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Lord Ludikrous
Jun 7, 2008

Enjoy your tea...

Lots of long cars in this thread, so heres my ride.









Sorry about the poor quality of the last one, it had started to piss it down heavily and lighting wasn't so good any more. Also got part of my finger in the shot. Hooray.

2007 second generation Mini Cooper S, 63k miles on the clock. 1.6l turbocharged engine with a 6 speed manual transmission. Also has 17" alloy rims, sports suspension, the Chilli pack (air con, driving computer etc), and a full leather interior. It even has mood lighting of all things. Currently has run flat tyres, so when I end up wearing the current set out I'm likely to replace them with regular tyres, as the large rims, sports suspension and runflats make for quite a firm ride. Absolute joy to drive, although as I'm an inexperienced driver I haven't taken the car to its full potential just yet.

Looking to make some cosmetic additions when my finances recover from buying the thing, in particular a black and white checkered flag roof, some stripes for the bonnet, and possibly some Union Jack side scuttles to really make it my own. The body of the car is quite plain at the moment, which leaves me a nice blank canvas to work with, and I'm looking forward to having many happy years driving this beauty around.

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Lord Ludikrous
Jun 7, 2008

Enjoy your tea...

AirRaid posted:

I could never get over the dashboard/instruments on the new Mini. It feels all over the place to me. The huge massive speedo dead centre in the dash is so weird.

That sure is some red leather you've got there though.

Theres a digital speedo in the rev counter above the steering column, which I prefer to be honest as I find glancing at a number much easier than looking at a dial. That being said if it didn't have that, yeah it would be damned weird.

Lord Ludikrous
Jun 7, 2008

Enjoy your tea...



Parked up at the office car park, pretty much every office on the industrial estate I work has at least two of these parked on their premises.



All cleaned up for the London to Brighton Mini run tomorrow, its going to be a fun day.



Obligatory red interior shot.

Lord Ludikrous
Jun 7, 2008

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Getting ready to set off from Crystal Palace in London.



Sitting pretty on the Brighton seafront several hours later :).

Lord Ludikrous
Jun 7, 2008

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This is my dad and I setting off at the start of the Ham Sandwich 2014 run (I'm the driver and my dad was the navigator), starting off from the local BMW/MINI dealership who helped with the event (and made goodie bags made up for all of us). I don't get to spend a lot of time with my dad so it was really rather nice to have a good day out.

Lord Ludikrous
Jun 7, 2008

Enjoy your tea...

My dad and I taking party in the local club rally.

Lord Ludikrous
Jun 7, 2008

Enjoy your tea...

OneOverZero posted:

Just quadrupled displacement going from a 1.4T '13 Dart to a Hemi/TR6060 Challenger. It's the second-smallest engine available.



It's difficult to convey the sheer size of these cars, but with the Bilsteins, this trim rides and handles far better than it should. Comfortable as hell and that torque curve :swoon:

I do need to get photos that aren't taken with a phone while waiting for Charter.

Red interiors best interiors.

Lord Ludikrous
Jun 7, 2008

Enjoy your tea...

Maker Of Shoes posted:

I feel ya. I'm quickly headed that direction and will have to give up 3 pedal supremacy very soon.

I don't understand why in the states they don't get people to learn to drive in manuals. Its a lot easier to go from a manual to an automatic than the other way around, and it handy should you ever find yourself in a situation where an automatic is hard to find (such as renting a car in Europe).

In the UK if you can't drive with a manual transmission you are looked down upon as a bit special. :downs:

Lord Ludikrous
Jun 7, 2008

Enjoy your tea...

Guess who had to take a detour down a country road to get to work the other day?



I only washed it a couple of weeks ago. :negative:

Lord Ludikrous
Jun 7, 2008

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StormDrain posted:

A couple of weeks? I need to wash mine twice a week in Colorado. A mid-week spraydown and a warm weekend day hand wash if possible.

I've given up on it until the weather improves, theres no point getting it nice and clean only to go down a country lane the next day and get it all filthy again.

Once the winter months are over its going on for a full on clean, interior valeting and getting any small bodywork dings or bumper scuffs fixed. I'll probably get the alloys refurbished as well. Considering its an 8 year old car I think it looks pretty good all things considered.

Lord Ludikrous
Jun 7, 2008

Enjoy your tea...

Hmm, I'm going to France next year and I'm faced with the choice of slapping a huge ugly rear end GB sticker on the back, or spending about 17 times as much on new number plates with the EU badge. I'm strongly considering getting the new plates.

