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I really want a Mini now :S
Joey's Cooper Thread; Suspension Thoughts
- Thread starter Joey D
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Joey D
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Eh unless you are prepare to plop down a huge sum of money for a tiny car I think you could find something just as fun for a lot cheaper. I love my car but it's so overpriced that I don't think I could ever get another...who knows though.
Joey D
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Autumn Photoshoot
The weather was nice today, well OK it was nice this morning and earlier on in the afternoon, so I thought I would go do some pictures. I used my 1000D and my Canon EF 28-105mm f/3.5-4.5 II USM Lens. I took a couple hundred pictures between the car and during my hike in the woods, here are some of the better ones I think.
This shows off the new mods a bit better too, and oh ya a clean car
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The weather was nice today, well OK it was nice this morning and earlier on in the afternoon, so I thought I would go do some pictures. I used my 1000D and my Canon EF 28-105mm f/3.5-4.5 II USM Lens. I took a couple hundred pictures between the car and during my hike in the woods, here are some of the better ones I think.
This shows off the new mods a bit better too, and oh ya a clean car
.
Joey D
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Thanks! 👍
Needs more low.:tup:
You are right, it does. The only problem is all the lowering springs for it are hell on the shocks and I'm not really that keen on spending $250 for springs and then $600 on shocks every 12,000 miles (which would be about every 7 months).
My plan is to save up and do coilovers at some point since I think that would offer me the best ride, longevity, and look.
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Wow, awesome photography. Glad to see somebody else is still doing real shoots, not playing around with photoshop and cheesy angles. I'm envious of your locations, too!
- 10,838
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- bramturismo
4th and last are fantastic! The first three could use some more work in Photoshop...
Oh hang on, this is the cars in general thread
So, Joey, what does Kate think about you giving Cooper more love than she receives? Just kidding there, the Cooper looks really good. Personally I've never been a fan of the extra lights on the front grill, but oh well. What's that UK thingy? I should've visited this thread more often 
. How long have you been having this car now? I still looks in excellent condition. Also, forget about those BBS rims you dig in the import thread, your current ones match the car absolutely perfect. Personally I'd opt for an inch larger, but that's the maximum. Great looking car Joey! 👍
Oh hang on, this is the cars in general thread
So, Joey, what does Kate think about you giving Cooper more love than she receives?
Just kidding there, the Cooper looks really good. Personally I've never been a fan of the extra lights on the front grill, but oh well. What's that UK thingy? I should've visited this thread more often . How long have you been having this car now? I still looks in excellent condition. Also, forget about those BBS rims you dig in the import thread, your current ones match the car absolutely perfect. Personally I'd opt for an inch larger, but that's the maximum. Great looking car Joey! 👍
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Looks fantastic, Joey. The fourth pic is my favourite. Definitely got the right look going though, everything suits the car perfectly, the wheels, the new grille and lights... definitely all works 👍
Joey D
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Thanks! I did play around a bit in Photoshop with them since the light today was a bit odd, it was bright and cloudy...however that works out.
The first two pictures were taken at Stony Creek Metropark, which is one of my favourite places to go to relax, went for a nice hike there too. The 3rd, 4th and 5th ones were taken on Oakland University's campus by the Meadowbrook Estate. The last one was at Bald Mountain State Park. It is amazing just how driving around seemingly average places yields great locations. I know Michigan's autumn colours played into it a lot too.
I agree, after looking at them again they are still too washed out and not enough contrast.
So, Joey, what does Kate think about you giving Cooper more love than she receives?
Thanks for the comments! 👍
The car will be two years old next month on the 14th, I'll be giving an update then, similar to what I did last year around that time. It should be nearing 40K miles by then too
. The little UK thing is a grill badge, MINI owners tend to put all sorts of odd ones on their cars. I opted for a simple black Union Jack, but some people switch them up for holidays and other occasions. It's just a 3.5" magnet.
