MINI2

dpacker · Nov 16th, 2005, 02:33 AM

Cool picture! Still haven't been on a MINI drive with other MINIs, but I really want to go! My MINI has 4100 miles now. Still love it just as much as the first day.

Hello to everyone! I've been so busy lately that I haven't been here to post for a while. The last cool drive I took with my MINI was to my hometown a while back. The twisty turns were lots of fun. Makes me want to go find some more. The flat land of South Carolina isn't the best platform for a MINI. Poor little guy - he's not getting to live up to his full potential.

Cleaning question - what do you guys use to clean your dash? It doesn't seem like the type of dash that you should use Armor All on. Any suggestions?

Have a good night,

Debbie

Quote: Originally Posted by am0eba

Hey again!

Judy and I just got back from a wonderful three-day interstate run put on by out local club, SCMM.

Judy took lots of pics and put together a huge slideshow with almost 200 images!

How's everybody else doin'? Anyone planning to attend Phil Wicks' Golden Jubilee event at Laguna Seca (Mazda Raceway) in Monterey, California on December 14? Looks to be quite an event.

How 'bout AMVIV 3 (A Miini Vacation in Vegas) next March? We're planning on both of these, and would love to see some March 05 Builders there!

_Dave_

AprilWhine · Nov 16th, 2005, 10:52 AM

Debbie, I wipe the dash with the leftover paper towel I used to clean the windows.

Works fine.

Check out the Devil's Backbone thread in the MA forum, that was western VA. Close enough you could have attended. My local club is thinking of doing a similar tour in the spring.

Tazminia · Nov 25th, 2005, 03:42 AM

Hey guys and gals,

I just stopped by to wish you all Happy Holidays, starting with Turkey Day today.
It sounds like almost everyone here still thinks as highly of their MINIs as much as we do here at home-9 months later no less! We haven't done much to ours lately other than drive it whenever we get the chance, except to buy a pair of those vinyl graphics eyeballs that go under the bonnet. (hopefully Santa will see how badly we want some chrome goodies)

Deb, I (kinda sorta) do what AW does and use paper towels, but I spray a clean one with the window cleaner (not the dash, but the towel) and add those to my used window towels to clean around the door jambs, door hinges and around the boot seal area.

As for all of you lucky enough to go on long runs..color us jealous. We don't live anywhere remotely close to clubs that go on runs so we probably won't be going on any next year either. We're hoping someone in our nearby -and larger- towns start one up so we can join in on the fun! Keep taking those pics of the scenic places you have been traveling to. We love looking at those!

Again, I hope you all have a safe and happy holiday season!!
Taz

Johnny L · Nov 26th, 2005, 03:47 AM

. . . Too soon? . . .

Hey, March Builders! Happy to report little if any trouble. A small rattle near the speedo, but it seems intermittent. Overall, I've had a great Motoring experience. Love the JCW suspension and have absolutely no regrets about the specs. No trouble at all with the 15% pulley and the Alta CAI. AND, with the colder weather, the performance is kicked up a notch. BOOM! Take care, all!

crosebud · Nov 26th, 2005, 05:33 PM

Hey guys,

Nice to hear from all of you. Loved the photos, Dave.

Johnny, I'd give her just a bit more time . . .

Was out and about in heavy Thanksgiving traffic the last couple of days. Rainy slick highways yesterday morning. Gotta get my rear windshield wiper fixed. It disintegrated in my hands one day while I was wiping the windshield. Hadn't even used it before. Other problems are all my doing. I scraped the passenger side mirror, and slightly scuffed one of those plastic black wheel guard thingies--getting in and out of my very very tight "batcave" garage here in the big city. So I may be ordering a few small parts in the near future. Otherwise, no problems---oh, except when I sit in the driver's seat I often hear a little snap/click sound--something in the seat cushion. I wonder how big a deal it would be for MINI to fix it.

Anyway, alive and well and glad to hear others are as well!

dpacker · Dec 15th, 2005, 06:36 PM

Happy Holidays March Group!

Thanks for the advice on the dash cleaning. That sounds like a good thing to do with the window cleaner and towels.

My MINI still doesn't have 5000 miles yet! I'm only up to about 4400. I guess I need to drive it more. When the weather is yucky (or I'm in a hurry), I run out and get in my car that's just parked in the driveway. It's quicker than getting the MINI out of the garage. When we had the garage put up, we opted for roll-up style doors instead of remote-operated ones because we weren't going to be putting anything in it that's driven a lot...but that was before the MINIs! For some reason I can't make myself sell my other car! :-) Doing so would help get some more miles on my MINI though!

