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My Other Project: 2006 R53 MINI Cooper S

MaxA

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Joined
11 Oct 2015
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2,697
I've had this for over 10 years but only now made it to the front cover of my local club magazine:
 

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I can post a full list of mods but I'd say the highlights are the following:

- à–hlins R&T coilovers, Vorshlag top mounts

- BBK with six piston calipers, two piece discs and Carbotech XP8 pads

- Sparco Evo II fixed back bucket seat

- John Cooper Motorsport MINI Challenge 4-2-1 manifold

- 16x7 ET37 OZ Racing Ultraleggera lightweight rims with Federal 595RSR sticky tyres for the summer

- a few improvements to the suspension/chassis: Whiteline added caster wishbone bushes and rear anti roll bar, rear control arms, poly bushed engine and gearbox mounts

- and a full engine package: cold air intake, 17% reduced supercharger pulley, Newman fast road cam, bigger 550cc injectors, with bigger intercooler and bonnet scoop for lower IATs, and a custom remap for 235hp+

- lightweight TTV flywheel, Helix Motorsport clutch and Quaife LSD for the six speed Getrag manuel

I've also got a couple of cosmetic and still pleasing bits: a leather and alcantara JCW steering wheel and a smaller heavier shorter custom steel gear knob (just to improve the feel and reduce the throw)
 
Very nice Max - any chance you can post some more pics?
My wife has a 2006 R53 Cooper S JCW which is great fun to drive. Love the supercharger whine! The mods are all JCW ones (210 hp engine, JCW exhaust, JCW brakes) apart from Bilstein dampers all round. There's no plans to modify it further, but these are cracking little cars. I much prefer them to the latest (F56??) models which look ugly to me, and too big.
Have you had any/many reliability troubles with yours?
Regards, Mike.
 
Hello Counter Mike. I also have a 2006 facelift R53, just about 123,000km.

The power steering pump was replaced within a year but the factory replacement seems to work just fine with lighter rims (the stock S spokes weigh a considerable 9.2kg a piece...). I've replaced the rear boot handle and removed a dead rear wiper (both due to water ingress), and I've replaced the rear hatch gas struts, and the coolant thermostat (once you have an underbonnet gargle, it's the usual suspect). I also replaced the front wishbone rear bushes with stiffer Whiteline added caster polybushes (if the handling's out, the stock bushes have failed), and I had an auxiliary/serpentine belt fail on lap 3 of the warm up at a race track (*****). I'd just driven about 250km to get there.

Anyway, apart from that little lot, it's just maintenance, preventative maintenance and modifications. And three windscreens, quite a few sets of tyres and brake pads/discs.

Next year, I'll upgrade the clutch, fit a lightweight flywheel and Quaife LSD, and it's about time for a supercharger oil change, and I'll also replace the water pump and coolant, and refresh the gearbox oil and fuel filter again.

It's actually been trouble free but a few stone chips/Finnish winters have now caused a couple of bubbles of rust, and I'll need to get the car repainted in the next year or so. I'm OK with that, this thing gets used, abused (my boy's been driving it on the ice), tracked and left at the airport quite a lot...

But every time, it's a riot. It's almost impossible not to drive it like a complete berk. Especially as it reaches 4000rpm. I still have to tell myself to cool it. :grin:
 
I used to love my R53!

Mine had a tiny pulley, new OE supercharger, Revolution Motor Works Stage II big valve cylinder head, bigger injectors, decatted exhaust, GP seats, coilovers, big brakes and lightweight wheels.

The thing was awesome!

Sold it in the end to a mini fanatic who came from Sweden to buy it.. Then I moved onto the leggy boxster.

Cracking cars aren't they!?

:thumb:
 
Run an F56 CooperS (Satan's fuel) as a daily. By far it is one of the best, most equipped and capable cars I have ever owned. From the superb sat nav, adaptive suspension and adaptive cruise it is well built and creak free. Not to mention the 'enhanced' power upgrade. Needs AWD to stop losing grip in third gear :what:

.......In fact it's stopping me from buying another Porsche, otherwise 10months ago I'd be in a GT4 :roll:
 
ragpicker said:
I used to love my R53!

Mine had a tiny pulley, new OE supercharger, Revolution Motor Works Stage II big valve cylinder head, bigger injectors, decatted exhaust, GP seats, coilovers, big brakes and lightweight wheels.

The thing was awesome!

Sold it in the end to a mini fanatic who came from Sweden to buy it.. Then I moved onto the leggy boxster.

Cracking cars aren't they!?

:thumb:

Exactly. I'm not planning a BVH (still need the Quaife), but one of the other guys is running an RMW BVH with ethanol. Your car was badass, one of the better projects.
 
Zingari said:
Run an F56 CooperS (Satan's fuel) as a daily. By far it is one of the best, most equipped and capable cars I have ever owned. From the superb sat nav, adaptive suspension and adaptive cruise it is well built and creak free. Not to mention the 'enhanced' power upgrade. Needs AWD to stop losing grip in third gear :what:

.......In fact it's stopping me from buying another Porsche, otherwise 10months ago I'd be in a GT4 :roll:

Zingers, it seems to me that you need better tyres on the F56, or maybe a new diff.
 
some pictures for CofB
 

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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:
 
MaxA said:
Zingers, it seems to me that you need better tyres on the F56, or maybe a new diff.

Shod with Pirelli. Absolute rubbish :nooo:
 
Counter Of Beans said:
I wonder if Mrs COB would notice if I changed her car's wheels to something like that :whistle:

My wife doesn't even notice it when I get my hair cut :roll:

:thewife:
 
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
 

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Zingari said:
MaxA said:
Zingers, it seems to me that you need better tyres on the F56, or maybe a new diff.

Shod with Pirelli. Absolute rubbish :nooo:

I think they're a premium tyre, designed for comfort and noise. I don't normally want to add tyre but I reckon your F56 would respond to a set of Michelins, or a slightly wider tyre.
 

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