When buying the pulley, would I have to buy it with the belt?
http://new.minimania.com/web/SUBTYPE..._Inventory.cfm
that one comes with the belt.

This one is Alta but does not include belt
http://www.outmotoring.com/mini-coop...er_pulley.html
Will it still work (or work just as well) without the belt?

Also, it is the same price for 15% and 17%... is tehre a difference why one would get one and not the other?

What kind of rims are these and where can I find them?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/steveco...n/photostream/




Also, I wanted to blackout my grill as well as the chrome around the grill... what kind of vinyl tape do you guys use? And is it easy to take off the chrome on top and bottom of the grill? I want to plastidip those parts... thanks!

 

I can answer one of those questions for you:

The rims are the JCW style 105 18inch rim with a matt black finish. (They are OEM, so essentially you can find them at any MINI dealership )

 

there are a bunch of threads out there on 15% and 17% pulleys. I strongly suggest you read them. You don't need a new belt if you buy a 15% pulley but it is recommended that you get a new one. I don't know about 17% though. Alta made a little graph on their website on the types of belt sizes you need with certain kinds of pulleys, 15%, 17%, 19%. You might want to check that out.

 

you can use vinyl tape on the slats, but i would probably just plastidip everything, unless you're getting vinyl sheets, or a wide enough tape.

 

You don't have to buy the correct belt but it is highly recommended to do so. I recently replaced the pulley on my 2006 and you have to take the belt and belt tensioner off to replace the pulley anyways. The OEM belt is the correct length to travel the distance with the standard pulley. With the reduction pulley a standard belt is wrapped at a tighter angle around the pulley, putting more stress and shortening its life. Some people with reduction pulleys replace the belt ever year or two versus 60-70k miles with the standard pulley and belt.Yes, it will still work, but as stated before you might as well replace it at the same time as it isn't any more work and will probably increase reliability. Some people also add a belt-tensioner stop at the same time for extra protection. It is also recommended to replace the spark-plugs with a colder-running spark-plug as with any reduction pulley ignition temps will rise.
Do a search for the discussions on what is the ideal sized reduction pulley, but the greater the reduction (the smaller the pulley) the more boost and more HP you're going to gain. Read Randy Webb's reason why he suggests 15%. With any reduction pulley the supercharger is going to spin faster and there is going to be added stress. People with 17% and 19% reduction pulleys see the belt break more quickly than those with 15% pulleys. 15% is popular because it is the closest size to the JCW engine-kit pulley and thus is assumed to not add much additional stress while still providing a decent increase in power. I immediately noticed the difference when I replaced my pulley with a 15% Webb Motorsports Pulley. Do I thirst for more power, yes, but was worried about the additional wear and heat. Yes, as previously mentioned those are JCW R105s. For 18" OEM wheels they aren't that heavy, for example they are lighter than many 17" standard MINI wheels including S-lites: 23.3lbs vs 25lbs (although what wheels aren't lighter than S-lites) The only 18" wheel that is OEM and lighter is the GP at 19.8lbs. I've got the brushed alloy on mine and they certainly stand out, but you can certainly do a similar look third-party for less weight and money.

 

At first glance I thought the wheels were Borbet lv4

 

thanks everyone for the help! I did plastidip almost everything the other day

and I really like the jcw r105s but I was also looking at the Borbet lv4's last night.. but that can wait, I want to first get to my pulley, and exhaust!

 

Looks good!