The hood on the BMW has one of the worst paint jobs I’ve ever seen. It’s like the history of paint. I think there’s at least 4 layers, the top coat being a very cheap, very thick respray one of the previous owners had done after something fell on the hood. The paint was burned …
I always thought the stock grille on the Cooper S was a bit of a contradiction. It wasn’t all chrome and it wasn’t all painted. It just looked incomplete. I like the look of the grille included with the Aero Kit, but didn’t want to go through the expense of replacing both bumper covers and …
I went in to Behe Performance for a track-day inspection. I got that, but I also got a couple of surprises — one pleasant and one expensive. I knew my car was leaking oil. You could see it dripping at the drain plug. But it turns out the pan seal was going bad and the …
There is a very easy and inexpensive way to get XM radio in your ’02-06 MINI. The install process described below can be done with simple hand tools, and takes less than 20 minutes. I became interested in satellite radio for a couple of reasons: first and foremost, it’s a gadget and I’m weak when …
Driving on the track in the extreme cold, I noticed how the supercharger really responded to the cold. I did some research and found that the stock intercooler and diverter has a thermal efficiency (TE) of only about 65%. Before paying a lot of money for more surface area, why not try to improve TE? …
The development of the Garage-mahal took a significant step forward yesterday. We have been attempting for almost a year to get our driveway repaved. Actually, paved would be more appropriate. Only about twenty feet of the old driveway could be called paved, the rest was gavel, rubble, dirt, or grass. The plan was simple enough: …
I finally got around to installing the B&M Short Shifter kit I bought last year. I like this kit because it reduces both the throw and length of the shifter. It is almost 2 inches shorter than the stock one. The install is pretty straight forward, though somewhat time consuming. Instructions. A couple of the …
A common fault with older E30s is that the heater blower often only works on the highest setting. You should be happy that it works at all because it is much easier to repair/replace the resistor that controls the speed, than it is to replace the entire blower. This project isn’t very complicated. Give yourself …
It’s tough finding the right suspension for autocross, track, and daily driving, but I think I have a good mix right now. To recap: Texas Speedwerks springs (stiffer, linear, lower about 20mm); Ireland Engineering Camber Plates (increase front end negative camber); H-Sport rear lower control arms (correct camber in the rear due to lowering); Alta …
This time last week, I was outside in my t-shirt and shorts starting to get ready for the first CCA driver’s school of the year at Summit Point. This year, the first school was to be on the main circuit, usually everyone’s favorite event. In February as the snow was blowing, we were all a …