randy stated that the uuc is something that you can hang on the wall am i correct? its nearly perfect. looks great performs great. but then i wonder about the militek exaust. how does that perform against the uuc? i mean both products are exceptionally well. hows the sound vs. each other. performance? looks? etc. im trying to search but i dont see much about it. unless im not searching well enough.

 

I haven't seen any evals of the Milltek system, though it looks *smashing* and is relatively affordable. Milltek has a pretty solid reputation - but I'd like to see a dyno chart on a stock car, no pulleys or other nonsense, vs a car equipped only with the Milltek system. Header looks equally pretty.

 

I'll have pictures of the "new" Milltek within the next 10 days. 3-piece system. All flanges with only one slip-joint so that you can decide how far the tips stick out of the rear valance. Randy said this system made BIG torque and nice hp on his Dyno. I got 202hp at the wheels with a Pulley, Shark, Rogue, Milltek Catback. No header, yet. -Pete, Stratmosphere
Stratmosphere Mini Products Including Milltek

 

Is this true, Randy? Where/What are the numbers????

 

those are really good numbers... just a few bolt ons and you were capable of reaching 202hp? interesting.

 

I would like to see some pictures of the Militek, before I order the UUC. I will then put my JCW exhuast up for sale.

-Barry

 

>>I'll have pictures of the "new" Milltek within the next 10 days. 3-piece system. All flanges with only one slip-joint so that you can decide how far the tips stick out of the rear valance. Randy said this system made BIG torque and nice hp on his Dyno. I got 202hp at the wheels with a Pulley, Shark, Rogue, Milltek Catback. No header, yet. -Pete, Stratmosphere

Interesting. Randy's eval - which included those excellent torque figures, etc - said the Milltek was a jigsaw puzzle....it was definitely more than 3 pieces. I'm curious to see what the "new" version looks like. If they changed anything other than just combining a few of the original pieces, your dyno figures (and Randy's) will be obsolete.

_________________
'02 IB/IB MC (name=ZIPPY) w/ assorted factory extras + SSR Comps (17&quot w/ B-stone Potenza S-03s + RDR rear swaybar + B&M short shifter + HSport ARCAs + Racing Dynamics strut brace + RSpeed exhaust + PiperCross Viper CAI......etc

 

>>I'll have pictures of the "new" Milltek within the next 10 days. 3-piece system. All flanges with only one slip-joint so that you can decide how far the tips stick out of the rear valance. Randy said this system made BIG torque and nice hp on his Dyno. I got 202hp at the wheels with a Pulley, Shark, Rogue, Milltek Catback. No header, yet. -Pete, Stratmosphere
>>Stratmosphere Mini Products Including Milltek

For comparison purposes -here is the picture of the Milltek exhaust ($695) from the current site


Will the price change for the new exhaust??

 

Randy's eval of the Milltek was done before the UUC. They seemed to have made the same power - Randy saying they both were 2 HP down from the magnaflow but 2 lbs of torque up (which is better anyway). That's where the similarities between the UUC and Milltek stop. The Milltek is very loud Randy said while the UUC is a bit loud but great sounding and in no way obnoxious. He also said that the Milltek had unappealing tips while the UUC has beautiful tips. And the Milltek was also the hardest to install according to Randy while the UUC was the easiest. The biggest pro of the Milltek is the price. But with all the other positives, I'm going with the UUC.

 

I guess we'll have to hear from Randy to know what he really thinks. I've heard from a reliable source that after the Militek was tested by Randy, he got in touch with Mililtek and suggested they redesign the exhaust. I'm told that is what they did, following many of his suggestions. This may explain the inconsistencies in the reports to date, such as number of pieces.

 

I just saw the UUC in person. Excellent. The sound is quiet just a bit louder than JCW or Borla esp under full throttle but quiet otherwise. If you like loud exhausts this is not for you. Maybe if you added a header with it then it might be louder. There is very little to no droning. The fit and finish is great. The rear tail pipe ends are only slightly larger than stock. Overall very nice. Only problem is the high price. Power is good.

 

>>I just saw the UUC in person. Excellent. The sound is quiet just a bit louder than JCW or Borla esp under full throttle but quiet otherwise. If you like loud exhausts this is not for you. Maybe if you added a header with it then it might be louder. There is very little to no droning. The fit and finish is great. The rear tail pipe ends are only slightly larger than stock. Overall very nice. Only problem is the high price. Power is good.

