hey i have a cooper '03 and was just looking for some ideas on what to mod first.
Everything is stock right now.
Im looking more along the lines of prolonging the car's life hopefully, cause it is getting old.
Not too concerned in huge speed boosts yet.

 

Not sure about mods for prolonging the life of your Mini, but I just did a K&N drop in filter. Next I hope to do a Megan Cat Back followed by a tune. I am also not looking for huge power, just to round out the performance and get a better sound.

 

First, and perhaps only, mod I did was replaced the antenna with a 2" stubby from Alta so my R56 looked less like an RC car.

 

Is this an easy change?
Any decrease in reception?

 

I made my own 3" out of stainless and polished it with no change in reception. Also in so cal tinted windows I think is a must and then cat back and cai.

 

Cat backs don't void warranty's right?

 

I have never run into any problems with cat backs put one on every new truck I have owned. This is my first car in 15 years.

 

leicaguy:

In Toronto our radio signals are rather strong since we have flat terrain and all signals come from the CN Tower quite high above the city. The only reception change is I have no signal below 3 floors down in underground parking, whereas with the stock antenna I had no signal below 4 floors down.

Very easy change, you just unscrew the stock antenna and screw on the new one.

 

From what I hear, a CAI not only increases HP but also increases Fuel Efficiency.

 

Tint! Summer is right around the corner, tint also improves the look a lot too!

 

i would start off basic on the mods (cai,exhaust) and see how your mini takes them...just slowly work on it...mines an 03 with 69k(woo) miles on it and so far so good (intake,exhaust,pulley+more)

 

Replace every piece of rubber with polyeurithane.

 

That is the suspension components of course.

 

i can't possibly imagine living without tints in the cooper.
especially if you have the moonroof

 

+1 on the tints. Helps with looks and temperature in the car.

 

whats the diff in replacing the rubber
and im considering in getting a CAI and exhaust soon, so any recommendations in what to look for?

thanks for the replies everyone, much appreciated

 

Mod the driver as well. find a car control clinic (local chapters of BMWCCA usually do one every year). replace the struts and the front top strut mounts. Check for mushrooming of the front strut towers. And like nabeshin said, replace the rubber bushings with poly or new oem pieces. Check the upper motor mount.

 

CAI or HAI, Exhaust, Stiffer rear sway bar, lighter wheels, better tires

Lowering springs, fixed camber plates
Koni FSD struts or Megan coilovers if you're on a budget

Your biggest issues will be tranny failure if you're got the 5 speed, and potentially power steering pump failure causing a fire.

Tons of little mods you can do as well like the Fumoto valve if you change your own oil, brass bushing mod for better braking performance, better brake pads for less dust and better performance.....

Richard ('03 Cooper & '05 Cooper S)

 

I'm curious on tinting the windows of my car, but there are some scratches on my driver's window. Would that effect the tint? Would the tint help hide it better?

 

any good suggestions in any particular CAI's?

 

if you want sound, Alta.. cravens.. and so on are the way to go.

if you want everyday drivability, performance with a bit of extra sound, JCW is the way to go.

 

sounds like JCW is what i want.
still open for others though at the moment

 

If you can find them the Dinan CAI's are generally thought of as fairly quiet (aka daily driveable) while still doing a good of being a CAI. They are cheaper than the JCW and also look pretty factory.

 

How many miles on your MC? Not Cooper S right?

Manual or CVT transmission?

Which interior? Cloth, leather or leatherette?

Stock stereo or Harmon Kardon?

Which stock wheels? 16x6.5 X-lytes or 17x7 S-lytes?

Which tires do you have- runflats or non runflats?
Name and size of tires you have now? How much tread left?

Do you have any snow or use winter tires? Any colder weather, or rain?

List your responses-

In any case, easy mods:
Drop in Air filter- clean one- K&N, Green, Alta or Unifilter.
One Ball Exhaust mod for the MCS.
Whalen shift **** for any manual transmission
Lighter wheels- 16x7 +45 offset and non runflat 205/50-16 Ultra High Performance tires.
Carbotech brake pads-https://www.northamericanmotoring.com/forums/showthread.php?p=2236421

 

I actually have the checkered roof decal, just on my sunroof. It cut down on the heat in my car when i leave it in the sun... and I love the look. It lets in enough light but doesn't allow me to be blinded when the sun is highest during the day. I love it!!! Plus, it gives my car character!

Next, I'm going to tint my rear windows and back window!