[pipsyp]

.......tis funny......can see exactly why all R52's came with rear PDC. Hood up or down you literally can see sweet FA out of the back....like a van you end up using your side mirrors when reversing 🤣🤣. Lovely not having the (very distracting) continual blare now and my other two replacements should be with me soon so looking forward to having the full compliment ld sensors. That said with just the two I can back up really close to stuff now....almost wonder if I need the other two really🤣👍

 

[pipsyp]

My other two PDC sensors have shown up, so that'll be a job for the holidays!

Glad I left the outer sensors as am hoping I might be able to get away with swapping these without completely removing the bumper.....tis easy enough when you know how but would rather not be doing it again!

New year I plan to polish it and treat the plastics, treat/waterproof the roof (maybe AutoGlym or GTechniq), dye the seats to rid of the worst of the cracks and scratches and get my mate to sort the PS and front suspension noise, probabky check the cooling fan (sure its fine but always worth checking) and some new number plates. Might even get the AC regassed! 🤣👍

 

[big jim]

FYI the roof was professionally cleaned treated/waterproofed in the early summer, it has had a cat sleeping on it regularly since though as you know!

the fan was fine the day before you got the car as sean checked it on the diagnostics, might save you a job

numberplates, yes, they probably look extra scabby now its so much cleaner

 

[pipsyp]

FYI the roof was professionally cleaned treated/waterproofed in the early summer, it has had a cat sleeping on it regularly since though as you know!

the fan was fine the day before you got the car as sean checked it on the diagnostics, might save you a job

numberplates, yes, they probably look extra scabby now its so much cleaner

Cheers Jim, handy to know. I guess it doesnt last forever and with the recent deluges whilst its staying watertight it does seem to be absorbing rather than expelling. Gonna give Gtechniq smart fabric a go at some point I think.

Also really good to know about the fan, I recall you saying Sean popped it on the diag so makes sense. The thing does run sweet as a nut, starts first time, everytime all weathers, really a great little car.

Number plates....pretty much something I do on any older car I buy unless they are already pretty recent as its amazing how much it freshens a car up.

As is the usual thing you go looking for problems, inevitably you find one.....seems the boot has a slight leak on the drivers side.....I thought after all the rain id just check the usual areas.....rear footwells...fine......under rear seats....fine.....under boot carpet....slightly damp. Is weird as the carpet is dry, just damp underneath...and its not gotten anywhere near the toolbox area (as in dry under the pump and gunk) so it cant be bad but the jack is quite corroded and moisture seems to have gotten to the tyre pump so guess its probably been like it a while on and off. Im thinking either the seal is letting by slightly or it might be coming in through the handle gasket or tail lamp.....time will tell I suppose. Definitely not the hood as far as I can tell.

Might start seeing if I can adjust the tailgate latches at all so they close a bit tighter and go from there 👍👍

 

[pipsyp]

Tailgate adjusted....takes a bit of a slam and opens now with quite a satisfying thunk of the latches...shut lines are better now both sides too.

Im not convinced it will stop the ingress but its a start. Ironically lost a T40 in the tailgate and I didnt even need the 'stard!😆

 

[pipsyp]

.....and the car now has 4 working sensors!

Fitting the outer sensors was alot easier as could be done without pulling the entire bumper......somewhat annoyingly though one of the two sensors I bought didnt work! I bought two batches of two sensors (used but genuine Mini) from same eBay seller and first two were perfect....guess its just how these things are sometimes. First one went on fine and worked...second one dead as a dodo. That said they were cheap enough that Im thinking its probably not worth the postage returning it.

Initially it didnt click at all, then it started to but regardless wouldnt pick anything up. Swapping it with the other corner made no difference either. I then put one of the supposedly "goosed" sensors on instead it all sprang into life with all four corners working. So happily I now have a well adjusted tailgate and completely sorted PDC which isnt a bad days work.

Got off quite lightly, the boot ingress seems to have occured again but isnt terrible considering last nights weather (!)....hopeful the adjustment does the trick 👍👍👍

 

[pipsyp]

More progress.......managed to get both seatbelts untwisted last night too so really was a good day for quick fixes!

Is easy when you know how....seems the R52 due to the anchorage design is susceptible to belt twisting.....to resolve you simply pull the belt the whole way out, decide which way the belt needs to twist to go back to the correct orientation then twist the seatbelt in the appropriate direction between your fingers at the anchorage until it flips over then release. Happy about that as it was getting on my tits and thought it'd end up being a rear interior panel off job!

I havent checked boot today but be surprised if its not the drivers side lamp cluster seal....will try and figure it out when I get a chance (and the weather improves!)

 

[Fro-dizzle]

Nice work, it’s the little fixes that make all the difference.

 

[pipsyp]

Nice work, it’s the little fixes that make all the difference.

Cheers pal it is indeed!

Again OCD related but something thats never quite sat right with me is how the number plate sits on it at the front.

