Has anyone done any of the performance mods 1, 2, or 3 from Mini-Mania?

 

I have not puchased them but have installed the K&N intake and Borla exhaust no ECU upgrade though. I had my 05' MC dynoed and it pulled 114whp and 113 Tq. Honestly I have nothing against Mini Mania but if you shop around you can save yourself some money FWIW.

 

Where did you get your mods from?

 

I don't think it's fair to let him think he'll produce 114whp with just a panel filter and a cat-back exhaust.
We've talked about this before (https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...=125124&page=2)

Check out this thread for realistic results : https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...d.php?t=127590

Having said all that, any updates on your project ?

Kind regards

Der Abt

 

Have installed their Hi Flow air filter and Turbo Muffler Delete. Am ordering engine bushings. What would you like to know? Did not install chip or muffler system as I have the JCW tuning kit.

 

are you posting in the right thread???

 

Guess not. Read the request on Feed Demon which does not specifically indicate nature of forums. Geeeeez, so sorry if I mis-posted. I would appreciate the monitoring of my posts in the future to ensure I never make a mistake.

 

OK then as far as my concern goes I could care less how much hp my mini has it still beats the stock S's on the autox course. If it had 90 hp all the better if it had 10 great if it had 300 oh well. I assure you Der Abt I will not give false pretenses again on this matter!

As far as where I got my mods from here is what I remember. The intake I don't recall probably JSC speed, Borla cat back prvt dealer for our club. I'm soory I can't be of more help to you guess I need to go back to Mynes tunning and ask for my money back for giving me a bad DYNO!!!

 

Thanks for the help guys. I'm just trying to sort through my options. I would like to add some performance mods this spring, and would like to get the best bang for my Buck.

Any suggestions are welcome.

 

I would do the following:

panel filter (either foam or K&N gauze is fine)
cat-back exhaust (remember our cars will be louder than you think with a cat-back aftermarket exhaust)

Maybe an enigne damper? Doesn't provide more power, just better shifting gearbox and a little more solid acceleration in my experience.

Other than that, suspension!!! That's the key to a fun and fast MC.

 

Has anyone done a custom exhaust job that will give you better gain than the already made aftermarket systems? I remember someone here discussing it, but I can't find it.

 

If you're looking to go faster down the straight and narrow then drop in a S engine, tranny and trans axle (it would be alot cheaper than tuning the N/A cooper engine). I appologize for insinuating that you will see any noticable gains with bolt on performance mods. I've done them with no noticable difference in power. If you want to be faster in the curves and improve the feel and handling then this is my suggestion. Aftermarket Adj rear sway bar and lowering springs. These 2 mods make a world of difference IMO.

 

Personaly I have never heard of any hp gains by an aftermarket exhaust system custom or not. Unless you want a better sounding exhaust go for it IMO the Borla sys is a great sounding system. I would do a K7N drop in filter just because its better than stock, I certinly would'nt argue that it increases HP or fule economy. But as Der Abt has clearly pointed out the gains from bolt on performance mods is futile, if you were to see gains, those gains would be less than 10% which in my opinion is irellevant to the total stock hp. BTW if you have the money and have'nt already done so ditch the runflats for some good performance tires BFG KDW's are a nice choice.

 

While a noble idea, I would just sell my MC and buy a MCS in this case. I'm just looking to maximize the performance on my current power plant without breaking the bank. So maybe CAI, Dampers, and an ECU mod.

Thanks for all the suggestions.

 

Calm down.
It wasn't my intention to attack you or anything like that.

I was just pointing out that we talked about this matter before and it was pretty obvious that nobody is going to gain 10hp with just a panel filter and cat-back exhaust.

You should.
Chances that you really have 114whp are small.
The first time I went on a dyno, the guy operating it tried to make me believe I had 118whp and 130hp (flywheel) with just software and open intake.
I have the dyno sheet if you want me to post it.
I guess I can go on each forum and start claiming that my car has 118whp and 130hp at the flywheel with just those two mods.
The point : there are good dyno operators and there are ... well ... others

It happens more often than you think.
And when something looks too good to be true, it most likely is.

I've been on 5 different dynos now and my car has done about 25 runs in total (some dyno sessions include several runs).
Now I know what my car really produces.
It's the same story for many people.
They go to a tuner and dyno 120/125hp stock, then after adding a few mods (software, intake, exhaust), they go to another tuner (one with a good dyno operator) and they produce 123hp after adding a bunch of mods.
Then they post on a forum that something is wrong.
Well, guess what's wrong ?

Of course, there are dyno differences, but the difference between each realistic dyno should be more or less limited to a couple of hp.
From my experience, the difference between the realistic dynos my car has been on, was smaller than 3hp.