 

>>I also saw/heard the UUC last weekend at Laguna Seca. This system was worth the wait as I wanted a great looking and sounding sytem with good power and torque. Although not the top gun, the balance of features have me sold. This price is higher than the others, but I believe this system is worth it.

Today was the first day I saw the UUC in person. The first one in my area was installed by an owner- he said it was not too hard to do it yourself. The stock exhaust needed two people to remove- it's so heavy.

Was it worth the really long wait? Yes.
Is it the one to get? Yes but only if you don't mind the more subdued sound- not that it is too quiet. Remember I said it was louder than borla or JCW so it is no wimp. But not louder than Magnaflow-not even as loud as magnaflow.
Am I less thrilled about anything with the UUC besides the high price? Yes, I think that the tips are not that fantastic.
They are larger diameter than stock (the most plain tips I've seen) but they flare inward more than outward sort of the opposite of either the borla or the magnaflow. I like the JCW kit tips better.

If I didn't have a header and my quicksilver (which I like alot), I'd consider the UUC.
Very high quality cat-back system.

 

>>.... This may explain the inconsistencies in the reports to date, such as number of pieces.

Yup. The only thing we've seen to date is the many-pieces version. The pic minihune posted from the Stratmoshphere site shows the better qualities of the system but it's partially assembled in that pic and some parts are not shown. If you want to see why Randy called it a jigsaw puzzle, here's the pic he posted...



With all those parts and slip-joints I can see why it could take forever to get it right. If they simplify the system and keep the hp/torque numbers up it'll be a pretty good alternative.

 

KerMINI - what reliable source. He DID test it and he did a write-up on it right here on MCO! Kurvhugr above gave the link to the thread. Here it is again so you can see it for yourself.


Randy's Eval of the Milltek

Minihune - The UUC isn't loud enough? I think it's the loudest exhaust I have heard with the exception of the magnaflow. Does anyone really want something LOUDER than the magnaflow??? Most people on MCO that don't have the magnaflow don't have it because it's too loud, so I don't ANYONE would mind that it isn't loud enough. I know you have the quicksilver - I believe Randy said he thought it was louder than that too and I've heard both myself (quicksilver and UUC) and I have to agree. The UUC is pretty darn loud - it just isn't deafening or droning.

And I must disagree on the tips. i love 'em. I hate the magnaflow tips and how they curve out. The UUC seems perfect.

Gosharks - I don't know why people keep saying the UUC is not the top gun in power. it gives the most torque of exhausts to date. 2 more lbs of torque than the magnaflow. And the 7lbs of torque is at 4000RPMs. Isn't that more important than horsepower??? And isn't mid-range torque what we're all looking for anyway? With the pulley and intake I have more than enough power at 5-6.8k RPMs. I'd love more in the 3-5k RPMs and that's what this exhaust does best!

 

greatgro,
I am ordering the UUC this week. I like everything about it, except for maybe the price, but then again you get what you pay for. I agree, the best torque, and that's more important than just HP numbers. I think the tips are the best looking of those that I have seen. I'm just worried that this system maybe too loud. The car I saw/heard two weeks ago seemed as quiet as stock at idle, and about perfect (to me), on acceleration. I agree with you on the MF trumpet tips, just not for me. I will post an evaluation once I get this system on my MCS.
Cheers!

 

I just installed my UUC this weekend (along with several other mods). I am in lust with the sound, loud when needed, mellow tones when not and a great run on burble at the end.

I cannot comment on the added performance as I did several mods at the same time (pulley, intake, suspension plus the UUC).

And it is BEAUTIFUL!!!!

_________________
Just having fun running "the crest" for my morning commute...

 

>> >>
>>KerMINI - what reliable source. He DID test it and he did a write-up on it right here on MCO! Kurvhugr above gave the link to the thread. Here it is again so you can see it for yourself.

I guess the question is that there are two versions of the Milltek exhaust. One got a review from RandyBMC and one is brand new and maybe is yet to be reviewed. So some are waiting for the new version review from RandyBMC.

>>Randy's Eval of the Milltek
>>
>>Minihune - The UUC isn't loud enough? I think it's the loudest exhaust I have heard with the exception of the magnaflow. Does anyone really want something LOUDER than the magnaflow??? Most people on MCO that don't have the magnaflow don't have it because it's too loud, so I don't ANYONE would mind that it isn't loud enough. I know you have the quicksilver - I believe Randy said he thought it was louder than that too and I've heard both myself (quicksilver and UUC) and I have to agree. The UUC is pretty darn loud - it just isn't deafening or droning.

