i've been checking this website almost as much as i've been following the (slow, but steady) progress of my mini on miniusa's web page. i am glad to say that my mini cooper s is scheduled for delivery 4/5/03. in short, that'll totally rock!!!

my question is when should i install an intake? i've heard--and it makes sense to me--that one should follow the owner's manual in breaking in a car, say over the first thousand miles. such care rewards in better performance, and longevity. i was told by an intake retailer that installation prior to the 1000 mile (or so) "break in" was no big deal. is it? i certainly don't want to mess up my engine by installing something now. i really don't know if the intake would be a big deal, as far as stress, during the break in period.

thanks all for your time and assistance. i look forward to a long and happy partnership with my mini (and minicooperonline)!

k

 

Welcome!

I can't really tell you what you should do but I'll tell you what I did.

I looked at it this way. Following the break-in period certainly can't hurt anything. You'll go crazy wanting to go fast but besides testing your patience...

When I got my S I babied it for the breakin period and I did an oil change and then the Rogue intake. Very happy with that product, BTW!

Talk to Randy at Mini Motorsport.

http://www.mini-motorsport.com

-Jim

 

Welcome to MCO, teamkins!!!

I agree with Jayoung. If you've waited this long for your S, another month or so will ensure a good break-in period. It'll also give you a chance to decide which intake you want (or do you have that already figured out?)

 

Hey teamkins - great to see a new MCO person.

 

Here's what you do. Follow the break-in period of 1250 miles below 4500 RPMs. And no full throttle. After that, I'd enjoy the MINI for at least another thousand or two but now you're flooring it and revving it. Learn the car. Get a good feel of the power it has.

THEN start modding. You'll get a lot more for your buck b/c you'll notice and appreciate every little thing you add. Start with an intake. Enjoy the extra power and whine at full throttle. Then add an exhaust a little later. Enjoy the different sound and the extra giddy-up at full throttle.

Then if you got some er...*****, go for the pulley! You will be in love for sure after that. But it's good to spend some time motorin after each mod so you can really enjoy each improvement you make.

Enjoy!

 

Ditto what greatgro wrote. I put on H&R springs at 1500 miles. I just did Randy's air box mod with the Madness intake today with 2400 hundred miles on the clock. Had I done it before I don't think I would have been able to appreciate the difference as much. I'm going to wait a couple of weeks and put on the Magnaflow. Then a pulley?
The mods are addicting! But I can quit anytime I want ....really.
Patience grasshopper.

 

hello

 

thanks for all the advice. you can't go wrong with following all the recommendations, which have been very similar. i'll break the car in, understand it more, get a (rogue) intake, become addicted to mods, go for the exhaust, and, MAYBE, go for the pulley later on. sounds like a lot of folk talk about changing (or adding?) a rear sway bar (or something that sounds like that). with these mods seems like the car will be near the 210 hp of the cooper works package.

 

Good plan.

The biggest benefit to waiting is as greatgro said - you get to enjoy the mod you made, and isn't that the fun of it?

As far as doing anything to the motor by making mods in the break-in, an intake won't hurt anything. I would still wait for the reason of comparison.

Let me know if you have any other questions.

Randy

 

BESIDES...you can always ORDER the intake now (from Randy, of course) and then after you take it around the blcok at 1,250 miles, you can install it!!!!