I allocated an OBX header at a steal locally ($50) and its brand new to boot!

My question is: what will I notice if anything by installing it? Is it worth the trouble of installing this piece on a R50? I just searched throughout the forums and couldn't find a definitive answer to my questions.

If it does work well on the R50, I think it would be worth the $50 investment!

 

I also have an R50.
Installed OBX header and Magnaflow exhaust.
Noticed and felt big inprovement.
MPG increased by 2-4 miles.
Sounds great
No tuning needed but would probally be good idea.

 

Vollgas, how easy was it to install the stock cat up to the header? Is this something you took to the local exhaust shop to do?

 

Remove all exhaust manifold bolts execpt 1, make sure it loose.
Get car elevated.
Remove O2 sensors.
Undo header/exhaust bolts, remove them all.
Remove last exhaust manifold bolt.
Slide header down under car and remove.
Remove heat sheilds.
Install new header.
Replace all items in sequence.
Put New exhaust header gasket.

 

Bumping this old thread for interest.

After driving over a dozen other cars and enjoying none of them more than my R50, I'm thinking about continuing my mod voyage. The next few steps would be header, tune, maybe eventually cam and cylinder head. (JCW? Thumper?)

I'd love to hear from any R50 owners out there (rare as they seem to be around here!) who've got a header, huge internet points for Dyno results and/or anyone also running a Borla cat-back exhaust and an intake like I am.

 

Glad to see you decided to stick with the R50

 

For now, anyway! I can entertain the thought of trading it for an STi or a 370Z, but I'm not ready to move on just yet... can't afford to, either!

 

I think your order of mods would cause you to have to pay for 2 tunes. I think a tune would be much more important after doing the cam and cylinder head.

I know the STI is a slightly different animal, but I had a WRX right before my R50 and it was nowhere as fun. More power, but it doesn't have the thrill and driving enjoyment of the Mini.

 

With the R50 JCW, at least, the cam is the same as R50 and R53. The JCW head is a mild port and polish on the exhaust side, which yields a noticable, but not breathtaking improvement. No, I don't have dyno results. I don't really care, as my interest in installing the tuning kit on my car was more the novelty of having a really rare car, versus bang for the buck power.

 

Yeah, that does make sense! I think if I go forward with this plan, it would be a matter of installing the header, then waiting until I can afford (financially and time-wise.) to get the head, cam, and a trip to California (or Atlanta, Way?) for a proper installation of parts, and tune.


I have test driven 3 WRX's now... 2008, 2010, 2012. The 12 was great, but it was a short drive so I didn't get a great feel for handling on tight switchbacks and so forth. I did love the pull at highway speeds and the grip around on-ramps though! I have another thread right now complaining about how nothing is fun as the R50... I've driven over a dozen cars recently looking to see what my "next" car should be, but nothing has inspired me to get rid of the Cooper. That's why I'm considering taking on the next phase of modding, because I really just want it to be marginally quicker accelerating. It's so close to perfect!

Test driving a 350Z Cabrio tomorrow just for fun, I don't imagine it will be a replacement though.

 

The guy on here that I bought my Borla catback from had an unopened JCW R50 tuning kit for sale, and still might. ECU and all, I believe. I couldn't find out if it would work on the '06 though, as it came out for the 02-04 I think?

Would you say the JCW head is worthwhile? Others have suggested Thumper and RMW. Where in the rev range is the slight improvement?

 

For the price that goofball wanted for that thing, you would be an idiot to get that instead of a Thumper, RMW, or Way head in my opinion.

 

Yeah, I remember it wasn't cheap... $2k or something? Granted I have no idea what the other heads you mentioned plus a tune would run me.

The Borla was a great price, I think I paid him $200 or $300 for it, great shape.

 

http://www.thumperheads.com/content/...ou-build-power

$1295 with free shipping.

...well free shipping in the USA

 

Haha.. so close! If I walk two blocks, I can see Seattle!

Thanks for the link, something to consider... It seems like all the tuners are in California anyway, I suppose I could probably arrange to have it shipped to a shop there when the time comes.

 

Yes, that's the kit I have. I actually tried buying his Borla alone when he first separated them (that was initially part of the kit). You beat me to it .

I paid $1,500 for the kit, and some extras. I agree that a TP1 would have been a better choice for power, but as I said, I was more interested in the novelty factor. I'm not in the same league as some of you, but I thought I should weigh in having a JCW head on an R50. The power is across the range. There is more oomph at about 2k, though, where it's really needed. And when 3,800rpm comes in, it really starts to wind, right up to redline. A good way to describe the result is to say that the car has more power now with the AC on, then it did before without it. I still need to tune. I've been debating installing the JCW tune, or going with a custom. I was trying to wait out RMW coming to CT, but that now obviously isn't happening now. I expect to see noticeable results when I do tune. I wound up using the JCW sound kit exhaust. Probably not as good a choice as the Borla, which I could have bought for less. But it keeps it all JCW, and I've read it's quieter, which was important to me. I do love the tone of the Borla, though. I've only heard online clips, but it's ear candy.