The rims I have are, for the lack of a better word, BBS knock-offs. I couldn't afford to spend thousands on rims, nor did I really want too. The reason I went with 16's over 17's was weight. The 16's already weigh 17lbs. the 17's would have been 20lbs...add 25lbs tires on to that and it's getting heavy. If you want big and light you are looking at a zillion dollars.
Thanks! I like the fourth picture the best as well.
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- 10,838
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Although I do catch flak for maybe spending more time with the car then her
Well, let me say then it's to hear you two are doing so good 👍 I miss having a girlfriend, but I brought it upon my own so... I'm studying anyhow, so maybe I can dream of a little Cooper as well
May I ask why you chose that colour? I must admit it wouldn't be my personal choice as I would go with either red, white or blue (white Cooper rims off course!) but I've never seen that colour around here on the Coopers. You should give Kate the brown one and get yourself a blue Cooper S
Too bad they're so expensive, huh?
W00T!
Joey D
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Well, let me say then it's to hear you two are doing so good 👍 I miss having a girlfriend, but I brought it upon my own so... I'm studying anyhow, so maybe I can dream of a little Cooper as well
May I ask why you chose that colour? I must admit it wouldn't be my personal choice as I would go with either red, white or blue (white Cooper rims off course!) but I've never seen that colour around here on the Coopers. You should give Kate the brown one and get yourself a blue Cooper S
Thanks for the well wishes for Kate and I.
It's a bit of an odd story on how I chose the colour, I was going to get the car in Pure Silver, I even test drove one in Pure Silver just to make sure I like everything about the colour. Well after I got back from the test drive and was getting ready to order the car, this was all in the same day mind you, I looked out the window and asked the Motoring Associate (what MINI calls their sales people) what colour that was. He replied "Sparkling Silver". It looked gold to me...actually it looked just like Oakland University's gold (where I went to school at the time). Thinking it would be cool to have a car in my school's colour I ordered it in that. I never really knew how rare it was. I think I've seen two others in that colour on the road in all of my travels, one Cooper S and one Clubman S.
I really like the colour, it doesn't show dirt and for me that is a good thing since I hate, and I mean hate, washing my car. Also I don't like looking like everyone else. Although if I was going to buy another Cooper I'd get it in British Racing Green.
And yes they are expensive, it's the number one complaint I have with MINI.
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Rotary Junkie
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W00T!
Colour 👍 Wheels 👎
Joey D
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Thank you much!
A longer antenna? If anything I need a shorter one
. My car looks like a little R/C car. Thanks for the compliment too! And as RJ said, it's one of the very few redeeming factors about Michigan, we get about 2 weeks of nice colour although typically there are only a few nice days out of that where you can actually enjoy it.
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Sarcasm sucks.Thank you much!
A longer antenna? If anything I need a shorter one
Thanks for the compliment too! And as RJ said, it's one of the very few redeeming factors about Michigan, we get about 2 weeks of nice colour although typically there are only a few nice days out of that where you can actually enjoy it.
You sound like you are complaining about your states (short lived as it is) beauty. I get year long dull!
Roo
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Echoing others, loving the 4th and last photos of that set.
Your MINI's done more miles in 2 years than my Mini's done in 17!
The car will be two years old next month on the 14th, I'll be giving an update then, similar to what I did last year around that time. It should be nearing 40K miles by then too
Your MINI's done more miles in 2 years than my Mini's done in 17!
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Wait. the rims are different than 2 years ago!
Joey D
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Thanks for all the compliments on the photos guys!
Well Michigan is an odd place, I don't really hate it here but it would be nice to be somewhere more consistent. It was in the low 40's last week and it's supposed to be in the mid 60's by the end of this week. The weather isn't the only thing I don't really like either, it's very very very flat here.
Ya, ya, ya...I need to save up for coil overs first. Trust me it's on my short list of things to do. I hate driving a 4x4.
I know I do drive a lot, but between work, travel, and just mind relaxing drives it all adds up quickly. Cars are meant to be driven though right? Not since letting it sit in the garage.
Rims are interchangeable.
