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Luke's R53 Track Build

91K views 488 replies 86 participants last post by  Fro-dizzle 
#1 · (Edited)
2004 MINI Cooper S JCW 210

Suspension & Geometry. Wheels & Brakes
Sparco Assetto Gara Bronze with Michelin Pilot Sport 4 205/45/17 (street setup)
Speedline Turini's with Toyo R888R 205/50/16 (track)
Wheel Stud Conversion & Gorilla steel nuts
KW Clubsport Suspension
Whiteline adjustable rear ARB
16mm MINI One front ARB
Adjustable drop links front & rear
KND Adjustable rear control arms
Lightweight trailing arm conversion
R56 Cooper S brake upgrade front & rear
Carbotech XP10/XP8 front/rear
Nitrac 12 Groove Discs
Motul RBF600 Fluid


Exterior cosmetics
Aero front grills
Aero sideskirts
De wiper rear
JCW carbon scoop & boot handle
JCW aero spoiler
Colour coded wing mirrors/handles/headlight rings
Facelift xenons
Front number plate delete


Interior
Sparco Evo II
Schroth ASM 4 point harnesses
Rear only Safety Devices custom cage with single diagonal in yellow
GP rear delete kit
JCW carbon dash, shifter & handbrake
Sabelt SW-633 Steering Wheel
Custom gauge faces
SPA Signature oil temp/pressure
SPA Signature water temp/voltage
Satin black trim surrounds


Engine & Drivetrain
Full Engine Rebuild (x 2 :crying:)
Robert Cox Engineering Ported Head
Catcam 1202469
550CC Injectors
1320 Bytronik tune
Helix organic clutch with lightweight 1320 flywheel
JCW Exhaust system
Janspeed 4-1 Manifold with OEM cat
17% Supercharger Pulley
ITG Air filter


Most Recent:

https://flic.kr/p/2ghLyVPhttps://www.flickr.com/photos/lukelloyd/

https://flic.kr/p/Rjm8wD https://www.flickr.com/photos/lukelloyd/

After having a 1.2 corsa for 8 years since passing my test, I decided it was time to get something that I would actually enjoy driving and after looking around it seemed the MCS fitted my needs! So after much trawling the net and looking at 'immaculate' bangers, my dad finally stumbled upon the car I own now, with 85000 miles on it but a full MINI service history, here's how the car was when I picked it up...

[/url]Day 1 by l2ke, on Flickr[/IMG]

[/url]IMG_6015 by l2ke, on Flickr[/IMG]

Then it was off to Lohen for an engine health check which raised a lot of concerns, so 2 days later it went to 1320 for a second opinion...

[/url]IMG_6199 by l2ke, on Flickr[/IMG]

It's making 210 before it hits the wheels so I was pretty chuffed, however they did back up Lohens concerns over the second cylinder compression being down by around 25% (Still to get to the bottom of this!)

Next it was back at Lohen for a coolant flush & change, removal of spotlights, new expansion tank fitted, and super flex rear wishbone bushes (What a difference those things make!). This time the guys at Lohen also found that the previous owner had fitted Eibach springs as well as a custom manifold that they'd never seen before. Also bought the JCW gear knob and handbrake, plus an ITG filter which I replaced at home along with the intake hose to add a splash of colour, worth a check, my original paper filter was FULL of insects.

[/url]IMG_6361 by l2ke, on Flickr[/IMG]

Next I bought a JCW steering wheel, these things are pricey but in all honesty it's one of my favourite mods, it just makes driving it so much nicer and the whole car feels higher quality!

[/url]IMG_6411 by l2ke, on Flickr[/IMG]

Now to where I am today. I have fitted aero grills, and some bronze rota grids in 16, I LOVE these things, with some chunky 205/50's mmm.

[/url]IMG_6517 by l2ke, on Flickr[/IMG]

[/url]IMG_6526 by l2ke, on Flickr[/IMG]

Going forward I have so many things I would love to do to the car to turn it into a track day jolly; coilovers, GRS intercooler, bucket seats, JCW bumper. But in the midst of buying our first home I think it's all going to be put aside for quite some time :sad:
 
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#7 ·
Last update of the year. My misfortune with this car seems to continue, end of November I was travelling up the M4 to collect a GRS intercooler when all of a sudden the emissions light popped on, no power loss at all but the coolant was bubbling away, also had stinky coolant steam coming from the ac so the heater matrix had gone too. bugger. So off to Lohen it went on the back of a trailer where the guys worked on it for 2 weeks, apparently I had quite a bit skimmed off the head as it was warped. Oops. This was all followed by more bad news a couple of days before I was due to pick it up they changed the sump gasket and found a piece of one of my pistons sitting in there :crying: pretty disastrous as I want to track the car, but the guys suggested as there seemed to be no symptoms then the piston could have been like that for ages and should be okay to carry on.

[/url]IMG_7064 by l2ke, on Flickr[/IMG]

IMG_7063 by l2ke, on Flickr

Got the GRS and an MSD fitted whilst they were reassembling the front end.

[/url]IMG_7084 by l2ke, on Flickr[/IMG]

[/url]IMG_7085 by l2ke, on Flickr[/IMG]

Plans for 2015 are:

R56 brake upgrade
Fixed buckets with rear seat delete
Meister R's
1320 cam, injectors, tune
Upgrade manifold
TRACK DAYS


Not sure how much/if any of that will be achievable as I'm just buying my first house, but here's hoping!
 
#10 ·
Nice car. Love a good Rota Grid too, probably one of my favourite. I'm about to venture back into R53 ownership myself. Just hope I can find a good one, but there's no way of knowing if there's a damaged piston without taking it to bits! Lol.
 
#13 ·
Got some R56 brakes...

[/url]IMG_7159 by l2ke, on Flickr[/IMG]

which turned into this....

[/url]IMG_7160 by l2ke, on Flickr[/IMG]

which turned into this....

[/url]IMG_7168 by l2ke, on Flickr[/IMG]

Going on the car next week. I like doing stuff myself when I can, and gives me a chance to expand my lacking mechanical knowledge, but next time I'd go with powder coaters for a better finish.
 
#19 ·
Not necessarily. I asked this question years ago as I was unsure, and the direction of the disc depends on the vains inside the disc, not the slots on the actual disc. IIRC.
 
#22 ·
As I say, the quote I got included head gasket and all the trimmings again, as I just had this done I thought I may as well wait until an issue occurs, even if ig ends up killing the engine completely it would still be more economically to buy a replacement than carry out the work for the sake of it.
 
#33 ·
I'm abit confused?

Regardless of how its running, the things got a lump of a piston missing? One day its going to let you down in a big way. Surely it would be worth opening it up and putting a set of Pistons and rings in before it wrecks the whole lump?

Being a JCW lump, doesn't that have a ported head etc? More expense if your looking for a like for like when it does fail?


I like what you've done, but moaning on the expense of an engine repair yet splashing out on seats etc doesn't make sense.

Maintainance before mods surely? I'd also be a little concerned if a specialist told me it's fine to run with a broken internal component.. Unless they've made you aware it will go bang eventually.
 
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