A very special little R53 MINI (now with Milltek)

gav525

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Sorry for your loss @_Stu_ , such a sad story!

Glad to see you'll be keeping the car and doing what your mate would've wanted, it's certainly very well specced and a nice looking wee car. Hopefully will get a blast with you on one of the Mini runs (y)
 

_Stu_

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Found the original thread David made of all his other MINIs.

MINIac

Spent yesterday washing and polishing Seth, just need to wait for dry weather to get a good sealant or a couple of coats of wax to keep the paint protected. Also looking for one with xenons being broken as the pump for the headlamp washers doesn't work.

Thanks so much for all the kind comments and support. Possibly going to plan a cruise or show in Davids memory for charity during the summer.
 

MarkyMck

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Hi Stewart, good to see you posting on here.

Still find it hard to believe David isn't here, he was a great customer of ours down at Prentice. We were all really saddened when we heard the terrible news.

I'm glad Seth has gone to a good home. Look forward to seeing the progress on the R53. :grinning:

See you soon, Mark
 

_Stu_

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Hi Stewart, good to see you posting on here.

Still find it hard to believe David isn't here, he was a great customer of ours down at Prentice. We were all really saddened when we heard the terrible news.

I'm glad Seth has gone to a good home. Look forward to seeing the progress on the R53. :grinning:

See you soon, Mark

Cheers Mark, must get a run up to prentices some day soon actually. I know how close David was with all of you guys up there.

Think he had considered a reduced pulley but not sure on what it would cost and what gains would be like. Do you have one in yours?

Also if I see a set of R95s come up I might think about them, there was serious wheel envy when he saw them fitted to your one lol.

Probs won't be much changing with the car until MOT time when I replace the exhaust and sort the headlamp washer issue. Sure you will be seeing it at plenty of runs and shows though.
 

TimmyTSR

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Hi Stewart. I was in the same class as David at University for 3 years. This is the 1st time I've heard of his passing and Im completely shocked by this. I only realised this because theres only one boy in the world that names his Minis! I last time saw Dave was at a friends wedding in the summer spent the whole afternoon santering about cars! Was never the biggest Honda fan and wasnt afraid to let me know this lol All the best with Seth! Im gutted to hear this!
 

_Stu_

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Hi Stewart. I was in the same class as David at University for 3 years. This is the 1st time I've heard of his passing and Im completely shocked by this. I only realised this because theres only one boy in the world that names his Minis! I last time saw Dave was at a friends wedding in the summer spent the whole afternoon santering about cars! Was never the biggest Honda fan and wasnt afraid to let me know this lol All the best with Seth! Im gutted to hear this!

Sorry you had to find out on here man :-(

Was it Scott's wedding you were at? I picked him up that night and drove him home in his Black R56. He was hilariously plastered and it was great craic on the drive back.

If you spot Seth at any of the shows pop over and say hello. I'm the tall balding bloke who normally appeared in David's fb pics.
 

TimmyTSR

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Sorry you had to find out on here man :-(

Was it Scott's wedding you were at? I picked him up that night and drove him home in his Black R56. He was hilariously plastered and it was great craic on the drive back.

If you spot Seth at any of the shows pop over and say hello. I'm the tall balding bloke who normally appeared in David's fb pics.

Yup was Scotts wedding I was at! Sat beside Dave all day just santering away! Aye he enjoyed the complentary wine abit too much haha!
Rang Scott after I saw this we went and visited him at the church (awful road!) even had the Honda at the church he wouldnt have been happy lol
Still hasnt sunk in poor David! Aye I hope to see Seth at the Mini show in portrush this summer!
 

_Stu_

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Yup was Scotts wedding I was at! Sat beside Dave all day just santering away! Aye he enjoyed the complentary wine abit too much haha!
Rang Scott after I saw this we went and visited him at the church (awful road!) even had the Honda at the church he wouldnt have been happy lol
Still hasnt sunk in poor David! Aye I hope to see Seth at the Mini show in portrush this summer!

Yeh, I had to hand back the Merc after he went so I bought a Passat as a stop gap and took it up to the church one day. Remember my mate telling me he wouldn't have been happy with me driving a derv VW up to him.

Already have my accommodation and all sorted for portrush this year. It's been a tradition for many years so won't be stopping any time soon.
 

richie_mck

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Incredibly sad news, truly heartbreaking to think someone was in such inner turmoil.

It was a very kind gesture by his family and nice to have something positive to remember him and your friendship by.
 

_Stu_

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Well Seth is going back on the road next week. Got the insurance and paperwork sorted as I didn't want to take it out until I knew everything was 100% legitimate in case anything would happen.

Should be some updates to follow. Maybe next weekend I will get the wheels off and clean them up for now until I look at a refurb. Also going to tidy the calipers and discs up when I'm at it. Still on the hunt for a decent exhaust system so will price up a long life system and get looking at a miltek resonated system too.

Got a couple of shows on during May and taking it to the IMM in Westport too. Looking forward to going to these events even though it will be bitter sweet. Any more RMS MINI runs coming up?
 

_Stu_

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Fair play Stewart - David was great craic egging us on to wreck your vectra on the RNR!

He had a real hatred for that Vectra for some reason. It was an absolute heap but it did me as a daily for 6 months without giving any major grief.
 

_Stu_

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Very minor update but it's the start of things to come. Got Seth back on the road yesterday and gave him and the daily driver Passat a good clean. Then spent today painting the hubs and calipers and cleaning the back of the wheels. Ideally I will refurbish them soon but for now they'll do the job and the backs of them cleaned up quite well.

Taking a run to Newcastle this afternoon then going to a mini club meeting after so will be my first big run in the MINI in a long time.

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_Stu_

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Ended up biting the bullet and going for a Milltek resonated cat back for Seth. As the picture shows the old standard system was well past it's best.

Very glad I went for the resonated system as there's no droning at all on the motorway but it sounds perfect as you get up in the revs and push it on a bit. Huge thank you to @BBSBOY for helping me out with it.

Whilst underneath the car I spotted a couple more jobs needing done but nothing too major or scary.

Taking it to its first show in my ownership on Sunday for peak performance at Donard Park. Will be spending tomorrow cleaning in preparation.

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gav525

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Good choice on the Milltek (y)

I went for the non-res myself, would be good to hear them side by side to hear the difference. I think if mine was a daily I would have gone resonated.
 

_Stu_

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Had Seth at the first show of the year on Sunday at Peak Performance in Donard park. Was a stunning day and plenty of interesting motors on show. Also got chatting to @Wild Thing so will need to arrange to get some work done before MOT time.

Took a blast up to Portrush last night for the NW200 vintage cavalcade thing and a meal at Ramore after. On the way home I stopped off at portstewart strand and my mate decided to get a couple of arty photos. Think they came out really well actually.

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