Well Michigan is an odd place, I don't really hate it here but it would be nice to be somewhere more consistent. It was in the low 40's last week and it's supposed to be in the mid 60's by the end of this week. The weather isn't the only thing I don't really like either, it's very very very flat here.
Ya, ya, ya...I need to save up for coil overs first. Trust me it's on my short list of things to do. I hate driving a 4x4.
I know I do drive a lot, but between work, travel, and just mind relaxing drives it all adds up quickly. Cars are meant to be driven though right? Not since letting it sit in the garage.
Rims are interchangeable.
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I'm really liking the photos, Joey! Very nice job of taking advantage of the Fall in Michigan. The car looks great, the backgrounds look great. It's all pretty much just right.
Whenever I start to think Michigan is lame, I just take a trip down to Indiana (possibly the worst state in the country?). That place is really flat. I'm definitely not used to being able to see an entire state around me wherever I go.
But yeah, Michigan is pretty awesome right now. Driving up I-196 on the way back from Indiana this weekend was very nice. The colors of the trees while the road wound through the slight hills out here looked great. Not quite the PNW, but better than many other places. All we need are some bigger hills.
Whenever I start to think Michigan is lame, I just take a trip down to Indiana (possibly the worst state in the country?). That place is really flat. I'm definitely not used to being able to see an entire state around me wherever I go.
But yeah, Michigan is pretty awesome right now. Driving up I-196 on the way back from Indiana this weekend was very nice. The colors of the trees while the road wound through the slight hills out here looked great. Not quite the PNW, but better than many other places. All we need are some bigger hills.
Joey D
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Two Year Update
Gawain wonders if he will receive a ticket for backing in to his parking area, hopefully no Royal Oak cops are around.
It seems like just yesterday I was pulling out of Motor City MINI with a brand new set of wheels and saying goodbye to the Blazer. I had Led Zepplin's Mothership in the CD player and was rocking out to Good Times Bad Times with the windows down. I remember it was a pretty awesome night in terms of weather, about 60 degrees (much like today's weather come to think of it). And then I remember returning home from the dealership to discover someone had broken into our house and stole quite a bit of our stuff. It was a day of mixed emotions for sure.
It has been two great years and 39,000 long miles of ownership though and I still really enjoy my car, not as much as the day I bought it but fairly close. It is expected that some of the enjoyment of a car will wear off over time, but like I said I'm fairly content with the thing and I think I made the right choice in buying a car. I do plan on keeping this for a little while although I'm always looking for my next car. I'm pretty sure I don't want a car this small again because it has made road tripping a bit more difficult then it should be.
The car has gone through some pretty good changes over this past year. New rims and tires were fitted back in early June which really made the car look much better as a whole and I got rid of those drab and skinny 15's. Several exterior goodies were added as well recently which really helped dress the car up nicely too. I'm pretty happy with how the cars looks and it's nice to have a vehicle which is easy to put some custom touches on.
It's also been on a couple good road trips, one to Toronto for an all out drinking holiday with my buddies and one up north for a romantic get away with Kate. It's not bad for two people and their luggage but three or more is just a bit too much. Venturing into the Great North was a bit complex since there were three of us, all of our camera gear and out suitcases. We survived though. I have other trips planned next year for it and the Cooper shall continue to see more of this great land of ours.
Future Plans
Not much in the way of future plans right now, I am going to be putting a set of winter tires on the car and probably a set of summers in April of next year. Past that I don't think I want to mess with it much more. Perhaps the addition of yellow fog lights but past that I think I'm good. I don't want to fall victim to what happened with the Blazer. I sunk a bunch of time and money into it and made it pretty much undrivable for a daily.
I have tossed around the idea of a roof rack and a pod to make my life easier while on the road, but this is just an idea. I'm going to wait until next year and see if any of my trips require it. Although if I get a bike like I have been thinking about getting, I might have to in order to transport the thing around.
It's been a great year of ownership and I hope to have many more.
