Lincolnshire MINI Club

Merlin 2 · Posted: Fri Aug 22, 2008 11:41 pm Post subject: Merlin 2s very own thread

Hi all

I have been on this site for some time now and after a visit tonight to Promoter and his clan and being made most welcome I felt it was about time I posted a thread for Merlin so that you can all see him and I can feel more at home on the site - its a long time overdue.

Anyway the idea of the thread will be for me to keep you all in the picture of Merins development.

Merlin started life back in March 2003 and was the first 03 plate Cooper S in the Doncaster and Barnsley area.

I stretched my budget to the max and bought the Cooper S so the only options specked were -

Metalic paint
Isofix child seat points
CD Player with boost
Chilli pack
Climate control

8 hours after picking up Merlin he was being used to take my wife to hospital for our first child to be born. For quite some time Robyn - my first child was known as "the Mini Baby" at the Doncaster dealership
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Merlin 2 · Posted: Fri Aug 22, 2008 11:42 pm Post subject:

My initial plans for Merlin was to leave him completely standard and to hang on to him for a very long time - so we went on some runs and had some fun -

The Mini2 Heartbeat 2004 -

The Mini2 Tan Hill Raid 2004 -

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Merlin 2 · Posted: Fri Aug 22, 2008 11:43 pm Post subject:

But then the Modding bug bit and things began to change - Clear rear lights

Additional Gauges

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Merlin 2 · Posted: Fri Aug 22, 2008 11:43 pm Post subject:

Small things to start with but the problem is I know I wanted the JCW engine conversion. In the mean time all manner of other mods cropped up cheaply and I had to get them - putting the engine conversion further away all the time. Then came some of the bigger bits -

Aero Kit

with this one I knew I didnt want the standard rear reflectors so thanks to another Mini owner I got hold of the door card reflectors from a cooper and fitted them instead -

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Merlin 2 · Posted: Fri Aug 22, 2008 11:43 pm Post subject:

Eventually after 3 years of saving in between other mods I finally got the JCW Works conversion but by now there was a motorsport version with 225BHP - it had to be done.

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Merlin 2 · Posted: Fri Aug 22, 2008 11:46 pm Post subject:

Unfortunately for my bank account the modds have not stopped there -

Additional driving lights - Genuine BMW but I have had the backs of them powder coated in black - I usually have the American black plastic covers over these during the day to avoid stones breaking the glass.

I have also got hold of a cooper manual headlight adjuster switch and re made it into a 3 way switch so I can now have these lights all off when the high beam is on, just one pair on or both pairs on - that one was a bit fiddley

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Merlin 2 · Posted: Fri Aug 22, 2008 11:46 pm Post subject:

Appart from the engine conversion all moddifications to Merlin have been done by myself. The hardest moddification I have fitted to date was the retro fit Multi function steering wheel - this involved re wiring half of the cars ECU and running cables throughout the dashboard area, with wires going to the back of the speedo, rev counter and body control module in the drivers footwell.

Other retro fit original equipment I have fitted includes
6 Disc auto changer in the boot
On Board Computer
Appart from the engine conversion all moddifications to Merlin have been done by myself. The hardest moddification I have fitted to date was the retro fit Multi function steering wheel - this involved re wiring half of the cars ECU and running cables throughout the dashboard area, with wires going to the back of the speedo, rev counter and body control module in the drivers footwell.

Other retro fit original equipment I have fitted includes
6 Disc auto changer in the boot
On Board ComputerAppart from the engine conversion all moddifications to Merlin have been done by myself. The hardest moddification I have fitted to date was the retro fit Multi function steering wheel - this involved re wiring half of the cars ECU and running cables throughout the dashboard area, with wires going to the back of the speedo, rev counter and body control module in the drivers footwell.

Other retro fit original equipment I have fitted includes
6 Disc auto changer in the boot (although I have since removed it again as I now use an MP3 player with my head unit)
On Board Computer
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Merlin 2 · Posted: Fri Aug 22, 2008 11:50 pm Post subject:

I have also got the Carbon Fibre bug -

JCW Carbon Fibre Mirror covers -

JCW Carbon Fibre Bonnet Scoop -

JCW Carbon Fibre Tailgate Handle -

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Merlin 2 · Posted: Fri Aug 22, 2008 11:51 pm Post subject:

The engine bay needed a little spruce up so I got hold of some alloy accessories -

Dipstick -

Brake fluid cap -

Oil Cap -

Headlight washer cap -

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Merlin 2 · Posted: Fri Aug 22, 2008 11:54 pm Post subject:

Thanks to another contact I have fitted some GP replica dial faces

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Merlin 2 · Posted: Fri Aug 22, 2008 11:54 pm Post subject:

There will be some eagle eyes out there that have noticed the illumination colour on the rev counter is blue and not orange - I have completely changed the whole of the dashboard illumination to blue, with red needles - including changing the colour of the needles themselves.

Rev counter -

Centre console -

Speedo -

Clock -

Interior light -

I have even done the buttons in the Multi Function Steering Wheel and the footwell lights.

I have also fitted the genuine John Cooper Works Illuminating Sill plates that light up when you open the doors
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Merlin 2 · Posted: Fri Aug 22, 2008 11:59 pm Post subject:

The carbon fibre theme has continued with a Carbon fibre upper front strut brace -

and a JCW Carbon fibre handbrake grip -

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Merlin 2 · Posted: Sat Aug 23, 2008 12:00 am Post subject:

Thanks to Si at Essential Mini for supplying the

Beesting Ariel-

And Halo Sidelights -

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Merlin 2 · Posted: Sat Aug 23, 2008 12:02 am Post subject:

Then came the new wheels - 18" x 7.5" Kosei.

As far as I know they are the only set in the country. They are japanese wheels but I had to buy them from America as I couldnt get hold of them in the U.K.

They are Kosei Double racer (sometimes called D-Racer)

the only reason I went for the 18" wheels is because Merlin needed some bigger brakes as you can see later in this thread the brakes I went for wouldnt fit under the standard 17" S-Spokes.
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Merlin 2 · Posted: Sat Aug 23, 2008 12:04 am Post subject:

Then it was back to the Carbon Fibre - a genuine Carbon Fibre parcel shelf -

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