I recently purchased a 2004 MCS from my parents that has 90k miles on in. I have a couple of questions about modding higher mileage Mini's. I searched around for threads on this and found some good topics but I have lots of questions so I decided to just make a new thread.

I plan on installing an CAI, 15% pulley, plugs and most likely a cat back exhaust. I know with most cars I should get the ECU re-tuned after doing this, but lots of the mini cooper guides don't mention it.

Should I re-tune my ECU after installing these mods?
How does the mini handle being moded at higher milages?
What should I think about replacing at 100K?
Anyone know any good garages it the Boston area?

 

modding a mini at that mileage should not be a problem as long as the car is in good shape. make sure the cooling system is clean, oil has been changed more regularly than 15kmi, there are no fluid leaks, trans fluid has been changed and clutch engages smoothly with no noises, suspension bushings and ball joints are not cracked or torn, no excess play with control arms. I would spend some extra time and money making sure everything is in perfect running order (including having the SC serviced with new oil and seals, good time to do the pulley) before going forward spending money on go fast parts.

 

As it mentionned by ggcadc, as long your car is well maintained, you can mod your engine.

My car (lightly modded) has 95K km (60k miles) and my last maintenance (did it this week) cost me than 4000$: changed idler pulley, changed belt tensionner, changed radiotor fan, repaired coolant leak, changed all O-rings seal, changed pan oil gasket, changed shifter cables, changed lower mount engine, changed cluth, changed table bushings, changed ball joints, changed timming shaft tensionner, changed engine oil, changed transmission oil, checked water pump and so on...

 

Yes, Greasy's Garage in Worcester. A number of us in Eastern Mass. make the trek from some distance -- myself from Lowell, others from the Cape, New Hampshire, etc. It's THE place to go.

 

If this is your daily driver, I wouldn't mod the car at this mileage. It has one of the older superchargers which is probably near the end of its useful life; spinning it faster now is only going to make its demise come sooner.

- Mark

 

This is helpful.

It would be my daily in the fact that I would rather drive a fun car to work than a boring car, but I have another car in case of problems.

Is there a link to what goes wrong with the old style superchargers? Is there a rebuild kit to fix what breaks or do you have to put in a whole new assembly?

 

Thanks, this isn't a huge trek for me. I'm from rural NH so I'm used to long drives to get to much of anything.

 

Thanks, I have full service records for the car so I will check what has been done to it, and see about doing any of these that haven't been done. I'll definitely be going through the car top to bottom for worn out parts before I put any mods on.

 

Biggest issue I've heard is the gear oil for the water pump weeping out over time, thus the gears eat themselves. At 100K it wouldn't be a bad idea to pull it and R&R the fluid with fresh stuff, though others have modded at that mileage without significant issues. As long as you're not redlining it all the time, it's really just like driving 15% faster.
There are threads on DIY, and this from Bentley.

 

+1 Greasysgarage
As long as the car is in good mechanical shape, no problems...
no tune needed....it can help you get a bit more power, and a bit more drivability....but most of the pulley cars have never been tuned....consider it your final step when all you engine mods are done to make it a bit better....the more mods, the more the benefit...

 

PS
the SC gear oil issue is a problem for SOME cars....but not all...
the cost of servicing it is kinds hi...the sc is a bit of a wear item anyway...if the oil goes dry, it will begin to make a different noise....a bit of a high pitch squeel...progressing rappidly to clanking/dragging chain sounds....
Some cars make it a couple hundred thousand miles...some only 50k.
You must weigh the cost and benifit of the servicing vs waiting to see if it ever needs to be done before the sc wears out boost wise....
Good luck...the pulley mod transforms the car....it will make you grin and make you wonder why it took you so long to do it!!

 

Mod it, love it. The pulley upgrade is practically the same reliability danger as a stock JCW car from the factory anyways.

 

Thanks for the advice everyone. This have been really helpful. I've had turbocharged cars before, so I'm used too keeping a chunk of change set aside to repair a worn turbo, guess ill just keep that chunk sitting around in case I need to replace the supercharger.

 

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