So i feel that all the money i could spend on my r50 would be better used as money towards an r53. i feel i could spend $$$$ and never be as good as a stock r53. it seems like the only things to do on an r50 are exhaust and intake but thats not going to to bump my numbers up to r53 level. so is there a point to modding my current mini or save that money to get an S?

 

If you're modding for power, that's definitely the case.

Some people just already have an R50 and want to make it handle/sound better, and maybe squeeze out a few more horses. Putting my car on coilvers, getting a stiffer rear sway bar, and buying some good summer tires made a HUGE difference in the way the car drives and handles. That wasn't very expensive... maybe $1500. Probably less than you'd spend on trading up.

I could have traded in and gotten an R53 if you factor in everything I've spent (see sig for mods.) but I already had a very clean R50 that I KNEW was in sound mechanical condition, whereas getting into another used car, it's always a crap shoot to some degree. Some part of me wishes I'd just gotten an R53 in the first place, so if you have that inkling, I would suggest trusting your gut and just putting that mod money aside if straight line speed is what you're after.

 

I think it sounds like you have already rationalized it. Your money is better spent just saving for the S as you won't get an R50 to a stock R53 power level without spending more than what an R53 would cost. And with R53's getting older they are getting cheap. I'd love to sell you a bunch of parts for your R50 as I've done them all to my R50, but you'd be better just waiting.

 

I am somewhat emotionally attached to my 2003 R50, so when my Midlands tanked,
I put in a 6-speed Getrag with a Quaife LSD, and also have a Milltek header and catback,
exhaust and ecu tune, and I'm happier with that than scrapping the car for an R53 of
unknown mechanical condition. I still have my dear MINI, and it's better than ever, and
actually somewhat unusual and unique compared to most first gen MINIs.
It may not be the most logical choice from a dollar or horsepower standpoint, but life is
full of complex choices, and you have to decide what's right for yourself.

 

its not straight line speed im after it just feels like i cant pull out of the corners at allllll. and either way the R50 or r53 i would do full suspension overhall. but whats the point of modding the suspension if i cant power out of the corners. i guess i was just looking for "the secret" to make it faster. well thanks anyway everyone i guess ill just wait to find a mint r53

 

MINI'S have always been more about handling than about power...
Let's face it, they are as aerodynamic as a brick...and will never be the fastest car...just turns out they can be made fairly fast (the s) with some Mods...
The non-s...well, you can do some mods to improve looks, handling and drivability (slight tq and power increase)...but it sounds like you are just not happy...so time to move onto an s...
I will be honest, I think I had more fun driving my Underpowered 89' CRX hard, than my 200 HP MINI lightly......less bragging rights....but still satisfying. But like I said...if you are not happy, the 10 HP or so you will gain modding a r50 for power is expensive dollar per HP compared to the gains in an s...

 

 

Well, duh. (Thanks, Zip, you made my day!)
Who was it that said "If you can't go fast with 90 HP, 900 won't help you."?
The very best mod you can make is for handling. Visit with Way and be sure to walk away with a set of KONI FSD struts and a 22 MM adjustable rear sway bar, the two very best mods you can make for the money.

 

I don't have any trouble powering out of the corners... sprintbooster helps get the revs up a little quicker, but more important are carrying as much speed as you can throughout, and being in the right gear for the situation. If you're at 2800RPM when you're trying to power out, it's gonna feel sluggish, but if you plan your gear changes appropriately you can be at 4k RPM when the road straightens and have no problem pulling through.

If you lived closer I'd let you drive my modded R50 so you could see if it was a good option for you. Maybe someone closer will do that, or take you for a joy ride.

 

Danny hinted at a prime condition for taking the curves. You've got a very heavy gyro spinning up there under the bonnet. The faster it turns, the more stable the platform. Learn how and when to down shift as you begin to enter the turn. Carrying 20 to 25 hundred RPM into a turn, you'll feel the lean and sense of off-balance in the seat of your pants. Down shift to get the revs up to around 45 hundred to 5K and you'll feel a lot more solid as you begin to accelerate out of the apex then upshift into the straightaway. Horsepower isn't really the issue under those conditions, it's torque, learn where the peak of the power and torque curve is for each gear, and stability.

 

https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.n...77152576_o.jpg

this is my old car (sti swapped) which i raced... i appreciate the driving tips but thats not what im here for. the mini might have been able to carry 10mph more into a corner then my fozzy but it wouldnt matter because all i had to do was get on the gas and it would be gone. so i have concluded from everyone's input that there is basically no mods that are cost efficient to get power.

 

Well then, there you are. You got decisions to make then and good luck in your quest. Hope it works out satisfactorily.

 

seems like you need to upgrade to an S, or spend some money getting the 6spd swap, and a turbo build

 

The 6 speed swap, is it just a straight swap or are there additional parts needed?

You have my imagination going wild.... id love the 6 speed in my R50... and i bet it will drop the revs when cruising on the highway which i feel is a little high for my liking with the 5 speed.

 

theres a couple threads around. seems preety straight forward, never really looked into it myself but there are quite a few people especially on this forum who have done it

 

Here's the main thread:

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ll-how-to.html

The first post mentions an essential but dead link
instead try this (it is mentioned later in the thread, but this saves you looking for it):

http://personal.stevens.edu/~jdunn/F...heWeakLink.pdf

 

I really appreciate you providing the links for me.
Thank you Cristo

 

Because it's more fun to drive a slow car fast than a fast car slow. Mod all suspension, find a local Auto-X club and start slaughtering it.

 

...and remember, high RPM is your friend. I Don't remember his screen name, but one poster's sig line read: "If you can't go fast with 90 HP, 900 won't help you.", or something to that effect.

 

Depending on how much you would get back for your R50 for trading it in. You're more likely to get your monies worth by swapping a used 6spd transmission from an LKQ type shop and doing turbo. Or maybe even swapping to a charger if you really think the turbo wont help you out of corners. I will never sell a car because I get emotionally attached to every car I buy. That's what I would do if I didn't already own an R53. I would swap to Turbo as well if it didn't cost me an Arm/Leg. Good Luck. Just my .02

 

Would strongly suggest you NOT turbo or SC a r50...been debated lots, but really penny wise, pound foolish....
The motor has much weaker internals...so you would have a very short life...
If you love the car, do a drive train and hood swap from a r53....
Or just trade the car...
A 6 speed swap lowers the "off the line" time since the tq/ratios of the 6 and r50 is not well matched...still a fun drive, but a bit slower unless you have a rolling start.

 

I've found that once you get past first gear, the Getrag 6 speed and the R50
make a great match. closer ratios make it easier to be in the best gear and
6th gear helps mileage and rpms at highway speed. Definitely get the later
box (GS6-85BG - TBKE from 7/2004 on) with the better gear ratios, though.

 

R50 is a modern classic and, to me, is meant to remain stock.

something amazing about learning to appreciate the original design specs

to each his own

Up North Twisties by jimmy_racoon, on Flickr

 

R50 can be a hugely fun car to drive. You just need to understand it's capabilities. Improve it's breathing a bit, give the brakes, wheels, tires, and suspension some love, and you'll have a curve killer. Forget speed; it's overrated.

 

FYI that quote is attributed to Bob Hall, the mind behind the Miata.

"If you can't go fast with 90 horsepower, 900 ain't gonna help ya."