Here is what my point is. I like not too loud. That is why I have the quicksilver, which I like.
So we (three MCS owners) go over to the UUC that we have not heard before and it is idling. Very quiet- almost like stock. It drove by us slowly moments earlier- sounded like stock. Then the owner reved the engine full throttle.
Kinda loud but not bad at all. Loud but OK. We then all look at each other- and we say- not too loud, sounds good.

Yes the Magnaflow is louder than UUC (UUC doesn't drone). But for all the loudness of the magnaflow- what is louder is the Magnaflow with a header (MiniMania without sport cat) which is what one of our group has- that one IS loud. So what has happened to me I see is that now that I have a header (Milltek) and others around me have headers (five of us have MiniMania- some with and some without sportcats), my tolerance for loud exhausts is cranked up a few more levels. My exhaust is much louder than it was before so with more power in the mid range 4000 to 6000 rpm comes much more exhaust sound. Not as loud as motorcycles but definitely more noise.

So my advice is if you don't like the loudest of the Magnaflow- be careful about getting the exhaust header.
If you think that the Magnaflow is not loud enough then the UUC will be not loud enough- maybe the Borla Sport/Race might be a good choice. Or maybe add a MiniMania header. While some owners want quiet and near stock sound, many of us are looking for a bit louder but not obnoxious deep exhaust tone. Personnally I think the UUC is quite good but I think it is louder than Borla street or JCW kit and not as loud as Magnaflow. It can be quiet when needed and can be louder with full throttle.

Does anyone want louder than magnaflow- yes. Just not that many that are members of MCO. Once you have heard Magnaflow with header the magnaflow alone is pretty quiet. I didn't think the magnaflow alone was bad at all when I heard it up close.

>>And I must disagree on the tips. i love 'em. I hate the magnaflow tips and how they curve out. The UUC seems perfect.

The tips are a subjective thing. I guess I would say that they are good tips but not anything that really stand out as very different. Some like or dislike the magnaflow tips because they are trumpet like- nobody else has quite that style so I like them and I caAyNTot that exhaust by it's sound and tips from far away. Same with my quicksilver- louder than the borla street but not as loud as the magnaflow with a single oval tip (which I didn't like as much until I saw it in person and now I would not give it up because it is definitely very unique). I could switch to dual tips for my quicksilver but that would make it look like all the others-nope.

The tips on a UUC are well done. The finish is fine. It is the overall general shape that is more conservative. More no nonsense no gimmicks. This is not a bad thing. And it does look heftier than the stock tips so you know something has been done but it is more subdued than the big flaring tips of the magnaflow.

>>Gosharks - I don't know why people keep saying the UUC is not the top gun in power. it gives the most torque of exhausts to date. 2 more lbs of torque than the magnaflow. And the 7lbs of torque is at 4000RPMs. Isn't that more important than horsepower??? And isn't mid-range torque what we're all looking for anyway? With the pulley and intake I have more than enough power at 5-6.8k RPMs. I'd love more in the 3-5k RPMs and that's what this exhaust does best!

If the UUC does give 7 lbs. of torque at 4000 rpm then that is great. I thought that my quicksilver gave at least 5 at 4000 to 6000 rpm when I added it alone. When I drove the car at that range after adding only the exhaust it felt like I was being launched- a really big kick of force. I had the madness intake earlier but never really got that much power from it. Maybe the intake and exhaust were really working together well. The added power made me think- why would I need the pulley with this much power? The answer is the pulley gives you more low RPM power and the exhaust more mid range power. When I added the Milltek header there was even more midrange to high end power.

The other thing to consider is the UUC I listened to is barely a week old and not seasoned so the exhaust note may change a little over time. I know that my quicksilver was louder in the first few weeks then mellowed out. And my header also was a bit more loud with my exhaust in the beginning. Or perhaps I am now deaf (more deaf) so I can hardly hear anything anymore.

 

Has anyone heard or seen a sound clip of the UUC yet? I've heard the magnaflow and LOVE that deep rumble it gives... I'm hoping the UUC is of the same type of tone.

 

>>Has anyone heard or seen a sound clip of the UUC yet? I've heard the magnaflow and LOVE that deep rumble it gives... I'm hoping the UUC is of the same type of tone.

