MELO-R56

I second the recommendation for GT Peace! The whole crew there is awesome and the customer service is top notch. I've been taking my car there for years and they do an excellent job! -STEVE

I also only use GT Peace, and can't recommend them enough! They know their stuff and will treat you right! Change your oil every 5,000 miles! Just be sure to book at least a couple weeks in advance as GT Peace gets pretty busy during prime driving months.

I’m bringing sodas and my son as a +1. -STEVE

Chillin. I may be interested in buying these. Let’s chat during MTTS! -STEVE

Oh, forgot to add. I did need to get adjustable lower control arms for the rear. On the R56 platform, once you lower the vehicle, the stock adjustability for the rear camber is insufficient. Lower control arms are the only way to dial in your rear camber, which really effects how well the car corners and rolls down the road, plus tire wear. I went with Hotchkis rear control arms as they were rated as the best quality. I have it mind to one day get adjustable end links for the front and for the rear sway bar, but so far I've had no issues with the stock ones. If I did it, it would just be to get everything perfect. But as it is, no issues, all good. The adjustable camber plates on the tops of the front shocks and the rear adjustable control arms are enough to dial in the suspension geometry. You really don't need much else. -STEVE

Weighing in here. Keep in mind I'm on the R56 platform, so not sure if everything I mention applies to your F56. But, to start, there is no better Bang for Buck upgrade than the rear sway bar. DO IT!!! It is the single most dramatic difference I have added to my car that instantly changed (for the better) the way my car drives. On the R56, the stock sway bar is 17mm I believe, and I upgraded to a solid 22mm sway bar (you can go up to a maximum hollow Hotchkis bar at 25mm). The car is SO planted in the corners, corny but true statement of cornering on rails! Zero to no body roll means the car will respond much quicker to driving inputs. It's a game changer! My first set of coilovers were a gently used pair of Megan Racing Euro Street 2's. I wanted to try some out at a good price to see if it was something I would enjoy. I had the Megan's on my car for 1 year and I would characterize them as stiff with not much dampening. There are 32 clicks in the dampening adjustment and I ran them on close to the softest setting and they were still pretty stiff. I wouldn't say they were terrible, but I felt like there had to be better options out there. I'm currently on ST XTA coilovers. Made by KW and have the same internal dampening as the KW V2's with external rebound adjustment, but for a better price the ST's include top camber mounts (don't get those with the KW's). Everything I read kept pointing me to KW's amazing ride quality and dampening. I'm 1.5 inches below stock height and have ZERO rubbing. The ride is buttery smooth and I have my dampening set in the middle setting and it's perfect. Ride characteristics are subjective, but I have to say these ride better than any stock set up and have never been harsh or too stiff. Honestly no draw backs being on these coilovers other than the occasional steep driveway or speed bump. You just learn to go at an angle to get over obstacles like that. Compared to the Megan's, the ST's are incredible! I didn't imagine coilovers could ride so good at the lowered height that I'm at. I remember being in the place you're in trying to figure out if I wanted to spend the money on something that I could only read about. It's hard to decide when you're reading other drivers subjective opinions on a product. Maybe take a ride in one of our cars to decide for yourself. Another thing to consider would be to have your control arm bushings replaced as well. The factory rubber bushings that MINI supplies on our cars don't last much past 50-60k miles before they start to wear out. Once you start messing with suspension, you'll quickly notice how much play your bushings have. I replaced my bushings with Powerflex Polyurethane bushings. Those will last you the life of the car and are designed to never wear out. Highly recommend! There may be a few other things to consider for your F56 platform that Thomas would know better than me, but I'm confident saying that adding a set of quality coilovers can be a great upgrade. Just be sure to buy good ones and stay away from the cheap stuff! -STEVE

I've used NV Coatings on 3 occasions and they do incredible work. Had them fix one of my wheels that had road rash and it came out perfect!! Can't recommend them enough! https://nvcoatings.com -STEVE

I'll come out to play! I was thinking of hitting up C&C anyway, so why not get in a run?! -STEVE

Hello all. I'm in the market for an OBDII scanner for my MINI. Wanted to see if anyone has any recommendations. I've seen there are some that are one unit as well as the ones that have a plug in dongle, and interface with your iPhone through an app. I'm open to suggestions and any personal experiences. Not sure if this would be possible, but I'd also like it to be able to perform between my 2 vehicles, my MINI and my VW Tiguan. Thoughts? -STEVE

YES!!! This is awesome! Thanks for organizing. -STEVE

FOR SALE: NM Billet Aluminum front strut tower bar. Very gently used and will fit the following Gen 2 cars: R55, R56, R57, R58 and R59. $200.00 CASH ONLY. Will NOT ship. Can make arrangements at one of our MINI meets or local pick-up. Contact: STEVE FIFE, 301-651-1656. Product Details NM Engineering’s Upper Tie-Bar is designed to reinforce the already stellar MINI Cooper chassis. Installation reduces fore and aft, as well as side-to-side chassis flex during spirited driving, which helps to eliminate unwanted geometry/alignment change. This results in better steering response and better handling. Attention to detail and performance are NM Engineering’s forte and this part does not disappoint. The 6061-T6 aluminum mounting pads will eliminate strut tower “mushrooming” be reinforcing the upper mount and is attached to mounts studs with shouldered long-reach nuts to make sure that the bar and front suspension is secured by more than just a few threads. In addition, when you look at the underside of the pads, you will notice two machined pocket that accommodate the upper strut bearing locator pin on either side while concealing it from view. Finally, the simplest, yet most overlooked feature may be the twin mounting bolts on each side that attach the bar to the mounting pads. Most others use a single bolt to secure each side of the bar to the mounting pads. The problem with that, is no matter how tight you cinch that bolt, the bar can still pivot at that point rendering them ineffective against chassis flex. NM Billet Tie-Bar clears factory airbox as well as NM's Hi-Flow Induction Kit. ECS Tuning has this new for $448.82

One more spot just opened up as I have decided not to join. 37 degrees and summer tires on wet roads might not be the best choice. Have fun, see you all soon! Hurry up warm weather!

I've used NV Coatings a few times myself, they are excellent to work with! Just curious, what color were your rims before, did they paint the entire rim in black inside and out, take them off the tires or leave them on, and what was the price per wheel or total? I always see wheels I Iike, but would prefer them a different color, and would consider having all 4 refinished if the price is reasonable.

I would HIGHLY NOT RECOMMEND you go to the place I went to! The paint work itself was spot on, but the customer service was completely shady!!

Fingers crossed for good weather! I miss driving the MINI!

YES! January might make the most sense with the heavy load of the Holidays.

Where will you get it tuned? Manic seems to be less and less used these days, Mario Plaza seems to be the go to. Grey Goose mentioned he got his f56 JCW tuned at GT Peace. Wonder if they tune the R model Gen2's?

What's next? A tune? Downpipe? FLAMES!!!??? Curious what the initial idea was behind the FMIC upgrade? I know it helps with engine temps thus resulting in better performance on hotter days, but is there any other gain without a tune to go with it? -STEVE

Hey Craig. Other than the parking lot at the meeting point, is there any other dirt/gravel roads on the route? I plan to join, but will likely be closer to the route departure time of around 10:15.

Everyone be sure to bring $5 cash for the ferry ride!

Any dirt or gravel roads to contend with on the route?

These are SOLD.

I have the Craven Speed shift knob for my R56. It's a really nice piece, nicely constructed, well thought out and has been holding up really well. Plus, you can order more than one cap and customize it any way you want. Not sure what the material is, but no issues with cold or heat and it has a great feel in your hand.

Donross. Did you get those brakes set up in time for the Dragon?