Did anyone from this thread participate in the scavenger hunt through MINI.com. Had it not been for each weeks hunt starting at midnight on Monday, it would have been worth trying. There was something fishy with that though. The people at the top of the list had so little time invested. It was almost like the knew ahead of time and was ready to go. It was still kind of fun though. I participated in the first couple of rounds.

Well, just wanted to say hello and wish everyone a happy holiday season. Hope everyone is still enjoying their MINIs. I love mine!

Debbie

Tazminia · Dec 20th, 2005, 02:01 AM

Howdy fellow Marchers,

Just a quick hello and Happy Holidays to all of you.
Also wanted to pass along my wifes first *almost* mishap with her Mini. We had our first snow here recently that was enough to make driving hazardous. Well, add that to the fact that she is not afraid to drive that lil thing quickly and it equaled her first 360 degree spin in her clinic parking lot. She called me on our phone immediately afterwards to tell me she didn't a darned thing but her heart was going faster than the revmeter!

So...she learned that there is a difference between "too fast" and "too fast for conditions".
Alls well that (spins-360degrees-and) ends well.

Please, all of you drive carefully enough to enjoy the Holiday Season!
Taz

erickvonzipper · Dec 20th, 2005, 09:29 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by Tazminia

and it equaled her first 360 degree spin in her clinic parking lot.

Well, I guess if you're gonna find the limits of adhesion by doing an unexpected 360, a (hopefully empty) parking lot would be the place to do it. =o)

Zip

am0eba · Dec 21st, 2005, 12:10 AM

That's me piloting Murray around the Andretti Hairpin at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca!

Darling wife Judy surpassed herself with making this longtime dream of mine come true - we made a week-long winter vacation of it, driving up the California Coast from Los Angeles to Monterey with a bunch of friends from our local MINI club - taking two days' worth of twisty roads, beautiful scenery and great food to get there.

I participated in the Phil Wicks Golden Jubilee High Performance Driver Eductaion program, got placed in the intermediate group, and actually improved all day long! We had six 20 minute track sessions with classroom instruction in between. For two of the six sessions, I had an instructor in the car with me, providing encouragement and giving advice that was amazingly helpful.

Turns out playing Gran Turismo 2, 3, and 4 on the Playstation (and PS2) actually prepared me pretty well for the track! I "knew" the course so well, I could concentrate on improving my line and trying to be smooth.

Judy spent most of her day all over the infield taking pictures, and got some doozies! She also was able to drive Murray during the lunchtime touring laps (low speeds - no helmets) while I took pics from the passenger seat!

Check out our massive slide shows!

I'm still all wobbly from the experience!

Happy Holidays to all!

_Dave_

Johnny L · Dec 28th, 2005, 04:59 AM

Hey, Dave! Looks like great fun. One of these days I'm going to do something like that--I SWEAR!!! Dave, did you change your tires for the event?

Hey, all, hope you're having a fun holiday season. I've been motoring when I can, enjoying every moment.

However, right now I'm in a bit of a quandary. I have irreparable damage to one of my Dunlop "fun" flats, and I'm trying to decide what to do. I really don't want to replace one at $250.00. It seems to make more sense to replace all four tires with non runflats at a cost of about $500.00. Then I'd have four brand-new tires. On ther other hand, I have only about 6,500 miles on my current set, and I'll probably get about another 10,000 miles (with the way I drive

). Anyway, if I can't find a slightly used Dunlop runflat here in the next few days, I reckon I'll have to just buy a new one, but I think that I'll get the non-runflat version of the same tire (it's about $100 less!). I guess this is the most sensible choice, but it would be cool to have four brand new tires . . .

Okay, all. Have fun!

am0eba · Dec 28th, 2005, 06:26 AM

JohnnyL,

DITCH THE RUNFLATS!

Seriously, I don't think replacing the one bad tire with a non-runflat version will work; the runflats are constructed differently, and have drastically different handling characteristics. I think your first idea, to replace all 4 tires with non-runflats, is the way to go.

