You guys NEED to know about this

I got the Pulley and ECU upgrade today here in Cincinnati; the car is a ROCKET now!

almost 200HP at the crank now, saaawweeeeeeett

(just a teaser, I'll fill you guys in when I get back home (I'm on Mikehome1's PC)).
Cheers,
Ryan, now driving Super-Mr. Motor

 

Congrats on your ROCKET. Tell us the detail - who's parts?, what kind of installer did you use, etc.

Thanks...

 

>>almost 200HP at the crank now, saaawweeeeeeett
>>
>>(just a teaser, I'll fill you guys in when I get back home (I'm on Mikehome1's PC)).

Tease! Horrible tease!

Drive safely, can't wait to hear more!

~Rachel

 

I bet Sir Rocket Ryan is too busy testing the new pulley to get back right away, but I know we all can't wait.

And if the little guy blows a gasket (not Ryan!), how easy is it to remove the pulley before asking about the warranty service?

And I thought I was cool making my first mod this weekend....wiring the extra lights (rear fogs) as brake lights. BIG difference.

Regards,
Red

 

Ok, you guys can look at the So. Ohio Pulley Install Party thread to check out some of the reactions and pictures from the weekend (mostly page 5).

The car is totally amazing, really, it's a completely different MINI. It feels like a straight-up honest sports-car now, there's no lack-of-horsepower excuses anymore!

...as for Red's concern about "blowing a gasket", the 15% pulley still keeps the supercharger below Eaton's specified redline, so there's no reason for anything to go wrong. Oh, and that's with the Evotech redline of 7200RPM. It's now easier than ever to quickly fling up to 110 and back (ahem, or so I've been told, tee hee!)

Cheers!
Ryan

 

Ryan, the mod sounds great. Makes you wonder why people would pay the big bucks for the JCW upgrade.

But back to my original question: How easy is it to "un do" the mod if there is a durability issue and you want to invoke your warranty rights? I think the supercharger would not be the problem, but any time you extract more HP, there is more stress on just about everything. Except the driver of course.

Also, is the torque improved at low revs, ie: under 2k in second gear?

Inquiring minds want to know! Thank goodness we have Ryan to test much uncharted territory!

Regards,
Red Likes To Worry

 

I wouldn't try to cheat portions of my warranty by reinstalling the stock pulley

Bottom line: Get an intake and exhaust, keep your warranty, stop worrying
Bottom line #2: Screw the warranty, get the pulley! After the first time you push the throttle, you won't even remember where the dealership is!!

Cheers,
Ryan

 

Great advice Ryan!

Regards,
Red

 

I am heading up to Lake Tahoe today for a few days vacation and I can't take the MINI. Not enough room for wife, daughter and all their stuff.

The worst part is I have to drive by Infineon Raceway where NASCAR is in town this weekend.

There are some great roads up in the sierras for motoring. I guess I'll just have to go up there some time for the sole purpose of motoring.

Bye all,

Andy

 

::stumbling into the thread::

Just got back from the two day track event late last night.

I'm hopelessly addicted!

Yes, I sucked, but it's good to have goals, right? No off-track excursions, no bent metal. I'd say we did pretty well. Every session was a bit better, a bit faster, a bit more confident.

Everyone LOVED the MINI. I let one of the instructors take it out with me for a run group with advanced drivers... NO ONE expected that the mini would tear up the field quite that much - even the instructor was surprised! We were playing with cars that had twice the horsepower. Admittedly, they *could* take us on the main straightaway, but the mini's advantage was in being able to get back to speed faster than the other cars and also keep speed through the turns.

No contest against the race-prepped Porsche GT-3 or the 914 with very little original car left, but it was amazing seeing those cars there.

Overall a GREAT experience with a terrific bunch of people. Everyone had great helpful comments (except my first instructor ), and when problems came up, everyone did whatever they could to get people back on the track as soon as possible.

We also learned why cross-drilled rotors are a BAD thing!

~Rachel, planning her next racing excursion. 5 hours isn't THAT far, is it?

Mount Washington tomorrow!

 

Your racing excursions sound awesome Rachel [slightly jealous!]

I'm going to Mid-Ohio tomorrow for the British Car Show, where Mr.Motor will enter his first major car-show! :smile:

Got a few pics for everyone. I cleaned my S-lites today while rotating tires (now have 5400+ miles). They were DIRRRRTY. Found out that the stock pad dust cleans way easier than the EBC Green Stuff dust. Here's a before and after:
Two days this week, I've had fingerprints ALL OVER my windows here's a shot:

Cheers,
Ryan

 

Ryan - have fun at mid-ohio. I grew up in Lexington, not even 5 minutes from the track. Loved the hazy summer days with the windows open, listening to the cars circling the track.

I dumped the video to the computer for editing last night - some AWESOME shots of the track. Now I just need to find some great music for it. Any suggestions?

Off to drive Mount Washington!

 

Rachel, sounds like you are having a blast....using your MINI the way it was intended!

Regards,
Red

 

That is a very pretty night shot Ryan!

So the EBC pads leave less dust, but what ever they leave is more difficult to remove? Those white wheels look so cool, but I am going nuts keeping up with the silver ones!

Regards,
Red

 

Okay, I think I can honestly say that I'm absolutely exhausted. The Mount Washington Adventure was AWESOME! Over 70 happy MINIs and their owners made their way to New Hampshire and descended on the local towns (yes, they were a bit confused but mostly really curious about the car), then ascended the mountain just in time to catch the awesome sunset from the peak. It's actually really rare to catch such perfect weather on the peak (it's been declared the place with the worst weather EVER - and has the dubious honor of having the highest measured wind gusts ever - 231mph!).