 

Haha.. I am really happy with the Borla, it sounds fantastic. My stock muffler was showing signs of rust, so I had a good excuse to replace it. I'd never pay the $900+ for a new one, though... I had been considering a Megan.

I would love to have a JCW R50 for the same novelty factor. Even on enthusiast boards they seem to be very rare. It sounds like it's working out well for you! I wish you lived close enough that I could ask for a ride in it, I'd really like to get a rough idea for power gains. Ever visit the Pacific Northwest?

 

as they were both done at the same time. JCW cylinder head / JCM header with sports cat / full JCW sound kit. The car has been owned since new and driven in 3 seperate cycles:

stock
stock + JCW sound kit
stock + JCW sound kit + JCW head + JCM header

I finally feel that the car is getting to where I've always wanted it. Originally when purchassing it was the same question that most face, Cooper or Cooper S Turns out I'm one of those wierdos that prefered the Cooper especially when I found out that they made a JCW kit to give it an extra kick in the pants. It was only after purchassing that I found out that the kit was discontinued and suposedly only compatible up to 2004 builds (only partly true). Luckily enough with a lot of research and love for my car I've been able to source what I need and cut through some bull shat as most people aren't too knowledgeable about the cooper.

Impressions:
same as Blackbomber but I haven't driven a cooper with just a cylinder head or just a header upgrade. I must say that it took some getting used to at first as the power was definately noticeable and it really opens up now on the highway. One thing that I've grown accustom to but didn't like at first was the extra noise. I can only attribute this to the header and lack of scilener now as it's removed to fit the JCM. I found myself driving more cautious at first as I was not used to the extra volume when pressing the pedal.

The volume has mellowed now and I LOOOOOOOOVE the slight burble that I can now hear. It was one thing that I always hated NOT having on my Cooper. It just adds that extra little bit of character so I'm glad that it's developed.

You won't need a tune but I must say that I'm eager to get one. The JCW tuning kit software is not compatible with my year of car so I'm stuck with the JCW sound kit one for now. My reasoning for the tune is that it can only make things better. One thing that I find really apparent now is that when the car goes in to the dealer at any point and is flashed it just comes alive. But this doesn't last as the ECU tries to adapt or whatever. I'm not entirely sure what happens but it definately changes after a couple of days of driving. It's not that it ends up bad but that it just feels so much stronger when fresh from the shop. At first I thought that it was in my head but it's been in a few times now and each time it comes even more alive. Hopefully a custom tune will keep that from fading.

Just a side note funnily enough the kit that Blackbomber ended up with was the one that I was trying to purchase from the same guy a year or two before he put it up for sale. I still can't believe that he wouldn't sell it to me back then for a hefty sum only to let it go for less. My loss was your gain. I ended up sourcing the parts myself and ended up with the JCM header as well so not all bad.

Also I'm glad to see that I'm not the only one making our Coopers the best that they can be.

 

I'm also one of the weirdoes. I drove the R50 and R53 back to back before I purchased and I definitely preferred the feel and simplicity of the R50.


I never heard of the JCM Header. Where did you get that?


BTW, Gecho4 Just by looking at your mod specs, it sound like you got one bad *** R50. Have you posted pics of it yet?

 

I neglected to mention that I, too, have the Sound Kit (except for the tune). After installing the JCW head, I bought the MINI "Sports" silencer (P/N cross references to the exhaust portion of the discontinued sound kit) new. I picked up the intake portion second hand. I wish I had those pieces installed first. They really woke it up. I actually think the sound kit made more of a difference than just the head. But I'm sure this was due to the stock exhaust choking the output. I seriously didn't think the exhaust would make a difference, but I was wrong.

 

I have had the JCW Tuning Kit on my R50 since October 2005. Read about the installation at http://jamesday.net/mini/jcw. My review was on MF at http://www.motoringfile.com/2006/03/...ing-kit-review. The article shows the power curves from the brochure.

The JCW MINI Cooper Tuning Kit was supposedly only for 2002-2004 R50s. I was told by MINI USA that less than 30 of them were imported to the US. It was discontinued July 1, 2004 when MY2005 (refresh) began production. Then the JCW Sound Kit was the only one offered (which supposedly didn't fit the 2002-2004 R50).

I also own a JCW Coupe, but in a lot of ways I still prefer my 2004 JCW Cooper. It has the classic original MINI design and feels much lighter and more go-kart-like.