Been developing a list of mods that I'd like to do to my 05 MCSCa and wanted to get feedback from y'all. Also wanted to know if any of these would have warranty implications.

1) XM and DICE from Tom at EAS
2) NUVI GPS and Kuda Mount (eventually hardwired)
3) M7 Strut brace with anti-mushroom
4) New Wheels and Tires (leaning toward the O Z Chrono HT in black - will probably stay 17inch and with the runflats)
5) Stainless exhaust (gonna need soem help deciding on brands etc on this one)
6) M7 USS


I'm not gonna race, I'm just looking for things to make it more 'me', more comfortable, and more fun

PS these are numbers generally in order I'm thinking about doing them.

 

Good stuff - all valid and worthwhile mods.

My two cents...

There SHOULD BE no warranty issues (at least significant ones) with any of these mods. But be aware that any dealer can be more or less persnickety about things...

With the M7 strut tower brace, just be aware of potential issues with bonnet fitment, need to mold or modify the bonnet blanket for it bonnet to close completely, etc. I have the plates (only) and think they're good insurance against mushrooming - first thing I installed.

I recommend the USS come earlier in your list - it makes a BIG difference in the cabrio's handling, IMHO. Best single mod I've done.

Exhaust can be tricky with the cabrio - coupe exhausts won't fit (the cabrio exhaust has a "kink" in it at the rear end of the tunnel), and not many vendors make a cabrio-specific version (Miltek does). Also, some aftermarket exhausts create fitment issues for the USS - because they add a forward resonator in the tunnel around the same place where the USS crosses the tunnel. Do NOT expect USS plus aftermarket exhaust to be "plug and play" - ESPECIALLY on the cabrio.

Me, I opted to do the one-ball surgery on the stock exhaust, and might change out the tips... much cheaper and no fitment issues.

I'm not a fan of the Kuda mount... but some folks love them. I went the proclip route instead and made a custom Nuvi mount for it...

Non-runflats will make a big difference - my next "mod"... This will do more for comfort than anything else on your list... except maybe USS.

And rear swaybar isn't on your list but should be IMHO.

And if ride comfort is an issue or desire - Koni FSDs...

 

Thanks Blimey, seen the one-ball mentioned on here and I'll have to do some research on it. Would you recommend the USS at the strut bar together. I might also consider just going with the plates but thought I'd kill to birds with one stone.

Why the rear swaybar?

sorry to be stupid but on the Koni what is an FSD?

 

Sorry - I fall into shorthand too easily - you're NOT being stupid - all good questions!

You could do the strut bar with or without the USS or vice versa - they'll compliment one another - the USS reduces undesirable flex near the bottom of the strut towers - the strut brace/bar stabilizes the top of the towers. Personally, I think the top brace is more bling than function unless you're tracking or autocrossing the car... but others will not agree with me on that. But the bar DEFINITELY looks cool - I might add one eventually just for the bling.

Here's a writeup I did comparing the USS and the swaybar, and what they do. They both reduce the inherent understeer in the car - the feeling that it wants to plow straight ahead a bit when cornering hard - but they do it in different ways. In my opinion, the combination of the two is BLISS - especially in the cabrio which has a lot more flex to manage...

Koni FSDs (Frequency Selective Damping) are replacement shocks/struts that many MINI owners swear by for improving ride comfort while still maintaining good street handling - they absorb "high frequency" loads (like rough roads and potholes) while being stiff for "low frequency" loads (like cornering). They're not a good choice if you're planning to autocross or track the car, or if you're planning to lower it, but if you plan to leave the height stock and want more comfort on the street, they're highly recommended by many (I don't have them yet, but may eventually).

And there's some more info on the One-Ball mod on my blog as well. A little more sound and a good bit less backpressure than the stock exhaust.

 

If you head down this slippery path, it can be addictive. Having learned this lesson, ask yourself "WHY" are you changing anything? Weigh the costs vs the benefits. Modifying anything just for the sake of doing it may be money thrown out the window. This is especially true if its a performance modification. My opinion.

