Mods for this week...new pics added 11-8-04

[03Indigo]

For the Mini, I am installing an armrest, and other storage dividers for the glove box and below the climate control.  Then I am doing drilled and slotted cadmium plated front and rear rotors along with Axxis kevlar and ceramic pads all around.  I finally got my 5mm H&R spacers as the other custom spacers were never able to actually work, and the milling company in Boulder refunded my money...so that was good.  Once everything is on there, and I have adjusted the dampening of the coilovers, stiffer in the back and a touch softer in the front for quicker turn in, I should be running pretty good.  With my new spacers, I am looking at ability for another 4mm drop front and rear.  That should make it look pretty hot.

For the Allroad, I am getting new rear rotors and pads.  I got the zimmerman drilled, slotted, cadmium plated rotors and the PBR ceramics to match the front.  I think I may be also painting the calipers while i am in there, but not totally sure I am gonna do that just yet.

Should be a busy week, but once I get the suspension and brakes on the MINI done, then I am moving onto a project for custom painting the interior door cards and other areas of the interior.  I got big plans for inside, so we will see how it turns out.  that project should take me a couple of months to complete, so the MINI will be out of service for a bit....as I want to take my time and get it done right.

I think that pretty much covers the plans for this week and most of the winter....hopefully by spring I will have the MINI dialed in and ready for the twisties.

[gragravar]

Nice Jon!  looks like you have a fun week ahead of you.

[DenverPat]

Damn son, you've got a big week ahead of you!  I'm doing front brakes this week, too.  Zim x-drilled with Pagids.  Going to paint all the calipers black, too.
I've got a question for you.  How will softening the front suspension make turn in quicker?  Do you mean the car won't push as much?  It seems to me the softer the front suspension the slower/less responsive steering inputs would be.

[gragravar]

you too pat?  both of you are going to be brake experts soon.

[03Indigo]

I've got a question for you.  How will softening the front suspension make turn in quicker?  Do you mean the car won't push as much?  It seems to me the softer the front suspension the slower/less responsive steering inputs would be.

Well, from the seat of my pants, and the adjustments I did to the front already, the stiffer I went in the front caused more push, like you said.  So, to adjust the backs, I need to pull them out of the car, I am gonna make them full stiff, then back off one turn, I belive they are backed off 4-5 turns now.  The fronts are backed off 1.5 turns, so I want to take them to either 2.5 or 3.  If my theory is correct, the car should be pretty neutral then, and not push very much, and thus making me "turn in" quicker, with maybe a little more rotation out the back end.  If that makes sense.

[DenverPat]

Gotcha.  I cannot WAIT to get a ride in that thing once it's set up.  It's going to be nutzo.
I guess when I think of turn in, I don't think of how neutral a car is or how well it rotates.  I just think of how responsive the steering input is.
Soooo....when do I get a ride?  =D

[03Indigo]

Once I get the interior done, cuz in the next several weeks, I am pulling the interior apart...so not for several months is my guess.

[03Indigo]

well, still waiting for my brakes to arrive, but I did put back the standard seat for now, so the sport seat is in the garage.  I was tired of having 2 different seats, and since I am not gonna track for a while, I might as well have the 2 front seats match.  I can still use the schroth harness, so that will keep me in place if I really need it.  Maybe I will consider getting true sport seats, like Sparco or something...

I also washed and waxed all the wheels for the MINI and the Summer allroad rims.  Now I just need to get my brake parts in, hopefully they arrive today so I can bust a move on Thursday and get it all done.  I still need to pull the rear coil overs out to adjust them, but that only takes less than an hour, so I will do that tomorrow.

I also cleaned and re-oiled my blue cone filter for the mini, now it looks blue again, yeeeee haaaaaa!!!

[ColoradoB5]

Jon, you really need to just throw caution to the wind and get some proper race seats in there.  I have been thinking about the Sparco Torino's for a while, but woul dlike ot ride in them first.  Of course, after that, I still need to have the money for them...and I am saving up for a new bike for the spring...

Sounds like you've got some good stuff planned.  I want a ride right after Pat!

Dub

[03Indigo]

I serioiusly considered some seats...the Corbeau options though, a bit more affordable for an adjustable seat back.

.

I can get those set up with brackets and shipped for around $1700 total.  That is a bit rich still, but worth the consideration.

I have decided not to do it however, as I was also considering a milltek exhaust for the allroad, but passed on that as well in exchange for paying off the MINI early and wanting to save money for a new house in the next year.  I am ready to move, and looking at options on a single income, I need to save a bit more to increase a down payment...so that being said, after these mods, everything is pretty much on hold until the new house happens.

those torino's are kick ass though, I sat in a MINI that had them, with the optional lumbar support thing.  Never road in the car, but just sitting there, they were very functional and felt very supportive in side bolstering.

I am still waiting for my rotors and pads for the MINI, they are not hear yet, so next week may be brakes.  I have the car on stands, ready to go.  Once I get it down, I will be up for giving rides again, with the weather being nice that is.  that car does not go out in the rain or snow, hehe.