Lord Ludikrous
Jun 7, 2008

Enjoy your tea...

mrk posted:

The night I picked it up from the detailer:


The next day after a trip to London...


Another person joins the red interior best interior club.



My car went in for some work the other day and they gave me one of these as a courtesy car for the day.



Even though it was winter, the sun was shining and I took the roof down and tore around the English countryside on my lunchbreak. Noticeably less powerful than my car but an absolute hoot to drive.

Lord Ludikrous
Jun 7, 2008

Enjoy your tea...

Tamir Lenk posted:

Parallel parking cred? Try finding a spot for this monster on the street.



Indeed, parking is so bad all these monstrously huge cars were forced off the street.






I know you joke about it in your other post, but over here there is a very real and virulent hostility from a lot of the old Mini owners towards the new ones, to the point of actually vandalising their cars at events and such. Such attitudes have been slowly fading over time to the point its now very rare but its still about.

Lord Ludikrous
Jun 7, 2008

Enjoy your tea...

Tamir Lenk posted:

Got my baby polished and waxed up. Sexy times



Jefinabox posted:

I'm so jealous of the little monster truck look, over here you're not allowed to have any tyre poking out from the bodywork so you end up with huge arches like on mine.



I had a blowout in my mini van while picking up some 7" x 10" split rims so used a split rim as the spare to get me home. The police were not amused and it took all my persuading to avoid a fine and points on my license.

Minis you say?!?!

I was supposed to be going on a tour of the Champagne Region in France over the weekend that has been put on hold due to the disruption of cross channel traffic, so it was a day out on the sunny roads of south east England. Gotten a nice tan too.



My navigator had to pull out last minute due to some unexpected family stuff, so as I would be unable to drive as well as navigating via tulip diagrams I was paired up with another a car to follow. Those folks were my lifeline.



Sitting next to a piece of history (complete with the same grey exterior red interior as mine). The car in the foreground is a Riley Elf, which was a badge engineered Mini Cooper with a saloon style body.



Grey Cru represent.



The machine in the foreground is a magnificent example of an early Cooper S. Its had the same owner for something crazy like 42 years and for such a dinky car has quite the epic soundtrack when the driver gives it the beans.

Lord Ludikrous
Jun 7, 2008

Enjoy your tea...

Some parts of England are quite nice.

Lord Ludikrous
Jun 7, 2008

Enjoy your tea...

Getting in late showing my front end.



The lighting and grey paint does a great job masking how filthy it's gotten having to shortcut on country roads in bad weather.

Lord Ludikrous
Jun 7, 2008

Enjoy your tea...

Parked up in the grounds of Dover Castle.



Sitting on the White Cliffs overlooking the English Channel.

Lord Ludikrous
Jun 7, 2008

Enjoy your tea...

Went on a little adventure over the weekend, crossing over from the UK to France.

In Oye-Plage.



Then Arras.



Then off to the Reims Circuit.



Then the following day it was off to Champagnes Pommery.



Then back to the Reims Circuit for a bit.



On the way back we stopped off in Mont Saint Eloi, which hosted the remains of a huge abbey which was destroyed in World War 1.



After that on the way to our next destination going back towards the coast a road was shut forcing us to divert and we got hopelessly lost (sat nav wasn't much help either), but there are worse places to get lost than great French roads and quaint villages.

Ready to board the ferry back home.



French drivers will think nothing of overtaking four or five cars at once, even if all said cars are going above the speed limit.

Lord Ludikrous
Jun 7, 2008

Enjoy your tea...

TheGoatTrick posted:

80k? Congrats on making it that far.

I had an 08 and had to replace the water pump and thermostat at 47k. Per several shops I called, they either last 50k or forever. But 50k is considered normal. Oh, these two parts on on opposite sides of the engine, so it's not a single labor charge.

The turbo oil lines were replaced at 55k. Again, not an outlier.

Good thing my timing chain tensioner failure was detected early and under warranty. I know at least two people who had it fail out of warranty, necessitating engine replacement (one guy sold his to a salvager for 2k). There was a class action lawsuit about it, resulting in anyone with a failure being reimbursed for repairs, even if they were out of warranty and had the work done by an independent shop.

My high pressure fuel pump didn't fail, but enough of them did that the warranty was extended to 10 years/100k.

All that being said, I know plenty of people who bought another one despite having one or more of the issues above. Hell, I know a couple people who lemon lawed them, then got another.