1. XM, easy, cheap and hidden. Good choice
2. Garmin, good GPS, you can also try the panavise mount http://www.panavise.com/f/comm/indas...artn=75146-102 exact same part # for your car as mine. Works fine and is cheap.
3. Strut brace, kind of sad, IMO, this is a MINI design problem. No comment
4. wheels? Here is where I'd ask why. Since your not racing, for bling? OK if thats what your luck but I would place this last. Is there something wrong with your OEM wheels? Tires? I would wait until the OEM tires wear out but that is me. I see no point in "throwing away" the money sunk into them already. Same thing with the wheels. Its sunk money.
5. Catback? I again why? There will be, IMO likely, little performance gain. Sound bling? Sound bling is good. But again, I would prioritize this. How important in the big scheme of things is sound bling?
6. USS? Again, a MINI design thing that I find irksome so no comment. There should be no need for this.

I guess I'm saying I would carefully consider why I would change anything. If you sink, for example, $2K into wheels/tires, you will never get that money back so I would think they better make you smile every day Thats kind of what I'm saying.

Best of luck

 

Chows, yes the wheels would just be for looks and all of the mods are maybes and not definites. The XM and GPS are probably about 99% probable but none of the others is. I'm not going to track it in the foreseable future so mods would be to increase efficiency, comfort, or for my pleasure only.

 

Along with a rear sway bear, the M7 strut brace and USS are I'd say the best mods you can do on a cabrio. I drove mine about two months in between each of those and I definitely could tell the difference. They really make it handle and feel so much better. Still not as good as the coupe but a lot better.

I have a 2006 MCSCa by the way. No problem installing any of these.

I've stayed with 17" wheels but I have ditched the runflats. I didn't really mind the ride of the runflats that much, but it is just a little better with non-runflats.

 

I would ditch the runflats but I just don't like the idea of not having a spare and don't really like the goo option.

 

I use non runflats winter tires and carry a can of goo and a 12v compressor. When my performance runflats expire (soon I hope) I will get non runflats for that as well. The ride comfort without the stiff sidewalls is much better.

I have talked to many tire experts - Tire Rack, Yokohama, local tire shops and all say goo is ok as long as you recognize it is a TEMPORARY thing, get to a shop for a real repair in not more than 24 hrs (preferrably less but sometimes you do what you gotta do) and let the tech know there is goo in the tire so they can prepare for it. If you are in the 24 hr window, the gunk can be cleaned out relatively easily and a permanent repair made.

By the way, +1 on upping the priority of the USS, I think it is the single best handling mod that can be made to the Cabrio. Also agree with others that one ball is the way to go for inexpensive exhaust mod, it saves weight, reduces backpressure and has a wicked sound and enhances the burble. (I haven't done it yet, but soon).

I also do not track or auto-x except for occasional driver schools to learn where the limits are in a controlled environment. Dragon, MITM and other twisty events on public roads at 'legal' speeds are where its at.

 

Chows certainly speaks the truth more often than not.

Absolutely true that mod money is "gone" money... have no illusions about recovering it - ever. Though SOMETIMES you can remove the mods and resell them and recover a bit of money...

Regarding comments on the strut bar and USS - I understand chows' point. Would it be BETTER if the car had such incredible rigidity that it couldn't be improved upon with aftermarket improvements? Of course it would. Is the car "good enough" for the average driver in average driving conditions without them? Absolutely. Given the price point and design envelope of the MINI convertible, I don't really consider the front end rigidity "deficient". But it can absolutely be improved with a few engineered aftermarket parts for a few hundred bucks... and if you like to drive twisties aggressively, you'll be able to notice the difference. To me, seems like money well spent on my USS given the amount of enjoyment I'm getting out of it (which is truly considerable). It's not a Porsche. Nor can I fit my two kids comfortably in the back of ANY current Porsche convertible... and the MINI, including the (sunk) cost of the mods I've made, is a bargain (to me) compared to a Porsche...

Now the strut tower mushrooming is another matter altogether - a design flaw IMHO, and a shame that the best fix is to spend $100 on the strut tower plates to help prevent it. But good that there IS a relatively inexpensive option to help prevent it, vs. everyone with a 1st gen MINI just being SOL...

But is modding a slippery slope? Absolutely. Should you think long and hard about what you want, why you want it, and what you want to get out of your car before starting? Absolutely. But I think rational adults can do that and choose to spend their money in a way that will get them considerable enjoyment, if driving the MINI is as much a hobby as it is transportation... which for me, it is.