Per Phil Wicks advice, and as I mentioned previously, I replaced my Dunlop SP9000 perfromance runflats with Kumho Ectsa SPTs. I had about 1500 miles on these when I did the track day at Laguna Seca, and they performed very well. They got a good workout, and got me back home without noticable degredation. They're not the most aggressive looking tire around, but they held their own.

If you do go for non-runflats, be sure to get a portable air compressor and some tire goo. I got the Continental kit from Tire Rack,. It's compact, but apparently can only be used with the built-in goo, so it has limited utility. I'd probably go for the fix-a-flat kit from MINI Mania if I was getting it now.

Good Luck!

_Dave_

dpacker · Dec 29th, 2005, 03:24 PM

Hi Johnny,

Good luck with the tire situation. If it were me, and it were only an extra $250 to replace all four tires, I would probably go for it. I say that because I drove my MINI with my husband's Pirelli runflats for almost two months and then we put those Dunlops back on my MINI. HUGE DIFFERENCE! It's funny. You would think that the more expensive setup would drive better, but that's not the case. His Pirelli runflats are SO MUCH SMOOTHER than my Dunlops. Then again, if you can find one for a good deal and you can get a lot more miles out of them, that's a good point too. :-) I think it depends on where you live too. Here in SC, the roads are horrible, so smooth tires are important.

Only four more days of vacation and my MINI hasn't left the driveway yet! But that's okay, he's going out for a ride later this week...he just doesn't know it yet! And I just don't know where yet! :-)

Happy New Year everyone!

Johnny - if you do decide to switch tires, let me know if you notice a big difference.

Debbie

Quote: Originally Posted by Johnny L

However, right now I'm in a bit of a quandary. I have irreparable damage to one of my Dunlop "fun" flats, and I'm trying to decide what to do. I really don't want to replace one at $250.00. It seems to make more sense to replace all four tires with non runflats at a cost of about $500.00. Then I'd have four brand-new tires. On ther other hand, I have only about 6,500 miles on my current set, and I'll probably get about another 10,000 miles (with the way I drive

). Anyway, if I can't find a slightly used Dunlop runflat here in the next few days, I reckon I'll have to just buy a new one, but I think that I'll get the non-runflat version of the same tire (it's about $100 less!). I guess this is the most sensible choice, but it would be cool to have four brand new tires . . .

Okay, all. Have fun!

Johnny L · Jan 3rd, 2006, 05:04 AM

Folks:

My brother-in-law has just received his BRG/White MINI Cooper (it's actually a December build) from South Bay MINI. Aaron is a physician, and he really doesn't have a lot of time to post a lot online, so I asked if I could "out" him; he graciously accepted. Anyway, he's very happy with the car--it's actually his first new car. He named it Zelena, which is Russian for green. We had talked a lot about it before he ordred, and he decided to go with a real spartan set up; the only option he chose was the chrome interior. He went with the cloth seats and the anthracite interior.

So, if you're around Noe Valley in San Francisco, and you see this MINI, give him a friendly wave!

AprilWhine · Jan 3rd, 2006, 10:38 AM

A Spartan spec is still a MINI.

The only option my hubby chose on his MCS was the automatic.

Johnny L · Jan 3rd, 2006, 06:30 PM

Yes, it is indeed a MINI. In fact, I was struck by how fine the '06 seems. The materials seem very rich and uncompromised. MINI is doing such a great job of QC, I had to keep reminding myself that this car is well under $20k, and you get AC and a CD player! And for driving around the crowded streets of San Francisco, the extra power and stiffer clutch of the S probably are an annoyance. Yeah, no matter how you configure your car, you sure get a lot when you get a MINI!

In other news, I have about 30 miles on the Yokohama AVS ES 100s (non-runflat), and I can already tell the improvement. I won't say that the ride is "softer". Rather, it feels more natural and positive; these tires respond more precisely to driver input. Noise level is about the same as the Dunlops. Again, these are 17". Now, if the roads here in CA would just dry out a little, I could really see what they can do!

am0eba · Feb 14th, 2006, 12:58 AM

Hi gang! I just visited the March '06 build thread. Brought back memories...

I've got several thousand miles on my Kumho SPTs, and have decided that although they're miles better than the runflats, I don't really like them. Our club had an impromptu run up Mount Baldy and along Glendora Ridge Road yesterday - loads of fun, but I noticed that my Kumhos were making more noise than anyone in my group on the twisties...