Stock Coopers produce around 115hp (most produce a little bit less, others produce 115hp and only a few people have put down 116hp) at the flywheel (seen plenty of them dyno).
If you take a 20% drivetrain loss, that comes down to about 95/96 hp at the wheels stock.
But even if you take a drivetrain loss of 15% (absolute minimum), it still shows 100hp at the wheels stock.

So, if your results should be accurate, that means that you gained +10hp at the wheels and even more at the flywheel with just a panel filter and cat-back exhaust ?
Like I said before, chance that that is real, is small.

Kind regards (no hard feelings I hope)

Der Abt

 

I didn't say that.

It's true that the amount of power to be gained with a Cooper non S is very limited.
It's going to cost you a lot of money to add power.

However, there are a few mods that are worth it.

First of all, get a good intake:

-open intake with heatshield (good gain for a good price)
-closed carbon intake (higher price, but also the biggest gains)
-panel filter (this is the cheapest option and will only give 1-2hp, but everything counts)

Combine that with a good exhaust.
I went for an Eisenmann because I like that setup.
The end part is now straight, and that means that there is less back pressure.
And the exhaust itself is made out of good material which allows a better flow.
There are plenty of good exhausts out there.

Third, software.
Good software will also create a smoother acceleration.
This mod can show gains from 5hp (flywheel) up to 10hp (flywheel) if you use one of the better options.

Those three mods (if you do them right) can certainly make the Cooper non S more fun to drive in a straight line.
Seen plenty of Coopers (including mine) that were a lot faster (on the street and on a dyno) after some basic mods compared to a stock one.

If you desire more, there are plenty of options left, but each hp is going to cost you.
You can do :
-cams
-cat. delete or sport cat.
-header
-heads
-gasoline cooling

People have achieved 140hp and even 150hp.
But that amount of power comes at a high price.

Those are the straight line options, another way to go is to improve the handling.
New suspension (shocks, springs, ...) lightweight wheels with some good tires, strut brace (front and rear), ... and you got yourself an AutoX toy that will pass many cars.
Add to that those three mods I was talking about (higher rpm limit = higher corner speeds) and there will be a smile on your face

Kind regards

Der Abt

 

In January I installed an aFe CAI and a Megan Racing CBE. can't remember where I got the CAI, but I got the CBE from Bishop Motorsports in Canton, CT. It's louder than I might have thought from the inside of the car, but the exhaust note outside the car is just incredible! Best of luck.

 

Dude, chill out , I only posted because your reply didn't seem to match the R50 model and the pic in your sig is a nice looking R56

Not a personal attack at all....

Chad

 

Well Mynes is no slouch when it comes to tuning and dyno testing. They are HUGE in the Subie and EVO market. If Der Abt wants to see my dyno pull there it is on my myspace page...URL on my sig. As I remember....our numbers were right on at 115WHP and 128ft lbs of tq. And as you know...I have a little different setup. . Either way....and Ive said this many times before. It is ACTUALLY CHEAPER to do a MCS motor and tranny swap then it is to sell it and take on more payments. Most it would cost you would be 5K and as you well know...there is no way in hell that I am going to take all my parts off my Cooper...buy an S.....then bolt all that crap back on...its just not worth it to me....lol. And I have a complete (and short list) on what it takes to do the swap. Plus, as GC knows what my future plans are....I dont plan on being in the Cooper forum for too long....LMAO. I just need a job and money. Or sell my 3 to finance everything but then what would I use to drift?...

 

I have no doubt that you have a dyno sheet that says that you have 115whp.
Read what I've said in the previous posts.
I also have a dyno sheet that says my car has 118whp.
Must be true huh.

You believe something that has been proven wrong on the majority of the Mini forums around the world.

I guess not everyone can learn their lesson

I'm sure you will break 200whp in no time with a few stickers and a shiny new spoiler.

Kind regards

Der Abt

 

What part of the suspension would you start with? Springs, shocks, sway bars?

 

I was also looking into getting a new suspension.
My mini is as stock as it gets so I was thinking of getting the JCW struts with H&R or H-Sport dprings with sway bars.

Does that sound good or are there better options? also what are the differences between the two suspensions (h-sport and H&R)? Ive read that alot of people here have gotten that so I assume that they are really good...

 

h-sport and tsw are widely considered to be the best for r50 spring swaps

 

thats what i mean tsw not H&R
i knew there was another one but i couldnt remember so i jus thought it was that one...my mistake
but what are the differences between the two???

 

tsw are linear rate, drop less than 1" (3/4" i think), same rate front to rear 200 lb/in

h-sport are progressive, drop ~1", Rate: 173-195 lb/in front and 160-300 lb/in rear

compare to stock rates which are somewhere between 179-225 lb/in <--- not sure on these numbers