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I love seeing a loved MINI

So, this year I've done a lot of work on B.A. to get him back in good condition. After 15 years and 130K miles, a MINI is going to need some work. I wanted to capture it all here. Maybe this information will be helpful to others. Particular first gen owners. After ignition, I replaced the by-pass valve (MINI officially refers to it as "shut-off" valve) and thoroughly cleaned the throttle body. I also replaced the throttle body gasket. I have misplaced some of the pictures, but will update this post if I can find them. For now, here are some pictures of the cleaned up throttle body.

So, this year I've done a lot of work on B.A. to get him back in good condition. After 15 years and 130K miles, a MINI is going to need some work. I wanted to capture it all here. Maybe this information will be helpful to others. Particular first gen owners. I got started in February, and the first job was to refresh the ignition system. So, I replaced the ignition coil, spark plugs, and spark plug wires. If you have the stock intercooler, then this isn't too difficult, however, if you have a larger aftermarket intercooler, or the JCW GP, like I have, then it needs to be removed since it

Technically, yesterday, but we're on pandemic time, right? I inspected and adjusted my coil-overs. I actually raised the ride height slightly front and back. I reduced the amount of 'rake' in the stance and gave it a little more clearance for the ridiculously high speed bumps around here. NC roads aren't quite as nice as NoVA roads either.

Thanks, Corey. I got these on Amazon for $9.99: BRISHINE 300LM Extremely Bright Canbus Error Free 194 168 2825 192 W5W T10 LED Bulbs Amber Yellow 9-SMD 2835 LED Chipsets for Side Marker Turn Signal Blinker Map Door Parking Lights (Pack of 4) I noticed today that I do get a short "Parking Light Malfunction" at start-up, but it quickly goes away.

Looks good, what brand / bulbs did you use?

That looks really nice!

Replaced the boring halogen parking lamps with amber LEDs. No codes.

Event Title: James' Crack Pie Run Event Date: 05/23/2021 10:00 AM to 05/23/2021 01:00 PM Event Address: 8350 Pinecliff Park Rd, Frederick, MD, 21704 For those of you that have done the James' Crack Pie run before, Brandy is Jones'n for some PIE so it is coming back!!! Great roads, a couple covered bridges, and PIE what more could you want. Start location: Pinecliff Park, 8350 Pinecliff Park Rd Fredrick, MD End location: Catoctin Mountain Orchard, 15036 North Franklinville Road Thurmont, MD 21788 10:00am Driver's meeting 10:30am Wheels up 12:00pm Cato

Event Title: Ice Cream Run Event Date: 08/29/2021 10:00 AM to 08/29/2021 12:00 AM Event Address: This run is the C3M traditional ice cream run but hitting the creameries in a reverse order. This run is capped at 20 MINIs due to roads and the venues under current conditions. The run will begin at a park in Fredrick, MD and head north to Misty meadows, followed by South Mountain, and ending at Rocky point creamery. Driver's meeting is promptly at 10am More details to come RSVP on the event here:

Thanks! I just finished blacking everything out with OEM parts, including the belt line. Waiting for the pollen to subside so I can detail the car and take some pics.

I think the Black Jack and Night Jack are some of the best OEM Mini designs--frankly I think this looks great.

The short answer is it depends, does your MINI currently have halogen or xenon headlights. If your are asking about changing the headlight assembly to go from a chrome to a black body that is pretty straight forward. If you are talking about switch to a better blub but in the same type (halogen or xenon) this again is pretty straight forward. Lastly if you are looking to upgrade from halogen to xenon this is a bit more effort, but there are kit available the key is you get what you pay for on these kits. If you can clarify the path you are going down we would be happy to go into a bit m

Can I do a different headlights without having problems if I can ...which ones are better for the 2010 thank you in advance

I agree, you can get way better performance at the same price point out of non-runflats. I made the change a few years back. switch to Michelin PS 3+ and have never been happier.

I tend to agree. I've about had it with the cost of run-flats as well. I really think next time im just going to pick up a regular tire and keep fix-a-flat in my car. I know better than to let fix-a-flat sit for too long but a new tire is still cheaper than a new run-flat.

Thanks. It actually worked out well. I caught a couple breaks and the new runflat only cost me $43 for the install. Deep down, I think the old tire would be fine, but the fear of a high-speed blowout and risking the safety of myself and any passengers wasnt worth it. TBH, I think runflats are BS. The ride isnt as good, they cost a fortune and are basically only good for one incident. Between Fix-a-Flat, patch/plug kits or a donut spare (w/ tools), you're better off, if you know how to use them and can deal with keeping a spare in the MiNi. It seems to pay to not drive like Joe-Cool -- cutting

In my experiences run flats are considered compromised once you've had to use them without tire pressure (or the appropriate pressure). Im sure someone could speak much more on it than myself as im not that experienced with run-flats so take this with a grain of salt. I definitely feel that pain, ive gone through a handful of tires early in their life and its painful that I have to drop the cash for another when i barely used my current one. If you had that kind of wear i'd opt to get it replaced entirely myself but I like to play it safe. Hopefully you'll have a good outcome regardless!

I didn't change rear control arms, and never had tire wear issues with those springs. So you should be good there with the stock ones, at least on the street.

@twakefieldhas it right there is not a lot out on the gen3 for mod tutorials. I did lowering springs on the wife’s countryman (1st gen) and it was all straight forward. Those front end have very little load when the assembly is off the car so you could just have a buddy lean on the top hat and get the pressure off the nut. Not sure the load on a the 3D gen, but you can also pull them then take the assembly with the new springs and have them swap it in. You then do the reinstall. as for alignment. The biggest thing you are going to change is camber, you will need an alignment or new t

Event Title: June Board Meeting Event Date: 06/19/2021 02:00 PM Event Address: Zoom meeting details to follow. RSVP on the event here:

I had them professionally done. But I am about to do coilovers on my new BMW. The problem with the MINI is there aren't a lot of guides out there that show off the whole process. For the BMW there are tons of videos on youtube about how to do it. Double check your OEM shocks for any signs of leaks. The rears failed me at about 45k miles, which is why I jumped to the coilovers.