On another front, I just got my first scheduled oil service - and the dealer performed an adjustment of the bump stops on my convertible top as part of a recall. (I didn't think to ask which build dates were affected by the recall, but if you're part of the March '05 build group and have a cabrio, this recall's for you.)

Weather here in sunny SoCal has been amazingly good: low to mid 80's (around 28C) for several days now, and open-motoring has never been finer!

I'm scheduled to go to Boston, Massachusetts next weekend for business - they just got clobbered with 2.5 feet of snow!

I've been enjoying the White Roof Radio podcasts lately - check 'em out at whiteroofradio.com ... After hearing Randy Webb talk about what he's do to a Cooper S and why, I'm thinking real hard about a 15% reduction supercharger pulley....

Oh yeah, Judy and I have made our hotel and event reservations for AMVIV (A MINI Vacation In Vegas) in March. Hope to see some of you there!

... Hmmm... I didn't realize I had so much to share... Our club is starting to look into what we can do to participate in the California Dreamin' event in September. There's definite interest in sharing some of our lovely SoCal twisties with our international motoring friends.

Okay... done for now...

_Dave_

AprilWhine · Feb 14th, 2006, 01:03 AM

Glad to hear we'll meet in Sept Dave. Fuzzy and I are in for the whole trip on CA Dreamin.

am0eba · Feb 14th, 2006, 03:37 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by AprilWhine

Glad to hear we'll meet in Sept Dave. Fuzzy and I are in for the whole trip on CA Dreamin.

I hope so, but there's still a good chance that I'll be away on a work trip then... It's a drag, but it's out of my control. Even if I'm not there, a bunch of good folks from our club will be on hand to make you feel at home, and show off some nice twisties...

Here's hoping I *can* be there - it sounds like a blast. Will you be driving from Virginia? I understand that many of our international visitors will be renting Mustangs of all things!

(I just edited for spelling: "MUSTNAGS"... hmmm...)

_Dave_

AprilWhine · Feb 14th, 2006, 09:57 AM

Actually, a lot of the Brits are renting Jeeps.

So we can go off road in Death Valley. I think Fuzzy and I are going to be in the "fly and drive" category, since it's a hard three day drive from VA. Then we have to go back, and that just takes too much vacation time.

geotrash · Feb 18th, 2006, 07:03 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by AprilWhine

Actually, a lot of the Brits are renting Jeeps.

So we can go off road in Death Valley. I think Fuzzy and I are going to be in the "fly and drive" category, since it's a hard three day drive from VA. Then we have to go back, and that just takes too much vacation time.

You guys are still here?!?! Just thought I'd stop in and see how the new deliveries were getting along, and lo and behold my March '05 brethren (and sistren) have not let me down. Glad you all are still chatting it up!

FWIW, we have 16,000 miles on Chester now. Only 2 small problems- the ipod adapter quit and the little Mini badge on the steering wheel started curling up. Other than that, it's awesome!

Nov 16th, 2005, 10:52 AM	#2462 (permalink)
AprilWhine Loves the Fuzzy One Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Gypsy Local Time: 01:48 PM Posts: 16,078 Offline	Debbie, I wipe the dash with the leftover paper towel I used to clean the windows. Works fine. Check out the Devil's Backbone thread in the MA forum, that was western VA. Close enough you could have attended. My local club is thinking of doing a similar tour in the spring. Global Moderator

Nov 25th, 2005, 03:42 AM	#2463 (permalink)
Tazminia 333...I'm only half evil Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Illinois Local Time: 02:48 PM Posts: 577 Offline	Hello to all the March '05 people Hey guys and gals, I just stopped by to wish you all Happy Holidays, starting with Turkey Day today. It sounds like almost everyone here still thinks as highly of their MINIs as much as we do here at home-9 months later no less! We haven't done much to ours lately other than drive it whenever we get the chance, except to buy a pair of those vinyl graphics eyeballs that go under the bonnet. (hopefully Santa will see how badly we want some chrome goodies) Deb, I (kinda sorta) do what AW does and use paper towels, but I spray a clean one with the window cleaner (not the dash, but the towel) and add those to my used window towels to clean around the door jambs, door hinges and around the boot seal area. As for all of you lucky enough to go on long runs..color us jealous. We don't live anywhere remotely close to clubs that go on runs so we probably won't be going on any next year either. We're hoping someone in our nearby -and larger- towns start one up so we can join in on the fun! Keep taking those pics of the scenic places you have been traveling to. We love looking at those! Again, I hope you all have a safe and happy holiday season!! Taz

