The new news 24 thread

[Pete-M]

This week I finally decided to buy myself an R53 Cooper S.

Spent quite some time looking for one with the spec I wanted, and finally found one with all the bits I was looking for - leather, climate, nav, cruise,  xenon, chili pack, sport suspension, pre-facelift, Cooper S only colour (Electric Blue). 

It is bloody good fun. The R53 Cooper S is 20 years old next year. Don't see many like this anymore. 

Only modifications to it are R56 rear trailing arms (stronger), non-runflat Bridgestones and polybushes. 

 

 

[BorniteIdentity]

A good opportunity came up last weekend to upgrade my trailer. I’ve had the Erde 142 since we moved in 2015 and bought purely to move most of our shite to MiL’s to make our house look as minimal and as big as possible. I sold it to an Italian from Bedford for £150 and gave £notmuchmore for this.

I love it. It’s an Erde but for maximum AS points it’s a grey import. My friend bought it in France from a dealer about 10 years ago. It’s been all over Europe and been given a life of adventure I can only dream of, living all over - including Skye. It features gas struts on the lid, a Runrig sticker that I’m having preserved and advertising for his Ill-fated foray into self catering accommodation in France. 
 

The best bit is I can actually see it! I didn’t realise how good I actually was at trailer parking. Before, when guessing blind, I found it doable but difficult. Now it’s a doddle. 

First tip-trip complete and we’re looking forward to some serious campin’ (no G) next year. 

[wuvvum]

Mission complete. 

That's quite enough driving for one weekend. 

[beko1987]

1 hour ago, BorniteIdentity said:

A good opportunity came up last weekend to upgrade my trailer. I’ve had the Erde 142 since we moved in 2015 and bought purely to move most of our shite to MiL’s to make our house look as minimal and as big as possible. I sold it to an Italian from Bedford for £150 and gave £notmuchmore for this.

I love it. It’s an Erde but for maximum AS points it’s a grey import. My friend bought it in France from a dealer about 10 years ago. It’s been all over Europe and been given a life of adventure I can only dream of, living all over - including Skye. It features gas struts on the lid, a Runrig sticker that I’m having preserved and advertising for his Ill-fated foray into self catering accommodation in France. 
 

The best bit is I can actually see it! I didn’t realise how good I actually was at trailer parking. Before, when guessing blind, I found it doable but difficult. Now it’s a doddle. 

First tip-trip complete and we’re looking forward to some serious campin’ (no G) next year. 

Your tip has a roof? 😯 That's well posh

[wuvvum]

3 hours ago, loserone said:

Dibs? Has it got a proper full size sunroof?

It has, although I haven't plucked up the courage to try opening it yet.

Dibs noted - it'll probably be hanging around for a while though, I really do like these.

[wuvvum]

3 hours ago, Timewaster said:

Is that a vinyl roof?!

Yes it is.  Not sure why...

[Fumbler]

Yesterday I thought to myself "boy I like how all my binnacle lights are working"

Then of course, the one in the top left illuminating part of the clock blows today. The phone camera's exposure doesn't show it very well. At least I have a spare.

[Cheezey]

4 hours ago, Pete-M said:

 

Only modifications to it are R56 rear trailing arms (stronger), 

 

That’s a curious thing. Many, many years ago a colleague had an earlyish Cooper S that broke a rear trailing arm. We thought it was because he handbraked into a kerb in the snow a few weeks previous. 
I remember having a headache at BMW as what they wanted to order was different to what was on the car. Had to find one on the forecourt to look at. From memory the original was cast and the updated was two layers pressed in a U. 

[yes oui si]

On 24/09/2021 at 11:52, yes oui si said:

938 miles from 6am yesterday to 5am today, napped for 90 minutes at Scotch Corner on the way home. 

Volvo Repaired, MOT'd and to my friend to use until she's sorted. 

Corolla to Rhyl. 

MG home with me. 

Love it, proper sleek barge. 

Finally got the audi wheels on. 

I liked the steels, these work much better:

[alcyonecorporation]

5 hours ago, BorniteIdentity said:

A good opportunity came up last weekend to upgrade my trailer. I’ve had the Erde 142 since we moved in 2015 and bought purely to move most of our shite to MiL’s to make our house look as minimal and as big as possible. I sold it to an Italian from Bedford for £150 and gave £notmuchmore for this.

I love it. It’s an Erde but for maximum AS points it’s a grey import. My friend bought it in France from a dealer about 10 years ago. It’s been all over Europe and been given a life of adventure I can only dream of, living all over - including Skye. It features gas struts on the lid, a Runrig sticker that I’m having preserved and advertising for his Ill-fated foray into self catering accommodation in France. 
 

The best bit is I can actually see it! I didn’t realise how good I actually was at trailer parking. Before, when guessing blind, I found it doable but difficult. Now it’s a doddle. 

