Great overview video. The 2004 MC40 R53 that Ant and Mike did on Wheeler Dealers was a nice little car and one of my favorite WD episodes after the Frogeye Sprites. I literally laughed out loud when Ant went on about the Supercharger service. It was all for TV and he did t a bit strange when he pulledmthe Supercharger and water pump separately when in the car they are sort of one unit - but it is true owners are worked up about the “Big” service as with labor it is expensive but every necessary. The servoce is a bit fiddly but not too bad. I have done the service three times on the four R53’s I have owned so I am finding my groove. You have a really nice spec on your car. As you mentioned the original buyer checked quite a few boxes when placing the order. The black interior panels (A, B and C pillar along with the headliner in black is rare - at least in the US. Your Mini appears to be a slicktop (no sunroof) which is my preferred. The sunroofs leak… In the US a 2004 with a three spoke steering wheel like in your car is considered a ‘“facelift” R53. Interior changes and the a motor mount change among a handful of differences from the 2002-early 2004 R53. My current late build 2006 R53 is an slicktop finished in Astro Black. Picked it up from an auction in October 2020 as a “project” as the previous owner hit something and bent the right side front lower control arm so the wheel was rubbing against the wheel liner. The car was dealer serviced since day one and had under 42,000 miles on it. Zero rust. Sold my last two due to rust issues - this one is perfect. Replacing the lower control arm on my Mini was an easy and cheap fix (Amazon delivered a Dorman part to my door for under $70 and did the work in my home garage with basic hand tools. I could have had the car on the road again in a few days. Due to the Winters where I live (Minnesota USA) I took my time and dropped the sub frame (time-lapse video on my channel of that experience) my first time doing the subframe drop so I went ahead and changed ALL wear parts while I was in there. The OEM rubber lower control arm bushings were in mint condition but I changed those to Powerflex Polyurethane bushes as it is only a matter or time when those OEM rubber one go bad and the poly is a big upgrade. Changed both tie rods, both sides inner and outer (cheap as a set) inner and outer ball joints on both sides and added Powerflex poly bushings for the anti sway-bar as well. Also dropped the Getrag six speed manual transmission fluid as well since I had easy access. New Blistein struts too. You will frown upon some changes - as noted above I did the Supercharger service along with swapping in a new 15% reduction pulley and new colder Sparkplugs. Wanted to upgrade the brakes a bit so I put new cold treated and slotted rotors up front and slotted in the rear with Hawk pads. Also swapped out my rear anti sway-bar with an adjustable one from Alta that I got second hand for $20. Added poly bushing on that bar as well and it totally changed the way the car handles. Not any rougher but really corners exceptionally now. Better than any of my previous three R53’s. Highly recommend that mod. Everything I took off the car, outside of the bent lower control arm, is in storage bins on shelves in my garage if I ever want to return it to stock again. The car really is a pleasure to work on… except the cooling system. Whoever designed that needs to find a new line of work…
Thanks for viewing and taking time to comment. the MC40 is one of my favorite WD episodes as well, and is partly responsible for making me push the button on my R53. My favorite WD episode is the Ford Capri Laser from Series 1, when Edd rattle cans the front wing and it blooms due to the heat. I reminds me of when I first started messing with cars over 35 yrs ago. Paint is the one thing I won't try, not on visible panels at least, achieving a quality finish without a spray booth and years of experience is near impossible and I'm willing to pay for it. Getting the spanners and hammers out, now that is entirely different and I'm always up for that! I know the 'Big 100k service" as specified on WD is pretty much a myth but all the other work that will most likely need doing once the car is in Front End Service Mode is worth doing; Crank Position sensor gasket, Serpentine belt, tensioner and idler (my idler was really noisy) and a clean up of all the oil that has undoubtedly leaked over the years! The oil in my SC was a little below the levels but smelt really bad so I don't think the change was a bad thing, it also enabled me to check the SC over. I recently fixed the folding drivers door mirror (UK RHS) with a repair kit from eBay, a little fiddly as the components are so small, so now all the electrics work, not bad for a 2004 car, of any make. Changing the gearbox oil is on the 'To Do list" for when it gets a little warmer I've got some Fuchs oil waiting. My R53 is considered a "facelift" in the UK as well. I like the term "slicktop" for a car without a sunroof. I'm not a fan of sunroofs in any car, the two I've with them both leaked, the worst was my Golf GTI mk2 which would dump a load of water right in your crotch (it didn't even have to be raining at the time), usually just as you had arrived at an appointment! I'm not going to frown upon any of the changes you've made, they all seem pretty sensible to me, Poly bushes are the way to go. I've not done the rear of my R53 yet as its all in really good order, I think it may have been done at some stage but I've no service history other than the 3 years it spent in the dealer network when new. the one mod you have done which I considered but then decided against is the reduced SC pulley and colder plugs, I know its a very common mod and lots of people seem to run fine with it, but my engine has done 95k miles uses very little oil and runs really well and I don't want to do anything that might jeopardize that. I'm probably being over cautious I know... I dropped and repainted the subframe when I poly bushed the front end to cure a dreadful rattle from the ARB bushes and it's not that difficult to do, I had the help of a friend and we did it on my driveway with a couple of trolley jacks. It is going to have to come out again as the power steering has developed a leak, but that's Mini's for you! I have a spare subframe and was considering building that up with a steering rack and pipes then swapping the ARB over and putting the new one in, then fixing the original at my leisure for when it leaks again! I'll take a look at your subframe video as well. Once again, thanks for taking the time to view and comment and enjoy your cars.