Nov 26th, 2005, 03:47 AM	#2464 (permalink)
Johnny L MINI2 Senior Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: S.F. Bay Area Local Time: 12:48 PM Posts: 404 Offline	Wudda Ya Think? . . . . . . Too soon? . . . Hey, March Builders! Happy to report little if any trouble. A small rattle near the speedo, but it seems intermittent. Overall, I've had a great Motoring experience. Love the JCW suspension and have absolutely no regrets about the specs. No trouble at all with the 15% pulley and the Alta CAI. AND, with the colder weather, the performance is kicked up a notch. BOOM! Take care, all! Hang up and drive! > Black Jack Pictures <

Dec 15th, 2005, 06:36 PM	#2466 (permalink)
dpacker MINI2 Regular Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: East Coast - SC Local Time: 03:48 PM Posts: 227 Offline	Happy Holidays! Happy Holidays March Group! Thanks for the advice on the dash cleaning. That sounds like a good thing to do with the window cleaner and towels. My MINI still doesn't have 5000 miles yet! I'm only up to about 4400. I guess I need to drive it more. When the weather is yucky (or I'm in a hurry), I run out and get in my car that's just parked in the driveway. It's quicker than getting the MINI out of the garage. When we had the garage put up, we opted for roll-up style doors instead of remote-operated ones because we weren't going to be putting anything in it that's driven a lot...but that was before the MINIs! For some reason I can't make myself sell my other car! :-) Doing so would help get some more miles on my MINI though! Did anyone from this thread participate in the scavenger hunt through MINI.com. Had it not been for each weeks hunt starting at midnight on Monday, it would have been worth trying. There was something fishy with that though. The people at the top of the list had so little time invested. It was almost like the knew ahead of time and was ready to go. It was still kind of fun though. I participated in the first couple of rounds. Well, just wanted to say hello and wish everyone a happy holiday season. Hope everyone is still enjoying their MINIs. I love mine! Debbie

Dec 20th, 2005, 02:01 AM	#2467 (permalink)
Tazminia 333...I'm only half evil Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Illinois Local Time: 02:48 PM Posts: 577 Offline	Happy Holidays Howdy fellow Marchers, Just a quick hello and Happy Holidays to all of you. Also wanted to pass along my wifes first almost mishap with her Mini. We had our first snow here recently that was enough to make driving hazardous. Well, add that to the fact that she is not afraid to drive that lil thing quickly and it equaled her first 360 degree spin in her clinic parking lot. She called me on our phone immediately afterwards to tell me she didn't a darned thing but her heart was going faster than the revmeter! So...she learned that there is a difference between "too fast" and "too fast for conditions". Alls well that (spins-360degrees-and) ends well. Please, all of you drive carefully enough to enjoy the Holiday Season! Taz

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Use this area to discuss your MINI's delivery

Nov 16th, 2005, 02:33 AM	#2461
dpacker MINI2 Regular Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: East Coast - SC Local Time: 03:48 PM Posts: 227 Offline	Cool picture! Still haven't been on a MINI drive with other MINIs, but I really want to go! My MINI has 4100 miles now. Still love it just as much as the first day. Hello to everyone! I've been so busy lately that I haven't been here to post for a while. The last cool drive I took with my MINI was to my hometown a while back. The twisty turns were lots of fun. Makes me want to go find some more. The flat land of South Carolina isn't the best platform for a MINI. Poor little guy - he's not getting to live up to his full potential. Cleaning question - what do you guys use to clean your dash? It doesn't seem like the type of dash that you should use Armor All on. Any suggestions? Have a good night, Debbie Quote: Originally Posted by am0eba Hey again! Judy and I just got back from a wonderful three-day interstate run put on by out local club, SCMM. Judy took lots of pics and put together a huge slideshow with almost 200 images! How's everybody else doin'? Anyone planning to attend Phil Wicks' Golden Jubilee event at Laguna Seca (Mazda Raceway) in Monterey, California on December 14? Looks to be quite an event. How 'bout AMVIV 3 (A Miini Vacation in Vegas) next March? We're planning on both of these, and would love to see some March 05 Builders there! _Dave_

