A very special little R53 MINI (now with Milltek)

_Stu_

RMS Regular
Messages
1,395
Sadly a few weeks ago my very best friend David lost his battle with depression aged just 26. He was a member on here and was a true petrol head. A lot of people in the MINI clubs knew him well and this R53 was his fifth MINI. A lot of hard decisions had to be made and I was humbled and very taken back when his family asked me if I'd take his pride and joy and keep on doing the MINI runs and shows in his memory.

Last August David and I travelled to London to collect this. It's an 06 R53 with chilli pack, heated recaro seats, Harmon Kardon, factory LSD, climate control, heated windscreen, 17" Bullets, MFSW, black roof and mirror caps. As soon as David saw the spec list and interior he had to have it and it was quickly named "Seth". Following a long drive back to cairnryan and a good hammering along the A75 we got Seth back to Belfast just in time for the causeway coast MINI weekend.

My plans for this car are to continue with the work David never got around to doing. It really needs a new exhaust so will be watching for a good standard one or if a nice upgrade comes up I'll maybe go for it. A wheel refurb is on the cards and a very minor repair to one of the seats to make the interior immaculate. Apart from that I'll be keeping Seth exactly as he is and will be focusing my attentions on keeping it in its current condition. Seth holds a lot of memories so will be a long term keeper and I'll be using my Passat for all the boring daily duties.

Anyway, sorry for the long background story, I'll let the pics do the rest now.

Cheers
 

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Wild Thing

RMS Regular
Messages
4,789
Location
Tandragee
brilliant history that means a lot to you, as you will have seen we have a good we amount of R and F owners on here and have started to do mini runs join our FB page also Aanmelden bij Facebook | Facebook
Car Parts For Less on the interweb are doing milteks delivered for around £400 search online for their discount codes

COOG we need our own RMS Mini sub forum please!
 

_Stu_

RMS Regular
OP
_Stu_
Messages
1,395
brilliant history that means a lot to you, as you will have seen we have a good we amount of R and F owners on here and have started to do mini runs join our FB page also Aanmelden bij Facebook | Facebook
Car Parts For Less on the interweb are doing milteks delivered for around £400 search online for their discount codes

COOG we need our own RMS Mini sub forum please!

Cheers, I think he was on the Facebook group but will need to join it myself and get along to some of the events. Will more than likely bring the car over to you prior to MOT to check it over.

They are such a fun car, I drove it quite a lot anyway so know how fast it is and how well it handles. Last year we did London to Brighton in his R56 Cooper D but don't think I'll be able to do it this year with the IMM in Westport being so close.
 

Wild Thing

RMS Regular
Messages
4,789
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Tandragee
Serious sad times for all involved with your friend. You will enjoy your mini ownership,when they are looked after, give very little bad manors. Can do whatever needs done for you, its no problem
 

300trophy

RMS Regular
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3,730
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Sorry to hear about your loss Stewart :worried:. Good luck with the car though, its in the right hands to be looked after that's for sure!
 

Graham

RMS Photographer
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32,990
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That's sad to hear, there is such little help in NI for mental health and a lot of the drugs supplied end up making sufferers worse :worried:

Am i right in thinking i would have come across David via animal charity and also marketing within a car dealer?
 

big_pete

RMS Regular
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Ballyclare
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Soulless pos
Couldn't believe it when I heard the news. He was such an outgoing and upbeat guy. Always had something to say that made me laugh any time he called into the workshop. Just shows you never know what happens in a person's mind.

I'm sure you will miss him alot @_Stu_ but it's great that you are carrying on where he left off with the car. That I'm sure would please him greatly
 

Ghost

RMS Regular
Messages
9,767
Sadly a few weeks ago my very best friend David lost his battle with depression aged just 26. He was a member on here and was a true petrol head. A lot of people in the MINI clubs knew him well and this R53 was his fifth MINI. A lot of hard decisions had to be made and I was humbled and very taken back when his family asked me if I'd take his pride and joy and keep on doing the MINI runs and shows in his memory.

Last August David and I travelled to London to collect this. It's an 06 R53 with chilli pack, heated recaro seats, Harmon Kardon, factory LSD, climate control, heated windscreen, 17" Bullets, MFSW, black roof and mirror caps. As soon as David saw the spec list and interior he had to have it and it was quickly named "Seth". Following a long drive back to cairnryan and a good hammering along the A75 we got Seth back to Belfast just in time for the causeway coast MINI weekend.

My plans for this car are to continue with the work David never got around to doing. It really needs a new exhaust so will be watching for a good standard one or if a nice upgrade comes up I'll maybe go for it. A wheel refurb is on the cards and a very minor repair to one of the seats to make the interior immaculate. Apart from that I'll be keeping Seth exactly as he is and will be focusing my attentions on keeping it in its current condition. Seth holds a lot of memories so will be a long term keeper and I'll be using my Passat for all the boring daily duties.

Anyway, sorry for the long background story, I'll let the pics do the rest now.

Cheers
Great wee car. Sorry to hear about your friend. Did he work on boucher road by chance?
 

weeloaney

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19,046
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It's great to be given something that would have meant a lot to him to remember him by and for it to be a car and such a fun wee one is a bonus.

