I have been debating on having the JCW Sound Kit intalled on my 06 MC....anyone have some good pics of their install and feelings on the results...was it worth it?

 

See the Performance Mods (Non S) forum and search for it. My review and a few others are there.
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...play.php?f=138

Photos:
http://www.chadhoc.com/MINI06/MINI06.html
http://www.chadhoc.com/MiniBelly/MiniBelly.html

 

It's not cheap, but then again nothing JCW is. However as a owner of a SK myself. Yes, it's worth it. Sorry, no pics taken of the install but after you start your MINI up the first time and hear what it sounds like and drive off, you'll have a smile all the way the home.

 

Worth every penny. See my gallery for pics. Rear looks much cooler than the standard S exhaust with its 2 tiny little straws sticking out the middle.

 

Thanks for the imput everyone. I am really leaning towards doing this once I make it back home for sure!

 

I agree. The JCW SK is worth it if you can afford it. I had it on my first Cooper and really miss it.

If I had the means, I'd do it again. However, since things are different, I'll be going aftermarket.

 

I just had the sound kit installed about ten days ago. It's great! I have a slideshow with sound clips here:

Morristown MINI had it online for $895 (parts only) and I got my dealer to match that price.

 

Thanks for the clip MINI Bee....I have bookmarked it so I can continue to go and listen to yours...I am sure it wont take long to convince me to take the plunge on this one!

 

what is in the jcw sound kit?

 

I've got a SK on my Mini Cooper as well. I'm very pleased with it.

Chuck

 

- A very, very nice sounding intake which is actually just a new cover with an extra inlet that leads to the cowl. I'm sure the filter is different as well.

- A very, very nice sounding exhaust.

- Engine software remap that optimizes all these things to work very, very well together.

- Bling - badge on the boot, badge on the engine, logo on the exhaust tip and the air box cover has a logo as well.

- Extras - Like the engine kits, the SK is numbered and you get a certificate to authenticate that. Kinda cool.

 

I'm very happy with my JCW Sound Kit and would get it again if I were to buy another Cooper. The issues that come up are cost and performance in comparison to aftermarket. The price actually isn't too bad for OEM components . The Cooper "sports exhaust" (non-JCW) from MINI lists at $600. You'd save about one-third to one-half the cost depending on your choice of aftermarket parts. I preferred to get a very well tested and integrated kit rather than an assortment of components from different vendors. As for performance, many on NAM dismiss the Sound Kit once they see it is rated at only 3 hp gain. The Sound Kit is tuned for throttle response and drivability rather than hp gain at redline.

In addition to what you can find on NAM and MINI2, there is a particularly good audio review here:
http://motoringfile.com/2006/03/08/m...oper-soundkit/

 

to me i dont think its worth it. I have a cai and a magnaflow exhaust and i have a great sound and probably more than 3hp from it.

 

If you have a Cooper Cabrio the JCW Sound Kit is really the only choice for a performance exhaust. None of the aftermarket exhausts will work on the cabrio without some pretty extreme modification.

The one big plus for going with the JCW kit is the warranty.

 

BUt it all depends on wheather you want a 125bhp drag car (Spending tons of money for 15bhp on the cooper wtih aftermarket bits), or Sounding amazing and lookin good too, for a pretty penny. I think Ill take the JCW Kit.

 

what I dont understand... is why no one wants to spend 150 bucks to buy a performance muffler.. take it down to a muffler shop and have them make you an exhaust... they sound great, same performance, its just not name brand. I wish I would have gone that route to be honest.

 

Forgot to mention it earlier... Dealer charged me $1,150 for the sound kit including installation. Was a deal for having purchased about $1,500 in other options including fog lamps front and rear (didn't have them from the factory), fully populated toggle switch, and aux gauges under the toggle bank. Probably pushed the price into the low-end of what an MCS would have cost me, but I wanted the better fuel economy of the MC and that it costs thousands less than an MCS was just a nice excuse to buy the sound-kit and other stuff with the "savings"

 

would you recommend the JCW sound kit over a Magnaflow 15741 ?



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44odYvacwok

 

I'll bite this one...

My first exhaust was a 40 series flowmaster that I had a muffler shop weld a "step-up" extension to for the tip. They had to hack off the stock muffler before the "S-bend" to the muffler, so there really was no going back. I painted the flowmaster and tip with flat black high temp paint. It looked very good, and IMO, sounded better than most clips I've heard on here.

Then came miles, the rain, and winter. The tip and welds rusted and look hideous. One may have gotten by with a stainless tip, but at the time I searched, nothing was availible to fit a 2.5" out that actually looked good. In the end, I spent probably $90 on the muffler, paint, "tip", and install. I won't do that again. Just because its cheap, doesn't mean its a good idea. After it rusted, I had to go cat-back or risk another do-over. So I went with the borla.

(I have pics of the flowmaster here at the bottom.)

Considering most Cooper cat-backs cost $350-$500+, if the sound kit comes with intake, ecu mod, badging and exhaust for $895, go JCW all the way. You'll always wish you did, and with the kits likely no longer being imported to the USA, you may want to jump on it while you still can.

 

Ehh... I know its up to personal tastes, but I think you'll be hard pressed to find a sound better than a borla with a good 110k miles of break-in I'd still opt for the JCW, as I'm not personally a fan of the canister sound.

 

would you have a sound file ready?

 

So my question about the sound kit. If I wanted to get it, how much do you think the install would cost? I can the kit from the "local" Mini dealership for $980.

What should I be expecting to pay out the door?

 

The official instructions state "installation time of approx. 1 hour". My dealer charged 1.5 hours (that was before MotoringFile posted the instructions). As with any installation, ultimately it's up to the discretion of the dealer and what you can negotiate with them.

 

Thanks.

I guess Irvine Mini has no idea what I asked them via e-mail since they told me they'd need the car for 2-3 days.

 

What kind of Horse power increases are to be expected with the sk??