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Nov 26th, 2005, 05:33 PM	#2465 (permalink)
crosebud MINI2 Regular Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: San Francisco Local Time: 12:48 PM Posts: 107 Offline	Hey guys, Nice to hear from all of you. Loved the photos, Dave. Johnny, I'd give her just a bit more time . . . Was out and about in heavy Thanksgiving traffic the last couple of days. Rainy slick highways yesterday morning. Gotta get my rear windshield wiper fixed. It disintegrated in my hands one day while I was wiping the windshield. Hadn't even used it before. Other problems are all my doing. I scraped the passenger side mirror, and slightly scuffed one of those plastic black wheel guard thingies--getting in and out of my very very tight "batcave" garage here in the big city. So I may be ordering a few small parts in the near future. Otherwise, no problems---oh, except when I sit in the driver's seat I often hear a little snap/click sound--something in the seat cushion. I wonder how big a deal it would be for MINI to fix it. Anyway, alive and well and glad to hear others are as well!

Dec 20th, 2005, 09:29 PM	#2468 (permalink)
erickvonzipper MINI2 Regular Join Date: Feb 2005 Local Time: 02:48 PM Posts: 137 Offline	Quote: Originally Posted by Tazminia and it equaled her first 360 degree spin in her clinic parking lot. Well, I guess if you're gonna find the limits of adhesion by doing an unexpected 360, a (hopefully empty) parking lot would be the place to do it. =o) Zip

Dec 21st, 2005, 12:10 AM	#2469 (permalink)
am0eba the ZERO is silent! Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: San Pedro, CA Local Time: 12:48 PM Posts: 256 Offline	That's me piloting Murray around the Andretti Hairpin at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca! Darling wife Judy surpassed herself with making this longtime dream of mine come true - we made a week-long winter vacation of it, driving up the California Coast from Los Angeles to Monterey with a bunch of friends from our local MINI club - taking two days' worth of twisty roads, beautiful scenery and great food to get there. I participated in the Phil Wicks Golden Jubilee High Performance Driver Eductaion program, got placed in the intermediate group, and actually improved all day long! We had six 20 minute track sessions with classroom instruction in between. For two of the six sessions, I had an instructor in the car with me, providing encouragement and giving advice that was amazingly helpful. Turns out playing Gran Turismo 2, 3, and 4 on the Playstation (and PS2) actually prepared me pretty well for the track! I "knew" the course so well, I could concentrate on improving my line and trying to be smooth. Judy spent most of her day all over the infield taking pictures, and got some doozies! She also was able to drive Murray during the lunchtime touring laps (low speeds - no helmets) while I took pics from the passenger seat! Check out our massive slide shows! I'm still all wobbly from the experience! Happy Holidays to all! _Dave_ "Murray" 2005 MCSC (click here for more) "F" the ineffable!

Dec 28th, 2005, 04:59 AM	#2470 (permalink)
Johnny L MINI2 Senior Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: S.F. Bay Area Local Time: 12:48 PM Posts: 404 Offline	Hey, Dave! Looks like great fun. One of these days I'm going to do something like that--I SWEAR!!! Dave, did you change your tires for the event? Hey, all, hope you're having a fun holiday season. I've been motoring when I can, enjoying every moment. However, right now I'm in a bit of a quandary. I have irreparable damage to one of my Dunlop "fun" flats, and I'm trying to decide what to do. I really don't want to replace one at $250.00. It seems to make more sense to replace all four tires with non runflats at a cost of about $500.00. Then I'd have four brand-new tires. On ther other hand, I have only about 6,500 miles on my current set, and I'll probably get about another 10,000 miles (with the way I drive ). Anyway, if I can't find a slightly used Dunlop runflat here in the next few days, I reckon I'll have to just buy a new one, but I think that I'll get the non-runflat version of the same tire (it's about $100 less!). I guess this is the most sensible choice, but it would be cool to have four brand new tires . . . Okay, all. Have fun! Hang up and drive! > Black Jack Pictures <

Dec 28th, 2005, 06:26 AM	#2471 (permalink)
am0eba the ZERO is silent! Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: San Pedro, CA Local Time: 12:48 PM Posts: 256 Offline	JohnnyL, DITCH THE RUNFLATS! Seriously, I don't think replacing the one bad tire with a non-runflat version will work; the runflats are constructed differently, and have drastically different handling characteristics. I think your first idea, to replace all 4 tires with non-runflats, is the way to go. Per Phil Wicks advice, and as I mentioned previously, I replaced my Dunlop SP9000 perfromance runflats with Kumho Ectsa SPTs. I had about 1500 miles on these when I did the track day at Laguna Seca, and they performed very well. They got a good workout, and got me back home without noticable degredation. They're not the most aggressive looking tire around, but they held their own. If you do go for non-runflats, be sure to get a portable air compressor and some tire goo. I got the Continental kit from Tire Rack,. It's compact, but apparently can only be used with the built-in goo, so it has limited utility. I'd probably go for the fix-a-flat kit from MINI Mania if I was getting it now. Good Luck! _Dave_ "Murray" 2005 MCSC (click here for more) "F" the ineffable!