First tip-trip complete and we’re looking forward to some serious campin’ (no G) next year. 

not [M] erde 

[alcyonecorporation]

Took a picture of some Volvo with a DSLR for the first time.

[brownnova]

6 hours ago, yes oui si said:

Finally got the audi wheels on. 

I liked the steels, these work much better:

 

Steels looked much better IMHO. 

[Angrydicky]

No, those wheels look absolutely dreadful, don't suit the car at all, nor does the gangsta "stance".

Shame, don't see many ZT-Ts anymore.

[Cord Fourteener]

7 minutes ago, Angrydicky said:

Shame, don't see many ZT-Ts anymore.

If I had the money (which I definitely don't) I might end up looking for the v8 ZT-T and converting the outside so it looks like a boggo 75.

But then each to their own.  I like the factory looks, I'm not into the goofy comic stance either but hey it can always be unmodified in its next ownership. At least its still a ZT-T on the road in use and loved. 

[Split_Pin]

20 minutes ago, Angrydicky said:

No

EFA

[yes oui si]

40 minutes ago, Angrydicky said:

No, those wheels look absolutely dreadful, don't suit the car at all, nor does the gangsta "stance".

Shame, don't see many ZT-Ts anymore.

The suspension isn't any lower than before, and it's back on factory sized tyres so it actually rides a little higher than it did on the steels. 

Nothing 'gangsta' about it tbh 🤷🏾‍♀️

[yes oui si]

31 minutes ago, Cord Fourteener said:

If I had the money (which I definitely don't) I might end up looking for the v8 ZT-T and converting the outside so it looks like a boggo 75.

But then each to their own.  I like the factory looks, I'm not into the goofy comic stance either but hey it can always be unmodified in its next ownership. At least its still a ZT-T on the road in use and loved. 

Not really, no. Not without a fair bit of work. 

[cobblers]

13 hours ago, Pete-M said:

This week I finally decided to buy myself an R53 Cooper S.

Spent quite some time looking for one with the spec I wanted, and finally found one with all the bits I was looking for - leather, climate, nav, cruise,  xenon, chili pack, sport suspension, pre-facelift, Cooper S only colour (Electric Blue). 

It is bloody good fun. The R53 Cooper S is 20 years old next year. Don't see many like this anymore. 

Only modifications to it are R56 rear trailing arms (stronger), non-runflat Bridgestones and polybushes. 

 

Nice! I regret being an "it's not a real mini" bore when these were current and totally overlooked them.

A friend had one just like this about 10-15 years ago. It needed a set of tyres and runflats were astronomical money back then so on balance I told him to just put some normal tyres on instead and get a can of tyre foam in the boot for all the good it'd do anyway. I think we ended up with some midrange like Toyos or Kumhos, and it absolutely transformed the car - it felt like you'd taken off a set of hobnailed boots and put some proper running shoes on. The guy was proper impressed that he'd saved about £500 and made the car a lot better to drive.

A few months later it went in to the main dealers for a service and they said it was "very very dangerous" to drive with non-runflats and charged him £1000 to take off the new tyres and put some much worse new ones on. 

I'm sure one of the workshop lads there ended up with a nice set of part worns, too.

[dave j]

10 hours ago, yes oui si said:

Finally got the audi wheels on. 

I liked the steels, these work much better:

 

I love it! What did it look like with steels on? 

[alcyonecorporation]

17 hours ago, Pete-M said:

This week I finally decided to buy myself an R53 Cooper S.

Spent quite some time looking for one with the spec I wanted, and finally found one with all the bits I was looking for - leather, climate, nav, cruise,  xenon, chili pack, sport suspension, pre-facelift, Cooper S only colour (Electric Blue). 

It is bloody good fun. The R53 Cooper S is 20 years old next year. Don't see many like this anymore. 

Only modifications to it are R56 rear trailing arms (stronger), non-runflat Bridgestones and polybushes. 

 

 

Those photos came alright, eh. 

It is an amusing vehicle, the R53. 

I think their time is upon us; I hated the Fisher Price pastiche 'My First Car' styling at the time but they were hiding some excellent chassis tuning underneath all the Cool Britannia puff. 

Pete's is mechanically excellent - it drives like an 18 month old car. The blower whine is pitch perfect, like a foley artist had to insert it into an action sequence. Weirdly, the power delivery itself isn't as flat as you'd imagine - it behaves more like a cammed 2 litre than a blown 1.6. 

[yes oui si]

35 minutes ago, dave j said:

I love it! What did it look like with steels on? 

[barefoot]

Susie came home at the weekend.

 

 

Naming cars etc.

[Pete-M]

5 hours ago, cobblers said:

Nice! I regret being an "it's not a real mini" bore when these were current and totally overlooked them.

