what can I do w/o losing my warranty at all. I made the decision to do everything i can to keep it.

Does this mean the only think i could possibly do would be get the MINI sport exhaust - or is there a method to upgrade w/o losing it.

Obviously I have a Cooper, _not_ an S

 

Generally a Cat-back exhaust and intake filter are ok. Much depends upon your individual dealer. Check with other owners/modders from your dealership to see if any have had problems. Don't know any? then post on MCO, and wait for responses.

 

mcgman - thanks.

Dealer is MainLine MINI - right outside of Philly on... well... the MainLine

 

Since you're Philly area, give Eric @ Helix13 a call - he has modded tons of MINI's in his shop.

FWIW - I have quite a few mods - exhaust, aftermarket intake, brake upgrade, adjustable sway bar, front strut brace and more. Haven't had a problem with warranty repairs or dealer servicing. What WILL get you in trouble is if a modded part fails or causes a larger problem.

 

>>
>>Dealer is MainLine MINI - right outside of Philly on... well... the MainLine


Ahh, Yes. All things considered, I'd rather be in Philadelphia.

Lancaster Ave. Route 30, MainLine, Paoli Local by any other name would smell as sweet.

(Used to live in Ardmore).

Never forget: Old Maids Never Wed And Have Babies Rarely.

Old = Overbrook
Maids = Marion
Never = Narberth
Wed = Wynnewood
And = Ardmore
Have = Haverford
Babies = Bryn Mawr
Rarely = Rosemont

Oh how I miss the cheese steaks at Bryn Mawr pizza.

 

i cant believe you said BM pizza! I went there for lunch today! Brought back a pie for the office.. they dont sell by the slice!

 

A cruel fate, my mouth is watering for one of those BM pies. Hope to be in Philly next spring. Gonna pig out at my favourite pizza parlor.

 

It really depends on the dealership. I would just limit the mods to an intake, exhaust and lighter wheels and tires. I might do brakes, but until my brakes need replacement. After the warrantee runs out, then I am planning on a pulley and a Giac chip.

 

I might port my head later. Does anyone have a head that they are selling? I hope in the future that MINI sells the ported and polished head from Cooper Works.
Carl

 

>>what can I do w/o losing my warranty at all. I made the decision to do everything i can to keep it.
Not that much you can do to be extra safe but generally the mods that get done are OK. Just check with your dealer to see how friendly they are about mods in general.

>>Does this mean the only think i could possibly do would be get the MINI sport exhaust - or is there a method to upgrade w/o losing it.

The MINI sport exhaust doesn't exist. It is listed but no one can seem to order it. Cat back exhausts that bolt on tend to be good. Helix13 has a good exhaust for the cooper that is worth a look. Be sure to listen to it before you decide.
And intake either drop in filter or cold air intake would be good and easy to add without worrying about the warranty.

A rear swaybar adds to stability in the rear end when cornering- an easy mod. Lightweight aftermarket wheels with non run flat tires would be smoother, faster and maybe give better grip on corners depending on which tire you choose. Also you can change to tires that are more aggressive 45 series and wider maybe 205 or 215 width. The stock wheels are heavy you can loose some weight with the upgrade.

These would be the places to start and see how you do. Good luck.

For the JCW head for the Cooper I would not expect this to be offered in the US at all. The cooper kit is not available and generally the kits are not broken up into parts for sale. All kits are installed by the dealership to maintain warranty.

 

I'm trying to not spend a lot - ie. wheels are too expensive for me (plus i really like my stock ones look - and my cars look is first priority)

So I think Im going to get an intake - so does anyone know what I want to get? I dont want an obnoxious sound, but a nice sound would be excellent.

AFter that<I'll get a rearsway bar. Helix is right near me, so I'm partial to their intake they have for the Cooper - the Typhoon? Anyone have that on a Cooper?

 

Next time I go to Helix you guys are going to have to give me directions to the Pizza!

 

I'm going to Helix on Friday after work...bwahahahahaha

Not sure if any MCO'ers are running the Typhoon, but I believe Eric has it on his Helix Cooper.

 

dandp: thank - I think I'll just call him up and ask about it. I need to figure out if I can install it myself anyway - or get a career-mechanic friend to do it

 

the intake install is not bad on the Cooper, and it makes the car a bit more aggressive sounding when you crank the RPM's. Gives some ooooomph at the lower RPM's as well.

 

should i go with the K & N Typhoon or the Moss intake

 

ANYTHING done aftermarket could potentially void PARTS of the warranty. That said, it really depends on your service representative. If the rep understands the legality and burden of proof, it helps. As does the reps that realize a brake mod only affects the brakes or any issue directly related to the brakes and install (like rotor wear).---It won't void your whole warranty, just issues directly related to the aftermarket piece and its installation. Remember, its in their best interest to deny warranty claims outright---they don't get paid when its covered. But don't let them bully you into thinking its voided.

_________________
-goin440 IB/IB MC

 

>>Generally a Cat-back exhaust and intake filter are ok. Much depends upon your individual dealer. Check with other owners/modders from your dealership to see if any have had problems. Don't know any? then post on MCO, and wait for responses.

Has anyone changed to Borla exhausts and K&N Typhoon intake in the Long Beach, CA area, and what did the dealer think about it as far as the warranty?

 

Do you have to do a retune after installing pipes and intake, or does the computer "relearn" after running for a while and make appropriate adjustments?

 

dadnp - what did you get today from eric?

he ordered the K &N tyhpoon for me - should get it next week!

 

>>
>>Has anyone changed to Borla exhausts and K&N Typhoon intake in the Long Beach, CA area, and what did the dealer think about it as far as the warranty?

This is my exact setup (plus magnecor 8.5mm wires). Although my dealer is Crevier in Santa Ana, I checked with them first. They said as long as the aftermarket parts aren't the cause of the problem (suck a bug into the injection system if the filter comes off, etc...), no worries. I've had it in for service since the mods have all been installed and didn't have any problems at all

 

Thanks for the info.

 

Based on the postings and what I've heard from other Mini Owners. If you stick to Intakes, Exhaust Work (both headers & back-Cat), and some suspension work your OK. If you do a pulley and ECU remap, and something goes terribly wrong with the engine. The Dealer could make a case that the pulley/ECU combo, could have been a contributing factor to the failure. What do guys think??? .... those that sum things up?

Cheers
:smile:

 

>>should i go with the K & N Typhoon or the Moss intake

Dude,

Go with the BMP/ProMINI Performance Intake for the Cooper. I've had my troubles with other 'shoddy' intakes made by Green's Typhoon (no matter who is "group buying" it, **** can never be fixed, even if it was FREE), along with stories about other aftermarket intakes. You will definitely enjoy the difference made by this BMP/ProMINI intake.

ProMINI Intake is available through outmotoring.com...the fellow Aaron is very honest and understanding, I've dealt with him earlier this Summer. Enjoy.

Eric
IJM

 

I got new wheels and tires.

As far as intakes go, I can tell you first hand that the K&N Typhoon and Monster Force intake are extremely well made products. I suspect that they all contribute similar amounts of HP - small gains at the most. I have had 3 different intakes on my car at this point - they all SOUNDED great, and provided a small amount of power in the lower ranges. They also add a great under the hood look.