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[o0OWILKSO0o]

Thought I'd start a topic just so I can track all the work I've been doing.

So I bought my first Mini when I was in Afghanistan in May this year. I got my Grandad to have a look over it and was all good so I parted with my £3000 and had it dropped off at my parents house in the UK.

[o0OWILKSO0o]

These are the photos from the PO's advert.

Exterior:

Edited by o0OWILKSO0o, 15 August 2012 - 08:07 PM.

[olds_kool_lews]

Looks nice!

[o0OWILKSO0o]

Interior Photos From Advert:

[o0OWILKSO0o]

And this is how I found her when I returned from Afghanistan. Father in law had flewn from Germany to the UK and then driven her the 600 miles over.







All thanks to my amazing Wife xxx

[o0OWILKSO0o]

So first priority was to give it a good service, luckily my father in law's house has lifts in the garage and all tools could think of.

1. New Spark Plugs
2. New Oil Filter
3. Oil Flushed and New Oil
4. Air Filter Blown Out
5. All Nipples Greased

Then thought I'd give her a clean and de-gunge under the bonnet.

[o0OWILKSO0o]

My first order from Smithy's Bits:

-Shiny Brake Resivoir Cover.
-Shiny Radiator Top.
-New Expansion Tank.





Oh and a red bull can on the coil...

[o0OWILKSO0o]

As I am in the Army and based in Germany my cars have to be registered on the BFG VLO system, basically an MOT that incorporates German law as well. The testers are bastards!

So even though she had 10 months MOT she failed on:

1.Lights pointing wrong way for LHD. (I knew this and had them on order)
2.Too many driving/fog lights on the front. (I had fout driving lights hooked up to the main beam)
3.Exhaust too loud. (RC40 Strait though pipe)
4.Exhaust emmisions too high. (Engine is pre CAT but car is tested as a 1999)
5.Wipers smear. (Its a MINI!!!)
6.Rear fog light too low. (On the standard bracket.)

As well as a few advisories, ball joints ect.

[o0OWILKSO0o]

So new lights arrived and fitted.
All driving lights removed for now.
VW Polo silencer between manifold and back box.
Carb ajusted. (Hardly stays alive on idle)
Window cleaned and wiper arms bent in a bit.
Rear fog light bracket chopped up and re-drilled about 15mm higher off the ground.


Arrived at test centre for re-test. You get 14 days to fix any faults and they just check you have.

Lights OK
Driving lamps OK
Rear fog OK
Emmisions test UNCOMPLETED

As I revved at 2000rpm fot the emmisions test, he said the exhaust was still too loud and stopped the test and failed it completely.

Devistated.

[o0OWILKSO0o]

Baffles fitted to the tail pipes and it was pretty quiet. Nipped back to the test centre and he said it was ok now but I had to re-test the whole thing. Next appointment was not for 3 weeks.

So I booked in at anouther test centre about 150km away for the next day.

On arriving at this test centre (on the hottest day of the year). She decided to over heat MASSIVLY.
Test conducted...FAILED again too loud plus other trivial stuff that the tester the day before hadn't found.

So wait for her to cool down and top up with water. About 15 mins down the road she drops her coolant....



Good job I had ADAC cover.

[o0OWILKSO0o]

Turns out it was the themostat, orderd new one and gaskets and bolts ect.

Decided to skim all the old gasket off and polish up the housing. Items took 2 weeks to deliver so was without her for a while.

Also found out while flushing the cooling syystem that the radiator had no mounts and had been secured in place with cable ties.

[o0OWILKSO0o]

Once the new theromstat was in she was fine, but I wanted to tackle the radiator mounting problem. Being an MPi with a normal engine swap ment that the oil filter and dizy foul the front mounted rad. So the oil filter is remoted to...



However the dizzy still fouls, so I intend on removing the bottom mount and re-welding about a inch to the right.

But me being me got carried away and decided to try and sort out the excess wiring looms left behind from the ecu and so. But I ran out of time due to coming over to the UK for a 6 week course.

She is currently sat in the garage at home like this...

[o0OWILKSO0o]

Oh and I fitted the chrome wiper brightwork kit before I left.

[o0OWILKSO0o]

Head lining was pretty scanky so got a replacement from a breaking on here as well as a bottom hose for £45 posted...Bonus

[o0OWILKSO0o]

Plans for the flip front are in motion, Brace bars arrived this morning and Ive got a contact with some hinges and gas struts for a verticle reveare lift...Watch this space