And my car was voted one of the three cleanest there! I got a set of nifty British flag valvestem covers.

I'll put up some pics as soon as I get mine off of my camera or manage to steal some good ones

 

speaking of valvestem covers, mine were STOLEN today at GM's Eye-On-Design at their Tech Center in Warren, MI. Well, 3 of 4 were stolen, you can see little finger smuges from the bastards left in my brake dust :evil: :evil: :evil: This was a relatively high-class event, lots of one-off cars and hugely valuable vehicles. Why would someone want MY valvestem caps, when there's a Cadillac Sixteen sitting nearby? People are STUPID I'm annoyed, not because they're valuable, but because they're NOT valuable! GRRRR!!!

[vent off]

Anyway, the Mid-Ohio event was awesome!!! There were a few hundred cars at the British Show (which I entered, yaay!) MGCMAN met me there, he was also at the So. Ohio Pulley Install Party. We hung out for the day, watching the Vintage Grand Prix. The weather was beautiful, thankfully I brought sunscreen and a hat

Cheers, (minus valvecaps)
Ryan

 

Ryan - soooo sorry to hear about the theft. Little bastards like that drive me (more) batty. Glad to hear the event was a fun one, though!

My boyfriend conned someone with the pulley mod into giving him a ride. I've been informed that I really ought to consider getting this mod done. Soon. Really really soon!

Must...get...job.. first...

 

Ryan, sorry about your loss. Children more than likely. Same happened to me a few years ago.

After 1400+ miles I've heard that "clonk" just after starting off???? Still investigating!

Waxing the wheels does help

 

well.. adventures with neighbor-kid continue.. I came home today and had a funny niggling feeling as I went to get in my car (I leave it at home while I'm at work). Checked around all the wheels and found that *someone* had put glass/plastic under my tires. I might not have noticed except I checked where my boyfriend parks his car and sure enough the same crap had been crammed under the same tire on his car. He'd rolled over it when he left, but luckily no flats so far.

We won't get into the spitwad the )(*@ER!@ left on my car.

BUT while puttering around near my boyfriend's parents' house, we stumbled across an electric blue MCS getting the crawl-through tour. Of COURSE we stopped (especially after they asked us how the HECK to open the bonnet). Very nice people.. very addicted to the car and unfraid of the snooty people in the neighborhood commenting that they should have spent more money and gotten a 'real' car.

 

hey dudes... it's time for a random popping in from me. summer keeps me away from the computer and instead puts me on the beach. anyway, with the release of the italian job, the MINI seems to be getting an increase in comments and closer-look-sees lately. i finally saw the movie, and it was pretty good.

just rolled over 7k, although the miles to service mileage doesn't exactly add up to 10k, which i thought it should.. it actually falls short of it, to like 9600. anyone else know if theirs also doesn't add up to 10k? i'd be interested to know...

still no problems with the MINI, with the exception of my ever-growing window crack which now looks like a road map stretched across it. oh yeah, i think my rear hatch popped open when it shouldn't have, but i just pretend that i actually didn't shut it all the way.. hopefully it won't happen again!

so friday am, i leave for western PA for my first multi-state road trip in the MINI. me and a friend are driving 500-miles to burgettstown, PA to see a dave matthews band show (my18th).. can't wait... have third row, should be fun.

welli'm off to the beach, but gotta stop by best buy to get the italian job for playstation2, and pick up guster's new cd. oh yeah, anyone else get the mug from MINI in the mail recently?

well i'm off... til next time i check in... hope all is well...

peace

wags

 

EEEKK! Your neighbors sound like the type you'd want to move away from!
(either that or you can put a Hit out on the bastards, mwuaaah ha ha ha!)

It's tragic for the rest of us that some people never get past a mental age of three and realize that the world actually does NOT revolve around them. :evil:

[on a better note]....
YEAAYY! It's a beautiful day today, I'm gonna go Motor
Cheers,
Ryan

 

hey! Don't insult those three year olds! Most of them share better than those immature grownups, at least. Guess this means that I'm not going to put those valvestem covers on any time soon. *sigh* Anyone here want a set?

Nice weather and I'm inside 'working'! Waaah! Maybe I'll, uhh.. get sick and leave. Unless my boyfriend stole my car...

I'm getting itchy fingers about the pulley... very itchy fingers... tracking the car would be even more fun... <grin>

I need to get racing pads though, especially for a FAST track like the Glen. Ryan, heard anything out there about any good ones? I've been browsing the boards here for some ideas, but it seems like most of the pads have at least a few detractors.

 

Hey Wags, nice hearing from you.

Just so happens I got "mugged" today, too.

Guess that is the end of the mailings/goodies?

Regards,
Red

 

Rachel, the best racing pads for stock calipers that I'm aware of are Ferodo's (conveniently available through Randy )


Those are the pads he uses for his Auto-crossing. Also, the don't dust very much either! I was impressed witnessing the lack of dust first hand.

Cheers,
Ryan

(I haven't gotten "mugged" yet, I can't wait! )

 

What's up guys!!! Just got back from my 2 1/2 week european vacation! All i can say is, wow!! So much culture and history out there.....and so many MINIs! I would have to say that london did have the most (of course), but i didn't see much color variations out there. Mostly everyone had a red, black, silver, or yellow mini. I did see one gold one though. I never saw and electric or indy blues or even that many british racing greens.

Well, Phoenix is on his way over the atlantic via the, "don quijote" and will reach port on the 9th of july. So, hopefully he won't get stuck at VDC and i'll be motoring by the end of july!

So glad to see that the April club is still up and running!

Cheers!
Jeremy