Just purchased a Mini Cooper S and I didn't opt for the JC Works kit. I want to start the engine mods but I don't know where to start. I would like to start with an upgraded pulley, an intake and some exhaust. What are the most popular/reliable products that will provide me with the most HP for my buck? Thanks!

 

There are a ton of threads on this so you won't lack for reading material.

1) pulley
2) intake
3) exhaust
4) sway bar
5) wheels and tires

not necessarily in this order

other fun things.

Software-chip, GIAC, MTH, UNICHIP
short shifter
springs and shocks
rotors and pads

all that will change your car significantly.

enjoy

 

Best bang for the buck is a pulley; it should run about $350 - $400 installed, your choice of 15%, 17% or 19%.

DIYers can do a cat back exhaust, lots of nice ones: Milltek, Borla, Magnaflow, Scorpion should run $500 - $900.

CAIs also a DIY mod. Pilo. Alta, Dinan, there are quite a few. $150 - $300

These are a good start and for about $1,200 bucks you can experience much of the JCW kit's performance, at a fraction of the price (but at the loss of your warranty.)

 

...and a great CD Mix of your favorite driving songs. A good song has an odd effect on my right foot, which coincedently happens to be on the accelerator pedal.

 

yeah, i would do pulley, intake and exhaust and see if you are happy with just that. then i would go ECU, larger intercooler

 

Agree, but just to note that the pulley, CIA and catback don't really come full to life until a good ecu is also added.
One note on the ECU. Don't get one until you find out who can tune tune it. Seems I'm stuck with an ECU that I have to drive at least five hours one way to get it re-tuned, which is not so cool.

 

Is your Mini new or used? You don't specify.

If it is new, you need to decide just how important your warranty is to you. The more things you mod, the more chances the dealer has to tell you that you are out of warranty if something goes wrong.
This is an area where your mileage can definitely vary. Some dealers will install mods themselves and give you no trouble on the warranty front, while others will be less forgiving.

You also need to decide just how much you want to get out of your mods. If you want to have the fastest Mini in 14 counties, you will need to spend a hefty chunk of change and will probably shorten the life of your engine as well.

I've done only the pulley mod myself. I got the Alta 15% pulley installed at the Dragon for $300. My car is now MUCH faster than it was before, with no noticeable negative side effects. A CAI will likely be next, but I am not sure just when I will do that. I should also get the so-called "cold" plugs to go with the pulley, and that seems like an excuse to get new spark plug wires as well to put a little extra color under the hood.

 

A pulley (15%), good exhaust (Milltec) and an Alta intake are good for 25-26HP. You will need the Denso colder plugs as well. You'll definately feel the difference.

 

I'll offer this, not thru experience, but from word of mouth. If decide upon a smaller than 15% pulley, consider larger injectors along with a tunable ECU as Onasled wrote.

 

Don't mean to hijack this thread but.....if one is going to buy a cold air intake, are any of the cheaper ones any good? I think the Alta is a favorite but its like $250.00 or so, isn't it?

 

ditto on the 15% pulley and the CAI (mine are from Helix)

The 15s are very,very popular...

 

www.webbmotorsports.com will have everything you need. 1 stop shopping. GO THERE.

 

Question about pulley:

I am assuming it increases your rpm of the supercharger. Wouldnt that reduce the longevity of the it?

Is there any reduction of mileage? I am in phx. big town i like the great mileage, especially at 2.40 a gallon.

 

I almost went for JCW performance upgrade and at the last minute decided to go the cheaper route:

1. 15% Alta pulley (excellent hp increase for not much cost)
2. Alta air intake (adds more hp and listen to that supercharger whine!!!!)
3. Milltek cat back exhaust - adds more hp and a great sound.
4. Webb Motorsports unichip - fine tuning for more hp.

Save thousands of dollars and got a comparable result. (I didn't fret over any warantee issues since the supercharger is probably the only thing in all of these mods not covered by the warantee).

The results are fanastic. Saved about 4 grand over the JCW kit.

