Hello,

Ive been looking around, and have come to some conclusions on what i think i want to get for the shoebox.

Wanna start off with the basic 3. Intake, Pulley, Exhaust.

Intake- i like the Dinan intake. This is because it doesnt look aftermarket, so if for SOME reason i get pulled over, John Q Law wont notice, and its CARB Excempt AFAIK, and its $150.

Pulley- im looking at the WMW pulley package, because it comes with the pulley, belt, plugs, and tensioner stop for about $200

Exhaust- IE Exhaust. Its dirt cheap. I feel like there would be more power gained over just a one ball. $340.

Just a few questions though.

1. Does keeping the stock Intake hose vs a smooth one, like Alta's, really make that much of a difference? if so, does that blow the whole CARB thing out the window?

2. Is everything in the WMW worth it? do i really NEED the JCW Plugs?

3. Is the IE Exhaust gonna mess with all the CARB compliance?

4. Is there anything that can be had for less?

5. Where to start? (what 1st?)

I hate the fact that i live in CA now, i dont like having to worry about CARB, and "Fix-it-Tickets"

I like to make educated purchases, and i dont want to look back saying "i didnt need x," or "i paid too much for x"

 

1. Having the smooth silicone intake hose would make a difference, but nothing night and day. I don't believe it effects CARB. If you want a more stealthy look, you can always request it in 'black'

2. Pulley and belt would usually run for about $125 to $135. The tensioner stop is another $20. Depending on which spark plugs, you would run another $40 at most? The price is going to be close but if you buy things separately you can choose which parts you want from whichever vendor you want. I'm don't know what you mean by JCW plugs, but I'm assuming you mean the JCW 380cc fuel injectors. Those are worth having if your going to do a pulley change because I believe you can start running a bit lean with a pulley at high RPMS (someone correct me if I'm wrong). If your planning on tuning, a lot of tuning vendors are able to scale back larger injectors, so you could also take that route.

3. I would assume it would, but I don't know if it would cause your to fail the CARB inspection as I'm not familiar with Cal. smog/carb laws.

4. An exhaust can always be had for less if you buy used. As well as some barely used JCW injectors. I think where you can save the most is how you find your mechanic. Finding a reliable mechanic for a good price will def. make the difference. Some people charge $200 for a pulley change while others charge $100. Finding a good mechanic will save you lots of money on the long run.

5. I would start with the pulley first. The pulley mod is just about the only mod you can make that will cause a night and day difference. Trust me when I say this: The pulley will change your driving experience.

 

Noticed that you have an auto (I also have a 2005 MCSa) - welcome to the club. The 1st mod to mines was a 15% pulley + ALTA CAI intake + IK22 plugs. Then the other mods in my sig came later, one at a time. Note that with the auto it will require a little bit more "work" to change the pulley compared to the manual.

Depending on how far you want to go with modding your car, it's best to have a plan ahead of time and do everything all at once to cut down in labor costs, etc. But, if you'll be doing things piece meal, I would recommend the pulley first - major change in performance. After you add all the other bits and pieces together, get it tuned. By tuning the auto, there was a noticeable difference by increasing the shift points in the SP mode.

To me, the noticeable performance-wise improvements were the pulley, CAM, and tune.

I did change the OEM intake hose to the blue silcone tube a bit later, but couldn't tell any difference - more for looks than anything (matches my wire and exterior).

Good luck.

 

You might want to start with the pulley first.

Do yourself a favor and buy one that's painted black, or paint it black, as you want one that's not noticeable.
You want it to look stock. That way you won't fail the visual inspection part of the smog certification.

Actually the kit from WMW sounds like a good idea as you will need a new belt and the colder plugs are a very good idea.

Larger injectors like the JCW 380's are a good idea but not a required addition.

As far as exhaust goes cat-backs are CARB exempt. Headers are a nice improvement but a major red flag and not CARB exempt.

As far as the intake hose being CARB certified I don't know.

Either the JCW or Dinan intake are the way to go for performance and they're CARB certified.

If your like me and don't have a friend at a smog shop think stealth.
When I modify my car it will be internal like a cam or head.
If you don't see it it's not modified.

Hope this helps...

 

Thanks for all the replies, ill start with the pulley.

What is the point of "colder" spark plugs? (what do they do?)

I love learning about cars, and how they work.

I plan on doing all the work myself/with friends since im on base, so the hobby shop full of tools is dirt cheap. ($3 an hour)

Pulley shouldnt be too hard, ive had prior experience dismantling a 1990 Jeep Cherokee. But that was a PITA with almost every bolt rusted/stripped/immobile.

Do i really NEED a pulley puller? i think i remember seeing something about using a Power Steering pump pulley puller to do it.

I guess i could make a run to MiniMania to rent one if absolutely necessary.

 

Pulley=more boost=more heat so the cooler plugs help prevent detonation by drawing more heat out of the combustion chamber

It will make things alot easier...

 

No

If you are going to a smaller pulley plugs are essential along with a shorter belt

Pulley/belt/plugs

 

I think it made the supercharger whine louder.

 

What he said. First Mini I ever drove was a Mini Cooper S, stock. Next (and the one I bought, used) was a Mini Cooper S with a 15% reduction pulley.

Woah.



(Also, the Webb Unichip helps smooth out a flat spot in the curve, even if you don't get a full-out tuned setup. But I wouldn't call it 100% required, just nice to add in.)

 

Isnt the inside of the stock intake tube smooth?

 

it's ribbed.

 

Definetly start with the Pulley, save the money you were going to spend on the intake hose for later. That $100 can be better spent on several different things.

Also I have a qualified guy in Cal. that has the pulley tool that can help you out if need be.

 

Good deal, skip hose, and to save more get the DDM CAI in Black.

 

Although the DDM is a fantastic CAI (IMOP,I had one for three years), I doubt a black DDM CAI would fool a police officer into thinking its stock. I myself made the switch from the DDM to a CARB legal Dinan CAI for peace of mind. I'm still running with my red Alta intake hose but will most likely go back to the stock hose since "those in the Know" feel there is minimal improvement in performance over the stock hose. I need to do more research but, I've heard from others here in So Cal that an aftermarket intake hose is also illegal and certainly could raise a red flag if your unlucky enough to be inspected. This could lead to being sent to a secondary "closer" inspection!