I have owned my 2006 MCS for about 16 months now, and I am debating on some mods. Most of what I have done so far is ditch the runflats, and improve the interior to my liking. Now it is time for performance mods

What I want out of my MINI is a car that handles well, tight in the turns and has some get up and go. I don't want loud, I prefer quiet speed and acceleration.

Right now I am trying to decide between a CAI and a pulley. Or maybe both, I just don't know right now. Since I don't track the car, I would probably go for a 17% pulley, but I cannot decide on the CAI.

Just looking for some feedback. Is a pulley without an intake a poor choice?

 

Not a poor choice, but the intake definitely helps. I did the pulley first, and the CAI made a noticeable difference. Amount of noise will vary depending on whether you open up the plastic cowl piece.

 

Been thinking the same thing. I can't respond in "MINI Specific" but do have some thoughts on the mods in general.
1. If you go with a CAI get a oiled foam air cleaner. Stay away from the oiled cotton gause (read K+N) as they do not do a good job of cleaning the air.
(It would likely work good enough in a humid fairly dust free environment but not for use in dry dusty areas) Oiled foam will clean the air.
2. Most if not all CAI's will make some noise. It wont wake up the neighbors but you will hear it in the cabin.
3. They dont do much if anything for performance except maybe at max RPM and then still not much. (don't believe all those Dyno charts)

I have heard that the pulley really wakes up the car. Also, the intake and filter box must be removed to install the pulley so if you do both at the same time you will save some labor.

 

i would go with the pulley..... Modify the airbox, get a oiled foam air cleaner and you done!!!!

 

Pulley without an intake is fine.

BUT

An intake like ALTA's intake is better (read louder).

I am working on a sound 15s~ sound clip of my CAI without a pulley. I will use my dropbox to host it, but i know of no other way to host the audio file.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/21167245/Memo.m4v

 

This is a no brainer, Supercharger Pulley first. It's the bigger bang for the buck.

 

Definitley the pulley makes the biggest difference, though i did notice quite a difference with the CAI too. Honestly, with the hood closed, i didn't notice any sound difference with the CAI, until i did the cowl partition mod. that also made a noticeable jump in power though, surprisingly. but definitley do pulley first.

 

Pulley first
both if you got the cash

 

Buy both! Call Chris at ALTA. See if he can make you a deal if you get them both at the same time. They also have free tool rental of their pulley pullers if you buy the pulley from them

 

like way said, no brainer. Pulley.
but with a pulley(way 17%) and intake(DDM) I made 183hp and 172 ft.lb with no tune... for a lot of folks that would be enough.

as far as bang for the buck goes, the intake was $250, NO GAIN(except the sound, and worth every penny for that), pulley was $100, huge gain, tune was $350 plus dyno time, huge gains, another 325 for injectors plus a re-tune and dyno time... another 10 or so HP and tq.

DIMINISHING Returns after the pulley is all you get... just wanted to put a number on it.