I have a totally stock 05 MCSC. I was never a car freak until now... Forever a bike nut... So I made an appointment to hand the car over to Eric at Helix 2nd week of March to make it faster.

Based on his advice I am doing the following mods:

• 15% reduction pulley
• Larger injectors
• Intake
• Computer remap
• Miltec Exhaust
• Short throw shift
• HD rear sway bar

Am I missing anything??? Or any cautions???

 

Excellent initial mods, and for many the list might be all they would ever want/need to do. Question---why the larger injectors with the 15% pulley?

IMO, you might want to replace the runflats and heavy rims if you haven't already done so. For me the changeout was dramatic and just like having a different (better) car .

Have fun...

 

I too am lost on the injectors. I was under the impression that they were only needed for the 19%, maybe i misunderstood Eric.

 

Eric is a good man, he wont steer you wrong! Your mod list looks very nice! I don't think your missing anything unless you want to start paying big money for little gain ie head, cam, TB ect...any questions feel free to PM me -- Johan

 

I agree with Recoop, lighter wheels and non-runflat tires. I also like H-Sport springs for improved handling and lower stance.

 

I do not agree with chaning the suspension right off the bat. The pulley, intake and things like that just make street driving more fun, however the MINI can, from the factory, out handle most of us. Get some drivers school in there too. Lighter wheels and tires will also help your brakes.

 

Yeah, I think the rear sway bar is the only suspension that you need right away. Lighter wheels and tires should come first (This coming from a man on 19's).

 

Good list except lose the injectors . They are not necessary at that stage of the game and will only mess up your cool on board computer with regards to mileage and miles left to go etc.

John

 

i totally disagree, with the computer mods you will not have major mpg issues and your car will run smoother with the injectors. I would go 380cc, would be a nice add on. Again inj. with the ECU upgrade will also eliminate those ugly flat spots too. Is it extremely necessary, No, would it make a difference, abosolutely yes. Eric would not sell unnecessary items or overkill the machine anyways, and those inj. come with a the JCW kit which has 14.6% pulley anyways So for those who are lost probably saw the light already your mpg will go down regardless, so you either keep the car stock or stop bitchin' about it. I get 24.5-25 mpg with the mods on the sig

 

Thanks for all of the input. I meant to say "19%" reduction reduction pulley, not 15%, and I'm guessing this is why Eric said larger injectors would make sense.

Rims and brakes are next... Any sugguestions?

Then I have to figure out how to get a better sound system in there.... I should've gotten the Harmon system upgrade.

 

Yep, that makes alot more sense to me. I was thinking, "thats odd, eric told me not to get the injectors with the 15% and software, why dont i get to have all the fun?"

Wheels, anything you like thats light! As for brakes, i like the wilwood kit.

 

Metal bushings from TyrolSport. Helix carries them. Better pads, and better fluid. You'll get much improved braking, and won't burn a hole in your wallet.

For rims, there are a couple ways to go. If you go with a smaller wheel tire combo, you loose a bit of top speed in each gear, but you get more effective torque. And smaller wheels can be much lighter too. What's the budget? Sky is the limit when it comes to wheels.

There are some web sites that list wheel weights. Tire Rack has weights listed for some but not all rims. I'm running Kozai KZ-Vs, they were inexpensive, and relatively light, because I couldn't spend the $ on the SSR comps.... Check the specials at Tire Rack. One of the SSRs was down from nose bleed expensive to just "ouch"!

Matt

 

Loose the injectors and get a +2% crank pulley. Works great with the 15% sc pulley.

 

You can't be in better hands than Eric from Helix,he will never steer you in the wrong direction,Great guy.

 

Two weeks. How about a weight loss program for the driver. Every pound out of the car is more speed and acceleration and better breaking. Afterall, you have 2 weeks.

 

yeah erics a great guy, ive got some of the same mods as you, except for the exhaust and the car screams. I went from just the 19 to giac and injectors and there is a noticable difference. I do wish i had the exhaust, at least for the nice sound it makes. Good luck and let us know how much you like it!

 

I like it...... light wheels/tires really help...... if your doing the twisties ala Dragon, i think brakes are a good idea.

 

I have gone along this path....

I haven't done injectors - and from my readings, I don't think they were necessary with the engine set-up you laid out. Would love to hear more on this subject.

Just to throw out other goodies - perhaps a header? or the precat mod on the stock header? While not super significant, I like what the header did for the car and it does compliment a free flow exhaust.

Or perhaps a boost guage for a little cabin entertainment?

 

Just a thought: you don't have to make both decisions, about the right rim and the right tire, before you improve performance by upgrading your tires. My 05 MCS came with all-season RF tires on 17" S-Lite rims. I put non-RF maximum performance tires on the standard MINI rims and love the difference. (I bought Goodyear 215-45 F1 GS-D3.) Why not new rims too? I couldn't find the ones that I want. So, I changed the tires first. Now I'm looking for the right rims while I enjoy the great tires.

 

B_Bart, what is that one?

Sounds like a good plan to me...i'll be doing similar with no computer. Hope to do some sort of exhaust as well.

NEVER MIND - IT's on the list!!! (Since Eric will have the exhaust off at the time, why not add his $45 short shift kit? Looks like the best bang for the buck.)

I didn't know that Helix carried the Brake inserts. I am thinking about those as well...

 

[quote=fishbulb]B_Bart, what is that one?
quote]

There's a thread somewhere abouts or maybe its at mini2 ? - its replacing the
precat on the stock header with a larger straight pipe. If you look at a pic of the stock header there is this "bell piece" right after the 4 pipes come together - the tubing diameter is narrow and some have been replacing with larger tubing equal to the rest of the header. I haven't seen any numbers and question if its worth doing ($/hp) compared to a cheap header. Hopefully numbers will be posted - could be the 1-ball of headers .

When it comes to exhaust ROLAND2003 of GTT is running an interesting thread over at MINI2 = testing varios exhausts and measuring pressure resistance - determining the "freeflow" of various systems.

My car paralles your plans and I like what the header did - wasn't a lot but I liked the TQ gain.

good luck - have fun

 

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...hlight=pre-cat

Matt

 

For your eventual big brake conversion, be sure to check out Chad's homegrown component kit at DetroitTuned. Looks to be mighty effective for the $ spent. It's what I'm saving up for! (and all the rest of the stuff that you're getting)

Congrats on your mods - you will absolutely love it!

 

I bought a used set off the marketplace. While it's a good kit, with lightweight Outlaw calipers, it uses single piece rotors. If you go with a Wilwood kit, you get the Al hats with bolt on rotors, a lighter combo. With the right rotor choice, they're cheaper to replace.

Matt

 

Why do so many of you go with a 15% reduction instead of all the way to 19%? Price is only slightly higher, so is it the larger injectors? or does 19% put too much of a stain on that tiny motor?

Anyway thanks for all of your input! Its great to know I can trust Eric.... I am stoked about the mods and cant wait to drive afterwards...

Matt