@@huwjones5879 the gearbox oil change - you certainly know what you are doing but a friendly reminder… crack open the fill plug first before the drain plug…. If you can open the fill you can’t fill the gearbox back up. Also go ahead and spend a few quid and buy the hand pump with a flexible tube that screws into the top of the gear oil fluid bottles you buy. The right space makes using a funnel nearly impossible. Makes the process easier and less messy. Good peace of mind maintenance item. Power steering pump… sore subject for me. My first 2006 R53 had the pump blow up, fluid hit the hot exhaust and the car went up in flames as I was driving it. The US dealers were not obligated to swap out the bad pumps. I asked my local Mini dealer weeks before mine burned up to change the pump - they looked up the VIN and said mine was fine - don’t worry about it. I am lucky I got out of the car when I did. Listen to your pump - if it is whiney have it serviced. Lastly yes with 95K on your engine it may use a bit of oil due to wear - however one thing I did on my R53 and my daily driver (a high miles Honda small SUV called an Element) is to test the PCV valve. I discovered the PCV valve was bad and failed the “rubber glove test”. Search RUclips for an example of this test. Increased pressure from that bad PCV valve caused some oil leaks in my Honda and hopefully since I caught it early will help my Mini as well. Cheap part, simple to change out.
Looks a well optioned car, the dark pillars and headlining is pretty rare from factory too. Can't beat a black R53. Just be wary of any info in the WD episode, the worrisome 100k service is almost entirely made up and according to BMW the supercharger isn't even a service item. Paperwork from Eaton states the M45 wants a service every 60k miles. I did mine at 73k and there was barely any oil left at all, so definitely service the charger sooner rather than later! Great cars when they're sorted though, mines probably "ruined" in a lot of peoples mind but it's fun lol. Paint on these wasn't great from factory, very thin.
Thanks for taking the time to comment. I'm aware of the 100k supercharger service pretty much being a myth perpetuated by WD, but it was that episode that turned me onto these cars, I'not payed much attention to them previously. I did the SC service at 92K miles, plenty of oil in the drive end but about 25% of what it should be in the waterpump end. I also replaced the waterpump, thermostat and housing, pretty much everything that Front Service Modes gives you easy access to. Poly bushes made a huge difference.
@@huwjones5879 My Mini was a happy accident, on the way to buy one car and the seller bailed so bought this for a laugh. Three years later i don't think i'll ever part with it now, not a lot of original parts left on it. Too much bloody, sweat, and tears to let go haha. Brilliant cars.
@@huwjones5879 For handling: Coilovers, adjustable top mounts, adjustable drop links, bigger rear anti roll bar, 4x adjustable rear control arms, R56 alloy trailing arms, R56 front brakes (soon to be replaced with Megane RS brembos w/330mm discs), strut brace lighter wheels Engine/power: 15% pulley, colder spark plugs, 550cc injectors, 469 catcam, Airtec top mount IC, Airtec expansion tank, Milltek non res exhaust There's been a few exterior/interior changes included custom headlining and trim and chopping the centre console up to fit a double din stereo. Externally it's mostly been dechromed and has a cool Japanese spoiler lol. The engine is currently broken so is getting replaced by a decent JCW one so it'll have a slightly nicer and better flowing head. Probably around 230/240bhp when done so that'll be fun haha
Great overview video.
