Hey everyone!

I've been lurking the forums for a few weeks now, thought I'd finally introduce myself. I had a 2008 Yaris HB that I wrecked Halloween morning this year. Loved that car, had it lowered, installed intake, larger TB, header, bracing...basically almost completely ready for auto-x this next summer.

Wanting to keep the small car feel, but not wanting another Yaris, I jumped at the chance to get a MINI (the fiance's idea). My last name is Cooper, so when they announced that the US was getting a re-make, I was all over getting one at some point. Was hoping to wait and get a new Countryman All4 next year, but I'm not complaining!

Anyways, this is the car the day I got it. 2008 R56 MCS SS/B. Cost about $16k out the door, with around 55k miles on it. Currently it's bone stock, but I plan on changing that ASAP. I just got an NM Engineering intake yesterday, hopefully it'll go on this weekend.

 

A few questions for the regulars...

First, any suggestions on where I should go for my next mods? I've done a TON of reading on the site, and I think I've got a bit of information overload as a result. I'm looking at engine work first. As mentioned, I've already got an intake, looking at the muffler deletes next. Is there a DIY solution so as to not spend >$300 on parts from NM, Alta, etc? Planning coils eventually, as well as exhaust and Alta Access Port, but that cost is too high to justify now (especially with a wedding coming up).

Second, what about maintenance? I forgot to check with the dealer on what all is done, and the car runs great, but what should I look into? I know carbon build up is a problem, and some of the pumps are known to go out, but what else would you guys recommend? And what about oil types and such? I'm more than willing to do as much on my own as possible.

Third, aesthetics. I have a set of 18x7.5 Motegi MR7s that I want to put on for summer daily driving, but they're currently white, and I don't think they'd look good on the SS. Any suggestions on what color to re-do them in? I plan on getting a set of light weight rims for auto-x next summer as well.

Please post links if you guys have any suggestions, and I'll be sure to read as much as possible! Thanks!

 

Rear sway bar for sure. I have a hollow 25.5mm which is equal to the 22mm solid.

 

Welcome to MINI-dom! You'll love the car.

I really don't have any performance mods on my current MINI....I did have a DDM Works CAI for a while (with the hood scoop attachment), but ended up removing it. It made the car have a nice growl when you got on the pedal, but didn't do much to enhance performance in my opinion....at least not with the type of driving I do. I think most people would suggest to you that you should start with the suspension first as the real joy in driving these cars is in the curves. They are incredible fun even from the factory, but improvements certainly can be made.

Regarding maintenance....The general consensus is that you change the oil more frequently than the OBC tells you to. 18k miles is alot of miles to go on the same oil in my opinion and I hear that the newer cars are now programmed to go fewer miles between changes because MINI apparently also feels that intervals should be shorter. Personally, I change it about every 7k miles. Keep the oil topped up....running low can/will cause you troubles with the timing chain among other things. I won't tell you which oil to use....lots of opinions on that....but there is an official "approved" MINI oil list floating around here somewhere and can also be found on the online MINI "Owners Lounge". I have found that Valvoline SynPower 5w30 (one of the approved oils on their list) is about the most readily available at stores here in Indiana, so I typically use that.

The spark plug change interval is 60K on the MCS, so you may want to look into changing those out soon. I just did mine (actually about 10k past due...oops) and it brought alot of life back to the car.

My rear brakes came up due for replacement at about 50K and my fronts at about 65K miles......if yours haven't been replaced, they are probably due soon. Having owned two MINIs, I can tell you that the rears tend to wear out first for some reason on these cars.

Other than having my timing chain and tensioner replaced about 30K miles ago, I haven't had much trouble with my car. No carbon issues here, although lots of people seem to have it. This is my daily driver and I drive her hard....I think that may have a little to do with it. Recently my water pump kicked the bucket (leaking) and there are some known issues with the thermostat housings leaking. These aren't huge expenses, but something to keep an eye on. If you wrench yourself, you can replace parts such as these fairly inexpensively and without too much fuss. For instance, I replaced my waterpump and serp belt a few weeks ago for under $100 in parts and a couple hours labor in the garage. MINI dealers want $600-$1000 to do the job. Whatever....DIY!

If you want ideas for mods, etc., you might consider coming to one of the big MINI events such as MINIs on the Dragon coming up in early May down in North Carolina. There are always lots of vendors there and people doing installs. You could take a wad of cash with you there and get everything done that you want all at once. Imagine hundreds and hundreds of MINIs all in one place just driving around on world-famous twisty roads. It's fantastic. : )

Happy motoring!

 

Do you think an adjustable 20mm would be sufficient? This will be my first auto-x season.

 

Good to know. I'll do some research, and probably go closer to 5k, just in case.

Not sure if they took care of them or not, but an easy enough thing to do, just to make sure. Any suggestions on what plugs to run? I ran NGK Iridiums in the Yaris and loved 'em.

I'm HOPING they took care of the brakes if it was needed. I'll have to double check. As far as carbon goes, does the dealer have a means of checking to see if a walnut blasting needs to be done?

I'd LOVE to make it to this, but probably won't for a couple years. Living in WI, it'd be a pretty big drive to make it out, though it sounds fun! It seems Milwaukee/Chicago have a pretty big MINI scene, hoping to meet up with some of those folks this summer

 

I would recommend suspension work. It gives you the most bang for you buck. That and a tune from WMW or RMW.

 

My 08 mcs came from the factory with NGK (5992) ILZKBR7A-8G Laser Iridium plugs and that's what I put back in. A good place to find them for a good price is amazon.com. Keep in mind that you'll need a 12 pt socket.

