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1st GearNew members: make an initial post and introduce yourself as you shift from Neutral to First Gear. Current members: meet some of the new members.
Hi all! I recently purchased a used MCS, got a decent enough deal on it to overlook the cosmetic blemishes. Been lurking since I started considering the car, anyway...
Hi all! I recently purchased a used MCS, got a decent enough deal on it to overlook the cosmetic blemishes. Been lurking since I started considering the car, anyway...
Hi.
Congrats and welcome to NAM. Please let us know mileage, and any mods that may have already been made. Feel free to ask any questions! Just picked up an 04 MCS myself.
I can't find my camera, but I'll try to get the GF to take some smart-phone pics for you guys tonight.
Mileage is 130k. Completely stock except a JCW shift-handle, and maybe aftermarket exhaust tips? Under the car it looks stock, but the tips don't look stock. Either way, it's mounted poorly, and is pressing into the matte black plastic trim on the rear bumper. Either new hangars, or a new exhaust are in the future.
Have not really looked, does the cat-back provide any performance gains, or are we just talking about a new sound, and possibly lighter?
I'm most interested honestly in making the thing handle better. There's a banked, 10mph turn on my way home from work that I can only BARELY take at 45, I need to improve that... lol
I've become aware of a REALLY neat feature, I.E. a howling noise that sounds like a low-C when I have the AC on, whether on recirc or not, that gets louder, but does not change pitch with engine RPMs, and only under load, not while free-revving. Thinking perhaps the AC compressor is about to go the way of the buffalo.
Cat-back exhausts are not going to give you significant power gains.
Handling is the R53 MINI's specialty
A rear sway bar is one of the best bang for your buck mods and it will really help tighten and control the roll of the car in the twisties (or the on ramp). Beyond that, coil overs or some good dedicated springs and struts will go a long way. Check out polyurethane suspension bushings as well.
Welcome....
The cat back is like a CAI...gain is usually SOUND and a tiny bit of hp...as little as 1 hp..maybe 4 max...
There are much cheaper hp to add to the car...but a nice exaust does sound good...and a CAI let's the sc sound into the car....
I crawled around the car the other night, popped the hood and did some real looking.
Found an Alta 17% pulley, a metal coolant bottle, and an aftermarket exhaust. At first glance, I thought the exhaust was stock, but it's definitely not.
The exhaust is either the Miltek, or an ebay clone, based on the design. Don't see a Miltek label, so prolly Ebay.
Gonna have to do more digging when I get time, try and find out what else the prior owner did, and didn't tell anyone.
Just picked up an 04 MCS myself.
