So i've been thinking of removing some things from my mcs to make it slightly lighter. Im getting new lightweight wheels. I was thinking of removing things such as rear headrests, floor mats, rubber trays, first aid kit, tool. What else can be easily removed to make the car lighter?

 

you're taking out the rear headrests without taking out the rear seats? the rear seat backs will save you a lot of weight. you can also get lightweight aftermarket seats

 

The rear seat is pretty heavy for its size and is easily taken out. The front seats have air bags in them and are rediculously heavy for a seat, but if you start the car without the seats pluged in your air bag light will come on forever(or until the dealer resets it)

 

Reducing unsprung weight at the corners is the single most effective modification you can make with respect to weight loss. Depending on the weight difference between your new wheels and the old ones, you should feel a dramatic improvement in the way the car feels just with that one change. If you still want more, I would probably take out the back seat. Don't forget about the heavy stock battery. That's another easy switch out.

 

Why not do what I did and take the entire interior out, spend a couple days with a torch and a scraper getting rid of all the sound deadening goo, than put the interior back. It lost about 20 more pounds and I can really hear my exahust.

 

you can also do a 1-ball

 

The problem with the Mini is more one of weight distribution--and most weight loss programs end up taking weight from the rear rather then the front, which just makes it worse. I have done just about everything that can be for an R53, including battery relocate (lost about 20lbs) and straight exhaust (about 25lbs less than stock). My car weighs about 2500lbs. Once you get racing buckets (which in my case shaved 2x 25lbs) there's no point in keeping the rear seats (shaves another 35-odd lbs) as no one can access them. But the noise level rises considerably.
Only you can decide if it's all worth it, but once you go that route the utility of the car is much lower.

 

Have your "significant other" drive their own car!
That'll save you an easy 100+ lbs!

 

or sometimes double that!

 

there are many ways to lighten a MINI. here is my method:


i'm pretty sure that i voided my warranty.

 

that's crazy! my dad has a compressor that looks just like that one

 

thanks for all your help and suggestions.. Im seriously looking at removing the rear seats and covering the back up with a board covered in the interior colour material, like the GP has, minus the red side bits.

Wow bean..thats not a nice sight :(

 

Don't feel too bad for my car. He is trading in all that glass, steel and collection of unneeded part for lexan, custom carbon fiber work, data logging and go fast goodies.