The initial inspection turned up a Swiss-cheese rear sub-frame. A little rust is to be expected on a 17 year old car, but this was “returning to nature” type rust, not just some surface problem. Fortunately, good used parts are readily available and the whole thing is really held in place by only four bolts. …
If you have just about any older BMW or MINI, you’ve probably noticed how the seatbelt release buttons fade over time. Rather than replace or repaint, they can often be repaired with the tactical application of heat. Just be careful to not overheat or you’ll melt the button or the surrounding plastic. Also take care …
Ever wondered what it’s like to do a 40 hour detail on a $1500 car? Pressure wash, clay bar, steam clean interior, vac-extract, conditioner, paint correction, polish, rock chip repair, ceramic coat, and a little rust mitigation. 40 hours of work in 4 minutes.
For a car that’s been driven three-fourths of the way to the moon, the exterior is in pretty good shape. Down below is a different story. The rear sub-frame is very rusty with a quarter sized hole on one side. We had planned to add a larger rear sway bar which requires lowering the rear …
We managed to get the car on the trailer even though the rear wheels are almost completely bound up. Once I got it down off the trailer, the first order of business was to assess what we have to work with and start to develop a way ahead. This car was parked under some pine …
Twenty one years after the start of my first MINI adventure, I decided to open a new chapter. My first MINI was a brand new 2004 R53 Cooper S which slowly evolved into a track car over about ten years. My second R53 was a slick-top 2006 model which I purchased in 2011 and set …
From the first time we read Ross Bentley’s summary about the Garmin Catalyst, we knew we had to add it to our product catalog. So we’re proud to announce that GeorgeCo Motorsports is now an authorized Garmin Dealer. We’ve gotten our first few units in stock and as soon as we update the inventory database, …
Read more “Introducing the Garmin Catalyst Performance Driving Optimizer”
Looking for a supportive seat for autocross or HPDE, but still use your car as a daily driver? The Corbeau A4 might be a good option to consider. Available in cloth or leather, it has the option of a 5/6 point sub hole in the lower cushion that even works with optional seat heaters. The …
After destroying two upper motor mounts and two exhaust flex joints in successive track weekends, I decided to try a more robust motor mount to see if I could reduce some engine movement. Vibra Technics makes two versions of this mount for Gen 1 MINI and this is the track (harder) version. My first thought …
Toward the end of my last track session for 2018 I noticed a significant change in exhaust tone. I thought the larger second position OEM cat had finally failed, but it turns out it was the first smaller cat ahead of it. If you see a break like this, you should also check your motor …