Alright I'm new to this. Luckily I do know more than most younger women but I want to surprise my brothers who both think they know everything...

I want to add hp and get better performance from my 03 MCS. I just have never done this before and don't know where to start. I was hoping for some help.

I'd like to start on the more inexpensive end and work my way up. I'm up for any suggestions I can get. I have been reading the posts but am overwhelmed. HELP!

:smile:

 

Congrats and a great question. Lots of debate on this but some of the easiest modifications you can make will help your engine breath better (in and out). A cold air intake is a good starting point, there are several vendors on NAM with intakes that start for less than $200. The Pilo offers a good one for $150. The The next step may be to let your engine exhale a little easier. This will replace your exhaust system from the catalytic converter to the rear of the car. Price goes up though ... you're probably looking at $650 for a Magnaflow from Webb Motorsports After that ... you can look at a pulley reduction (Randy Webb offers a great product). Mostly you'll find (IMHO) that the only limit you'll find is the depth of your wallet. If you need help installing any of these ... I'm sure there are numerous people on NAM that would be willing to lend a hand depending on your location.

Good luck and drive that MINI!!!!

Cheers

Geoff

PS. Join the BMWCCA and get involved with your local driving schools, the number one improvement that can be made to a car is to fix the nut loose behind the wheel!

 

Well Intakes and exhausts are perhapse some of the easiest to add on items, but can be expensive if you are choosing the top end stuff. I know getting a pulley and an ecu upgrade will really do well after the intake and exhaust are on the system.

I hear that a ccombination of new wires and plugs are a less expensive way to get started as well.

 

Oh boy...
here is a list for you:
-15% reduction pulley for supercharger
-new air intake (Alta/Madness or other...)
-Cat-back exhaust (Milltek,Magnaflow, UUC, many others)

Those will be your quickest way to increased hp. $1200-1500 installed. 180+/-hp to the wheels.

_________________
My whip's the shizzle, Brahhh. Phat grafix n' chromie dubs. Tinted out n' rollin' hard. Hydrolix n' shiz. Damn, my shitz tight!

 

I would say pulley 15%, 17%, or 19% and and Air filter (Alta and K&N have shown higher HP gains on the dyno, Madness, Bmp, Pilo and others do not show as much). Go to www.helix13.com. for Pulleys and other stuff.. Exhuast tends to work better after you have a pulley installed.

I am presently running a 17% pulley, John Cooper Works Exhuast (got it used) and a K&N Typhoon intake. I made 168hp and 154 tq to the wheels on a Mustang Dyno (Mustang Dyno's numbers tend to be a little consertive from what i have read and heard).

With just the Pulley and Airfilter the car ran a 14.9 at the drag strip (I am not the worlds greatest driver either). If i have one of my friends drive it the car should get into the low 14's no problem.

Pretty quick for under 1200 bucks

P.s. I have heard RDR has an intake coming out that will make as much power as Alta and K&N but will cost less.

_________________
Doug


When in doubt, Choose the burrito

 

The "must have" mods to do first depend on what area you want to concentrate on. Speed or handling. The top three for speed would probably be intake, exhaust, and pulley. Going for handling, then you're looking at springs, sway bar(s), and possibly tires.

The order I went about it was:
1) intake (Madness w/airbox mod)
2) exhaust (Magnaflow)
3) springs and rear sway bar (H&R and RDR)

To come:
1) adjustable rear control arms
2) B&M short shifter
3) the jury is still out on the pulley and ECU remap

Two points of debate
1) Tires - personally, any deficiencies of the Pirelli runflats are far outweighed by the benefits
2) Ignition mods - most seem to give very minimal benefits for the amount of dollars invested
There's been a few threads about this particular subject. You may want to try a seach for them....or maybe someone will post some links for you.

Good luck :smile:

 

Thanks!! I think I'm going to really start looking into these! Thanks for a quick response. I got to thinking about this when my Moss Motors flier came in the mail today. But I'm going to check out the names you gave me.

I think the monster in me just woke up and wants to motor!!!

 

motoring1,
Aloha and welcome to NAM.


>>Alright I'm new to this. Luckily I do know more than most younger women but I want to surprise my brothers who both think they know everything...
Got some questions for you first.
What is your budget?
What do you want to use the MCS for? Street driving/autocross/track/driving school?
Lets assume mostly street driving/driving school. Then intake, 15% pulley upgrade, cat-back exhaust.
If autocross and street then- intake and cat-back exhaust, rear swaybar.

>>I want to add hp and get better performance from my 03 MCS. I just have never done this before and don't know where to start. I was hoping for some help.
More power must be balanced with better suspension and wheels and enough driving skill to control that power.

>>I'd like to start on the more inexpensive end and work my way up. I'm up for any suggestions I can get. I have been reading the posts but am overwhelmed. HELP!