It's not easy to see but judging from the front end of Pancakes's Cooper S it looks like his has the N18 engine, which if he has then he shouldn't have huge amounts to worry about. As long as oil levels are checked regularly and kept topped up that is.

Although Pancakes, if it's never been done I strongly suggest you get your engine a walnut blasting decoke, it will do it a world of good.

As for me mine is an 07 (an 01/07 to be precise so it's probably one of the oldest of its kind still on the road) with the N14 engine which I picked up 3 years ago with 62500 on the clock and it just ticked over 90300 yesterday. Before I owned the car it had at various mileages:

New HPFP (original failed right out the factory)
New timing assembly (timing chain tensioner failing)
New clutch (under warranty which honestly surprises me)
New exhaust (unpleasant noise apparently)
New timing chain tensioner (2nd)
New thermostat

Since I've had it had:

New offside differential seal
Engine decoke via walnut shell blasting
New turbocharger oil feed pipe
New timing chain tensioner (3rd)
New coolant pump (GDCS)
New updated valve cover and ignition coils
New near side output shaft seal
New oil sump gasket/sealant

At present the only issue is an oil leak from the oil filter housing gasket which I'm waiting until the new year to get done, and will get any other seals/gaskets in the same area replaced at the same time whether they need it yet or not.

Moral of the story is if you want a Cooper S and it has the N14, make sure you buy a higher mileage one where everything that explodes has done so and been replaced.

Still, immensely fun to drive and have taken the old girl on many adventures, and next year a 2000 mile road trip is coming up where I'll be flinging her around the Deutsche Alpenstrasse.


+


Can't wait.

Lord Ludikrous
Jun 7, 2008

Enjoy your tea...

Well guess I jinxed myself, my Cooper S has been taken away on a flatbed to be delivered to my local BMW after it decided to only work on 3 cylinders on the way home last night.

The mechanic reckons it's a faulty fuel injector, I can feel my wallet getting lighter already.

Lord Ludikrous
Jun 7, 2008

Enjoy your tea...

Nodoze posted:

Check plug/coil too

Swapped the plugs and coils from other cylinders, the fault remained with cylinder one.

I suppose it's possible the wiring harness could be on the fritz and not supplying charge to the first cylinder.

Lord Ludikrous
Jun 7, 2008

Enjoy your tea...

Welp, turns out there is no compression on Cylinder 1, which means the head needs to be pulled as it's likely the valves are hosed.

I was looking at writing the car off, but as it happens my mum's friend's husband runs a garage so I'm going to get him to look at it, and there are some decent rebuild services in the area.

My MCS may yet live on.

Lord Ludikrous fucked around with this message at 22:01 on Dec 29, 2016

Lord Ludikrous
Jun 7, 2008

Enjoy your tea...

Well, dropped my Cooper S in and collected my new ride.



2015 BMW 118i Sport. Looking forward to going for a drive with the other half through the country over the weekend to get to know her better.

Lord Ludikrous
Jun 7, 2008

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Somewhat Heroic posted:



Boss gave me yesterday off for working all weekend. It was a total heat wave of 45* F(reedom) so I loaded up the car seats in the old family sedan and took the kids to a park to play. I made sure to scuff off the old rubber while I was out.

Not nearly as powerful as an M3 but still end up spinning the wheels here and there.

Lord Ludikrous
Jun 7, 2008

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Currently journeying through Bavaria and having a great time.

Stopped off on the Romantische Strasse for some lunch.



Stopped off at another rest spot just outside Rothenburg ob der Tauber as there were some great panoramic photo opportunities nearby.




Staying in Rothenburg ob der Tauber, which is an absurdly pretty town.




Today we head down some more of the Romantic Road before breaking off and heading to Munich. Fun times.

Lord Ludikrous
Jun 7, 2008

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Crossposting from the BMW thread.



The adventure continues.

Lord Ludikrous fucked around with this message at 18:11 on Apr 6, 2017

Lord Ludikrous
Jun 7, 2008

Enjoy your tea...

D C posted:

Nice car, sweet road trip, but most of your pictures would benefit from taking a few steps back. They look like your about to post the car up on Craigslist for sale or something.


To contribute, its always funny to start up the 300D when its been sitting for a while.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Fn0CiPN8UA

Ah, it's like that because I'm phone posting and crop the images using the phones screenshot function otherwise the pictures are massive. This is the original.



If that's better I'll use the originals from now on?

Lord Ludikrous
Jun 7, 2008

Enjoy your tea...



