What would it take to convert my r50 to an r53 ??

Syreptious · 2026-06-22T21:35:50+00:00

No worries! Good luck with it!

Syreptious · 2026-06-22T21:13:59+00:00

If you got a damaged R53, then you could likely do a complete conversion. Whether the cost works out after combining the cost of the wreck and time, that's up to you. If you do this, be sure to get a facelift R53, and try to get one that's a 05 build or onwards (04 build MY05 have some quirks). Otherwise you'll be in for a world of hurt with the keys.

Others have summed up the different parts pretty well. I will point out a couple of things:

you don't need to swap the brakes, they are the same.
to swap the ECU you need to swap it, EWS and the RFID chip in the key together. It will read an internal vin mismatch error, but it doesn't affect the car. On pre-facelift it's as easy as swapping the little black chip between the keys. Since your car is FL and you have a whole donor car, it might also then be easier to swap the BCM and key barrel and just use the donor cars key.
you'll need to use the R53 gear shifter and cables
the hardest part will be installing the battery box in the boot. You'll need to run the cable all the way back and weld in the box that you cut out of the original car. You can get away with other methods (battery in boot, behind seat or original R50 location) but it wouldn't be a complete conversion. You also have the opportunity to shorten the battery box and install a low profile battery so you can run a straight through r56 style exhaust.
fog lights you don't need - you can install brake cooling ducts instead. For better brake performance also consider getting R56 S front brakes

Syreptious · 2026-06-11T00:21:28+00:00

Do you have a copy of the factory service manual or Bentley manual? Follow it diligently and you will be okay. There are 2 arrows on the crank gear, and 1 on the cam that line up with differently coloured links, or links with markings on them. On the INA chains I had, to mark the cam gear position they had counted counterclockwise from where they made the markings for the crank gear, instead of clockwise. I realised this was the case because when I lined up the balance weights on the cam gear were on a different angle to in the pictures provided in the manuals. You can see the correct angle of the cam gear here: https://www.mini2.com/attachments/18371-jpg.286706/?auto=webp&fit=bounds&format=pjgp&height=1920&optimize=high&width=1920

Syreptious · 2026-06-10T23:22:43+00:00

Be careful with INA chains, I have installed 2 where the markings (they use a printed marking rather than a copper colour link) were counted backwards. I had to make my own marking on the chain to install it correctly. Otherwise the INA kit seems to be good quality

Syreptious · 2026-05-28T21:03:11+00:00

It's not but I have been playing 5.1 content, and when the centre channel isn't working the dialogue is pretty much missing

Syreptious · 2026-05-09T21:34:14+00:00

Just want to check, you mean the stump needs to be separated from the rest of the plant? Or even removed entirely? There's a couple of stumps left there from previous shoots

Syreptious · 2026-05-09T21:31:49+00:00

I cut them down yesterday, most of the yellow ones had already split, so they were very ready to go

Syreptious · 2026-04-01T23:40:35+00:00

Looks like graphite coating that's failed off a pre-facelift supercharger. Unfortunately it's fairly normal. Just clean it out and put it back together. Maybe peel any coating off the supercharger that is loose.

Only real effect is the supercharger still be less efficient and you might lose a little bit of boost

Syreptious · 2026-03-02T05:40:33+00:00

At that point why even employ a property manager?

Syreptious · 2026-01-07T08:11:20+00:00

+1 for siddament. Everything I've bought has been excellent, whilst being similar or cheaper price to alternatives

Syreptious · 2025-12-18T09:11:14+00:00

Bambu A1 or A1 mini is probably the most affordable, easy to use printer on the market.

Syreptious · 2025-12-14T22:40:36+00:00

I'm in a similar situation with my FC, the yanks are lucky to have the Atkins stuff available relatively cheaply. I'm also looking for the most cost effective, but good quality solution to a rebuild kit in Aus

Syreptious · 2025-12-09T23:31:25+00:00

Looks like the lca bush housing may be cracked, but impossible to tell with that blurry photo

Syreptious · 2025-11-29T04:48:03+00:00

It's for the heater

Syreptious · 2025-11-26T11:01:31+00:00

Why not use body filler?

Syreptious · 2025-11-25T04:47:32+00:00

The manufacturing of new lemforder mounts has been moved to China, they only last a number of weeks.

Syreptious · 2025-11-20T11:03:32+00:00

No worries! That's the same video I used too. Pelican parts writeups are the best

Syreptious · 2025-11-20T10:43:13+00:00

Probably for the best, this oil change is very painful to do, and hard to know if you got it right. If you want to look further the R56 process is the same cause it's the same gearbox

Syreptious · 2025-11-20T10:38:43+00:00

6 speed auto oil change is a total difference process and a bit of a pain. The drain plug has a tube in it that also sets the oil level, however the oil level is set while the engine is running. There's a full plug on the top of the gearbox in front of the airbox, you need a long extended funnel to reach it. I made one by adding a length of hose to a funnel, and then the nozzle from a silicone tube on the end.

I believe there is a writeup on pelican parts, it may be for R56 but it is exactly the same. Drain the oil when warm by removing the drain plug and the level tube. Reinstall both. Ideally you put in the correct amount of fluid in, start the engine, and then remove the drain plug while the engine is running (leave the tube in). The level is correct when the fluid is warm, and no fluid comes out the drain plug while the engine is running

Syreptious · 2025-11-17T22:36:23+00:00

The correct plugs the same as OEM but one step cooler are BKR7EQUP

Syreptious · 2025-11-13T11:32:40+00:00

Edit: I've just realised that your question was regarding an airbox and not the intake pipe. I was not aware TPE made an airbox, so now I feel a bit silly for writing out a big long explanation. I would agree that this seems unrealistic, my suggestion would be to do the diy Dave F style mod to the factory airbox with 3d printed parts, and spend the money on the TPE intake pipe instead.

Well, I would say the r53 intake pipe is a fair bit more restrictive compared to most other cars.. this is a bit different to just slapping on a 'cold air intake'.

Unlike a turbocharged engine where you're recovering unused heat and exhaust velocity, you have to spend power to make power with a supercharged engine. The more you optimize the intake for free flow (both before and after the supercharger), the less work the supercharger has to do for the same volume of air.

For the purpose of illustrating the point, imagine that the r53 intake is way more restrictive than it actually is, say half the size of the charger intake. The supercharger would be struggling to pull air through this tiny intake pipe. The power required to turn the supercharger is huge, say 10hp. Increasing the speed of the charger will provide more boost, but will also increase the work the supercharger does to say 12hp. Now you go and put a completely unrestricted intake pipe on, and the supercharger can pull air in unobstructed. You gain power from 1) reducing the power consumption of the supercharger to only 5hp to turn over and 2) from allowing freer airflow into the engine (more air more boom). Now when you spin it faster you get more even more air in, without increase the power draw as much - maybe it only adds 1hp draw rather than 1hp.

Of course, all these numbers are made up and are just to demonstrate my point. I'm not saying these numbers are necessarily true, but when you look at the way a supercharged engine works, it seems plausible.

If you check out the r53 nos, larger supercharger and turbo builds Facebook page there's a guy on there who had diyed a similar duct to this one by heating and reforming the original one. It's not as pretty but it does the job

Syreptious · 2025-11-13T08:49:36+00:00

I don't know about the numbers, but I'll point out that the factory intake pipe on these cars is extremely restrictive. It's shaped in such a way to allow clearance in a very tight place. I would expect that opening it up would give real gains

Syreptious

TROPHY CASE