The 2004 MC40 R53 that Ant and Mike did on Wheeler Dealers was a nice little car and one of my favorite WD episodes after the Frogeye Sprites. I literally laughed out loud when Ant went on about the Supercharger service. It was all for TV and he did t a bit strange when he pulledmthe Supercharger and water pump separately when in the car they are sort of one unit - but it is true owners are worked up about the “Big” service as with labor it is expensive but every necessary. The servoce is a bit fiddly but not too bad. I have done the service three times on the four R53’s I have owned so I am finding my groove.
You have a really nice spec on your car. As you mentioned the original buyer checked quite a few boxes when placing the order. The black interior panels (A, B and C pillar along with the headliner in black is rare - at least in the US. Your Mini appears to be a slicktop (no sunroof) which is my preferred. The sunroofs leak… In the US a 2004 with a three spoke steering wheel like in your car is considered a ‘“facelift” R53. Interior changes and the a motor mount change among a handful of differences from the 2002-early 2004 R53.
My current late build 2006 R53 is an slicktop finished in Astro Black. Picked it up from an auction in October 2020 as a “project” as the previous owner hit something and bent the right side front lower control arm so the wheel was rubbing against the wheel liner. The car was dealer serviced since day one and had under 42,000 miles on it. Zero rust. Sold my last two due to rust issues - this one is perfect.
Replacing the lower control arm on my Mini was an easy and cheap fix (Amazon delivered a Dorman part to my door for under $70 and did the work in my home garage with basic hand tools. I could have had the car on the road again in a few days. Due to the Winters where I live (Minnesota USA) I took my time and dropped the sub frame (time-lapse video on my channel of that experience) my first time doing the subframe drop so I went ahead and changed ALL wear parts while I was in there. The OEM rubber lower control arm bushings were in mint condition but I changed those to Powerflex Polyurethane bushes as it is only a matter or time when those OEM rubber one go bad and the poly is a big upgrade. Changed both tie rods, both sides inner and outer (cheap as a set) inner and outer ball joints on both sides and added Powerflex poly bushings for the anti sway-bar as well. Also dropped the Getrag six speed manual transmission fluid as well since I had easy access. New Blistein struts too.
You will frown upon some changes - as noted above I did the Supercharger service along with swapping in a new 15% reduction pulley and new colder Sparkplugs. Wanted to upgrade the brakes a bit so I put new cold treated and slotted rotors up front and slotted in the rear with Hawk pads. Also swapped out my rear anti sway-bar with an adjustable one from Alta that I got second hand for $20. Added poly bushing on that bar as well and it totally changed the way the car handles. Not any rougher but really corners exceptionally now. Better than any of my previous three R53’s. Highly recommend that mod.
Everything I took off the car, outside of the bent lower control arm, is in storage bins on shelves in my garage if I ever want to return it to stock again.
The car really is a pleasure to work on… except the cooling system. Whoever designed that needs to find a new line of work…
Thanks for viewing and taking time to comment. the MC40 is one of my favorite WD episodes as well, and is partly responsible for making me push the button on my R53.
My favorite WD episode is the Ford Capri Laser from Series 1, when Edd rattle cans the front wing and it blooms due to the heat. I reminds me of when I first started messing with cars over 35 yrs ago. Paint is the one thing I won't try, not on visible panels at least, achieving a quality finish without a spray booth and years of experience is near impossible and I'm willing to pay for it. Getting the spanners and hammers out, now that is entirely different and I'm always up for that!
I know the 'Big 100k service" as specified on WD is pretty much a myth but all the other work that will most likely need doing once the car is in Front End Service Mode is worth doing; Crank Position sensor gasket, Serpentine belt, tensioner and idler (my idler was really noisy) and a clean up of all the oil that has undoubtedly leaked over the years! The oil in my SC was a little below the levels but smelt really bad so I don't think the change was a bad thing, it also enabled me to check the SC over.
I recently fixed the folding drivers door mirror (UK RHS) with a repair kit from eBay, a little fiddly as the components are so small, so now all the electrics work, not bad for a 2004 car, of any make.
Changing the gearbox oil is on the 'To Do list" for when it gets a little warmer I've got some Fuchs oil waiting.
My R53 is considered a "facelift" in the UK as well. I like the term "slicktop" for a car without a sunroof. I'm not a fan of sunroofs in any car, the two I've with them both leaked, the worst was my Golf GTI mk2 which would dump a load of water right in your crotch (it didn't even have to be raining at the time), usually just as you had arrived at an appointment!
