Well i WAS considering their header untill the bumped up the price by $200 in the last 2 weeks. I had money put aside and everything, but now i just can't justify the cost. $1000 was already realy high, but $1200!! thats just killing me. I'd rather invest in a turbo kit with that money.

Anyway, has anybody installed one yet? i'm almost positive that it will make much better gains than the other headers on the market, but i still can't justify the cost. I'll just mod my stock header for now... :smile: My goal: 220hp without a smaller pulley

 

All I know is that it says on the website Arriving January 15th. Based on that alone, my guess is that once final production and material costs (the catalytic converter being the major material/part cost) were tallied up, the $1000 initial offering didn't make sense. (I have no verification that it was priced at $1000, just the above claim).

That's my guess. Sorry, but to me it doesn't look like "INSANE" pricing.

 

1cleancooper,

I would say save your money and keep saving for now. Headers are quite expensive. Meanwhile, do the following:
1. Let an independent source (helix13 or Webbmotorsports) do dyno testing on the header you choose or are considering. Only after it is clearly established that the header will provide the kind of increased power you are looking for should you make the investment.
2. Just based on looks you cannot easily determine if a header will do much better than the stock header. Looks can deceive.
3. The cost is always higher when the product is first introduced. Later the price will drop-partly as the novelty wears off and competition makes you look elsewhere. The London stainless header was $1300 a year ago. Nowadays the Milltek header (essentially a copy of the london stainless design) sells for under $900.
4. Do other mods first and save the header for nearly the last mod you do. Based on the current headers on the market for the MINI the power gains are mild compared to the high prices. Louder does not mean more power.

Personally I have the Milltek header on my MCS and if I had to do it over again I would wait longer before installing it.


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Headers do NOT have to be so expensive... I just don't get where all the euro tuning companies get off charging so freaking much for a set of headers when you can pickup a great set for a Honda for next to nothing. Quite frankly, I'm pleased with the MINI aftermarket's prices on nearly everything - with the exception of headers. Software is overpriced, too, IMHO.

The ONLY reasonably priced ones out there is the Jackson Racing unit, but it's not emissions legal.

If someone released a nice, emissions legal header for say, $500, they would fly out the freaking door.

 

>>If someone released a nice, emissions legal header for say, $500, they would fly out the freaking door.

I agree, there's no reason why this can't be done. Good cats are only ~150 retail, so I'm sure they're much cheaper wholesale (~100). The rest can't cost that much more. They'd sell so well at this price you'd recover R&D with sales volume.

On the other hand, I haven't seen definative results that show any headers really help with this car. I keep hearing the head's exhaust ports are the real bottleneck.


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'04 MCS IB/W on order with SSR's wrapped in Yoko's ready to go on!

 

fueledbymetal,

The exhaust ports are a weak spot on this car. The exhaust ports are on the head. This can't be fixed by a header alone. The header doesn't do any good making it larger if the ports on the head are still small.

 

Exactly, that's what I was trying to imply!

 

You need to also consider that the Euro is much stronger then the dollar and has been for a bit...this jacks up the pricing for companies to bring european products into the states as they have to pay more for them.

 

Look at MINISPORT in the UK. Lots of really nice stuff at more reasonable prices than the American vendors. They have one for $675. Shipping can be a killer. Too bad the $ is not back at $1.45/Pound versus the $1.85 it is now.



Remeber to look at their no VAT prices.

Just need to find their US distributor.

Not to change the topic, but I love their grooved brake disks.



GMG

 

>>Not to change the topic, but I love their grooved brake disks.
>>
>>

 

well if you guys know the company wilwood, they make something similar to that. does that mean they are "the next alteeza"? i dont know.. but im very interested in those since they say it reduces weight and allows more air to flow through them. my question is what is the durability on these rotors. im willing to be the guinea pig but it kinda pushes me away from it..

i dont want to buy something and being paranoid about hitting a wall at the track and stuff. i wonder if they did track testing with those rotors.
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BMP Front Tower Strut Bar

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The technologiy has been around for a while. I have a motorcycle racing friend who recognized the shape right away. The motorcycle racing world has had these for a long time.

Still, the look

GMG

 

>>You need to also consider that the Euro is much stronger then the dollar and has been for a bit...this jacks up the pricing for companies to bring european products into the states as they have to pay more for them.

How about an American company, e.g. Promini, started manufacturing a stateside set of headers?