Hmm. Does that mean if you start taking off some of the crap parts and adding some good stuff it has already happened

 

Percy-Bob and I had a craptastic day! This is, without a doubt, the best running crappy car I've ever had!

 

A CRAP nut

 

in my case, all my crap IS stock...

 

Anyone know when this piece of CRAP is coming out?

http://www.motoringfile.com/pictures/JCW_2006_9.jpg

Article at http://motoringfile.com/2005/10/19/2...s_accessories/

 

$. The only JCW part I'm running is the 380 injectors. And I bought those by splitting a JCW upgrade kit, with someone else taking the intake.

Technically, the JCW is OK, but has anyone weighed the break kit? It ain't light.

I just go based on bang for the buck. I don't care who sells it, or what label is on it. I have stuff from JCW, Webb, Alta, M7, MTH and non-Mini specific vendors like Leda, AJUSA (for the HAI), PLX, G-Tech and others as well.

The issues that seem to come up on JCW parts seem more to do with human nature (people getting pissed that others have made different choices) and general defensiveness. Whatever floats your boat is fine with me, but to go to the very first post in this thread, many don't percieve the same level of performance benefit for the JCW parts as from other vendors/manufacturers.

I went poor mans JCW to start:
Pully, IK-22s, MTH, HAI and One-Ball. This was about $800, and a lot of that was the labor for the pully. I didn't get the mildly done head that came from JCW, but the price speaks for itself.

But when the value is there, I buy JCW, why not? It's just that the prices aren't very competitive unless you break up a kit.

Matt

 

AHH, the old CRAPPY Price

 

right back at ya!

 

You're right, the JCW kit is pricey. Its not for everybody. Its always going to be cheaper to build your own performance package piece by piece than buying an upgrade kit from the dealer ("dealer" = MINI, not distributers like on the NAM "products & distributers" link). Toyota TRD products will cost more than their AEM counterparts.

With JCW or TRD, its about a FACTORY backing. These parts when dealer installed DO NOT VOID your warranty, unlike any part AEM makes... excuse me, "distributes."

In the case of JCW, you get added power, an intact warranty and exclusivity (ea. kit is numbered and limited edition).

Pricey, but owning kit #345 in the WORLD is pretty cool, not to mention the added power it provides.

I like dogs. Doesn't mean only purebred. Mutts are pretty cool too.

 

And, trying to be serious, you COULD frame it and put it on the wall!

In fact, we ought to ask that. I see ppl putting the number of their Webb Pulley install into their sigs so I wonder how Many JCW owners have framed their pedigree and put it on the wall!

 

Good idea! Off to the dollar store to buy a frame . . . hope they have A4 . . .

 

Oh, that's a "helpful" comment.

As in, "We do not view recent statements of the Isreali governement as helpful to the progress of peace in the region."

 

Yeah Cmon all you CRAP owners,

Show us your Framed Pedigree

 

Dinan warrantys thier parts, as does Webb.

So it comes down to other things than price/performance. If you have a car past 50,000 miles, then the warranty stuff doesn't matter any more.

I tried to give a fair and balanced answer to the original question from the perpective of a person who has bought both. The original question was "why do people call JCW stuff crap" and the answer that many give is you don't get the PERFORMANCE that you can get for less money from others. For those of us that value this metric, as oposed to the exclusivity or the factory design, this is what carries the day, and while some then say the more expensive part is crap (not too nice), all I say is that if you're main yardstick for measureing value is added performance, then most JCW adders don't measure up. I'm not saying that everyone should use the same yardstick, or that there is only one to use.

But this is decending into the standard JCW vs Mods pissing contest....

Matt

 

Actually, I think this would be more accurately described as a crapping contest.

 

Do you know how hard it is to find a $1.00 frame in A4? Don't give up, but this make take a few days . . . Stay tuned! Framed pedigree will happen, but on my (cheap) terms.

 

Ya know, I don't think so. This one seems a little more tounge-in-cheek, a little more FUN than some of the other hate-fests. Chow has me looking for my certificates and a cheap frame, what better way to spend the week before Christmas? The frame-hunt requires me to drive the Crap-mobile, so it could be worse . . .

 

But I wonder if it's really possible to have an open pro-vs con debate on the issue without it degenerating. And the posters are right, I should have used crap instead of **** in my comments!

Matt

 

That sounds really boring.

 

I think it depends on the purpose of the pro-vs con debate. If the purpose is for me to convince you that my specific set of "pros" somehow fits your needs right now, or that your perception of value is equal to mine, then we aren't going to get very far. At my age, I also feel little need to justify the purchase of a JCW anymore that that of a fine watch (a Timex Ironman will out perform my Omega Speedmaster Professional, but I think I'll keep the Speedy).

It's a hard discussion to have because most minds are already made up. So, ask me a question about my JCW and I'll try to answer it.

 

A very serious question ... your are not comparing your fine swiss watch versus Times ... saying thats the same as JCW vice say Webb components. Surely you jest. Just read the JCW head thread.

Are you really saying that?

 

I'm happy with my choices, and I'm happy others are happy with theirs. Life goes on.

Remeber the title of the thread, and what the original poster asked. While the title is pretty inflamitory, the question about why people say this is a valid question. No matter what each of us has bought, most that don't like JCW stuff (or prefere other ways to go) don't weigh the non-performance items as heavily as those that do buy it. Seems pretty simple.

For me, if it had been available when I ordered the car, maybe I woulld have bought it because it would have come down to a small delta on the monthly payment. But since it wasn't even an option for me, wrapping it up in the new perchase financing couldn't entice me. (HK stereo wasn't available either.....). Now that my car has over 63k on it, warranty doesn't matter either.

As far as exclusivity, if you got an early MC or MCS, then it WAS exclusive. But that soon faded (I remember the first time there were three new Minis at the same stoplight. Now it's common, and most people don't wave....).

Also, I don't know about retianed value or premium value either. Look at the MC40 cars. They were very exclusive, and one of the NAM member here said the dealer he worked at couldn't move them, and just put all the stickers in the trunck and sold them as regular Minis......

Whatever. Different strokes.....

Matt

 

Yes, I am.

 

Wow, did you find that frame yet?

 

I had no idea that it was this hard to find a cheap A4 frame. Still looking, may have to use an 11 X 14 and make a construction paper mat. Still trying for $0.99 plus tax for the project. It's Christmas, ya know.

And whose idea was A4 paper anyway? It doesn't fit anything . . .