We are working with an exhaust / header company for a possible new choice in the header for the Mini Cooper. What do you all think the point is that would make the Header a viable mod for you?

Thanks
Dan
Pilo Racing

 

Somewhere below the units price by weight if it twere made out of freaking gold. $800+ for a header is insane. Even a $600 header is way out there, in my opinion.

I may be easy, but I am cheap... or something.

 

If you could pull off a $500 header I think you would sell enough in volume to realize a great profit! A four cylinder header should not cost more than a V-8 set of headers. Dan do what you can to break into the market at a $500 mark and you will get the same word of mouth that your CAI is getting all over the boards . But then again what do I know? I'm just a Dog trainer with a coool car

 

Have any of the existing headers been shown to make power? I'd say something up to $500 should be reasonable for a header/cat that was shown to deliver at least 5 whp consistently.

 

A header+catback for $1000 would be sweet Make it similar to the Milltek (sound+power)

Paul.

 

My opinion is that for a header it should be demonstrated to produce some HP or torque in a usable range. If no benefit is shown then there is no reason to purchase this header no matter how good it looks or how loud it sounds.

Price should be close to $500
It should be street legal, have a racing catalytic converter, have two O2 sensors that don't trip the check engine lights and it should work well with aftermarket Cat-back exhausts for either the MC or MCS if that is possible.

Few Exhaust headers have bothered to show that they really do add any power and so we have upgraded based on faith or with the expectation of improved power. At $900 that is awfully high to not have some solid dyno numbers so let's see some with your product.

 

$400-$500 with high flow catalytic converter and requisite dual O² sensors. Jet-Hot coating inside and out is mandatory; this means you can use mild steel tubing (less material cost than stainless) A 2.5" outlet would be nice, to match up with my Milltek cat-back.

 

i want a nice stinger on the back. iwant it to look non stock and to have a wow look.

 

Headers should not cost more than $350.00 including a High flow Cat and O2 conectors. Why Cooper owners have to pay more than VW or Honda owners ???

I think you will sell volume at this price if your header can show 4 to 5 HP Gains. You make good products and your prices are reasonable thats the reason of your success. KEEP IT UP

CARLOS

 

Since they don't seem to do anything not much.

They are pretty though. :smile:

 

I've been hotrodding small block V-8's for years and have never paid more than around $350-$400 for a set of well made name brand street headers. Add about $150 -$200 to get them ceramic coated. Boy was I in for a shock when I got hot rod fever for my new MCS! Can't imagine why what appears to be a simple header can cost so much when compared the the V-8 gear. Having said my piece about that, my critera for a header would include an increase of low end torque, and minimum mods to get it on my car...................mgg

 

>>Have any of the existing headers been shown to make power?

I'm thinking pretty much the same way too. Take the Milltek header for example. I suspect that most of the claimed power and torque gains actually come from the sport CAT rather than the polished tubing. Afterall it's the CAT that restricts the exhuast gas flow.

I hope someone would try out the madness header with long primaries.

 

Personally, anything less than 5whp, I probably wouldn't bother. With that said, anything over, I'd consider paying 100 bucks per hp. I'd drop a grand for a system that can give us a substaniated 10hp, and a nice torque curve to boot...

 

I would hope that any new header or exhaust on the market is released with testing data that shows how it compares to the stock setup. Exhaust pressure gauges are inexpensive and stock exhaust systems are plentiful. It would be interesting to see where the restriction(s) really are in the stock system.

 

$500 with cat is completely reasonable IMHO.

 

It should go without saying, but any cat should have the same warmup and air cleaing characteristics as stock. Some of the aftermarket cats on the market trigger the good ol' P0420 code (catalyst system efficiency below threshold). There is no excuse for that.

 

I'll agree with Tony, 100 bucks per HP. But I'd like to add that California emission legal would be a definite plus

 

Andy brings up a good point. There has yet to be a substantiated HP claim for a header. Some say the Milltek makes power but others have dynoed it and it showed nada. So I guess it would depend on how much power this header made. But sure, I'd like to see some reasonably priced MINI parts.

 

I'd like to see a header designed without a cat that includes an Oxygen sensor emulator to fool the computer into thinking the cat is there.

I think more HP would be produced by eliminating the cat than by the header itself.

Anyone know where to get an Oxygen sensor emulator in the unlikely event that mice eat away the insides of my catalytic converter?

 

>> in the unlikely event that mice eat away the insides of my catalytic converter?

 

i agree with what everybody here has said so far. At $500 a good header should be out there if you look at the Honda/Nissan market there are companies out there like DC Sports and Hotshot headers that have been out for years with beautiful headers, dyno proven, and some are CARB legal. DC sells their stainless unit all day long for $475 MSRP! And they have dyno plots to prove a 9 hp and 7 lb/ft gain!
What is it about the MINI that is making everything so expensive, it's made by BMW yes but it isn't a BMW just the same.

 

I like the idea of $100/whp for exhaust systems... How many HP do you think your header will make on a purely stock MINI?

 

Dan
$600 for coated SS headers. They are not cheap to make and the tiny high flow cats are not cheap either (needs to work well enough to not trigger fault code on ecu). Nice high quality welding, sensor fittings, ceramic coating yeah...I'd pay $600.
Ca smog legal would be a huge bonus! Headers can make a differance on a modified car especially one with head work, cam, throttle body. if you are not planning these mods than the stock header is probably just fine (not worth the $$ for just a couple h.p. As with all comments of mine just a personal opinion.

 

I'd be in for a $500 system that mates up to my supersprint, gives good power and has smooth mandrel bends with a clean finish (could be jet-hot or something comparable).

 

Hedman Hedders is coming out with a 2 sets of headers. They will have a painted one (i.e. cheaper) and a HTC coated one. check hedman.com, click on sport compact and then on mini cooper. Their headers are usually cheaper than other manufacturers, hopefully this will be the case for the Cooper.