DynaSport LLC | MINI and BMW Service, Repair and Performance | Portland, Oregon

When this Austin Mini Cooper rolled off the assembly line in 1964, it was fitted with an 890cc motor. The current owner of this car wanted to add a little more power. In the coming month’s DynaSport will swap out the 890cc motor with an 1198cc Ducati motor.

But before the engine can be put in, the owner asked DynaSport to take care of some other tasks so that the Mini could handle the new power plant. Front disc brakes out of an Austin Cooper S were added, and in the back, aluminum rear drums were added. Completing the new brakes are stainless brake lines. For better handling, and an overall better driving experience, a rear adjust camber kit was added and up front are new adjustable control arms.

With the brake and suspension work done, the next task is to add the Ducati motor. Be on the lookout for updates on this exciting build!

It has been a while since we have posted any happenings from around DynaSport. Since DynaSport owner Ryan Haines has owned this 1987 335i convertible, Ryan has added a Paxton supercharger, port and polished the cylinder head, schrick cam, adjustable cam gear, MSD wires, and much more to the entire vehicle. However, this past summer Ryan decided to give the 3 series an interior upgrade.

After 24 years or wear and tear, Ryan upgraded the seats, seatbelts, and replaced the stock steering wheel with a new one. For the seats Ryan decided to go with leather Sparco Milano Prestiges. These new seats give the driver and the passenger the feel of racing buckets, but adds the comfort of leather. With the new seats came the new seatbelts. Holding the driver and passenger in are Schroth, 4-point harnesses. To complete the interior upgrades, Ryan installed a Momo Race wheel.

Be on the lookout for more projects from DynaSport in 2012!

Ryan and Ben debuted the DynaSport BMW 325is at PIR the weekend of June 11th. Ryan campaigned the car in an ICSCC novice class, a prerequisite to racing Pro 3. The BMW ran great but being its first time out, the kinks manifested themselves. Such is racing though, a constant process of improving both car and driver. Just two more novice races before Ryan will be let loose in the Pro 3 group!

When DynaSport owner Ryan Haines was at  PIR watching the novice and Pro 3 races, a driver on the track suddenly noticed his BMW was in trouble. During a cool down lap the driver looked at his temperature gauge of his 1989 BMW 325is and noticed that it was running extremely hot. Not knowing how long the car had been overheating, the driver pulled into the pit, and Ryan was there to provide assistance.

The diagnosis of the BMW was that it had been overheating for some time and at the very least the cylinder head gasket was blown. Because of the severity of the problem, nothing could be done trackside, so the driver enlisted the help of DynaSport to get the vehicle back in running condition. The customer’s only request was that he needed it back for the next racing weekend.

Back at the shop Ryan and the crew at DynaSport were able to see the big picture.  The engine had overheated to the point that it fused the cylinder head to the engine block.  This meant that the entire engine assembly needed to be replaced.  Even with the time crunch the Driver and his BMW were able to make the next race day.

Old Engine                              New Engine

As with any project there are always hidden problems. This racecar build is no exception. With the resurrection underway on this former racecar we knew we had our work cut out for us to bring this car back to life.

In our first post we reported that our first inspection revealed this car had a cracked cylinder head among other visible problems. This was one of the first jobs we tackled. Once we had the cylinder head repaired and put back on, we discovered something much worse. The engine block was cracked.

Old Engine

After this discovery we have now added something extra to our to do list. The engine will be pulled from the car and will soon be replaced with another engine.

New Head                   New Engine

Recently, a long time DynaSport client  purchased this 1995 BMW 325i from out of state. Most people look to buy a BMW for the simple pleasure of driving it, but our client  picked up this car  to continue its racing career. At the time of purchase, the car was not running and  the cause of inoperability was yet to be determined. The owner  brought the former racecar  along with its boxes and crates of parts to DynaSport for a mechanical inventory of parts and condition. We immediately discovered a cracked cylinder head, blown tie-rods, and bad wheel bearings among other issues .

Work has begun on the BMW and it will start collecting track testing time at PIR soon. When the car is finished it will race in the Class C category at tracks around the northwest. We are excited to have the opportunity to take part in this unique  resurrection and will be posting updates as the 325 progresses.

