Hello al I have a 2013 cooper jcw and would like to know am I a R56 or a R57 and how to tell between the two.

Thanks
Greg

 

R55 Clubman
R56 Hatch
R57 Convertible
R58 Coupé
R59 Roadster
R60 Countryman
R61 Paceman

alot of the parts are the same, for example the clubman and r56 are the same from front doors forward.

 

Cool thanks for clearing that up for me man. Any ideas on exhaust? I'm thinking just a downpipe but don't know who I should get it from.

 

that’s one of the parts that’s the same. I picked mine up here https://m.alibaba.com/product/160014...pg_200x200.jpg It fit perfectly, and cost me under 100 new.

If you hunt through the classifieds they pop up from time to time.

 

Sooo - which are you? Also, to continue an ancient NAM tradition, "Pictures, damm it, pictures! Without pictures, it didn't happen."

 

Deleted

 

 

Ok guys I will post some pic when I get a chance today LOL. I like this forum better that the others. You guys are alot nicer than the other people on the other forums.

 

There is a lot of information on here. I won’t be a search ****, but I can tell you I did a lot of reading on here. There’s a bunch of how to’s here and on YouTube. I’ll post my favorite maintenance thread in here, it’s a good read and great advice. First thing would to be get a scan tool made for bmw/mini, you’re going to need it. As for mods, rear sway bar, lower engine mount, and intercooler, all great first mods. Stiffer lower engine mount helps put the power to the ground, rear sway bar completely changed how the rear follows in turns, and the bigger intercooler cuts down on those intake temps. I have a catless downpipe and it changed the tone of mine a little, clubby has dual mufflers, but on r56’s they will pop and gurgle more.

 

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ed-gen-ii.html

good read and tips.

 

2 other changes necessary under the bonnet: Replace the coolant expansion tank with a stainless one. The plastic one will fail at the seam eventually. Also install strut tower plates. The towers are a weak point. The bolts torque at 25 #.

 

Are the strut tower tops still a problem on the 2nd gen cars like they are on the first gen cars?

 

Fly'n Brick I have the JCW oem strut tower brace. What are these plates? Are they the ones with the bearing? Thanks for the tip on the coolant reservoir. That happen on my GTI.

 

Here it is guys that asked for a pic

 

Nice R57s

 

Thanks Jason

 

Not familiar with 2nd Gen so no help here on that.

 

The plates are the strut tower defenders.
https://www.turnermotorsport.com/p-5...yABEgJ_GPD_BwE
Also, are you up to speed on canvas care? The preponderance of recommendations on NAM is Ragg Topp and if the scissor joints start to get squeaky I give 'em a shot of Liquid Wrench dry lube.

 

BTW, that is one dang fine looking motor you've got there!

 

Verry nice colour combination, very nice Mini!


Not entirely correct. How about this:

R55 Clubman
R56 Hatch
R57 Convertible
R58 Coupé
R59 Roadster
R60 Countryman
R61 Paceman
.

There's absolutely no mods "necessary" except ditching the runflats. Some of your "recommendations"
are more than questionable like rear ARB (missing an appropriate one on front) and catless DP which is
illegal for a reason. In advance, please don't repeat what I already heard about ARBs a thousand times.


BS. Towers are a weak point on R50/52/53s, not on R55/56/57s. I never heard of swapping the expansion
tank for a metal one. Replace like for like when or IF it fails, period. It likely even won't.

You're not doing the OP any favour!
.

 

For one my coolant tank did split at the seems, but I replaced with an oem unit, not worth the money in my book for the forge unit. So this does still happen gen 2.

Bigger intercooler helps drop intake temps, no necessary if a daily, but definitely needed for track or weekend warrior. My stock one would yield intake temps of 14-16 degrees above ambient and would take forever to recover after sitting in traffic. My first aftermarket was a forge knock off, this would yield intake temps of 10-12 above ambient and would recover way faster just due to the size. My current one is a g plus which is the Wagner knock off, this one yields ambient temp or below and recovers faster than my first attempt. So dropping 14-16 degrees off my intake temp is what I gained but what do I know.

Rear sway bar I don’t care what you say, but I know how it changed my clubby. On the Dragon, stock bar, rear felt like it was pushing me in turns and the oversteer was very much there. Once I switched out to the biggest one, middle setting, the oversteer isn’t there and the rear follows thru turns. This completely changed the handling of the car, and yes I ran the dragon same set of tires with the different bars. I will get to the front eventually, but when a free hotchkins 25.5 mm falls in your lap, would you pass it up?

As for the downpipe, he mentioned that he wanted to change that out. Illegal? Maybe, depending on your state, but so is speeding and I guess your going to tell us you’re a model citizen and drive what’s posted 🙄 No smog where I live, so catless I went, call the cops and tell them IDGAF. My car I will do as I please. I didn’t recommend that as a first mod, just stated how it changed my R55s.

Fixed my first post of the models since I was wrong there, I’m human. I have done all my mods piece by piece, so I know how each one of them change my clubby. And for some one that has put 1000 miles on the dragon in under 2 years, I think I know how this car handles and runs.

 

You are the very first one claiming a bigger rear sway bar would reduce oversteer. Congratulations!

I bet you never drove a Mini (or any other) car with both bigger front and rear ARBs. Think about that.

 

This forum ain't a pissin' contest.

 

Nope, it isn’t, why I will see myself to the door on this one.

 

Can someone define ARB's please. I'm a nuub and don't understand the abbreviations yet.