Since we’re turning the MINI into a dedicated track car, we gutted most of the interior. The Gen 1 MINI has a huge oval opening in the middle of the door once you remove the door panel. It has a rather sharp edge (protected by a piece of weather stripping) and since we were not …
We didn’t expect to be in the car market so soon, but life tends to throw you curveballs every once in a while. We certainly got one last week when our daughter totaled her Jetta. Fortunately, she walked away with only a minor airbag burn, but the Jetta was a total loss. So we decided …
If you’re removing the carpet from your Gen 1 MINI, here are a couple of helpful hints. Besides the fact that the thick backing makes the entire piece of carpet somewhat unwieldy and hard to maneuver, the last sticking point in removing it will likely be the removal of the accelerator pedal. This image shows …
If your HVAC controls are starting to wear or the screens are starting to go bad (as were mine), the replacement is a simple DIY repair with only minimal tools and skills. With the car powered off — I suppose you should actually disconnect the battery — begin by removing the trim around the HVAC …
Sometimes a mod comes along that’s totally useless, but you have to have it nonetheless. This is one of those. Just use a plastic pry tool to remove the old light fixtures. Plug-in the new ones (use included adapter for Gen 3 cars), and pop them back in place. Easy-peasy. You can even change the lens …
While in Los Angeles last week, I dropped by the Peterson Automotive Museum on Wilshire Blvd. I didn’t have time to visit the vault, but now I have a reason to go back. Check out the amazing collection in the gallery linked below.
When deciding the feature set of the first generation Cooper S, MINI USA decided not to make the rear fog light available in the USA. The rear tail lights of the 2002-2004 cars were actually wired for it (and could be modified to function as additional brake lights), but from 2005-2006 the cars shipped with …
Long-time readers of this blog may remember our Home-Depot inspired DIY splitter from several years ago. We’re still running it today. It’s had several coats of paint and a bit of body fill for some deep scrapes on the bottom, but in general it has held up well to several thousand miles of track use. …
If you have read through this blog, you know we’re huge fans of using data and video to improve driving performance. In this post, we’ll look at options to get OBDII data from your car to your phone. If you are planning to use Harry’s Laptimer, we also suggest you start your shopping journey there. …
At some point, a light bulb is going to burn out on your 996 instrument cluster. My money is on one of the three bulbs that back-light the mileage on the left, speed in the middle, or oil level/time on the right. In my case, it was the left one. The bulb you want is …