08/18/07: Goodbye old friend!
This will be the last update - Quicksilver is gone. I sold her to Carmax in Tampa today and purchased a 2007 Lexus IS250. I really had a great time with this car and met some truly wonderful people as a result. Sunshine MINIs is an amazing group of people. Some people have asked me if it hurt to let it go - I would say its kinda like the feeling one had about high school. You are sad to see it go and leave it behind, but it is exciting to think about the future as well. I still have a wealth of information about the MINI - so I'd be happy to help anyone out.
Miles Motored: 38,876
M 05/26/07: Changed the oil this weekend and cleaned her up a bit. Also just broke out of the Free Scheduled Maintenance as I just passed 36K Miles. Miles Motored 36,071!
05/07/07: We are back from the Dragon! Check out the links below. Miles Motored: 34,971!
Midnight on the Dragon Video #1
04/30/2007: It has been a while since I have updated the site, been busy with work. Quicksilver went in for his 30K service in March. I posted pictures of the latest iteration of the subwoofer setup. We are leaving for the Dragon tomorrow! At this time he has motored 33,480 miles!
M 03/21/2007: Quicksilver had the oil changed at his 2nd service. Pat also replaced the clutch cylinder and bled the brakes. Miles Motored: 31,105!
02/04/2007: Installed the Cooling Mist Methanol/Water Injection system. With summer coming, and still running a little on the lean side of rich, I felt it was a necessary precaution with the track events we do. Miles Motored: 30,070!
02/03/2007: Quicksilver just rolled over 30K! Miles!
01/26/2007: Koni Challenge @ Daytona. We cheered on #197 who had blown his motor during qualifying the day before. He ended up finishing #67 of 106 in his class. I also got some great pictures of Quicksilver as well as Tracey's Cabrio and Minvader's S. Miles motored: 29,405!
1/17/2007: Alex gave me a wheel lug to stud conversion kit for Christmas and I installed it last night. So much easier to take rims and tires off and on. Rotated the wheels and tires front to back while I was at it. Still waiting for Megan Racing to send the replacement Header. Mile Motored: 28,521!
1/13/2007: First MINIs of Tampa rally of 2007. Had 16 MINIs show up for a rally around S. Tampa, Ybor City and St. Pete. Check out the pictures by clicking the picture below. Miles Motored 28,347!
01/12/2007: Installed an AEM A/F gauge, swapped the s/c pulley from 17% to 15% to try to lower my a/f ratio, as it was running a bit too lean. That seems to have done the trick! Miles Motored: 28, 197!
12/09/2006: Dyno Results: 215.6whp/179lbs/ft tq. The car pulls something fierce! The graph on the left is the prior to the Thumper head, the center is the current dyno charts, the one on the right shows the difference between the dyno in June and December. Since June, the addition of the Schrick Race Cam, Alta Lightweight crank pulley, Megan Header, Random tech cat, JCW 380cc injectors, JCW software update and the magic piece The Thumper Performance head have resulted in a difference of 27.32 whp and 11.47 lbs/ft of torque.
June: 187.97 whp / 168.41 lbs/ft
tq - MODS: MTH, 17%, I/C, Milltek, CAI
November: 196.46 whp / 173.41 lbs/ft tq - MODS: those listed above plus:
Cam, JCW Inj/ECU, Header, Cat, 0%
December: 215.29 whp / 179.88 lbs/ft tq - MODS: those above plus the Thumper
Performance Head.
12/1/2006: Pat installed the Thumper Performance head on Quicksilver!!! The car is unbelievably fast now! The sad thing is that my 6 month old Megan Racing header is bad. Megan has said they will replace it. Miles Motored: 26,904!
11/25/2006: Installed the Ireland Engineering fixed -1.25 camber plates to the JCW suspension. Wow! I cannot wait to see how this feels in a week or 2 after I get it aligned. My ride quality is back with the JCW springs and struts and the front grip feels amazing! Miles Motored: 26,140!
M 11/20/2006: Changed oil after the dragon. Quicksilver is going in for fuse box replacement and will be getting a full bank switches installed. Miles Motored: 25,575!
11/18/2006: Returned to the Dyno with new software, new high was 198.6 HP / 175lbs/ft tq with a alcohol cooled intercooler. Otherwise best run was 196.4 / 172. I was up about 4hp and down about 1 lb/ft tq. Miles Motored: 25,600!
11/12/2006: Returned from the Dragon. Had to replace left rear tire. I also ordered another JCW suspension, I am going back!! Check out photos from the dragon here. Miles Motored: 24,625!
M 11/5/2006: Changed the oil, brake fluid and belts after yesterdays race. Put some Water Wetter in the Antifeeze, and ran some injectors cleaner through the pipes. Miles Motored: 22,476!
11/4/2006: Ocala Track event #2. I had a best lap of 39.8, avg 40.088, Ana had a best 41.233, averaged 41.420. Click here to see the standings.
10/29/2006: Quicksilver turned 1 year old today! Miles Motored: 22,175!
9/19/2006: Two things today, added the Piano Black "Se7en" dash, and had my front window replaced since it decided to crack over the weekend before the show. Click the link below to see the Se7en Dash. Miles Motored: 20,763!
9/16/2006: Jaguar Concourse show in Lake Mary. Took 3rd in Class :) Click below for pictures from the show.
09/01/2006: Finally got to mount the track day rims and tires and heat cycle them. Ana and I will be running Drag DR17 17x7 rims, with 215/45/17 Falken Azenis RT-615. They feel great, way better grip than the street tires ever had.
A few more changes going on in the coming weeks: Alta Sway Bar Links, Hotchkis Springs, RDR rear control arms, Texas Speedwerks engine damper, and the Se7en Dash (click here for a picture of the seven dash.)