[ColoradoB5]

Those are pretty nice!  Great color choice too.  So how was the comfort on the Torino's?  I haven't ever seen or sat in one up close.

Gratuitous seat pic:

[03Indigo]

they were very comfortable, very!!!  I sat in the wide waste option one, they also have a narrow option one for waists up to 30" I believe, or something like that.  The one I sat in was good up to 36", which is what I am...so it was perfect.  I think for me and my size, the narrow option one would be uncomfortable for a daily driver, where the wider one was nicer.  I think that is what he had, the wider option one.

Either way, it was leather, which is the Milano, but basically the same seat.  You do give up your airbag option with them though, which is kinda a drag...and the seat brackets do not adjust for height, so you need to shim them, but that looses stability.  Basically, you end up sitting really low in the car.  I think the Corbeau sits a tad higher, which is better for me.

PS, I could be wrong on the waist measurements for the sparco seats, I am just shooting from memory here, not wanting to look them up.

[03Indigo]

OK, so I got the rotors all replaced, the front is completely done, pads and everything.  I even finished the front adjustments on the coil overs.  Now on the rears, that is a different story all together.  I was able to get the caliper off, rotor off, new rotor on, and caliper brace back on, but to compress the rear pistons, it is a completely different rear brake tool than I have.  Guess I am making a run in the morning to try to find one at the auto parts stores.  It is a 4 hole design, and much narrower than the VAG tool.  Once that is done, I am pulling the rear coil overs out, and making the dampening stiffer.  So, not much more to do, once I have the tool, the entire time left should be under 2 hours for sure.

I did install an arm rest in the mini, it matches the curved arc of the door handle, so it looks OEM in my opinion.  I will have pics sometime next week of that and the new brakes.

I am getting pumped to do the interior, but now that I have all this stuff adjusted, I am ITCHING to drive the car.  So, maybe I will drive it a bit more, then rip the interior out.

ahhhh, the saga continues.  Next week will be the Audi rears, and maybe painting the calipers...but i am still somewhat undecided about the entire thing.

[03Indigo]

The MINI is done.  And I also just ordered some sport seats...they are the MINI sport seats, blue and black leather, heated, airbags, blah, blah, blah, $400 plus shipping for both seats.  Can't go wrong with that.  Seats will be shipped towards the end of next week.

these are not the actual seats I am getting, but they look just like this.  Great support for what I am doing, huge improvement over the bench seats I have...

[jayryan]

All I can say is, "wow Jon."

[ColoradoB5]

Jon, those seats are beautiful man!

[03Indigo]

Well, the new seats should be here by next monday, if FedEx does their thing well.  So I should have them installed by the time we do Jeremy's 1.8T 4motions suspension.

Then the last thing I will need to do is get the interior panels painted, and the transformation is complete.

[Noob_Shum]

8O   Dang Jon, you go boy!!  Your cars are amazing!

Jonathan

[03Indigo]

the seats arrived this morning, and I just finished installing them.

now to get a little nap in, then go for a test ride.  They are in pretty decent shape, so I would say I am pretty happy with the deal I got.  There is one surface scratch on the drivers side seat back, in the blue section, so I will see if it can be repaired...I am sure it can for a price, hehe, but the question is, how much.

[gragravar]

nice, can't wait to see them.

[03Indigo]

maybe you can come over sometime and we can discuss a possible adjustment to my suspension?  Now that the module has been reprogrammed, and they reset the height, I think they went too high,so I want to drop down a touch, you remember how high it was, right?

[gragravar]

sure.  I'll see if I can stop by the garage day on Wed.  what time are you all doing that?

Traveling again tomorrow.  Seattle and back in a day.

[03Indigo]

we are starting at 10am, but you can stop by anytime, even in the evening.  I figure now is the time, before I get out of OEM warranty, and head into Audi Assured warranty with a co-pay thingy.

If not, we can figure something out in the next couple of weeks

[03Indigo]

Seats are in, and here is the before and after shots I just took.  Also note the center arm rest, that is not stock, that is an aftermarket piece I found, and it fits perfectly into the car...looks OEM and is perfectly functional.  



and after

[ColoradoB5]

Let me be the first to say....Very Nice!

[gragravar]

looks good?  is blue carpet next on the list?

[03Indigo]

no, leaving the tan, have the black mats, but the doors are gonna be more black, with just parts of tan left.  I may be adding some matching blue dash accents, but we will see how those turn out, it is an experiment in process.

[Cole]

Interested in selling the old seats? Those would match my Jeep perfectly. (black and tan TJ)

[ColoradoB5]

Jon, well it really looks great.  I have become highly aware lately just how much I want something better than the stock seats.

The Sparco's are particularly interesting with the memory foam.  I gotta get up tp ASW this weekend to check out their stock on these, since they are the only seller in CO.

Anyone know of any other ones?

[DenverPat]

It's tough to find a dealer that keeps many in stock.  Seats are something you definitely need to try several of in person before making a decision, and ASW is the only place I'm aware of in CO that you could do that.