Start with a budget and fit in those things that come within the limits of your funds.

Intake- simplest is the Pilo intake for $147 and easy to install. Want more power and more loudness from the Supercharger (a little more complicated to install) try the Alta intake with no silicon hose for $200.
http://outmotoring.com/alta_intake.html
http://outmotoring.com/pilo_racing_intake.html

Pulley upgrade- 15% is safe and reliable. Part is $100-120 from Helix13 and fully installed price is about $400-420 including parts. This modifies the supercharger pulley and provides the most power gains for the money but it also voids the supercharger warranty. Not all shops are qualified to do this install. Talk to Webbmotorsports or Helix13.

Cat-back exhaust- Milltek 3 piece for $695 is a good ch��Š for most balanced HP and torque gains with modest increase in exhaust noise- very liveable. Easy to install by a mechanic/exhaust shop. UUC is good but $875. Magnaflow and Borla Race are powerful but are much louder and offer less torque gains.

So for $1300 you can get roughly 30HP more.
The rear swaybar runs about $200 and costs $80 to install. H-sport 22mm bar with three adjustable holes -use the center one helps to stiffen up the rear suspension and reduce understeer.

Everything else you can keep stock for now and make improvements to the wheels- lighten them up and replace the tires with non runflats in the future.

Send me a PM if you want to discuss in more detail.

 

The Sleeper has awoken!

Sorry ... cheezy quote from Dune. Congrats again. Sent you a PM a bit ago.

Let's Motor!

Geoff

 

I do want an overall better performing Mini. I am not worried about the driving. I was born to drive. I am not the sterotypical women driver. I have a lead foot and I'm not afraid to use it. My dream since I was 14 was to be a race car driver even though I don't look the part.

You all have gotten me excited!!! I want to get everything!! Thank goodness I get my bonus check at the end of Jan!! Now I know what I'm doing with it.

 

>>I do want an overall better performing Mini. I am not worried about the driving. I was born to drive. I am not the sterotypical women driver. I have a lead foot and I'm not afraid to use it. My dream since I was 14 was to be a race car driver even though I don't look the part.
>>
>>You all have gotten me excited!!! I want to get everything!! Thank goodness I get my bonus check at the end of Jan!! Now I know what I'm doing with it.

Welcome,

Your Quote : >>You all have gotten me excited!!! I want to get everything!! Says it for all of us.

Earl

 

>>[quote] More power must be balanced with better suspension and wheels and enough driving skill to control that power.

>>I do want an overall better performing Mini. I am not worried about the driving. I was born to drive. I am not the sterotypical women driver. I have a lead foot and I'm not afraid to use it. My dream since I was 14 was to be a race car driver even though I don't look the part.

Unless you have done SCCA and BMWCCA events I would be still recommending driving school. No matter how good you think you are there is much to be improved on- you'd be pleasantly surprised I think. This is an entirely positive thing.

>>You all have gotten me excited!!! I want to get everything!! Thank goodness I get my bonus check at the end of Jan!! Now I know what I'm doing with it.
It's easy to get everything but it is not wise from a budget point of view. If you have driving skill then a bit more power and tuning up of the suspension will do the trick, at least for starters.

Wheels- if you are not so concerned with looks and more concerned with performance then stick to 16" rims that are light. SSR comp R in 16x 6.5 or SSR Comp in 16x7 are quite good. See alex@tirerack.com
Tires need to be sticky- some popular choices are (in no particular order):
Bridgestone Potenza Pole Position S-03
Yokohama AVS ES100
Goodyear Eagle F1 DS-G3
Toyo Proxes T1S
Yokohama Parada Spec 2 (for autocross and track-very aggressive)

Suspension- while the stock MCS suspension is OK, if you corner at high speeds and really push the limits of the extra power in a modded MCS then lowering springs (H-sports reduce height 1" front and rears) are the cheapest option. Coil overs are better with more adjustability but cost much more (better suited for autocross and track).
Rear sway bar- many choices, the larger beefier 22mm will give more stiffness and you can adjust the settings using the 2 or 3 holes (closer in to the bend gives stiffer setting).

Other options-
Short shifter gives shorter more positive throws but needs slightly more effort/force. Consider the Whalen shift ****.
Pilo ignition upgrade kit- coil/wires/ colder spark plugs by one setting. Helps to improve the ignitions system.
ECU upgrade- can be done later, Voids the stock ECU warranty, more power to be gained and throttle smoothness.
If you have a bigger budget and don't mind a tad more exhaust noise then the Milltek exhaust header ($895) works well with any of the more flow through exhausts-Milltek, UUC, Borla race, Magnaflow, Alta sport.

As mentioned before the place to start is:
Intake
Pulley
Cat-back exhaust
rear swaybar

That will get you pretty far.