It's that time. I was thinking coilovers (for lower look [failed the shoe test] and tighter handling) or Invidia exhaust as my first big budget mod. Unless I am very pleased with trade in offer on a car I really really like, I will run this into the ground so mods are staying. I also was thinking about doing a combo of a high flow intake manifold with a AFE intake (I still have a stock cooper S air box...) hoping to push over the 200hp mark if I do the manifold and air box. I would say tyres but those are much later into the summer when I need performance tyres or should say when I can run them... Anyone think or know something to add?

 

Probably still need an ECU Tune to get there..

 

Trade in offer and still talking about mods?

IMO you never run a MINI into the ground it runs you into the ground.

 

A Stratmosphere exhaust will help you gain some HP and torque. But we can also flash the ECU to give you a little HP and smooth it out. After that moving on to head work will give you the big gains.

 

Agreed. I'd say go suspension + wheels/tires. Exhausts intakes and whatnot won't do as much as you think w/o a proper tune. Advertised numbers of these bolt-ons, especially if it's not a full DP + exhaust, is superinflated.

 

Ok so I have a mindset on getting some coilovers (http://www.outmotoring.com/mini-coop...coilovers.html these to be exact), Anyone know how those coilovers will go abouts with reliability and what not? Also stupid for DD? I will race and auto cross my car too (planning on PSS and sparco rims in summer)

 

OK, you have the right idea but need a reality check for your plans on mods vs your budget.

Adding suspension is a great idea for any MINI whether R50 or R53. But first you need to determine what your needs are and prioritize them. Since it takes some effort to install coilovers and labor price is fixed (unless you do it yourself), the cost of the Coilover set itself is highly variable. Having adjustable shocks for dampening and rebound controls is nice but only if you really need it, or can use it as would be the case for autocross or track duty. Coilovers will put you into Street Touring class in SCCA but the 15% reduction pulley already puts you into Street Modified FWD class which is much more competitive.

SO figure out your budget, overall and for the suspension upgrades. Then prioritize your requirements- handling, looks, use for autocross/track or for daily driving. Leave some budget for lighter wheels and good non runlet tires.
Your OEM 17" wheels are very heavy, moving to light 16" or 17" would improve handling and responsiveness and if matched to grippy Max Summer tires like Michelin Pilot Super Sport (only comes in 17" and larger sizes), will work for street use or performance driving. 205/50-16 would work with a lowered suspension better than 205/55-16 if you choose 16" wheels.

Adding more power mods would be secondary. Getting to 200 HP is nice but not really needed if the car handles better. Check out your roads, are they full of potholes? If so then it may be trouble to get light weight 17x7" rims and put 205/45-17 or 215/40-17 tires on them so they can fit the coilovers but have to dodge potholes everytime you drive. A stiffer suspension can make risk for damage to low sidewall tires and light wheels all too common, not to mention ride quality can be jarring.

As for the Vmaxx Coilovers. Outmotoring.com is a good vendor but Vmaxx is priced (low) for a reason, and that is because they are really just a street coilover system that lacks adjustability and stiffness required for autocross or any performance driving. Street comfort with a lowered ride height on level roads (no dips) on a budget defines their preferred duty.

see
http://www.m3forum.net/m3forum/showthread.php?t=319126
The owner seemed to think it was OK for street use.

Then there is this-
http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?4440703
You can't compare it with expensive systems or for suspension built for performance (which are not comfortable for street use).

Exhaust is not much benefit if your budget is limited. You can get some weight loss, a louder exhaust note, nicer exhaust tips but not much power by itself. An ECU tune is very helpful and would make more difference if you had more upgrades but it can work with your 15% pulley OK, but it can be costly. Air intake allows for more Supercharger Whine and looks nice but isn't that useful for HP. Engine internal mods will help but need a bigger budget for parts and labor to install.

And if you find that you DO really like autocross or track then there are many other suspension mods that are essential-
Front adjustable camber plates for more front negative camber
Rear lower adjustable control arms to get the rear negative camber in the right range relative to the front camber
Rear 3 hole adjustable sway bar, 19mm or thicker, I'd suggest the 19mm as a good starting point, this helps dial out understeer when turning fast.

Wheels are tires are part of the suspension equation, they can cost a lot but are worth the effort to do right.

In the end suspension is a little hard to get perfect when you have divergent needs in mind from daily street use to full on performance driving.

Here's one solution that I have done-
2003 MCS, Bilstein PSS9 adjustable coilovers. Front adjustable camber plates and rear adjustable control arms, 22mm adjustable rear sway bar.

For performance driving- 16x7" light wheels and BFG Rival 215/45-16 extreme summer tires. Very stiff riding and bumpy on public roads.

For street use- OEM 15" MINI wheels and Bridgestone Ecopia 422 Grand touring 195/60-15 tires for comfort and better treadlife. Very comfortable for daily use but don't expect much handling.

Early on, I did run H sport lowering springs with OEM shocks and with 17" wheels and Max Summer tires the ride quality was too stiff and jarring and the performance and handling was OK but did not allow for any adjustment.
OEM shocks can wear out faster when combined with lowering springs.

 

Personally, I'd say the next mod should be a driving school. One that takes place on a dedicated race track, or possibly one that concentrates on autocross. Learn how to drive the car at the limit--you'd be astonished what it is capable of...

 

Of course that is the most practical and thoughtful mod but the last option for many owners that think they already know how to drive (well). In most cases, that is the opposite of the "truth" but we (us owners) don't care to admit that.

A well driven stock MINI will run circles around any modded MINI driven by the average owner.

Evolution driving school is a good example of a well run program that is held across the country with students driving their own cars.

 

I really did think about this after I got out of high school. I was wanting to get my racing license at ford's racing school. But telling your millionaire grandparents that you want to be a racing driver... well yeah.. But yes, I do totally agree with you. I missed my racing career chance a long time ago when I was 10.... To this day I regret it so much.

 

Quote along the lines of "it's not the car, it's the driver"

 

It doesn't have to be a career. There are plenty of clubs out there that will help you get your car on track.

And remember--street driving is not track driving. Even if you are an absolute master of your car on public roads, there is still a ton to learn out on the track.

Did I mention that it is simply cubic boatloads of fun???

 

Where do you live? Check out Sports car club of America, there are active local clubs that hold various motorsports events from Wheel to Wheel racing to autocross/rally cross to road rallies.

Being older is not a disadvantage vs being young if you still have the enjoyment of driving and the willingness to learn and improve your skill level.

Some of our best drivers in my region are not exactly young, one comes from a junior karting background. You don't have to have 30 years of competition driving experience to do well and in as little as 2-5 years you can be one of the top drivers in your region if you practice.

I find that enjoyment of driving isn't something that disappears if you have the physical and mental capabilities of keeping up with the younger folk. In fact, we find that younger drivers don't have the mental discipline and patience to do well, they tend to overdrive and try too hard to be "fast". Our best of the younger drivers are about 28 to 38. Our best of the older drivers are about 56.
Of those groups we see both represented in the top 5 on any given day whether it is autocross or rally cross.

Since you own a MINI, you have the opportunity to see what kind of performance you can get by learning to drive it at it's limit whether in stock form or by modding it for racing. Either way it's fun to drive. You will need to be more patient and smoother on inputs if it is in stock form.