 

Miniaz, The smaller pulley speeds up the supercharger, thus increasing boost and the boost comes on sooner. The factor of "wearing" out the supercharger due to increasing the rotation is a non-factor. Mileage will be affected only because you will not be able to "keep your foot out of it"! You might consider upgrading with a Unichip as it would increase the HP as well as return better mileage.

 

I have an '02 JCW car with MTH software. My wife has an '04 with a 15% pulley and MTH software. Her car is definetly faster than mine. for now.


Todd

 

pilo racing sells one for about 150 US... and it's shown good gains..

hai can be had for 40 bucks and it flows just as well as alta

 

I added a 15% pulley to an otherwise stock '05 MCS, and haven't seen any change in gas mileage. Usually 25-27 mpg.

 

Don't forget, more horsepower requires more traction. Plan on getting an LSD installed. Either Quaife or Phantom Grip.

If you are planning to Auto-X your new baby, all of the above modes will push you into a higher class. Even the CAI will put you into a modded class. About the only things mentioned that would keep you in a stock class would be stickier tires (DOT approved of course), lighter (stock sized) wheels, and a cat back exhaust.

Modes to the driver are also good. Enroll in a weekend drivers school. Always money well spent.

 

I agree with what most have said about intake, pulley, exhaust, ECU as being the basics for ENGINE mods. However, don't forget about the suspension!

on our first MINI, an 04 MCS, which is now my wife's daily driver, I added Alta 15% pulley, Alta CAI, cooler plugs and wires. Then I added an H-Sport comp rear sway bar, which dramatically punched up the already fun factor of the car. That car is fast and an absolute blast to drive.

HOWEVER, when I got my 05 MCS, I decided to take different approach. Where I live (in the sticks), all the roads are twisty for 15 miles in any direction and I wanted to take full advantage (that'a why I got the MINIs in thr first place). Before I took delivery last week I had the dealer install the JCW suspension and a Dinan 19mm sway bar ($1900). Then I put on non-runflat tires and light weight wheels. As fun as the 04 car is to drive, the 05 with the suspension and tire/wheel upgrades is a whole different world in terms of driving pleasure. This car becomes part of the road in a way the 04 never has, even with its sway bar. The ride is better. Virtually no sway in corners. Overall a really refined and composed feel with everything I've been able to throw at it so far. The new car is so much fun to drive with the suspension oriented mods that for now, I couldn't care less that I am having to baby the engine (still in break-in mode) and that it has no engine mods yet.

I am not a real car guy and I don't track or autox, so I went for what seems to be a really great road suspension, and I'm glad I did! There are many on this forum who can give you mountains of info about suspension and tire mods as well as the power mods - so keep reading and have fun!!

 

As I wanted to mod up a bit my MCS, board guidance has lead me to do the following -

CAI ( around 189.00 and got me a CAI that accesses the air from the vent and a ITG filter). All I can say here is that everything fit perfectly and the ITG filter is very nice).

Pulley (around 125.00 and got me a RDR 15% pulley). All I can say here is excellent quality part. Change the belt regardless of condition when you add the pulley.

One-ball exhaust ( 125.00 for the conversion pipe. Produces a few HP and adds just a little complimentary exhaust sound. Clearly a new / complete exhaust system will produce more HP, just becareful for you may get more sound than you like. Some after market systems are very loud for daily street. I went with the one-ball simply because I was not ready to commit 600 + dollars yet I wanted to help the car exhale better. Clearly worth the 125.00 for daily street.

rear swaybar (around 200 and that got me a 19mm RDR bar - worth every penny for it truely changes the handling characteristics. The RDR bar fits perfectly. While there are bigger bars this bar is perfect.

so for about 400 in engine parts, you can't buy cheaper ponies. All ponies after this come at a higher premium.

My total of 600 in parts (adding in the sway bar) produced a much more spirited / comanding car on the road.

Bahamabart

PS - All of this stuff came from myminiparts.com (Peter) who was very helpful throughout the entire process.

 

I am guessing you did all this yourself. I'm jealous. You got an awful lot of fun for $600.

 

Nope - spent another 500 bucks appr. and had it all installed . Decided to go straight to the fun .

BahamaBart