Check out the sound clips on UUC's website
UUC Motorwerks, you will need to go to the products catalog and to the MINI page.

 

minihune,

I have the Madness Intake, Alta pulley, and Evotech ECU (not to mention H Sport springs and Madness swaybar). At the SF Bay Area Pulley Party back in July, I was getting 178 HP and decent torque at the wheels with a hot motor at 90 plus degress inside temps.. I am hoping to get 185 HP with this exhaust (plus sound and a great looking system). Next, I need to finally get rid of the 16" runflats, thinking of the Goodyear F1GS. Hopefully, this will be it for mods for a while at least!

 

My opinion is actually that the UUC was louder than the quicksilver - this being without headers. i didn't realize you had a header yourself. That would certainly change things.

They're definitely heftier. i don't think you'd notice from far away but if you were behind a car with the UUC I would think you would certainly notice. They're 3" tips I believe.

Minihune:
From Randy:
Minihune:
Let's not forget, however, that the pulley gives more power everywhere. It gives torque earlier which gives power earlier (low range) but because boost is increased throughout the RPM range, including max boost, there is still even greater increases in mid and high range. So much so that my S with intake and pulley has enough high range for me. Well, enough meaning that I could live with it and not modify it. It's the low and mid range I'd like to still increase. The UUC should help the midrange quite a bit and maybe even a bit in the low range and throttle response. The ECU should be the final piece for throttle response and more low range kick.

Gosharks:
I hear what you're saying - worrying that it's too loud. That has been a convern of mine with these exhausts. I really only heard it at idle and hard acceleration (b/c it was a MINI Meet autocross). It was fairly quiet (but nice sounding) at idle and formula one race car loud at full throttle! However, I don't want to pay big bucks for an exhaust and not even know it's there either. That's what has kept me from ordering the Borla street even though I came very close to ordering it over the past few months. But with minimal power gains and not much sound over stock, it didn't seem worth it. That said, there was a borla at the autocross and it sounded great - right out of the Italian Job. Not sure which borla it was. I meant to ask the owner but forgot. It didn't seem too loud though so I'm assuming it was the street version but I'm not sure.

The UUC sounds race car loud at full throttle which I love and quite but cool sounding at idle which is great, yet no drone and from what I hear - it's not much louder than stock at part throttle. And it gives the best torque gains and it's beautiful AND it is maybe the easiest to install (uses the stock hangers) which is important because I'm having guys from a local shop install it and although I trust them and have used them for years for our other cars, they've only worked on my MINI and never did a MINI exhaust yet.

 

greatgro,
This is a really good summary. You have the same expectations and concerns that I do. Like I said previously, I am going for the UUC and I am very excited to complete the power performance side of the equation for my MCS.
Cheers!

 

Sorry I missed this thread for so long!

Here are some explanations that I think will clarify things a bit.

The Milltek was a total jigsaw puzzle when I received it here for eval. I was not happy at al with the fit and finish - so much so that I would not have even carried it, despite the fact that to date, it makes the most torque of any system we've tested.

I then got a call from Phil, the owner of Milltek in the UK. We talked for about an hour. He was very interested in my suggestions and evaluation, and was motivated to make the system right.

The big changes are that the new system will be made in three pieces, based on a jig that was used with the system on a car. The hangers will be part of the muffler cans. The basic system is the same, it's just being made to actually fit the car.

I'll wait for final judgement until the unit arrives, but I am impressed with the support of Milltek.

I like the UUC, and have sold it to several very satisfied customers at this point. The sound is just right, the power is good, and it looks like fine art. It is a bit overpriced when compared to the rest of the market, but sometimes you really do get what you pay for (though not always ).

Feel free to contact me with any questions you may have on either system.

Randy
720-841-1002

 

I recently purchase and had the UUC exhaust installed on my 2003 MCS by a very quailified mechanic at my local speed shop. The car has no performance mods, only suspension mods. We had a base line dyno of the car from about six months before the exhaust install. After installation, we put the car on the dyno again to see what we had gained. Unfortunately, we only gained 1 horsepower and lost about 3 ft-lb of torque. As you all know, there are many variables in dynoing a car, so we continue to investigate. We are even planning to put the stock exhaust back on the car and re-dyno to make sure the base line is consistant. As for the sound, I have found it to be a good mid ground from the outside, but it tends to drone very badly at highway speeds. I will post when I have an update or if anyone has comments or questions.