If you zoom in on the top of the mountain, you can see the Eagles Nest. Which is sadly closed, but this was as close as we could get.

Probably worth making a thread chronicling all the adventures over the last couple of weeks than filling up this one maybe?

Lord Ludikrous
Jun 7, 2008

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ExecuDork posted:

I'd read your adventure thread.

I spent the last few days chilling out at Lake Lucerne and am now at my last layover in France before returning to the UK tomorrow, but won't get back to my computer until Tuesday. I'll make a start on it then.

In the meantime, we stopped in the most picturesque McDonalds car park on our way through Switzerland.

Lord Ludikrous
Jun 7, 2008

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They're literally a Golf without the price tag to match, can't go wrong to be honest if the styling is your thing.

Lord Ludikrous
Jun 7, 2008

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Voltage posted:

It's like they specifically engineered any kind of fun, excitement, sound, or pleasure out of it entirely.

I see someone has never driven a diesel Vauxhall Insignia.

Lord Ludikrous
Jun 7, 2008

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davebo posted:

Nice. Although I always get confused with BMW's and what they offer where. So this is a 240i with M sport package, but it has a 6 speed manual which over here is only offered on the M2?

Like the other guy said the M140i/M240i models are a sub-brand but M Sport is just a trim level and entirely cosmetic apart from the lower and stiffer suspension.

If you wanted to you could get a 116d M Sport which looks almost identical to an M140i apart from a few visual cues.

Lord Ludikrous
Jun 7, 2008

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Seat Safety Switch posted:

This thing rules. It's so smooth, like a river stone.

It looks too big to be a Megane, what is it? License plate search just returns "blue Renault," which is not particularly descriptive.

Looks like a Megane Sport Tourer maybe? I'm not massively clued in about Renaults.

Lord Ludikrous
Jun 7, 2008

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Goober Peas posted:

I turn 40 in March, gotta get my grampa on









This looks suspiciously like a Vauxhall Insignia. Badge engineering?

Lord Ludikrous
Jun 7, 2008

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I should really clean mine.

Lord Ludikrous
Jun 7, 2008

Enjoy your tea...

MrYenko posted:

They did, and then almost immediately abandoned that train of thought when they realized that they make about a gajillion imperceptibly different models now, and have to differentiate them in ways other than using the series. I agree with you that even if they decided to abandon the old naming scheme, at least stick to the new one, but even the new one didn’t allow enough granularity for BMWs horribly bloated product line to be adequately named numbered.

Edit: BMW X6 xDrive 40d M Sport :catdrugs:

In fairness this isn’t so bad, it’s not much different to an Audi A4 Avant 2.0 TDI Quattro Black Edition.

The old naming convention ([series][engine displacement] I.e. 3 Series with a 2.0l engine being a 320i) hasn’t been used in years, ever since they started using identical engines in various states of tune with the first 1 Series and E90 3 Series.

The real travesty is when they shift the meanings of model numbers mid life cycle. Pre facelift the current 1 Series had the 114i, 116i and 118i (not including the performance models), all with the same engine at 101hp, 136hp and 175hp respectively. When they gave the series a facelift, the 114i was dumped, the 116i became the 118i, and the 118i became the 120i. Engine outputs remained the same, and the new 118i got a new 1.5 3 cylinder engine a short time later. However the diesels remained the same (116d, 118d, 120d etc), only the 116d also got a new 1.5 3 pot engine as well.

To complicate it even more, my 118i is one of the first facelift models, but still has the old 1.6l engine. Long story short the model designation means gently caress all now apart from higher number = faster. Still love mine though.

Lord Ludikrous
Jun 7, 2008

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No roof box but I do have a bicycle.

Lord Ludikrous
Jun 7, 2008

Enjoy your tea...

New ride day.





2017 BMW 320i M Sport Shadow Edition. Loving it so far.

Lord Ludikrous
Jun 7, 2008

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Had some drat good weather over the weekend so got both rides out and about.

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Lord Ludikrous
Jun 7, 2008

Enjoy your tea...

Big old image dump coming as I’m on a road trip around Germany and Switzerland again and having a great time and seeing lots of cool things.

Like fairy tale towns.


Fairy tale castles.


Stopping off on the Deutsche Alpenstrasse to view the river Isar.



Or stopping off on the Sylvensteinsee Dam.



The gorgeous Lake Kongisee is just down the road.


I’d post the incredible view from my balcony but Imgur is making GBS threads the bed and internet speeds are awful.

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