Hello all,

I am still new to the Mini's but not new to modifying a car. I have done a few VW's and loved it. I have only had my dark silver with black roof 06 MCS for about 3 months. And there are a few things that I want to do.

1) 15% Pulley with belt (Helix $99 - belt $23.95)

2) Suspension (not sure if i will do just springs, shocks and adjustable camber plates total of around $500+ or so or just spend the extra money and go with the Megan adjustable coilovers $878 on Ebay)

3) 15"-16" wheels/tires - so many choices!!! Either way $500-1k budget!

4) roof rack - tough one as well - i dont know if i want to spend the extra money ($300-$500) on a name brand or OEM rack for something i might use a few times a year. I just need the cross bars with luggage rack. I have seen universal racks on Ebay for about $50 bucks and racks around $100. Does anybody have any experience with universal racks?

It has been a few years since I "upgraded" anything on my older VW's that i had. So, i feel like i am new to this again.....and im only 35! I am so excited about getting back into modding a car again that i am just not sure where to start!?

As of now i think i am going to go with the order that i have listed above since it seems to make sense to me. I plan on doing the work myself so the pulley and belt will actually be the cheapest out of the 4 also.

So, all that being said all i can say is that it seems to be really tough to pick what to do first!!! I mean being married with a 2.5 year old daughter and having a budget for all the upgrades i want to do is a factor as well.

And then to come on NAM and see ALLLLL the awesome Mini's on here makes things tough


My question to you all is how do you decide on what do do first?

Inspiration from someone else?

replacing a faulty part?

budget?


Thanks all!

 

I'd say start with the pulley, as you are thinking.

One thing to think about with roof racks, is that the factory rack requires you to drill holes in your roof for mounting. It's still removable (comes with plugs for the holes), but a lot of people don't want to drill. If it were me, and I was going to leave it on all the time, I'd go factory. It looks slick the way it's mounted. If it's for weekends, an aftermarket seems to make more sense. But I'd still get something made for the car, not universal.

For the wheels and tires, I'd say scan the Marketplace, and local classifieds. You might get lucky and stumble upon someone who bought a car with a great setup, but changed for personal preference. If you're not in a rush, you might luck out.

Since you are not sure about the suspension, make sure all the supporting elements are up to par. Like lower control arm bushings. Maybe some Powerflex inserts for the motor mounts.

 

Thanks for your reply!

Yes i do not want to drill in my roof! I am not in a rush so i am thinking that i might get lucky and maybe find a nice used one....same with the wheels!


My question to you all is how do you decide on what do do first?

Inspiration from someone else?

replacing a faulty part?

budget?

 

As a roof rack alternative (and a way-better option IMO), check out http://www.minidomore.com/. This is something I was thinking about as well.

For me, my car is a DD, but a great-handling car is what makes it fun. So with that in mind, I immediately installed ST coilovers (for height-adjustment), Vorshlag adjustable camber plates, and a good alignment. The coilovers are definitely entry-level, but made a HUGE difference compared to the stock setup.

My next mod will be a Quaife differential. That one is big bucks, but it's another mod that will have a major effect compared to an open diff.

After that, to "add lightness" I'd like to go with lighter wheels - 17 lbs, compared to the stock 17-inchers that are on there now.

Before the '11 MCS, I had a '07 Cayman S and I can honestly say that I'm having more fun with this car.

Best of luck.

 

I've heard people preferring the MINI to a lot of much more expensive cars, but that is quite an endorsement.

 

Ha, yeah, the Cayman was a much more "serious" car - both financially and in terms of potential jail time - which I literally nearly experienced, so that was another reason the MCS was a better choice for me.

 

One thing to think about with roof racks, is that the factory rack requires you to drill holes in your roof for mounting.