Thoughts are still with you and his family and friends @_Stu_ , really not an easy thing to come to terms with
 

da.murf

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10,312
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We were all shocked and sad in Bavarian when we heard. Went out on test blasts (certainly weren't drives) lol a few times with David. Passionate about Minis and nice chap to chat to. Let me know if u need any help etc on car end parts etc.
 

DC.

RMS Regular
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Saddened to hear about your very best friend. I'm sure he would be very glad to see you carrying on with the MINI.

All the best with it.
 

_Stu_

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OP
_Stu_
Messages
1,395
That's sad to hear, there is such little help in NI for mental health and a lot of the drugs supplied end up making sufferers worse :worried:

Am i right in thinking i would have come across David via animal charity and also marketing within a car dealer?

Yeah Graham, he did volunteer work for assisi and stuff and also worked for Skoda, Vauxhall then finally was working for Mercedes for the past couple of years so you would have come across him.
 

_Stu_

RMS Regular
OP
_Stu_
Messages
1,395
Couldn't believe it when I heard the news. He was such an outgoing and upbeat guy. Always had something to say that made me laugh any time he called into the workshop. Just shows you never know what happens in a person's mind.

I'm sure you will miss him alot @_Stu_ but it's great that you are carrying on where he left off with the car. That I'm sure would please him greatly

Cheers Pete! We had some craic down at your place on a few occasions. Things will never be the same but it's important that we keep on doing what he loved best, blasting about in MINIs
 

Woodcutter

RMS Regular
Messages
31,236
Such a nice guy, couldn't believe the news, he was some craic on the Rusty Nuts Rally. So sorry for your loss Stewart.

Nice to see his Mini went to a good home.

If I can help with any parts you need just shout, I'll do the best I can for you.
 

G N K

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Anything
Very sorry to hear of the loss of your friend, depression is such a difficult thing to understand even for sufferers of it. I sometimes feel jealous of people who are not affected but happy for them at the same time.

It really is an awful illness and as @Graham has rightly said some of the prescribed medication can make things worse. I've tried them all...

What an honour for you to receive his car from the family, you must have been a great friend.

Car looks great, I wish you many years of happy motoring and enjoyment with it.
 

redanni

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Earth
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unreal, I can't even imagine how you must feel every time you get into the car.
Truely moving story that will put a lot of things into prospective for a lot of people.
 

_Stu_

RMS Regular
OP
_Stu_
Messages
1,395
We were all shocked and sad in Bavarian when we heard. Went out on test blasts (certainly weren't drives) lol a few times with David. Passionate about Minis and nice chap to chat to. Let me know if u need any help etc on car end parts etc.

He was some pilot alright and that R53 was certainly driven the way it was made to be driven. Think he scared a few salesmen on test drives and I'll never forget the day our friend gave him the keys to her GP2 for a blast!

Such a nice guy, couldn't believe the news, he was some craic on the Rusty Nuts Rally. So sorry for your loss Stewart.

Nice to see his Mini went to a good home.

If I can help with any parts you need just shout, I'll do the best I can for you.

Rusty nuts was mighty craic! He was on a complete mission to kill my daily driver vectra that weekend (then ironically I killed it a week after). Will have to call in with you next time I'm up that neck of the woods. Need some stuff for the B5.5 Passat anyway.

Very sorry to hear of the loss of your friend, depression is such a difficult thing to understand even for sufferers of it. I sometimes feel jealous of people who are not affected but happy for them at the same time.

It really is an awful illness and as @Graham has rightly said some of the prescribed medication can make things worse. I've tried them all...

What an honour for you to receive his car from the family, you must have been a great friend.

Car looks great, I wish you many years of happy motoring and enjoyment with it.

It's unbelievable how quickly depression takes a hold on someone and the impact it has. Completely overwhelmed when his family offered it to me and it took a while to decide what to do for the best but I'm very glad it's staying and will be very much loved and cherished. Looking forward to creating more memories in it now.

unreal, I can't even imagine how you must feel every time you get into the car.
Truely moving story that will put a lot of things into prospective for a lot of people.

Still very mixed emotions being in the car but it's getting easier and there's a bit of comfort in having it. Deffo puts a lot in to a different light now and makes other things seem trivial and insignificant.
 

johna3

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Bangor
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Thats a sad sad story @_Stu_, very sorry to hear of your loss. Support in NI for those suffering with mental health is truly appalling and we can only hope treatment for depression and similar illnesses improves with increasing awareness.

Its a great honour for you to be asked to take the car on and I'm sure you'll do it justice (y)
 

Mel

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Please accept my warmest condolences for your loss, what a kind gesture from his parents, it is no doubt giving them both comfort knowing its going to be treasured by you.
 

Neil_M

RMS Regular
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4,766
Sorry for your loss, but what a privilege to be able to continue on with the car.
 

Graham

RMS Photographer
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32,990
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Yeah Graham, he did volunteer work for assisi and stuff and also worked for Skoda, Vauxhall then finally was working for Mercedes for the past couple of years so you would have come across him.
Shocking :worried:

Yes met him a few times via my work and also the pet thing as well as chatting to you both at the odd show. He was always full of cheer and incredibly helpful.

Sorry for your loss, having been there with depression both myself and loved ones around me I know how hard it can be
 
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