Friday, May 05, 2006

Return of the Streetable MINI, and the birth of Frankenmiata!

My master-plan for building up the Miata coincides nicely with my plan for returning the MINI to being a fun car to drive. I'm selling the parts off the MINI that take the fun out of it, and using the proceeds to buy toys for the Miata.

This week I pulled the Alta end-links off, which had been making chattery clattery noises since they were put on the car. They sold almost instantly (although I've not yet received any money), putting me in the house-cleaning mood. I came home and listed the Wilwood brakes for sale on NAM, getting a TON of immediate responses, and it looks like they'll be gone by tomorrow.

Next up are the bra, the caliper stiffeners, and the right harness. Further down the line will be the exhaust and left harness. Eventually, the stock springs, sway bars, and control arms might find their way back onto the car, and if that happens, I might as well return to the stock airbox, too.

The goal, as previously stated, is to make the MINI a streetable, fun, daily driver, allowing it to serve as a safe and reliable family car for years to come.

The secondary goal is to make the Miata into a monster.

Plans got set into motion this week on that front with the ordering of new high performance brake pads & rotors; a timing belt kit; oil, air, & fuel filters; a shop manual; spark plugs; and high performance plug wires.

Basically, we're starting with a tune-up, and seeing what the car can deliver in peak stock form.

The plans they are a rollin'.

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