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#11
The Lounge / Re: Non-Traditional Mini Parts...
Last post by MiniDave - November 26, 2025, 09:57:17 AMI'm going to need tars on the green car come spring I think, they still have plenty of tread and even tho they've lived in the garage they ARE 9 years old now.....
I've been running the Yokomama A539's and I like them just fine - they've sure worn well, I must have close to 30K on them now - but I wonder if a set of Falkans or Nankangs might be worth a try - they are half the cost of the Yoko's....
I see Spares lists a 205/60-13 Yoko A 539 vs the 175/50-13 that's on there now.....those could work for the hot rod. But they cost as much as the tires I just put on my Audi, which were 245/45-18's!
I've been running the Yokomama A539's and I like them just fine - they've sure worn well, I must have close to 30K on them now - but I wonder if a set of Falkans or Nankangs might be worth a try - they are half the cost of the Yoko's....
I see Spares lists a 205/60-13 Yoko A 539 vs the 175/50-13 that's on there now.....those could work for the hot rod. But they cost as much as the tires I just put on my Audi, which were 245/45-18's!
#12
The Lounge / Re: Non-Traditional Mini Parts...
Last post by 94touring - November 26, 2025, 02:43:51 AMThe ebay tire guy finally responded. The import fees are included in the sale price.
#13
Daves Garage / Re: Racing Green 89 Mini
Last post by MiniDave - November 25, 2025, 03:10:38 PMOld coil Ohm'd out at 3 ohms, kind of a disappointment - I had hoped to see something off there. The new one def runs better, starts way easier than it has for a very long time.
Dunno about the plugs, I suppose I can try them wider and see what happens.
Dunno about the plugs, I suppose I can try them wider and see what happens.
#14
Daves Garage / Re: Racing Green 89 Mini
Last post by 94touring - November 25, 2025, 10:29:14 AMQuote from: MiniDave on November 24, 2025, 09:14:43 AMI still have the old one, I can measure the resistance of the low voltage side and see if there's something going on there....
I was curious because if the idle is up a couple hundred, even when the old coil was working properly, it would be interesting to know what the old coil voltage was to compare improvement to a 40k volt. Do you plan to regap the new plugs wider too? It's another small benefit.
#15
Shop Tools And Equipment / Re: Electric winch review
Last post by BruceK - November 24, 2025, 08:00:07 PMLooks like a great value for $100. 
#16
Maintenance and Modifications / Re: My Mini stinks!
Last post by 94touring - November 24, 2025, 10:33:05 AMYeah those auto darkening helmets from HF work well. Toss in gloves and the thinnest flux wire. Downside to flux is it welds hotter, more prone to burn holes on really thin sheet. Pro is it's softer and easier to grind down with your angle grinder or air tool attachments. But anyways, this tank project I'd have drilled out that PITA pipe with filter and welded in a new, saving myself a day or however long it took to do. And added the drain for the paint...though I might have pressurized the tank and used soapy water to find the leak and just welded that area solid.
#17
Maintenance and Modifications / Re: My Mini stinks!
Last post by MiniDave - November 24, 2025, 09:23:58 AMThese new inverter welders are inexpensive and work a treat - just be sure to get one with dials on it to adjust the amperage/voltage and wire speed.
My buddy Dave got one that has a couple of digital readouts instead of dials and we could not make heads nor tails out of what the numbers meant! The instructions were in Chinese and of absolutely no help. We even went online and found an English language manual for it, but all it said was that there were readouts, no clue as to what they meant. Not only that but the scales changed as you ran the numbers up/down.
Bottom line, a dial from 1-11 is so much easier to learn on.
My buddy Zac bought one too, his has two dials and is super easy to use.
Don't forget - a good auto darkening helmet and some welding gloves. A chipping hammer to remove the slag and I use a wire brush on my angle grinder to clean up the welds. You can get all this stuff at Harbor Freight....
One like this will do just about anything you need to on a car.... Flux Mig welder
You also need this wire
I have this one and it works great Helmet
At this price, why not? chipping hammer
and finally.... gloves
all this adds up to what, $200? Amazing what you can get right now for so little money. I've had my cheapo welder for over 30 years now and it still works just fine, cost $400 in 1990 although I do run gas and not flux core.....makes for a much cleaner weld.
My buddy Dave got one that has a couple of digital readouts instead of dials and we could not make heads nor tails out of what the numbers meant! The instructions were in Chinese and of absolutely no help. We even went online and found an English language manual for it, but all it said was that there were readouts, no clue as to what they meant. Not only that but the scales changed as you ran the numbers up/down.
Bottom line, a dial from 1-11 is so much easier to learn on.
My buddy Zac bought one too, his has two dials and is super easy to use.
Don't forget - a good auto darkening helmet and some welding gloves. A chipping hammer to remove the slag and I use a wire brush on my angle grinder to clean up the welds. You can get all this stuff at Harbor Freight....
One like this will do just about anything you need to on a car.... Flux Mig welder
You also need this wire
I have this one and it works great Helmet
At this price, why not? chipping hammer
and finally.... gloves
all this adds up to what, $200? Amazing what you can get right now for so little money. I've had my cheapo welder for over 30 years now and it still works just fine, cost $400 in 1990 although I do run gas and not flux core.....makes for a much cleaner weld.
#18
Shop Tools And Equipment / Re: Electric winch review
Last post by MiniDave - November 24, 2025, 09:15:49 AMI like that it has a wireless remote, so you don't have to have the cord in the way.....
#19
Daves Garage / Re: Racing Green 89 Mini
Last post by MiniDave - November 24, 2025, 09:14:43 AMI still have the old one, I can measure the resistance of the low voltage side and see if there's something going on there....
#20
Maintenance and Modifications / Re: My Mini stinks!
Last post by BruceK - November 23, 2025, 06:41:01 PMQuote from: 94touring on November 23, 2025, 03:39:28 PMYou really need to get yourself a cheapo flux core mig welder to be able to add in bungs and drains and things for random projects like this.
Hmmmm. Christmas is coming...