"fourvalleys" (fourvalleys)
05/18/2016 at 11:19 • Filed to: Shipping, fourvalleys, classic mini, mini, parts
7
20|
"fourvalleys" (fourvalleys)
05/18/2016 at 11:19 • Filed to: Shipping, fourvalleys, classic mini, mini, parts | 7
| 20 |
Seriously - overnight. And it was way cheaper than you’d expect.
I made a !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! about ordering a whole load of parts for the Mini. I typically order from !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! (near London) because they have the best prices including shipping. As a bonus, they ship a lot faster than a lot of the US-based distributors, too.
The Timeline
As shown above, this was a big box. You could fit a person in there. At this speed and this price, I think I figured out my return flight the next time I’m in England.
The box was handed over to DHL at 1:40PM local time (1240 GMT) on Monday, and it was originally scheduled for delivery on Wednesday. It headed to the DHL facility at Gatwick (south of London) and flew that evening to East Midlands Airport.
DHL flies from East Midlands Airport to Cincinnati, and customs approval is done before it even hits the gate. It took 2 hours and 33 minutes from the “Arrival” at Cincinnati to the Departure to O’Hare.
It made it to O’Hare at 7:30AM local time (1230 GMT) yesterday - just early enough to get onto a delivery truck. The parcel was delivered at 1:45PM (1845 GMT).
30 hours, 5 minutes.
If you don’t factor in the time change, that’s 24 hours, 5 minutes. Pretty incredible.
Here’s the tracking report:
The Cost
The best part out of all of this? The cost. DHL’s international courier rates are pretty incredible. This 17kg (37.5lb) parcel made it to me for £60 - that’s about $87.50.
I didn’t measure the box to find out, but I guarantee that an overnight shipment from the next state over would cost me more than $87.50.
This isn’t an ad for DHL, but this service is no joke. This is the third or fourth parcel I’ve had shipped from London in the past year. Every single one arrived within 2 days.
What’s in the box?
This is the good part. The post I mentioned above talks a little bit about what I ordered, but it was coming from a few different places. The new air filter, head gasket, and AFR gauge showed up over the weekend.
Here’s an annotated photo of what was in this box specifically.
A - Intake Manifold (replaces the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! )
B - SU carb rebuild kit
C - AAU carb needle
D - Intake/Exhaust manifold gasket
E - Cork valve cover gasket
F - Rocker shaft
G - Rocker shaft spacer kit
H - Rear box for exhaust
I - Downpipe for exhaust
J - Forged rockers (1.3 vs. the factory 1.25 ratio)
K - Exhaust Manifold
L - Exhaust hanger kit and gaskets (oh god where are the instructions)
M- HT Leads
N -Rear drum brake adjustment kits (2)
O - Thermostat gaskets
P - Plug for the hole in the intake manifold
Q - Super long extended magnetic drain plug
R - Rocker cover bushings
This is in addition to my new !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! and the other bits I mentioned above. I’m not sure about my current power numbers, but it’s not set up right. Probably in the 20hp-ish range if I’m lucky. With a good tune, these parts could net me closer to the 40-50whp range. It’ll still be slow, but at least it’ll have a bit more pep. Total cost including all the parts and shipping should be right around $1000. Not a bad deal.
HammerheadFistpunch
> fourvalleys
05/18/2016 at 11:24 |
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That is pretty incredible for post, I’ve recently priced out slow boat mail from Australia and it was nearly that much for a couple of DVD’s
d15b
> fourvalleys
05/18/2016 at 11:24 |
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40-50 WHP on that little thing is quite a bit.
Chris_K_F drives an FR-Slow
> fourvalleys
05/18/2016 at 11:25 |
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BRRAAAAAP!
MUSASHI66
> fourvalleys
05/18/2016 at 11:30 |
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Amazing price !! I looked into shipping a shift knob from Italy to states with an eBay seller, and they wanted almost $40. Shipping is weird - I bought parts from Slovakia and they were shipped to me for $6. I had to return some of them - same box, less weight, and I paid $18 to ship them back.
adamftw
> fourvalleys
05/18/2016 at 11:31 |
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I’ve ordered stuff from the UK as well and it arrives astonishingly fast and cheap.
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fourvalleys
> d15b
05/18/2016 at 11:42 |
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It should be plenty. I’m not going for big power, so I don’t think I’ll be doing much beyond this. I’d rather have a “reliable” 45hp Mini (hah), than have a 80hp Mini that I have to rebuild every other year.
I’ve considered a b16/b18 swap, but I’ve got a friend who’s 4+ years and $15k into his and it’s just not appealing at that point.
I just want something I can whip around at autocross and not put up the slowest time of the day. When I took it out there last year, I was pretty much flat out. It was a hoot.
Birddog
> fourvalleys
05/18/2016 at 11:47 |
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That is seriously impressive!
I have some parts coming for a trike project. I put the order in on Saturday the 14th. Shipping from Oregon to Chicago was $23 for 7lbs and it won’t get here until the 20th.
WRXasaurus
> fourvalleys
05/18/2016 at 12:37 |
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That is a great price for shipping. Wow.
LongbowMkII
> Chris_K_F drives an FR-Slow
05/18/2016 at 12:38 |
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rotary swap?
BRILLIANT!
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LongbowMkII
> fourvalleys
05/18/2016 at 12:39 |
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Now that’s some tasty candy.
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d15b
> fourvalleys
05/18/2016 at 12:59 |
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Me too, I agree with your sentiments and POV. The best car is the one that starts every-time!
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fourvalleys
> d15b
05/18/2016 at 13:47 |
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It’s a Mini, so I’m aiming for “starts most of the time.”
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d15b
> fourvalleys
05/18/2016 at 13:58 |
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Hey, at least it’s achievable.
duurtlang
> fourvalleys
05/19/2016 at 09:01 |
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My experience with DHL is slightly different. Note that I received this package only 3 hours ago. Not that I’m complaining though. Total cost: about €60-65 including VAT. I’ve sent and received it myself, it just didn’t fit in my car.
I’m not using that tape again either. Much shittier than other brands.
Satoshi "Zipang" Katsura
> fourvalleys
05/19/2016 at 10:39 |
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I was about to say why not use the R series engines and then I remembered “Drive by wire...”
Damn it, Honda.
My bird IS the word
> fourvalleys
05/19/2016 at 11:02 |
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Looks like we are both going to be doing exhaust this weekend :)
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fourvalleys
> Satoshi "Zipang" Katsura
05/19/2016 at 11:47 |
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It doesn’t matter - look at the cost!
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fourvalleys
> My bird IS the word
05/19/2016 at 11:48 |
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I wish! Kinda... I’ll be putting on a bunch of miles this weekend, spending time with family, and heading to the track. Hopefully I’ll be able to swing a little seat time in a Legends car, but we’ll see.
As much as I’d like to get everything done, that sounds like a much more fun weekend to me!
Good luck with yours!
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Satoshi "Zipang" Katsura
> fourvalleys
05/19/2016 at 12:29 |
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Well, you are paying more for an engine that’s more performance compared to the economy R series engines.
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fourvalleys
> Satoshi "Zipang" Katsura
05/19/2016 at 12:34 |
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No, no. I mean the cost of a swap (ANY swap) compared to building my existing 998. It’s hard to talk myself into it when I could buy a couple of Miatas for the cost of the swap.