headlights are on the MINI, I guess that’s not such a small task. I did the headlights, fog lights and front indicator lamps.</p>
<p><em>Squeegee one area … Watch other area raise back up … Squeegee the other area … Watch in horror as yet another area raises up … finally get film to lay flat and realise it’s not quite aligned with the contour around the washer jets … Get out spray bottle and start over.</em></p>
<p>I installed a set of Kingsborne plug wires, and wow what a difference! Vroom!</p>
<p>Also installed my red painted tow hook.</p>
<p>Installed some big Hella F-500 driving lights.</p>
<p>(15% pulley, plugs, ecu, cai already done)</p>
<p>Jono, </p>
<p>There’s no foam on my intercooler. That’s not me or my car that you are looking at. (I’m the one laying on the ground) That’s Tony with his Alta Air diverter. He’s actually standing there thinking about what else he can make blue in his engine compartment, after he installed the catch can. (he already has blue wires, blue tubing, blue Alta filter, and numerous other blue bits).</p>
<p><a href="http://www.altaminiperformance.com/products/icdiverter/ICDIVERT.html" rel="nofollow ugc">http://www.altaminiperformance.com/products/icdiverter/ICDIVERT.html</a></p>
<p>As far as the dynamat goes, I did it mainly to add some padding around the door panel so it wouldn’t vibrate. Basically it’s the HK speaker buzz fix but with Dynamat. Not much dynamat on the door frame really. Just a couple of odd squares that I had once I was done going around the edge of the speaker and the edge of the door. I notice a bit of a difference, but not a whole lot. I think my main vibration problem is somewhere in the rear panel and maybe in the B pillar. I have to do some more investigating.</p>
<p>— Jay</p>
<p>Hi –
I have done the “S” Gas Cap mod to my 03 MC. This is not for the faint at heart. Learning new cuss words is a good thing. I have gotten together with others ion our club but only to do brakelight mods. and cold air intakes. Later.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Is this article advocating the consumption of alchoholic beverages with mechanical alterations to a motor vehicle. How very irresponsible. Ahem.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>“ADVOCATING”? NEVER!
Not everyone was wrenching, some were off cooking the burgers.
And doing a good job, Steve.</p>
<p>I was in London a few years ago and saw o the menu at a pub “Irish Breakfast : 2 raw eggs in a pint of Guinness”</p>
<p>OFF TOPIC:
As far as the dynamat goes, I did it mainly to add some padding around the door panel so it wouldn’t vibrate. Basically it’s the HK speaker buzz fix but with Dynamat.</p>
<p>“The HK speaker buzz” ?!? What’s that? Am I about to spend $550 in my ’05 MC to hear “speaker buzz”?
Can someone fill me in on how common a problem this is?
Thanks.</p>
<p>I don’t know exactly how common the passenger side speaker buzz/vibration is on HK systems – but it <strong>is</strong> common enough to be able to find a number of “how tos” to cure it; for example <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.gbmini.net/mtblog/archive/2003/04/door_panel_remo.shtml">mine from 2003</a> and <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.jwardell.com/mini/hkdoor.html">Josh’ from 2004</a> …</p>
<p>Wish I could have made the garage night.. maybe next time.</p>
<p>I fixed the passenger door “HK” vibration with a very simple tip I spotted on the MINI2 forums:</p>
<p>I took an 8″ x 1/2″ strip of corrugated carboard, and stuffedit in the gap between the door panel and the metal, and viola! No more rattle!</p>
<p>After almost two years, the carboard is finally starting to succumb to the Georgia humidity, allowing the panel to vibrate again, but replacing it will take all of 60 seconds. :)</p>
<p>DW</p>