DynaSport is proud to welcome Ben Townshend to the team .  Ben earned his degree in computer engineering from OSU prior to an Automotive Service Technology Certificate from P.C.C.  Ben has an extensive computer electrical background with an automotive influence.  He completed his apprenticeship under the capable direction of our own Ryan Haines.  With an eagerness to learn and a strong work ethic, Ben has proven himself a valuable asset to DynaSport.

Ben’s vehicle of choice is a 1998 BMW M3.  The E36 M3 is an iconic vehicle known by many as one of the purest enthusiast sports cars ever produced.  Of course, Ben wasn’t willing to leave well enough alone.  Some of Ben’s modifications include Bilstein Sport struts, H&R race springs, fully adjustable rear lower control arms and Akebono full ceramic brake pads with Zimmerman cross drilled rotors.  Ben also opted for a traditional BMW racing color scheme to help his car stand out at the track.  Many more upgrades are in store for Ben’s M3 so stay tuned.

Welcome aboard Ben!

DynaSport is pleased to announce the opening of its new location. Beginning Monday, November 1, 2010, Portland’s premier Mini and BMW repair center will open its doors at 1321 NW 17^th Ave, Suite A, Portland, OR 97209, and will no longer be at the current location.

DynaSport will continue to offer full service, repairs, stock and performance parts, and performance modifications for all 2002 and newer MINI Coopers and all ranges of BMW’s. Their hours are Monday- Friday 8am-6pm, and Saturday 9am-3pm, by appointment only.  Please contact DynaSport at 503-241-1717 or visit them online at www.dynasportllc.com.

2005 MINI Cooper S (R53)

Our MINI Cooper S project started life as an unsuspecting stock vehicle.  The goal was to add a judicious amount of power while
enhancing the handling and braking in order to keep the speed under control.  We could have built our R53 to a more extreme
echelon, but we did not want to compromise the daily drivability.  One of the beauties of the R53 platform is the versatility.
With proper modifications, the R53 can be brilliant on both street and track.

Engine

In order to free up the engine’s breathing, we installed a cold air intake and V2 exhaust system from MINI-Madness.  A 15%
reduction pulley from Alta boosted the supercharger while an MSD coil and ignition wire package sharpened the spark.  The power
package was finished off with a Unichip module.  In order to quantify the boost in power, our R53 took a trip to the dyno where
it put down just shy of 200hp at the wheels.  After reviewing the results, we found that our MINI was having fuel mixture issues.
Back into our shop it went where we isolated the Unichip module to be the culprit.  We promptly removed the Unichip module and
immediately observed an improvement in overall drivability.

Brakes

A Wilwood Big Brake Kit was installed to reign in all the additional power.  The Wilwood kit consists of stainless steel brakes
lines, massive 4 piston calipers with 12.19” rotors out front, and larger piston rear calipers with 11.75” rotors at the rear.
The Wilwood brakes hustle the MINI to a dead halt with brutal force!

Suspension

Adding a larger diameter rear anti-sway bar from MINI-Madness dialed out much of the understeer that hampers the R53’s cornering
performance in stock form.  Installing all polyurethane suspension bushings improved the feel and feedback of the steering.  H-sport
lowering springs (3/4”), a front strut brace from OMP, and front lower chassis brace from MINI-Madness rounded out the suspension
package.  We also installed upper strut mount plates to stave off the problematic mushrooming effect.  A set of 18” MOMO S5 wheels
shod with BFGoodrich G-Force T/A KDW 2 tires get all that power to the ground and keep the MINI tight through the corners.

Interior/Miscellaneous

Marshall Vacuum/Boost gauge with amber back lighting to match the factory look
CravenSpeed Flex Pod and iPod/iPhone mount
Bluetooth audio and phone integration
MINI-Madness short shift kit
CravenSpeed 4” stubby antenna

No project is ever complete, and more is to come.  For now, we are thoroughly impressed with the balance of drivability and 
trackability achieved with the aid of these select modifications.  Please don’t hesitate to say hi if you see our MINI at the
track or around town!

At DynaSport, we take pride in the quality of work performed on MINI Coopers.  Although we have been working on BMW’s for years, we have just recently made BMW service and repair an official part of our business.  We still offer the same great work on the mighty MINI Cooper, but now offer the same quality of work for the venerable BMW as well.  Anything your BMW requires, from a simple oil change to performance modifications, we are here to make your driving experience everything you want it to be.