Dec 29th, 2005, 03:24 PM	#2472 (permalink)
dpacker MINI2 Regular Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: East Coast - SC Local Time: 03:48 PM Posts: 227 Offline	Hi Johnny, Good luck with the tire situation. If it were me, and it were only an extra $250 to replace all four tires, I would probably go for it. I say that because I drove my MINI with my husband's Pirelli runflats for almost two months and then we put those Dunlops back on my MINI. HUGE DIFFERENCE! It's funny. You would think that the more expensive setup would drive better, but that's not the case. His Pirelli runflats are SO MUCH SMOOTHER than my Dunlops. Then again, if you can find one for a good deal and you can get a lot more miles out of them, that's a good point too. :-) I think it depends on where you live too. Here in SC, the roads are horrible, so smooth tires are important. Only four more days of vacation and my MINI hasn't left the driveway yet! But that's okay, he's going out for a ride later this week...he just doesn't know it yet! And I just don't know where yet! :-) Happy New Year everyone! Johnny - if you do decide to switch tires, let me know if you notice a big difference. Debbie Quote: Originally Posted by Johnny L However, right now I'm in a bit of a quandary. I have irreparable damage to one of my Dunlop "fun" flats, and I'm trying to decide what to do. I really don't want to replace one at $250.00. It seems to make more sense to replace all four tires with non runflats at a cost of about $500.00. Then I'd have four brand-new tires. On ther other hand, I have only about 6,500 miles on my current set, and I'll probably get about another 10,000 miles (with the way I drive ). Anyway, if I can't find a slightly used Dunlop runflat here in the next few days, I reckon I'll have to just buy a new one, but I think that I'll get the non-runflat version of the same tire (it's about $100 less!). I guess this is the most sensible choice, but it would be cool to have four brand new tires . . . Okay, all. Have fun!

Jan 3rd, 2006, 05:04 AM	#2473 (permalink)
Johnny L MINI2 Senior Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: S.F. Bay Area Local Time: 12:48 PM Posts: 404 Offline	Honorary Member of March Build Group? Folks: My brother-in-law has just received his BRG/White MINI Cooper (it's actually a December build) from South Bay MINI. Aaron is a physician, and he really doesn't have a lot of time to post a lot online, so I asked if I could "out" him; he graciously accepted. Anyway, he's very happy with the car--it's actually his first new car. He named it Zelena, which is Russian for green. We had talked a lot about it before he ordred, and he decided to go with a real spartan set up; the only option he chose was the chrome interior. He went with the cloth seats and the anthracite interior. So, if you're around Noe Valley in San Francisco, and you see this MINI, give him a friendly wave! Hang up and drive! > Black Jack Pictures <

Jan 3rd, 2006, 10:38 AM	#2474 (permalink)
AprilWhine Loves the Fuzzy One Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Gypsy Local Time: 01:48 PM Posts: 16,078 Offline	A Spartan spec is still a MINI. The only option my hubby chose on his MCS was the automatic. Global Moderator

Jan 3rd, 2006, 06:30 PM	#2475 (permalink)
Johnny L MINI2 Senior Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: S.F. Bay Area Local Time: 12:48 PM Posts: 404 Offline	Yes, it is indeed a MINI. In fact, I was struck by how fine the '06 seems. The materials seem very rich and uncompromised. MINI is doing such a great job of QC, I had to keep reminding myself that this car is well under $20k, and you get AC and a CD player! And for driving around the crowded streets of San Francisco, the extra power and stiffer clutch of the S probably are an annoyance. Yeah, no matter how you configure your car, you sure get a lot when you get a MINI! In other news, I have about 30 miles on the Yokohama AVS ES 100s (non-runflat), and I can already tell the improvement. I won't say that the ride is "softer". Rather, it feels more natural and positive; these tires respond more precisely to driver input. Noise level is about the same as the Dunlops. Again, these are 17". Now, if the roads here in CA would just dry out a little, I could really see what they can do! Hang up and drive! > Black Jack Pictures <

