Grover

A while back somebody posted a way to read plugs and assess carb tuning by installing fresh plugs right when an open stretch of road is ahead. If I remember correctly you open it up for some period and then pull over to read the plugs. Did a quick search but couldn't find the original post with the details. Anybody know this process well enough to describe for me in better detail?

I was looking at the egauges.com site for the supplemental VDO gauges I want but became overwhelmed by all the options. I know I want the basic Vision series; oil pressure, temp, and volts, but am uncertain on the ranges as well as which sending units are needed (all of the ohm stuff is totally foreign to me), thread sizes, and various wiring needs. I do know that I want electrical vs. mechanical. Anybody bought this similar stuff have the ideal set-up at hand? Thanks in advance.

If your driveshaft is just a little too long, it would seem like you should just be able to slide the differential back a little bit since it is held in place in such a way that it has some movement. The center support bearing can move also. Have you also checked the alignment of the driveshaft? If this is off it could also increase the wear on the guibo.

I had a 2002 Mini Cooper S, one of the first ones they brought in. Unfortunately being so early in the production cycle, mine was hampered by a variety of build issues that eventually led me to sell the car after one year. My understanding is that these have been remedied now and the build quality is of good quality. One recent option which you can now apparently spec is a limited slip and I would highly recommend this since it has a significant amount of torque steer without it. As for the driving experience, if your commute is on windy roads, the Mini will be fantastic, it really is a hoot to drive, although the run flat tires (especially if you get the 17" wheels) will knock your fillings loose on bumpy roads. As for the price, it sounds high to me, I think you could get a brand new one for barely more than that and know that it hasn't been abused in any way. If you want a good mini site, check out mini2.com. Also, if you're renting the Italian Job, make sure to see the original from the 70's as well, it's a classic.

I could be wrong, but this looks and sounds just like a car I saw on the Bimmer Brothers web site that they sold about 9 months ago. The mods are identical to what I remember right down to the Dinan suspension and a Tii motor in a non-Tii car. If memory serves me correctly, BB sold it for $8,900. Like I said, I could be wrong but the similarities are uncanny.

When accelerating slowly from a stop my car often has a dead-spot at around 2k rpm in first gear. Accelerate more agressively and it doesn't happen. Plugs are new and clean. Timing is set by ear, but I think pretty accurate. Tried leaning out the fuel mixture but still happened, and I really don't think it needs to be richer. I've also tried short shifting into 2nd and 3rd to see if it happens in those gears at low rpm's but hasn't just in my brief experimentation. Any ideas what could be causing this?