As far as carbon goes, IMO it's not a big concern unless there are symptoms of poor performance. I don't think it's too hard to check for buildup yourself....just have to remove the air box and intake manifold and look down at the valves with a mirror. I haven't done it myself but there's a DIY or two here about how to check it and even clean the intake yourself. Some suggest that it's wise to get an oil catch can and do away with the passenger side Pcv outlet on the valve cover altogether in order to avoid issues. Like I said, I have 72k miles and haven't had any issues....so I haven't given it much thought.

 

Here is a list of mods I have done on my 2009 MCS (Astro Black Metallic) that I have owned since April 2012. This should give you a few ideas.

EXTERIOR:
CARBONMINI CARBONPRO Carbon Fiber Gas cap overlay
CARBONMINI Carbon Fiber Fuel Filler Trim
CARBONMINI Carbon Fiber Door Inserts
CARBONMINI CARBONPRO Carbon Fiber Door Handle overlays
CARBONMINI CARBONPRO Carbon Fiber Wing Emblem overlay
CARBONMINI CARBONPRO Carbon Fiber Antenna Base overlay
CARBONMINI Carbon Fiber Valve Stem Caps
CARBONMINI Carbon Fiber Antenna
CARBONMINI Carbon Fiber License Frame
CARBONMINI Carbon Fiber License Frame Locking Kit
CARBONMINI Carbon Fiber Headlight Trim Overlay
NM Engineering Carbon Fiber front lip
NM Engineering Carbon Fiber scuttles
OUTMOTORING Carbon Fiber Mirror Covers
OUTMOTORING Black Beltline Tape
JCW Carbon Fiber Boot Handle
JCW Carbon Fiber Bonnet Scoop
JCW Grille Trim (Black)
M7 TUNING Carbon Fiber C-Wing
3D DESIGN Rear Carbon Fiber Diffuser
Euro Clear LED Taillights w/ Black Housing
Euro Clear LED Rear Fog Lights w/ Black Housing
Performance Auto Solutions Custom Built Headlight Retrofit Package
-Mini MH1 bi-xenon projectors
-Mini Gatling Shrouds (all black)
-H1 5000k HID AMP Bulbs (pure white)
-AMP Morimoto 3Five Ballasts
-ALL BLACK Paint
-Smoked Ambers
-CCFL Halos
APR Performance 8" Support Rods

INTERIOR:
MINI Cosmopolitan floor mats
CARBONMINI CARBONPRO Steering Wheel Overlays
CARBONMINI Carbon Fiber Speedo/Vent Overlay Kit
CARBONMINI Carbon Fiber Door Ellipse Overlay Kit
AutoCarbon Carbon fiber/Alcantara Steering Wheel w/ Red Stitching
JCW Carbon Fiber/Alcantara Suede Shift ****
JCW Carbon Fiber/Alcantara Suede E-Brake handle
MINI Alcantara Suede Shift boot (black)
MINI Alcantara Suede E-Brake boot (black)

WHEELS/TIRES:
NM Engineering RSe05 17x7.5 Black wheels
BFGOODRICH g-Force Comp2 215/45-17 tires

SUSPENSION/BRAKES:
Wilwood Front Brake Kit (140-8528-DR) w/ red calipers and cross drilled/slotted rotors
Wilwood Rear Brake Kit (140-10885-DR) w/ red calipers and cross drilled/slotted rotors
Wilwood Braided Stainless Brake Lines
Helix Lower Control Arms
H&R Sport Springs (1.4" drop)
NM Engineering Adjustable 22mm Rear Sway Bar
NM Engineering Adjustable Rear Sway bar links
NM Engineering Billet Aluminum Tie Bar (carbon fiber vinyl wrapped)

PERFORMANCE:
NM Engineering Stainless Steel Cat-Back exhaust
NM Engineering Titanium Turbo Heatshield
NM Engineering Engine Torque Arm Mount Insert
NM Engineering Carbon Fiber Hi-Flow Induction Kit
NM Engineering Discharge Pipe (Blue)
NM Engineering Air Charge Pipe (Blue)
NM Engineering Oil Catch Can
Helix Stepped Intercooler
Akrapovic Stainless Downpipe w/ cat
TyrolSport ShiftRx Short Shift Kit

 

Congrats on being able to get something sweet out of the deal! Similar thing happened to my Mazda3 hatch during the first week of September. Some guy's breaks failed getting off the highway and rear ended me doing 45mph+ while I was stopped at the light. I ended up getting $9,700 from my insurance company, put $2000 down on a new MiNI, and now have the first 21 car payments already covered.

 

Got an NM Engineering intake on, love it so far! Also touched up the rear wiper and fenders with some Mothers Back to Black, that stuff is amazing!

Intake


Wiper Before:


Wiper After:

 

you're going to love it. I've only had mine a week and man it is fun to drive.

 

Gratz on the new ride.

 

Tell me about it. I paid a cop $276 this weekend to tell me how much fun it is to drive

 

Welcome aboard. Good luck with it.

 

Hey OP: I live in Racine, WI and work in South Milwaukee. If you ever want to get together and talk mods, gimme a holler.

 

And now you will get to pay your insurance company as well. :-(

 

welcome to the fun. sorry about your encounter with the law, these cars are a blast to drive quickly.

 

I ABSOLUTELY would! I'll shoot you a PM!

 

Cool. I'm doing a bunch of mods so we can also meet up if you want to see certain things installed or before/after drives.