I'm not going to frown upon any of the changes you've made, they all seem pretty sensible to me, Poly bushes are the way to go. I've not done the rear of my R53 yet as its all in really good order, I think it may have been done at some stage but I've no service history other than the 3 years it spent in the dealer network when new.
the one mod you have done which I considered but then decided against is the reduced SC pulley and colder plugs, I know its a very common mod and lots of people seem to run fine with it, but my engine has done 95k miles uses very little oil and runs really well and I don't want to do anything that might jeopardize that. I'm probably being over cautious I know...
I dropped and repainted the subframe when I poly bushed the front end to cure a dreadful rattle from the ARB bushes and it's not that difficult to do, I had the help of a friend and we did it on my driveway with a couple of trolley jacks. It is going to have to come out again as the power steering has developed a leak, but that's Mini's for you! I have a spare subframe and was considering building that up with a steering rack and pipes then swapping the ARB over and putting the new one in, then fixing the original at my leisure for when it leaks again!
I'll take a look at your subframe video as well.
Once again, thanks for taking the time to view and comment and enjoy your cars.
@@huwjones5879 the gearbox oil change - you certainly know what you are doing but a friendly reminder… crack open the fill plug first before the drain plug…. If you can open the fill you can’t fill the gearbox back up. Also go ahead and spend a few quid and buy the hand pump with a flexible tube that screws into the top of the gear oil fluid bottles you buy. The right space makes using a funnel nearly impossible. Makes the process easier and less messy. Good peace of mind maintenance item.
Power steering pump… sore subject for me. My first 2006 R53 had the pump blow up, fluid hit the hot exhaust and the car went up in flames as I was driving it. The US dealers were not obligated to swap out the bad pumps. I asked my local Mini dealer weeks before mine burned up to change the pump - they looked up the VIN and said mine was fine - don’t worry about it. I am lucky I got out of the car when I did. Listen to your pump - if it is whiney have it serviced.
Lastly yes with 95K on your engine it may use a bit of oil due to wear - however one thing I did on my R53 and my daily driver (a high miles Honda small SUV called an Element) is to test the PCV valve. I discovered the PCV valve was bad and failed the “rubber glove test”. Search RUclips for an example of this test. Increased pressure from that bad PCV valve caused some oil leaks in my Honda and hopefully since I caught it early will help my Mini as well. Cheap part, simple to change out.
Great video! A R53 Mini Cooper S is one of the most fun cars I have ever driven!
It certainly is a fun car. Thanks for taking the time to comment.
Looks a well optioned car, the dark pillars and headlining is pretty rare from factory too. Can't beat a black R53. Just be wary of any info in the WD episode, the worrisome 100k service is almost entirely made up and according to BMW the supercharger isn't even a service item. Paperwork from Eaton states the M45 wants a service every 60k miles. I did mine at 73k and there was barely any oil left at all, so definitely service the charger sooner rather than later! Great cars when they're sorted though, mines probably "ruined" in a lot of peoples mind but it's fun lol.
Paint on these wasn't great from factory, very thin.
Thanks for taking the time to comment. I'm aware of the 100k supercharger service pretty much being a myth perpetuated by WD, but it was that episode that turned me onto these cars, I'not payed much attention to them previously. I did the SC service at 92K miles, plenty of oil in the drive end but about 25% of what it should be in the waterpump end. I also replaced the waterpump, thermostat and housing, pretty much everything that Front Service Modes gives you easy access to. Poly bushes made a huge difference.
@@huwjones5879 My Mini was a happy accident, on the way to buy one car and the seller bailed so bought this for a laugh. Three years later i don't think i'll ever part with it now, not a lot of original parts left on it. Too much bloody, sweat, and tears to let go haha. Brilliant cars.
@@TB.JCE10 What have you done to it? Apart from the poly bushes, I've concentrated on keeping it factory spec.
@@huwjones5879 For handling: Coilovers, adjustable top mounts, adjustable drop links, bigger rear anti roll bar, 4x adjustable rear control arms, R56 alloy trailing arms, R56 front brakes (soon to be replaced with Megane RS brembos w/330mm discs), strut brace lighter wheels
Engine/power: 15% pulley, colder spark plugs, 550cc injectors, 469 catcam, Airtec top mount IC, Airtec expansion tank, Milltek non res exhaust
There's been a few exterior/interior changes included custom headlining and trim and chopping the centre console up to fit a double din stereo. Externally it's mostly been dechromed and has a cool Japanese spoiler lol.
The engine is currently broken so is getting replaced by a decent JCW one so it'll have a slightly nicer and better flowing head. Probably around 230/240bhp when done so that'll be fun haha
Red Mini spotted @4:21
Black Mini spotted @ 10:03!