Hey how's it goin?
Well, I just got done modding my car for the summer. At least I think so anyway. I plan on in a couple of weeks getting the JCW Brake kit put on. Mainly for dress but I also want some stopping power. After that it's quits or maybe the m7 rear grills, until January when on my car's birthday I'm having a JCW Tuning Kit put on. This should make it a bit better 'ay! Then it will technically be a full JCW Car. I'm going to get the H-Sport rear Swaybar, and if I feel the need to a TB. BUT I DON"T WANT TO BE FINISHED THERE!!

My question is what other mods can I put on to make the throttle response better, the car a little racier and the cornering better?

Also JCW people, if you could change something(s) about your JCW S what would it be?

Feel free to throw ideas out.
Couple things I was thinking about:
TB Dinan or M7
Flamethrower exhaust
(then I was going to change my plate to MTCHSTK )
Aero Kit side skirts??
Different spark plug wires
Rally Lights?? (factory)

My only complaint about my car right now is that power seems to fade after 5000 rpms this is changed with the JCW right?

Thanks in Advance!

Mikey


BTW what would be a good vanity plate for a Red Cooper S other than
Chili S(what I have now) and in seven characters?

 

devlish

 

Well Chilli, my 04 jcw is very strong, and I dont feel any power drop off at 5k , she is very strong all the way to red line, but I do have a few extra goodies on her, The list is below, I really enjoy them all!!

 

Schooner, who sells the Alta stuff?

 

I would get the JCW seats if they were available in the US.


Paul

 

SCHOONER do you think the Coil Pack and Spark Plug wires add anything performance wise? I know they definetly make the engine bay look ridiculously cool.

Also how do you like the Alta Short Shifter I was thinking of shortening mine but not much, and since it is adjustable I thought it might also be a good idea. Is reaching the extra inch or two something to get used to? Does it also shorten shift times?

Thanks for the help!

Mikey

 

I have a so called "full" JCW car and would say this.

1. forget the TB. Doubt you will feel anything from it (at least that was related to me by a MINI speed shop)
2. Wires? bling (ur personal choice)
3. sideskirt bling (ur personal)
4. exhaust ... personal choice. JCW exhuast is QUIET. If you want it more sporty, go with a catback. BTW, dyno testing on a mini2 article showed Borla Race getting only 2 HP more than JCW although JCW is so much quieter
5. Lights. Oh yeah. Forget the Factory lights. Go with some pencil beam Driving lights followed by big Fogs. Try Hella or Moss Bar across the Grille.

To "really" be a JCW car you need some 18" JCW wheels, there are two new ones out. Then add the CF trim pieces. Further, come January, JCW has some more major CF pieces coming out (per MINI2) including: Steering wheel, wing (pricing to come out very soon), and other tidbits.

After that, I "might" consider headers but I don't want to get messed up with emission testing laws.

 

Based on the description of your car, how about: MONYPIT?

 

Perfect!

 

shooner??

Any other ideas guys?

Also when I said a full JCW car I actually meant just the "performance" accessories, not the wheels, ricer wing, or anything else. I wish I could get the seats here though they look freakin sweet!

The only other thing I was thinking about is the Bonnet Stripes with the John Cooper Signature on it. I have no clue on where to get them though.

I would like more JCW Owners to reply on what they change if they could.

Thanks

Mikey

 

Non-JCW car here but well modified.

The bonnet stripes with JC's signature can be had cheap on Ebay. They are not a MINI item.

Alta produced MINI products can be had from www.altaminiperformance.com

 

An '04 with full '05 JCW kit here. I love the car. Unless you are planning to track it, I would say forget the JCW brake kit and TB. Just go with the rear bar and a swap out the R90s for some light wheels.

 

Don't understand your last sentence. Are you saying that if your NOT going to the track, swap out the R90s? or ... if your ARE going to the track, swap out the R90s.

Maybe its the sentence construction but it sounds confused in that I would seen no reason for swapping out those the R90s for lighter wheels without doing some kind of racing ... whats the point?

BTW, how much do those silver R90s go for from MINI?

I might have misinterpreted your sentence

BTW, I have the JCW brakes and wouldnt be without them. The wife is Very hard on brakes ... braking late at lights all the time and they seem to be more effective. It aint all that much money for the upgrade.

 

I meant that s/he should consider the rear bar and lighter wheels even if they're not going to track the car. These are big gain mods that will make a noticable difference in handling and feel, even on the street. The 17" R90s are 24 lbs a piece, just a pound shy of the leaden S-Lites. The TB hp gains are marginal, and you are only going to realize the benefits of a brake mod if you regularly over-heat your stock brakes - not likely on the street, unless you're a psychopath.

 

See I just got the R90s in July, I really don't care about the weight, and they are also the only wheel I like. I'm definetly getting the rear bar, the brake kit, and a John Cooper Sticker for my stripes. I just don't know where to go from there, I really don't want to be done modding my car.