Gawain wonders if he will receive a ticket for backing in to his parking area, hopefully no Royal Oak cops are around.
It seems like just yesterday I was pulling out of Motor City MINI with a brand new set of wheels and saying goodbye to the Blazer. I had Led Zepplin's Mothership in the CD player and was rocking out to Good Times Bad Times with the windows down. I remember it was a pretty awesome night in terms of weather, about 60 degrees (much like today's weather come to think of it). And then I remember returning home from the dealership to discover someone had broken into our house and stole quite a bit of our stuff. It was a day of mixed emotions for sure.
It has been two great years and 39,000 long miles of ownership though and I still really enjoy my car, not as much as the day I bought it but fairly close. It is expected that some of the enjoyment of a car will wear off over time, but like I said I'm fairly content with the thing and I think I made the right choice in buying a car. I do plan on keeping this for a little while although I'm always looking for my next car. I'm pretty sure I don't want a car this small again because it has made road tripping a bit more difficult then it should be.
The car has gone through some pretty good changes over this past year. New rims and tires were fitted back in early June which really made the car look much better as a whole and I got rid of those drab and skinny 15's. Several exterior goodies were added as well recently which really helped dress the car up nicely too. I'm pretty happy with how the cars looks and it's nice to have a vehicle which is easy to put some custom touches on.
It's also been on a couple good road trips, one to Toronto for an all out drinking holiday with my buddies and one up north for a romantic get away with Kate. It's not bad for two people and their luggage but three or more is just a bit too much. Venturing into the Great North was a bit complex since there were three of us, all of our camera gear and out suitcases. We survived though. I have other trips planned next year for it and the Cooper shall continue to see more of this great land of ours.
Future Plans
Not much in the way of future plans right now, I am going to be putting a set of winter tires on the car and probably a set of summers in April of next year. Past that I don't think I want to mess with it much more. Perhaps the addition of yellow fog lights but past that I think I'm good. I don't want to fall victim to what happened with the Blazer. I sunk a bunch of time and money into it and made it pretty much undrivable for a daily.
I have tossed around the idea of a roof rack and a pod to make my life easier while on the road, but this is just an idea. I'm going to wait until next year and see if any of my trips require it. Although if I get a bike like I have been thinking about getting, I might have to in order to transport the thing around.
It's been a great year of ownership and I hope to have many more.
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I always like reading these updates. Glad you're still happy with it Joey!
Joey D
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Commence Winter Attack Mode!
Had Discount Tire install 185/55/15 Hankook Winter iPike W409's tonight. They are pretty aggressive but based on all the reviews I've read they are pretty awesome tires. They are typically compared to the Hakkapeliitta's which are apparently the next best thing to Jesus.
So far they ride nicely and aren't overly loud, although they do start to sing at about 50mph. Tread squirm isn't that bad either, which surprised me. I guess I was expecting the worse. The only thing I have against them is that the look like truck tires, but kind of cool truck tires never the less. Oh well, now I wait for it to snow.
Oh and as usual excuse the dirty car, there hasn't been a clear enough day to actually wash it and I don't really fancy standing outside for 20 minutes when it's in the low 30's.
** Just for the record these are mounted on 15" OEM Ronal 5-Star Spooler rims.
Had Discount Tire install 185/55/15 Hankook Winter iPike W409's tonight. They are pretty aggressive but based on all the reviews I've read they are pretty awesome tires. They are typically compared to the Hakkapeliitta's which are apparently the next best thing to Jesus.
So far they ride nicely and aren't overly loud, although they do start to sing at about 50mph. Tread squirm isn't that bad either, which surprised me. I guess I was expecting the worse. The only thing I have against them is that the look like truck tires, but kind of cool truck tires never the less. Oh well, now I wait for it to snow.
Oh and as usual excuse the dirty car, there hasn't been a clear enough day to actually wash it and I don't really fancy standing outside for 20 minutes when it's in the low 30's.
** Just for the record these are mounted on 15" OEM Ronal 5-Star Spooler rims.
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