 

There was a lot of that about. 

I've had a few "real" minis and other than the hilarious handling there's not much about them that appeals to me. 

The BMW minis also corner hilariously well, but they're comfy to drive and lots more refined, as you'd expect from a 40 year newer design. 

I never understood the huge dislike of these from old car folk. Ok, the BMW mini isn't as tiny as the original but people are a fair bit larger than they were in the 1950s. 😀

[Pete-M]

1 hour ago, alcyonecorporation said:

Those photos came alright, eh. 

 

Yeah. They're better than ones I'd have taken, wot wiv bein' an ebay fotographist an all.

[Timewaster]

40 minutes ago, Pete-M said:

There was a lot of that about. 

I've had a few "real" minis and other than the hilarious handling there's not much about them that appeals to me. 

The BMW minis also corner hilariously well, but they're comfy to drive and lots more refined, as you'd expect from a 40 year newer design. 

I never understood the huge dislike of these from old car folk. Ok, the BMW mini isn't as tiny as the original but people are a fair bit larger than they were in the 1950s. 😀

I mentioned this before, early 2000s I was involved with a local mini group. I wasn't  full on but I went to the more interesting sounding events. 

One guy has a beautiful black mk1 Cooper S and there were people who kissed his arse constantly and looked at him like he was some sort of God. 

One meeting, I think it was a pub quiz, he turned up in a Bini Cooper. He still had the mk1, just left it at home. 

Some went out to have a look and sit in, but I saw people actually turn their back on him and refused to speak to him. 

The same people who sucked up to him before. 

I turned up in a Sierra and no one said a word. (mini was in bits). 

That was the last meet I went to, and proved everything you ever suspected about one make car clubs. 

[Tadhg Tiogar]

On 11/20/2021 at 3:18 PM, grogee said:

Michelins, I hope? LJK Setright would be rotating in his grave if not. 

Forgot to add that the CX front discs and calipers were found to be still alright. Couldn't see enough of the pads, though, and some of that pad sensor wiring is looking a touch frayed....:

 

[Sigmund Fraud]

1 hour ago, Pete-M said:

I never understood the huge dislike of these from old car folk. 

Is it time for some ironic "100% BMC FREE" stickers ?

[grogee]

1 hour ago, Tadhg Tiogar said:

Forgot to add that the CX front discs and calipers were found to be still alright. Couldn't see enough of the pads, though, and some of that pad sensor wiring is looking a touch frayed....:

 

They look like mighty 4-pot calipers on fairly small discs (compared to modernz). Bet it stops pretty well, I guess the magic suspension stops it squatting under hard braking?

[wuvvum]

Well it sort of works.

Didn't seem to want to open any further than that.  It closed again OK though, much to my relief.

The fan belt is indeed as loose as a hooker's whatsit, so I'll be getting that tightened.  Will need to get the car up on the ramps though as the alternator mounting bolt isn't really accessible from the top.

FSH:

That was about 40K ago so on mileage at least the belt should have a bit of life left in it.

The exhaust blow is coming from the downpipe near the manifold, which would explain why I had to drive all the way home with the heating on "recirculate".  It looks like it's been welded before and is blowing on the edge of the welded patch.  It's not a big hole but it does make a bit of noise being so close to the engine so that'll need sorting too - I'm going to Gun Gum it temporarily but it'll eventually need a new pipe - I'm hoping the bolts will come out without snapping, they look a bit heftier than the ones on the Swift to be fair.

The Charade drove back from the West Midlands happily enough.  It's surprisingly decent on the motorway for a 1-litre automatic - the engine is a bit buzzy as you'd expect, but it doesn't feel dangerously underpowered at all.  Off the line it's positively nippy.  The only issue that's going to need immediate attention is the heater is almost completely useless at anything above town speeds.  There's no temp gauge so I can't tell whether that's because the engine is running cold or the heater matrix is partially blocked.  I'm going to plug the laptop in and see if it'll read live data from the car so I can see what the coolant temp is doing.  When stationary it gets warm enough to defrost the windscreen, which is the essential thing.  Otherwise I rather like it - it's ridiculously easy to drive and surprisingly spacious for such a tiny car - I can fit in the back OK even with the driver's seat fully aft.  It used a bit more fuel than I was expecting, but then it's not really designed for long motorway journeys - also if the engine is running cool that will probably have an adverse effect on the fuel economy.  

 

[trigger]

The little green Fiesta is looking a lot less green now.

It's remarkable how tidy it was under all that green moss and algae but I've now hit a snag, It won't rev over 3800 rpm and smokes when on the limiter, the ecu comes up with a P132B fault code which is a turbo actuator or boost fault? I'm not sure how deep i want to go into fixing that yet as i have no experience in them? other than a needing a new windscreen it's almost ready for a mot now though.