Mikey

Thanks for the ongoing responses!

 

As for the brakes, I got to disagree. The wife is hard on brakes and although she MIGHT have psycopathic tendencies, there is a difference

I get the unsprung weight thing but in "real life" I really doubt there is a difference although I have been know to be very wrong at times:smile:

17" Anthracite R90s retail at $430 OEM. Unless he/she is loaded, I see little point in throwing away $1700 for minor handling differences.

I think I read somewhere that:

1. HP increase will get you 10ths of a second of lap times
2. Suspension times will get you 10ths of a second of lap times
3. Driving school will get you Seconds of lap times

Since the vast majority of people probably could care less about a track, how does one justify dumping $1700 in wheels?

Seriously? cause thats a lot of green ...

 

Chili, take a look over at mini2. Read some of the exterior mods. They have lots of ideas. Look at some of the pics of 4 light setups on the grille. Also the new JCW CF pieces coming out in January.

Your R90s are nice good choice

You can always add the JCW dash. See https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...cat=500&page=1

 

Or $1200 on upgraded front brakes? Definitely a lot of green.

There are excellent lightweight wheel options out there for under $200/wheel. Chili's already got some good rubber. S/he could probably get $250ea for the used R90s and end up with a new set of lighter wheels and enough cash to buy a rear sway bar.

 

Chilli- Its hard to say if the coil pack and wire give any horse power, Randy webb said Maybe just maybe 1 hp, but probly not, as far as the throttle response, it does help. Now My alta short shifter is sweet!! I have it set to the second mark which is about 37% reduced so all I have to do is flick my wrist, its awesome!! I have bought some of my alta equipment from alta direct! some from mini tuner, and some from jcspeed. I have been very happy with the atla equipment I have installed, and if alta has something i want to change i am sure I will use there product. I just had whalen make me a shift ****, it is a true piece of art! if you go to are club web site, www.miniutah.com my car is JCWORKS, click on photo gallery and scroll down to the my mini section and you will see it.

I have driven a heavely mod car. I have to say it was nice, but there is something about my JCW car that i love, there is a diffrence in how the power feels.

 

Slightly "off topic", but what choices do you recommend for wheels. I need some winter tires 17" and want to put them on a different set of rims.

 

Theres a difference. One is she really is hard on brakes. Second, you still lose $700 under your scheme. and finally, in street driving, how much are you really going to see losing some of that weight. I guarantee that my wife will see ZERO.

 

Like I said I just got my wheels in July! They are the only wheels I like next to the s-lites. I wanted to make my car look a little more euro-sportish and the r90s did that. I WILL NOT be getting different wheels for a while. I really don't care about the performance of the brake kit. Well, okay I do but it to me is not as important as having a red caliper with the JCW name on it, and if I get increased performance such as Gabe and others said I'll get, I'm going to do it. I just want my car to look neat inside the hood and out, and if I can blow a few civics out of the water than I'll do it. Around here everyone says, oh what a cute car, I still would like them to say that but I also want a little respect from the male species who seem to think that the MINI is for pansies.

Thanks and keep 'em comin'!

Mikey

BTW GO NOTRE DAME!

 

Ok, got it. You're going for fashion, not performance. Then you need to get whatever looks good to you. But between the R90s and the JCW brake kit, that is a whole lot of $$ to drop on bling.

 

Chilli: I have 2002 JCW, I bought it new just as a regular S model. When they announced the JCW a year later mine was the second one the dealer installed. I have been very careful about "adding performance stuff" because while I want more performance I do have limits to which I am willing to go when the mods start to sacrifice ride comfort. I have added the 22mm Alta rear sway bar which puts the ride for me, right on the edge of where I don't want to go any further. I was very surprised the dramtic difference the rear sway bar made. I moved to the UK last spring so I had my car for almost 3 years driving on 93 octane in the USA. Over here I get 98 octane the difference is very noticible. That said the car has now out grown it's safety margin meaning the standard brakes are no longer adequate so upgrading your brakes will be good move. However, I understand the JCW brake pads throw off alot of brake dust so I hope you enjoy cleaning your wheels. The only other item I think I will be doing besides a brake enhancement would be to get a short shifter installed, this will definately make the feel of your shifting a lot more precise. Oh, I did get OZ Cronos and had them stripped and custom powder coated. this saved me about 11 pounds of unsprung weight at each corner, very significant. The 18 JCW wheels I would stay away from they will just have a negative effect on all the other performance modes you will do. I have a few CF components for bling and a set of R90's for winter wheels. I really love the way my car is set up now and if I was to do it all over again I would do the exact same mods I have now. Hey, but everyone has their performance identity, have fun. Just keep one very important thing in mind, aside from JCW components added to you car, any other costs in performacne modes you will never make back when it comes time to sell, kiss that money good-by

 

True, so true. Its a depreciating liability.

But isn't dressing up our toys FUN!