In our case, the $ per hp was cheaper as we did all the head work ourselves. The cost for the head was $200, plus $100 in materials to port and polish it (including a couple expensive aluminum rotary files), and then another $200 or so in install parts. Add another $499 for the Schrick cam...

All in all, we're putting down ~145 whp now - 35 over our baseline - and I'd guess we have $3K in the head, cam, intake, header, Borla cat-back and MTH software. $85 per pony!

The head and cam made BY FAR the biggest difference.

 

If you pull the head off of a MINI you will quickly notice what the problem is. The ports are tiny. Most guys on this site are spending massive cash on parts that make little to no hp.

The easiest way to make power is boost on these engines. However a turbo kit for the non s cooper is non existent. Mainly because the tranny and other pieces can't take the stess. With a s motor you have a much more sturdy package. The stock blower on the R53 is tiny. And I don't really like the idea of supercharging such a tiny motor.

The MINI community suffers from extremely high priced parts. I am not going to comment on the cause (jacked up prices or just lack of ability to produce parts in mass quantities because of lack of demand). But you have to remember that alot of the stuff being done is one off. So in a way you are doing what some race teams are doing hince the high price.

Hopefully now that alot of MINI's are coming out of warranty the prices will drop. The parts for domestics are much cheaper simply because so many more people out there are modifying them.

 

+1

There isn't a lot of owners willing to guinea pig a setup either. If you know what you're doing, you could build good power cheaper than what the vendors are offering. There's a chance you'll blow it up, but the vendors went through that too (what you them pay for). Combine prices with fear, nobody does anything and the prices remain high.

 

Sounds like Economics class

Shorty after I wrote this thread I realized that it just isnt going to happen in a MC so Im putting an order in for an R56 soon.

 

Here is nice done up ONE.

Specs:

http://www.lohen.co.uk/Pages/Car%20Diary.html

Vid:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlVxd3-hLNA

Sounds wicked!!!

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Chrysler_engines

Good news is it's in the same family of engines!

Maybe talk to Mopar or call a Dodge dealership and say you blew your SRT4 engine and that you need another one.

 

Such a tight car....lohen is pretty awesome. But even that (stage 3 kit, 150bhp) is 8000 in parts + whatever labor would be involved (probably a decent amount)

 

Spillman, you have got my curiousity up on the engine design of this little car. I'm going to keep searching and learning more about it.

Tx werks, nice sounding set up. I am going to look more into what you have done. I like the increases you are showing. And one thing I have to remember to is that these cars weigh no little that the HP, even though the increase may be smaller # wise, porportion wise it equals out.

Thanks so much for the input, I am def. following you more now. It's just very different than anything I've owned (my Mini) but the urge to mod is still there.

Maybe I just need to be the test mule for someone designing something?

There is a guy here in KY (right over the border) that can build a turbo for any application. Which is pretty cool but still doesn't take out the problems of a weak tranny etc. My experience is that the tranny will hold for a little while but it sounds like on these Minis it is a very very weak spot and won't hold for long if at all?

One thing that I meant to add is I think it is incredibly cool to keep at something as challenging as modding the Mini because in the end you end up with something that will just surprise everybody out there, sort of like my
LT-1 station wagon I had. That is why I can follow somebody wanting to mod "a cooper" and not buy and S.

Do you guys ever had meetings where you work on the Minis togther? Like a mod day?

 

Salvage!!!!! Just buy the whole car, take the engine and part the rest. Or go to an autozone and buy a rebuilt.

Here is a place that I found with a brief search on google.

http://www.ae-engines.com/

I wouldn't buy a new one, buy a used one or reman. and add some upgraded components and better internals etc. all before you install it.

You can also find a bunch of stuff at local yards at www.car-part.com, I use it all the time in my day to day stuff here at my job.

Here is a link to some engines that I searched for in the 2002 year just to give you an idea on $, condition is also listed as well.

http://www.car-part.com/cgi-bin/search.cgi

 

You can pick up non lsd MCS trannies for 1k to 1.5k. They arent too expensive.

 

now i don't feel too bad about my 108hp on the dyno mods are lightweight 15" rims, SuperSprint catback, HKS intake

 

speaking of dyno..

I wonder if the lsd can effect the results...


also rally.. a mini is a great platform for tuning if you want ot spend the money. the MC is light and well balanced making it a great track car if you add power. problem is if ur just doing it for the sake of tuning it to be as fast as such and such car... ya its pointless haha. but atleast theres a power goal set right? hey are those konis still for sale btw?

 

yup konis still for sale if you want....PM me

And if you are gonna make an MC a track car....you should actually not really go near the engine. For the most part, unless you are gonna go CRAZY with it, you want to stay in classes that are closer to stock classes. You dont want to get into classes where other cars could start doing mods that we cant do.

 

crazy is exactly what I was talking about as far as stock classes go.. the MC is a killer

 

If somebody wants to build an engine, I have a set of pistons for sale in the marketplace section...

 

Definitely a very sweet sounding ride.!! Way to go Lohen

 

Just a little update - at the MC2 Dynamic Showcase, we had the 3rd fastest top speed overall in comparing the quickest laps at Spring Mountain. This was in our Cooper, which topped out at 103.35 mph on the back straight before hitting the brakes.

This was behind an MCS that two people drove which was putting down 80 more whp (which was also running Toyo RA-1's to our Hankook RS-2's).

Needless to say, our little Cooper is quite the beasty. We were slower on acceleration from 40-70 and 50-90 (giving up a minimum of 40 whp), but we were hauling the mail at the end of the back straight! It's obvious that the Cooper is a huge momentum car - if you keep it wound up, drive smoothly and have the suspension, you can put in very quick lap times.

The full story will be released in a forthcoming issue...

 

Nice! But, of course, people won't believe you / make excuses.

 

Shrug...

We also pulled 1.09 G's on our Hankook RS-2's... There may be a bit more, but the temps were really, really even when we checked them in the pits right after both sessions. I'd love to see what some AD-07's or RE-01R's would do for it (unfortunately, we can't get them in the sizes I need!)... I already know the awesomeness of r-comps, but they ain't cheap enough.

 

go usedddd. you would be suprised at some of the rubber people practically give away that still have good amounts of track time left on them.

 

130 mph on a shrick cam.. header.. Ported Head.. and rocking.!! after that the gains are inches to mega dollars!! email Thumper460@hotmail.com and I'll send you a few words from guys like you.. wanting.. and then going fast!! LOL

Just me.......................................

Thumper

 

So to the companies with bigger HP numbers on their Coopers....what has been done to the Tranny are they 02-05 or 05-06 trannies?

Just curious....I'm always worried about my poor tranny as it gets older and i hear of all the failures