Whichever dealership put the holder on put it on slight off to the left.....also on these I find when its fitted so that it overhangs the bottom grille rather than the top on the facelift Ones/Coopers that it looks a bit weak.....they have quite a nice large mesh lower grille so a shame to cover a fair chunk of it with the plate.....Ive therefore just gone out and remounted the holder so that the bottom runs level with the start of the lower grille.....a small thing but in my eyes looks better. Never did it on my green one but I would have done had I kept it.

Bizarrely I didnt mind it so much on the S as its front end is relatively agressive by comparison and kinda looks right but on these they look much better like this IMHO......its still slightly off to my eye but moved it as far over as I could before screw holes would show 😆😆

 

[pipsyp]

Pics....

 

[pipsyp]

So...managed to get the rear light cluster out....my god what a nause that is on a convertible vs a hatch!!😆

Happily doesnt look like its that leaking. My theory now is that either......

The boot seal had filled with water, eventually letting into the boot

Or

Where the right boot hinge cover is missing, its allowing enough water in to make its way through the boot vent.

Im thinking the latter so have bit the bullet and bought a new, primed lower hinge cover from Mini. Id havw bought a used part but the only Chilli Red one I could find on eBay looked fucked and was more money! Ill give it a lick of paint somehow at some point but priority one will be get it on the car and see if the leak stops!

I have in any case given the boot seal a good clean and a good spray with sillicone spray so it should repel water better now.

I also took the opportunity to refit a bit of front bumper trim, the car at some point had taken a bit of a whack on the front corner pushing the bumper skin away from the corner trim and leaving a big gap which was a bit unsightly. All sorted now 👍

Ive also bit the bullet and bought a cheap compressor and gunk kit from Airman, as the original Mini kit is shagged.

Still need to get the PAS and Air Con looked at in the New Year but with CoVid the way it is, be a while before it gets done.

 

[pipsyp]

.....oh one other little thing I did was replace the sidelight bulbs.

It had LEDs in originally, which I didnt mind at all but I noticed them flickering a few times (even with the lights off) so figured they probably werent playing all that nicely with the electrics.

Stuck some Phillips Whitevision bulbs in, which definitely arent all that white but will do the job 👍

 

[big jim]

The led side lights were Amazon cheapies, I noticed they flickered now and again too

 

[pipsyp]

So a bit of a quick New Years Day effort.......

Much like the knackered bootlid beltline rubber, decided the split roof channels on the 'vert top werent to my liking.....rather satisfyingly with a small push backwards it split from the seam...gradually working along each side I got rid of the channel from both sides....took all of a few minutes. With all the splits did next to fuck all anyway (not sure it would have done anything without them either 🤣) and looks a damn sight tidier!

I also finally got around to cleaning (with the help of my eldest) and treating the bulk of the plastics with Gtechniq C4.... naturally up close in places its as they say "can't polish a turd" but from a distance they look bob on now. I didnt have much left but a little goes a long way thankfully.

Anyway.... think its looking pretty decent (considering it could probably do with a wash again).....also a Happy New Year to you all!

 

[Fro-dizzle]

Looking very smart indeed 😎

 

[pipsyp]

Looking very smart indeed 😎

Cheers chap, got most of the minor niggles sorted out which is where I really wanted to get it to...cheaply as well for a change 🤣🤣

Definitely be keeping my eyes peeled for a cheap 3 spoke and airbag in the coming months, cosmetically the only change on my list now 👍

Bar me ripping off his spots and decals hoping Jim is happy with it too!

 

[Fro-dizzle]

Three spoke will set it off nicely!

It’s always that much sweeter when things don’t cost the earth.

 

[NigelStap]

You can get a decent three spoke and airbag on eBay for £100. Easy to fit as well.

 

[pipsyp]

You can get a decent three spoke and airbag on eBay for £100. Easy to fit as well.

Definitely going to do it, but TBF it needs the PAS/front end graunch sorting, AC regassing, could use an oil and filter change and I guess could do with 4 new tyres sooner rather than later...gotta prioritise that lot first.

With the wheel I want to get the best I can find for the least outlay so therein lies the challenge....wheels arent too bad but finding an airbag that isnt a bit of a state seems to be getting harder and harder (and more costly!) 👍

 

[pipsyp]

....not much to report.

The lower boot hinge cover turned up today so thats fitted, needs painting at some point........ suppose I might try my hand at rattle canning it at some point when I can be assed.

Boot "seems" so far to be staying dry so fingers crossed it stays that way 👍

Checked the oil earlier and found it had dropped to around the min marker....so quick bit of begging over at my friendly garage opposite got me a litre of 5w30 to whack in.

Ive also noticed today that the roof is indeed letting through.....not leaking as such but with all the rain weve had it does seem to be being gradually absorbed and eventually coming through as droplets, but only in the rear section (the sunroof part I think it a bit thicker/hardier care of the additional hardware in it). Ive therefore bit the bullet and bought an AG roof cleaning and treatment kit which I might do at the weekend if the weather holds out, it aint bloody freezing and also I get the chance.

Having to drive somewhere about an hour away for work tomorrow, so will take the smoker to see how it does. Whilst extra urban MPG is pretty shit like the R53, on a reasonable run it easily gets in the 40's so tomorrow will be interesting on the motorway to see how it does 👍