Well,
it didn't take long to perform my first modification...out of necessity. Seems
MINI's have a predisposition to distort the front strut towers (weak design aggravated
by stiff suspension and run-flat tires), so I thought since mine didn't have this
problem yet, I'd head it off with a tower plate/strut bar combo from M7. Took
about 10 minutes to install, and I should be good to go...
One
cheap mod recommended widely is the removal of the stock resonator in the MINI's
exhaust, so I had it done by the fine folks at R&J Automotive in Apex, NC.
They do fine work for members of the Tarheel Sportsdcar Club, and this was another
fine example:
Next,
it was off to Performance Chassis for new tires (get rid of the run-flats) and
an alignment. I needed 2 anyway, so I took the opportunity to swap them all out
for 4 Bridgestone RE-01-R's. BIG improvement in the ride......
WHEELZZZ!!11!!1
I
couldn't resist! Although I wanted to stay away from cosmetic mods until I got
the important stuff done, I saw these wheels and had to get them:
I
always loved the vintage look of the Panasport type wheels on old sport cars,
and I thought the color went perfect with my paint, so....
I
had been looking at adding a set of stripes on the hood...er..."bonnet",
for some time. There are literally hundreds of options out there, but as I compared
them, I kept coming back to the "Viper" style as being my favorite,
so.....
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