Feb 14th, 2006, 12:58 AM	#2476 (permalink)
am0eba the ZERO is silent! Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: San Pedro, CA Local Time: 12:48 PM Posts: 256 Offline	Hi gang! I just visited the March '06 build thread. Brought back memories... I've got several thousand miles on my Kumho SPTs, and have decided that although they're miles better than the runflats, I don't really like them. Our club had an impromptu run up Mount Baldy and along Glendora Ridge Road yesterday - loads of fun, but I noticed that my Kumhos were making more noise than anyone in my group on the twisties... On another front, I just got my first scheduled oil service - and the dealer performed an adjustment of the bump stops on my convertible top as part of a recall. (I didn't think to ask which build dates were affected by the recall, but if you're part of the March '05 build group and have a cabrio, this recall's for you.) Weather here in sunny SoCal has been amazingly good: low to mid 80's (around 28C) for several days now, and open-motoring has never been finer! I'm scheduled to go to Boston, Massachusetts next weekend for business - they just got clobbered with 2.5 feet of snow! I've been enjoying the White Roof Radio podcasts lately - check 'em out at whiteroofradio.com ... After hearing Randy Webb talk about what he's do to a Cooper S and why, I'm thinking real hard about a 15% reduction supercharger pulley.... Oh yeah, Judy and I have made our hotel and event reservations for AMVIV (A MINI Vacation In Vegas) in March. Hope to see some of you there! ... Hmmm... I didn't realize I had so much to share... Our club is starting to look into what we can do to participate in the California Dreamin' event in September. There's definite interest in sharing some of our lovely SoCal twisties with our international motoring friends. Okay... done for now... _Dave_ "Murray" 2005 MCSC (click here for more) "F" the ineffable!

Feb 14th, 2006, 01:03 AM	#2477 (permalink)
AprilWhine Loves the Fuzzy One Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Gypsy Local Time: 01:48 PM Posts: 16,078 Offline	Glad to hear we'll meet in Sept Dave. Fuzzy and I are in for the whole trip on CA Dreamin. Global Moderator

Feb 14th, 2006, 03:37 AM	#2478 (permalink)
am0eba the ZERO is silent! Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: San Pedro, CA Local Time: 12:48 PM Posts: 256 Offline	Quote: Originally Posted by AprilWhine Glad to hear we'll meet in Sept Dave. Fuzzy and I are in for the whole trip on CA Dreamin. I hope so, but there's still a good chance that I'll be away on a work trip then... It's a drag, but it's out of my control. Even if I'm not there, a bunch of good folks from our club will be on hand to make you feel at home, and show off some nice twisties... Here's hoping I can be there - it sounds like a blast. Will you be driving from Virginia? I understand that many of our international visitors will be renting Mustangs of all things! (I just edited for spelling: "MUSTNAGS"... hmmm...) _Dave_ "Murray" 2005 MCSC (click here for more) "F" the ineffable!

Feb 14th, 2006, 09:57 AM	#2479 (permalink)
AprilWhine Loves the Fuzzy One Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Gypsy Local Time: 01:48 PM Posts: 16,078 Offline	Actually, a lot of the Brits are renting Jeeps. So we can go off road in Death Valley. I think Fuzzy and I are going to be in the "fly and drive" category, since it's a hard three day drive from VA. Then we have to go back, and that just takes too much vacation time. Global Moderator

Feb 18th, 2006, 07:03 AM	#2480 (permalink)
geotrash MINI2 Newbie Join Date: Apr 2005 Local Time: 12:48 PM Posts: 31 Offline	Quote: Originally Posted by AprilWhine Actually, a lot of the Brits are renting Jeeps. So we can go off road in Death Valley. I think Fuzzy and I are going to be in the "fly and drive" category, since it's a hard three day drive from VA. Then we have to go back, and that just takes too much vacation time. You guys are still here?!?! Just thought I'd stop in and see how the new deliveries were getting along, and lo and behold my March '05 brethren (and sistren) have not let me down. Glad you all are still chatting it up! FWIW, we have 16,000 miles on Chester now. Only 2 small problems- the ipod adapter quit and the little Mini badge on the steering wheel started curling up. Other than that, it's awesome! Attached Thumbnails