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[Vincent1606]

I have just signed up and wanted to say hi, My name is Vinny and i just bought a 2008 Mini cooper 1.6 petrol.
The car was serviced recently and has its full service history....this brings me to my question. Can anybody recommend a garage in south Dublin, north Wicklow area to get a good service done as the last owner got it serviced in Advance Pitstop and i really want to get another service as soon as i can. Also are the number plate surrounds still available Thanks

[irlmin]

Hi Vincent and welcome to the site , I can't recommend anyone in Dublin unfortunately but you are correct in having a decent service carried out on your MINI . oil changes are really important and forget MINIs service schedule as if you adhere to that I am afraid the life expectancy of your engine will be short . We recommend oil and filter change mileage of 7000km , make sure one of the top brand 05 30 full synthetic oil is used with an OE or OE spec oil filter . I would also change gearbox oil at every 25000km as contrary to what MINI recommend its NOT for life and will lead to premature failure if not changed . again carry out a brake fluid change if its not been done yet and this will make sure ABS unit stays working as it should . Change coolant and keep an eye out for coolant loss and if you find any loss of coolant deal with it before it causes issues , the R56 engine is not very forgiving when overheated , as I said I can't help with Dublin advice but what I can tell you is that we have lots of Dublin based customers that pop down to the 'Peoples republic' of Cork for MINI servicing and repairs . I am sure Fergal will be along soon with details of Number plate surround availability , any questions you may have re your MINI please feel free to ask here or give me a shout .
G

[R53dec]

Hi guys my name is declan im from tullamore, relatively new to mini iv owned my 2005 r53 cooper s since last may, im loving it. Took it to the nurburgring in august and had a blast,its a brilliant car to drive i had subarus for the past 12 years.
Mods so far
Pipercross induction kit
13.2% pulley
Ngk plugs
Omp lower brace
R56 discs and calipers
Aero grilles

[irlmin]

Hi and welcome, R53 is certainly getting popular again ,value wise they slipped down over the past few years BUT are on the rise again , R56 brake conversion is a brilliant mod and is in fact the same as the R53 'Works' conversion back in the day . consider a decent remap with your mods as you don't want it running too lean .
G

[R53dec]

Cheers, where best for a map in ireland. Im getting it dyno'd on Saturday to see how it is running

[Minipeter]

Hi All,
New to the site, and new to Mini's.
I am based just outside Ballincollig.
I always wanted to get an old mini, and have finally done so
I have just bought a 91 mini city, which I am hoping to restore a bit.
Car seems to be running fine.
I have booked it for an NCT at the weekend to see what needs to be done from that side of it.
I know it will fail on a few things, but I want to see what else it will fail on, so I know what to work on.
Not hugely experienced with Mechanical work, although I am generally quite handy, so I am sure I will be looking for a few bits of advice as I get stuck into the work on it

Thanks
Peter

[irlmin]

Hi Peter , welcome to the site , congrats on your new purchase . good plan to stick it in for the NCT as its a lottery at the moment with rising fail rates , let us know if you need any advice on your rebuild as there are many knowledgable people here that have done work on their minis over the years .
G

[Minipeter]

Well,
I went for my NCT yesterday.
Unsurprisingly, my little mini didn't pass it.
The fails don't seem to be major issues, and the NCT guy, did say that in general that the car was quite solid.
The fails were:
1. Parking brake imbalance - 56%
2. Emissions low idle - CO 11.17
3. Dip Beam - Need focusing
4. VIN Number - could not see it on the frame where it had been painted over
5. Side lamps not working
6. CV boot - frayed/cut
7. Steering rack gaiter frayed/cut (*2)
8. Front Suspension - Ball Joints Worn

Need new tyres all around, although this was not a fail.
It is suitable for a retest if I have the above done before 5th March.

I am thinking I would have a crack off some of the above, but I will definitely need a professional for a couple of them.

Would I be as well to just go and get someone to do all the above for me, get it through the NCT and then put my time into doing up the interior, chrome etc.

If I am going at a few of the above, is my best thing to just get parts from MiniSpares.
Are the OK for returns if I do get a few parts which are wrong, and I need to return them does anyone know.

Any advice on this would be appreciated, form anyone who has done something similar before

Thanks
Peter

[irlmin]

Hi Peter
Not a bad result , handbrake imbalance will be rear shoes or poor adjusting , emissions are very high but should be a simple fix for a non injection mini , headlamp focus again a simple one if adjusters are ok ,VIN Number again a regular issue with paint or rust obscuring number , side lamps wiring fault or just bulbs , CV boot again no big deal similarly rack boots , and finally ball joints which will be replacement and or adjustment , overall could be much worse and bodyshell must be good as NCT are tough on classic minis usually rust wise ,
G

[Minipeter]

Thanks Ger.
I have sent you a PM about this.

[Minipeter]

Thanks to O'Learys garage my little mini flew through the NCT on the second attempt.
Definitely made the right decision in getting the lads to fix the problems for me first time around, and i can now concentrate on the interior, chrome etc.

Thanks Lads

[irlmin]

No Problem Peter , the body shell is one of the best I have seen with a while and there is zero rust on the underside , an ideal starting point for your plans . good news on the NCT .
G

[Derek]

Hi new here just picked up an 08 cooper s. Love it so far. Few bits on the way for it.

[irlmin]

Hi Derek ,
Welcome to the site . congrats on getting your R56 . get a few photos up and keep us up to date when you fit the few bits .and any help advice we can give just ask ,
G

[whirsk]

Hi All
I am a recent Mini convert and actively looking for a R56 cooper s .
Whirsk