 

I carry a compressor, slime, and two different types of plug kits. My primary strategy is to plug and reinflate. Slime is there as a last resort. While the runflat came in very handy for me once... in many situations you're not going to be in great shape with a runflat. If you have a flat more than say 100 miles from home... you shouldn't limp home that far on the runflat. And it's unlikely that you'll find a replacement runflat at the local tire shop... Having driven a runflat at 0 psi, I wouldn't want to do it for more than 5 miles, really - handling / safety is severly compromised IMO. So I'd prefer to stop the car, find a way to get the tire back to pressure right there (i.e. plug or Slime), or call for a flatbed right there. And if you're going to do that, the runflat doesn't really get you anything... except cost... and an inability to find local replacements.

YMMV - but that's my rationale for my choice.

 

FSDs are indeed good for autocross/track. Check the Tire Rack test results. I have FSDs on my MINI. They are stiffer than OEM shocks, giving less roll on corners and less pitch on braking. Yet they absorb bumps better than OEM and give a more comfortable ride. If you plan to stay with runflats and want to improve the ride, FSDs would help with this as well.

I have the USS on my cabrio and it made a big difference. The car handles better and feels more solid and stable. If you search the forum, you'll find references to "cowl shake" in the cabrio, which is the front end shaking when you hit bumps (and it reverberates through the rest of the car). The USS reduces it signifcantly.

 

1. I'd go Digital radio - no monthly fee, dice - why not?
2. Gps - I'm old school, give me a good map any day
3. plates yes. just from 25k my towers started to mushroom from normal
use, Strut brace might be overkill - but what the hell, if you can afford it
4. Wheels - I kept my stock rims with all weather tires, wire rims with 3
season tires.
5. I put a Miltek exhaust on my MCC, nice power boost, great tone.
6. M7-USS best mod I put on my car. Combined with a 19mm Alta antisway bar - this thing corners like it's on rails.

 

OK - I'll revise my comments - "While FSDs are an improvement over stock for autocross and track use, many autocrossers and trackrats prefer the characteristics of coilovers or more performance-focused strut/spring combinations for those environments" - how's that? Seems consistent with the Tire Rack review when comparing OE, Koni Sport and FSD. Just about everyone that I talk to that is focused on "street" that have tried FSDs liked them - except in situations on lowered cars, where the failure rate for the struts seems somewhat high (apparently they need the full range of travel to perform to spec - I'm NOT saying that they always fail on lowered cars - only that they fail more frequently it seems from the anecdotal evidence). Some of our local "higher end" performance track folks here who have tried them did NOT like them - they've been spoiled by even stiffer track setups... I think it just depends on what you're coming FROM...

But - for full disclosure - rkw has INFINITELY more experience on FSDs than I do. I'm just repeating what I've heard from others who do have some experience.

 

Luckily I didn't have that problem but I find that to be inexcusable. As to the convertable rigidity, also a design issue inherent with convertables but clearly some are better than others.

RFs? A good example of their use is here https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ad.php?t=64565 with the follow up story here https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...847#post913847

 

I have the strut tower brace (STB). It does "bow" the bonnet, but this was easily fixed by covering the brace in plastic wrap and taking a spray bottle, filling it with water, and wetting the bonnet blaket where it would meet the STB just enough to get it "spongy". When closed overnight the bonnet blanket developed an impression of the STB (molded itself) and by morning the bonnet could be opened, the blanket allowed to completely dry-out of any residual dampness, and then closed without the bowing effect. You should at least get the tower caps, but I suggest the STB itself, as long as you understand what you have to go through to have the bonnet fit properly over it.

 

Ok, it has begun. I ordered the XM kit and iPod DICE unit last night. Decided against (for now) the M7 Strut brace in favor of the plates - the bonnet bulge thing kinda worries me even though I know its easily fixable. The USS is moved up to probably right after the NAV. The Wheel/Tire change and JCW exhaust is becoming less of a possibility in my mind. But I probably will do the Koni FSD down the road. Decided I can spend the money on a new toy (old brit sport car or porsche) or maybe even extend my warranty.