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My Other Project: 2006 R53 MINI Cooper S

Counter Of Beans said:
Thanks for the pictures Max; car looks great - I really love those wheels and brakes in combination. I wonder if Mrs COB would notice if I changed her car's wheels to something like that :whistle:

You can try. Maybe a set of calipers in red ...

They look good on the road too, apparently, as all you see is a big set of calipers under the spinning spokes.
 
jerzybondov said:
Lovely car and great mods! I've been running an R53 Cooper S since new, tuned it when it ran out of warranty at 3 years old, still running like a charm:
17% supercharger reduction pulley
GP intercooler
Dave F airbox
Cold iridium plugs
Optimised bypass valve/twin bearing idler pulley
Poly front wishbone bushes (helped with torque steer)

Dynoed by 1320mini at 235bhp. Such an epic, chuckable car. It would have to be a very fast road or track for me to be significantly faster in the 911.

Here's it gobbling up a 500bhp Skyline at Paddock (Brands Hatch) and the obligatory Ring shot

Hi Jerzy!

I've also got the 17% Alta and the dave.f (one of my first mods!), plugs, 132 BPV and bushes done, as well as cam, injectors, manifold and tune.

You may have seen [in the picture above] the R56 GP2 that I was overtaking around the outside going into the first corner at Knutstorp (a track in Skà¥ne, Sweden). At least that was the plan. The GP2 belongs to my brother, and I can tell you from my own experience (we were both out at another track), it keeps a lot of bigger cars at the track honest. Mostly under braking and into and out of corners.

And they didn't like it one little bit. In a MINI, you can commit 100%.
 
My girlfriend has an R56 Cooper S and I love the drive and the mid range pull is pretty impressive but the ride is truly horrific!
I can't think of another car that I have driven that is so bad over bumps :frustrated:
 
Oh go on then, you've prompted me to find some old pics of mine...

17244260352_e5dc116332_k.jpg


The GP seats I swapped in:
16436954823_79ae16c88b_k.jpg


A wheel on each corner..
18022400271_9237157ccd_k.jpg


Big valve RMW head:
19564974719_829f95aaed_k.jpg


19812200500_4632ecb145_k.jpg
 
Loved my old R53, didn't want to trade it in when I bought my Boxster. Wish I hadn't. I may well get another in the future, but most likely I would get an R56.
 
kas750 said:
My girlfriend has an R56 Cooper S and I love the drive and the mid range pull is pretty impressive but the ride is truly horrific!
I can't think of another car that I have driven that is so bad over bumps :frustrated:

Let me guess: big rims and run flats?

My R53 came on 11.5kg 17x7s and Pirelli Euforia run flats. Hateful things. I put them on the local ebay within a few weeks after getting the car, and bought a set of 6.2kg 16x7 OZ Ultraleggera's with proper non run flat tyres.... one of the best mods I ever did to the S. :thumb:
 
isysman said:
Loved my old R53, didn't want to trade it in when I bought my Boxster. Wish I hadn't. I may well get another in the future, but most likely I would get an R56.

That was a decent project. I've no plans for a BVH, but maybe if I decide to switch to E85 (ethanol) at some point.

In the meantime, I just ordered a Quaife LSD, TTV LWFW and Valeo clutch. It's not slipping yet but I've got the 'chewbacca howl' so it's all getting replaced this spring.
 
2019 maintenance

I was just looking at my to-do list for the 53.

It seems that, in addition to this year's package of upgrades (the new clutch, flywheel and LSD), I need to replace my cabin air filter, install my adjustable front top mounts (more camber required for the summer), find some spigot rings for my newly acquired spare set of rims (17x7 Enkei SC15s), dig out some tyres for the Enkei's (probably the Nitto NT01s in my brother's shed), source some decent brake pads (I'm thinking Carbotech XP8/AX6) and arrange a brake fluid change.

I'll also need to source a supercharger service kit in time for the annual service (the charger's been working harder with the 17% reduction pulley).

This old car's going to cost more to maintain than the 997 this year.
 
Bloody bollocks. £420 for new Carbotech brake pads all round (shipping included). At least I can outbrake pretty much everyone next time out.

But there'll be no money left for the White car this year any more.
 
MaxA said:
Bloody bollocks. £420 for new Carbotech brake pads all round (shipping included). At least I can outbrake pretty much everyone next time out.

But there'll be no money left for the White car this year any more.

Ouch!
 
Just bought one, electric blue with white roof and chilli pack, love it, let the mods begin ! :D
 
Frenchmeister said:
Just bought one, electric blue with white roof and chilli pack, love it, let the mods begin ! :D

Congratulations! Is it unmodified? Well, even if it is, there's a well trodden path to more power, better stopping and better handling. Go have a look at the project threads on MINI Torque. It's a great resource even if you're just a lurker.
 
I would like to do the following to our car (well, my wife is the one that drives it, mainly):
*16 inch wheels, e.g. Oz Ultraleggeras
*R56 S brake conversion, Pagid discs and pads
*Recaro or Sparco front seats
*Polybushed suspension at the front

But then Mrs COB says she's happy with it as it is, and "don't you spend enough on that bloody Porsche anyway?".
 
Counter Of Beans said:
I would like to do the following to our car (well, my wife is the one that drives it, mainly):
*16 inch wheels, e.g. Oz Ultraleggeras
*R56 S brake conversion, Pagid discs and pads
*Recaro or Sparco front seats
*Polybushed suspension at the front

But then Mrs COB says she's happy with it as it is, and "don't you spend enough on that bloody Porsche anyway?".

Not a bad plan. Mrs MaxA runs a remapped GTI and doesn't drive the 53.

I'm running 16x7 ET37 Ultralggeras! Super light and plenty of room for brakes.

The R56S brake conversion is sensible and pretty cost effective and the seats could very usefully be improved: the Recaro Sportsters are lovely but over £1k...

I have a fixed back FIA bucket from Sparco, which weighs about 7kg. Maybe too hardcore.

The front wishbone rear bushes usually need replacement (I have super stiff Whitelines with added caster).

But the biggest improvement you can do is swap out the OE suspension to a set of coilovers: nice soft APs for example (they're made by KW) are around £500 from Orranje (there's a little stock left before the price jumps).
 
I'm hoping that I'll have time to pick up the dirty MINI tomorrow, as it now has a new organic sprung clutch plate, TTV lightweight single mass flywheel (5.6kg>12kg), new TTV performance clutch, and a Quaife ATB LSD (the 2019 package of modifications).

This should improve throttle response (if not engine braking), reduce torque steer and improve traction on the way out of the corners, while retaining drivability.

I had a go in my friend's car with an LSD/LWFW and a four puck competition clutch, and it was like an on-off switch, and took quite a bit of getting used to. Truth be told, I didn't get on with it, it felt like it was destabilising the car, as the drive came back in so abruptly. Need more seat time...
 

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