Hello. I'm looking for performance mods, hence why I posted this. I'm not exactly sure *which* mod I should do, because there are so many!

Anyway, I have $150 MAX to spend, preferably including shipping.

Pulley or something else? My use is everyday street driving (spirited). I love the pull of the MINI, and REALLY want the pulley, but I'm a little bit afraid of trying this myself with all of the work invovled. Besides that part, I don't have the pulley remover or tensionor I would need to properly install this. Having $150 max, paying for those is not an option, so I would greatly appreciate it if someone would so kindly lend me the tools (if I do decide to do the pulley). My pulley of choice (thus far) is the M7 16%, simply because the 15% is known to last and since I daily drive it I think it's the best option, but I also want as much boost as possible, within a safe range to launch my MINI!

I've heard many good things about all of the pullies though....so this is a though choice. For daily driving and burst of fun, with no track future (at least until next year...then maybe some auto-x's) which would be best? M7 16%, ALTA 17%, or ALTA 19%? Like I said, I have to replace my belt anyway...so that part doesn't really matter. Basically, I want as much "get up and go" power as I can get, but also don't want to damge anything in the process!

Besides the pulley, for $150 I could get various things, but I'm not sure which to get! I want the pulley because I need to replace my belt anyway, plus everyone claims they are great...and are the best bang for the buck.

Any toughts, suggestions, opinions? I have already read many of the pulley threads, so please do not tell me to read them again.

Thanks!
-Cody

 

$150/$30=5 autocrosses= wheel, time experiance more fun driving better understand of car and so on.

 

Another idea: You should be able to pick up a used sway bar for $150 for the best bang for the buck handling performance mod, but then this thread would need to be moved to the suspension forum. . .

 

I really don't want suspension work, because I do no sort of racing, or take hard enough turns that it would benefit me.

And I cannot race/auto-x until my car is payed for (parent's rule) so wheel time is out of limits.

-Cody

 

Honestly, a sway bar for the rear, 22mm say, is the best bang-for-the-buck you could find. Check out Ebay and others, a good used one may be out there and will actually make your car safer.

Good motoring!

 

I really don't want a sway bar for my needs right now. I feel I wouldn't get any use out of it.

-Cody

 

Try a Phil Wicks one day Driving School. That's THE best "mod" a driver can have.

 

Driving school is good/great idea but get a Whalen shift ****......your hands are on that the most and it really makes my driving experience that much more pleasureable

 

This is a good thought provoking thread. It's too late for me, but if I had it to do again this would be my first mod:

An inexpensive simple performance computer to measure what my other mods do to my car's performance...

I've just ordered an Escort G-Timer GT1 ($100 from Escort) for just that purpose, among other things it measures overall HP, 0-60, 1/4 mile, etc... I just wish I had done so before getting any other mods so I would have been able to take a baseline to compare everything with.

-- VBG

 

I'd say get a swaybar too.

It will make your car handle a lot better!

I've wait almost 3 years to get one, and really should have got one earlier!

 

I don't want a swaybar, not now anyway. I will get that once I pay off my MINI. And driving school, like I said earlier is not going to happen.

-Cody

 

dude . . . m7 16% pulley is where you should put your money- but just the pulley will cost you your cash and you need to get it installed as well.

I just had my MINI in the shop today and they gave me a MCS to tool around with in the mean time and I was amazed at how unamazing it was. After the pulley you'll get PULL and hear that s/c WHINE!

 

If I Am Correct, You Work At A Mini Dealer? Well One Of The Techs Should Be Nice Enough To Install A Pully For You, Might Cost You Lunch. Now, I Would Listen To Everyone And Get The Sway Bar. Or Have You Thought Of An Intake? Good Bang For Buck.

 

Unless you are installing the pulley yourself or with a friend, I don't see how $150 will even cover half of your cost. Remember, most people also install new iridium plugs after a pulley install, too...and that's just gonna add to your monetary woes.

What about H-Sport lowering springs? Or window tint? Or a roof graphic? Or, what about adding some M7 STRPs to protect your car from those nasty potholes in Cincy?

Adding a beefy rear swaybar will add stability to the back end. How about adding some EBC GreenStuff pads to cut down on your dusting?

The above items WILL mod your car and not for a huge outlay of money if added one at a time. And, as I stated [or tried to state] earlier, a driving school WILL mod YOU, so you can compliment your nice car's performance.

 

i do not want green eggs and ham.
i do not want them sam i am.

 

Get your exhaust one-balled. You might even have money left over...spend that on some race fuel for your car...makes MCS's happy.

 

2 tanks of gas and a night stay at Fontana Village?

 

Ready for it?

Rear swaybar. No, no, even better. Track time!

I kid.

As others have mentioned, doing the pulley for under $150 would be tight. Your local MINI club might have the pulley puller that you need, but it still is a fairly big DIY. Personally, in your shoes, I'd look at one-balling the exhaust. Then maybe some bling. Some flame decals. YES.

Oh, and less dusty brake pads. Greenstuff, like someone else mentioned. Pads and exhaust, should work out..

 

Golve box organizer; aux input; parcel shelf; upgrade light bulbs

That should be about 150 if you can get deals on NAM or though your boss or drop one or two of the first three.

Many mods for the price of one!

Or get some really good wax (but be warned the best can put you out a few G's)

 

Hey dude just call me and I'll take care of you....

peter
Team M7
562-608-8123

 

This must be a troll... $150 doesn't even buy me 3 tanks of gas for my MINI (I run 101 octane fuel.) I think the only mod I have that cost that little was the Whalen. The pulley is cool, but save up for that one. A used sway bar is *clearly* the best bang for the buck mod, but you have ruled it out 3 times!! So handling can't be high on your priority list. A stock MCS has way enough power (I'd actually give up all my power mods to keep my suspension and brake mods.) What it really benefits from are handling mods--you can push a MINI into parts of the universe few other cars can go, so why not expand the limits?
Anyway, you seem to have made up your mind--get a pulley for half the price everyone else paid for it. Still, if M7 will hook you up, go for it. That leaves about 843 points of light to go...

cheers,

 

EDIT: read your sig and saw you had a HAI already

What if you spend just a bit more $ and get a short shift kit? More fun with your shifts

Or

What about a Whalen custom shift ****?

 

I agree that handling and brakes would be the last to leave my car..... but most want power..... that being said, if you can get a pulley installed for $150...(I paid $400 to Randy Webb as an early adopter) that is too good a deal to pass up......

 

Alright guys.....update:

Someone has just offered me H&R Springs AND an ALTA 22mm Sway bar (16k miles) for $200 + Shipping.

I think I might have fallen to the Sway Bar lovers!

Sound Good?

-Cody (and I HIGHLY appreciate all of the advice and responses, THANKS!)

 

That's no fun. Now we can't argue about it.



-- Don