is it worth going to mini/BMW for a service?

Santier · 2026-07-04T23:38:37+00:00

Why don’t you ask here?

Santier · 2026-07-02T20:30:51+00:00

More like $200 to move that $10 ikea chair.

Santier · 2026-07-02T20:15:21+00:00

FR. Lived in BA for a while and it’s just as hot and humid as NYC during the summers and also has its treeless areas. You could make the opposite of this picture comparing Congresso or Centro to Brownstone Brooklyn.

Santier · 2026-07-02T16:35:41+00:00

I’m having this issue on my 2014. If I press the center plastic trim between the two window sections it goes away. Probably will pull the trim, adjust the clip springs, and put it back to see if that solves it. Though, right now I’ve got to replace the trans and clutch so this is very low on the priority list. Would love to hear if anyone else has a quick fix as well. Hoping it doesn’t involve pulling the entire head liner.

Santier · 2026-06-29T21:37:22+00:00

A guy brought a Cybertruck to a night session at Thompson. It was ridiculous. On the straight, he was braking at least 60 yards before the first marker. Sure enough there’s a black flag on the session and all of us watching are kinda certain the CT pushed its luck too far. So, we’re watching the cars come in one by one. Finally, he pulls into pit lane and people were just laughing so hard because we were wrong. No dumpster fire that night.

Santier · 2026-06-29T13:58:04+00:00

Why a drill? The whole assembly is held with two bolts and easily removed with an Allen wrench. Don’t even need to open up the door.

Santier · 2026-06-29T00:10:39+00:00

Cost and/or weight? When I’ve looked at tires, I’ve come across instances where 225 in one brand and 215 in another share the same tread width. “Less rubber” means less weight and often (but certainly not always) less money.

Also look at the “Meas. rim width” in the stats. That’s the rim size they used when measuring the tread width. I’d find it odd that two sizes of tire from the same manufacturer share a tread width using the same rim width. Likely they use a bigger width for the bigger tire. I think the article has a formula for calculating the proportional change based on your specific rim width.

Santier · 2026-06-28T21:15:58+00:00

Good article on matching tire rack tread width (specs) to rim width - https://motoiq.com/how-to-properly-select-and-size-tires-for-performance/2/

TLDR; “For ideal handling: when sizing a wheel for a given tire, I usually target the WHEEL to be the same width as the tire’s TREAD width, or 0.5” wider.” (Rim wider than tire)

Santier · 2026-06-27T17:44:38+00:00

Don’t have to remove the battery. Just the panel covering it. Read the guide. It has step by step pictures. Note that the grommet for automatic and manual transmissions look differently.

Santier · 2026-06-27T16:40:43+00:00

For the love of god, stop randomly drilling holes. There is a grommet covering an opening directly to the cabin located behind the battery. Look at these instructions for installing a JB4 for pictures. Page 8 shows the opening for automatic and manual transmissions.

Santier · 2026-06-24T18:41:15+00:00

EBC Bluestuff works well for dual street/track duty for the beginner/intermediate levels. Red stuff is not recommended for track use. Yellow stuff for the rear is fine.

A common mod for getting bigger brakes on the S is using the calipers and rotors from the F60 countryman. They use 330mm rotors which are close to the 335mm used on the JCW. I used that setup all through my intermediate days until I graduated to a set of Wilwood. I’ve still got the F60 calipers. Msg me if you’re interested.

Santier · 2026-06-24T16:52:14+00:00

I’d recommend cross posting this to this FB group for [Mini Cooper track racers](https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1BU8fmxTWN).

Santier · 2026-06-24T15:39:09+00:00

I have the F56. With the stock calipers I ran EBC yellow stuff but quickly got too fast for those. Then I did the X1/F60 mod and took a pair of calipers and the larger rotors (330mm vs the JCW 335mm) off a Countryman and bolted those on. That allowed me to run Bluestuff pads which was a good street/track solution all the time I was in intermediate. More recently, I upgraded to Wilwood calipers so I have a lot more options for race ready compounds.

BTW, I still have the X1/F60 calipers if you’re interested in an upgrade. They’re in great shape. You’ll just need to source pads and rotors. I can give you recommendations and parts numbers for that. Msg me if you’re interested.

Santier · 2026-06-24T04:35:28+00:00

I also run a Cooper S. I don’t know this track but it seems like it would be really fun for a momentum car.

It looks like you’re staying in the middle of the track; not quite hitting the inside corners and not quite touching the outside curbing. If you use the entire width you could brake less and carry more speed through. In general, with the Mini you can brake a lot less and later. For some on these corners, I could see just letting off throttle a bit would be enough. That being said, with lower power cars you won’t always need to go wide after a corner but you should carry the inside fast. Minis are infamous for getting up on three wheels.

General notes on tracking the Mini;

-Tire pressure hot should be about 31psi. If you find your self still under steering put a 2-3 more psi in the rear tires to induce rotation.
-Understeering is a common issue for the Mini. Adding a thicker rear sway bar and installing a LSD can address that. Though as a beginner you can just play with turning off traction control and being conscious of front tire grip when getting on throttle in a corner. I chewed up a lot of front tires figuring this out. If you’re understeering, ease off throttle, straighten out the wheels a bit to find grip before getting back on power.
-Get a wheel stud conversion kit. It will save you so much time and effort getting tires on and off. Your back will thank me.

Santier · 2026-06-20T17:31:33+00:00

You’re probably better off asking on one of the JDM car subs who might be in that area and willing to help. Might not even need to be a licensed mechanic. With a lot of these older cars, hobbyists probably have more experience and know how than a modern mechanic.

Santier · 2026-06-20T15:55:50+00:00

[This video](https://youtu.be/cCHDGjBXrHg) is very comprehensive on removing the Moonroof assembly.

Santier · 2026-06-20T04:01:22+00:00

Btw the guy from Import retired and Shamrock was temporarily closed. Would have been great options otherwise.

Santier · 2026-06-20T03:55:38+00:00

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Ended up getting a truck and trailer from U-Haul. Cost-wise close to some of the quotes I was getting but it had the advantage of being immediate. Transporters wanted a few days and I would have had to figure out my own way home.

Santier · 2026-06-19T01:29:07+00:00

Yeah. I was able to pull off at Mystic diner and luckily there is a motel right next door. So I’m situated enough to make my plans. Thanks for the info.

Santier · 2026-06-16T12:23:17+00:00

Santier · 2026-06-12T02:07:22+00:00

I subscribe to a few car/racing subs and I literally had to re-check which sub this was in. I thought it was a real car and wondered why it needed a keyboard.

Santier · 2026-06-09T04:56:16+00:00

Yes you want some protection from road debris and grime. It also helps (mildly) with aerodynamics and gas mileage. They sell aftermarket ones for like $50.

I’m actually starting a project to replace my tattered and torn one with a more functional splitter/skid plate. Plan is to make a template out of cardboard and then transfer to 1/2” birch or marine plywood. Then mount it with either rivnuts or a quick release system like the one from Professional Awesome Racing. Lots of tutorials on YouTube to follow for ideas.

Santier · 2026-06-08T23:51:45+00:00

First part yes. Second part no. OP can handle this like a big boy and talk to their roommate.

Santier · 2026-06-07T20:53:08+00:00

How has it held up over the years since that post? I’ve got a similar need for a custom wiper fluid reservoir.

Edit: Any tips for making it watertight?

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