So much like the other Clubman's modding thread, this will be mine. It's an 09 factory JCW Clubman and I'll update it with reviews and such. I'll try to load as many photos as possible but sometimes when I'm installing and it's frustrating, taking photos is the last thing on my mind. :X I'll also include tips and little notes that made the install painful/easier.

First mod:Alta's AP

This lasted for 2 weeks. I had purchased it used and tried it out but with support going and the unlikelihood of me getting all mods done and getting a somewhat custom map from Alta before July next year, I decided to go another route.

Impressions: I've ridden in an MCS before and after AP and the factory JCW before and after wasn't as significant. I noticed more wheel slip from back to back runs(after warming tires/engine up) but it wasn't a "holy crap" experience. This was with a bone stock factory JCW though so more mods would have probably yielded more but never found out.

 

Hey man lets see some pics! Good start and feedback on the AP.

 

PHOTOS ADDED AT BOTTOM

Second mod: Alta's boost and water temp gauge

Impressions: It's 2 gauges so nothing performance related per se. These has been one of the best things I've done for Einstein. With how the coolant tank operates in our MINIs, the water temp gauge can give a good idea on how warm the vehicle is. So two parts:

Boost gauge: How easy can this be to install? Remove intake, install boost tap, hose, controller and wire into the vehicle.
Water Temp gauge: When they say 1/8 NPT, they mean the National Pipe Thread and 1/8 isn't 1/8 inch. I went to 3 different automotive stores(NAPA, Autozone and O Reiley's) and 2 hardware stores(Home Depot and Ace) no one had an idea of what I needed. They tried to sell me threading tools and 1/8 inch in size but I knew it wasn't correct(1/8" is really small compared to the sensor unit). Finally found it at Harbor Freight and the set was $15. I highly recommend using teflon tape around the sensor. It continued leaking without the tape. After install, you might notice no leaks but after running the vehicle, the pressure will cause a leak without the teflon tape. Remember to thread only a turn or so(it's a tapered kind).

Tip: Zip tie the wire from the water temp sensor along the frame. Keeps it neat:



Tip: You can remove the intake via 1 bolt on left(passenger side). I made the mistake of removing the Torx bolts along the intake but that just takes off the cover for the intake(although it did make the removal easier since I can see what I'm pulling off at the bottom.

Tip: To remove windshield wipers, raise them off the windshield. A quick tap with a rubber mallet and it came right off

Tip: Guiding the wires through the firewall grommet can be difficult. I tried to cut just a small slit but there's bunched up factory wires blocking the way so ended up cutting a larger "T" shape to get the 2 wires in. I then used a clothes hanger to wire it through.

Tip: I mounted the boost controller on the little notch on the firewall(not sure why it's there cause there's nothing mounted)



The hardest part of this install was the wiring inside your vehicle. The T taps included don't tap well. I used some wire strippers to expose the wire to be tapped into before using the T tap. Then some electrical heat shrink and voila. I was able to hide everything behind the steering wheel. The wires that need to be tapped into the cig lighter can be run along the sides, underneath the plastic moulding and come back out behind the steering wheel dash.

Pic: Run it underneath the left side of the center console. You can't even see the wires in this picture


Overall very pleased. To test max boost, get into 2nd or 3rd gear, cruise at 2k rpms, then floor it. I get about 15 psi max boost(so there's plenty of room for improvements!)

Tip: Hold down the button on each gauge during start up to mute the annoying beeeeeeeeep it does EVERYTIME you start the vehicle. This got old quick. In addition, the water temp gauge comes with a temp warning set at 200F. Hold down the button until the gauge flashes, then release, hold it down again and you'll see the needle move. Set it to around 215-220F and that will be the new max temp warning.

See the Torx bolt by the hose? That's the bolt holding the intake unit.


Final results:

 

Third mod: Alta's FMIC and M7 Aero carbon fiber splitter

So this was a slightly painful ordeal. Not the install per se, but the reassembly. Removing the front bumper was simple enough. I've done it multiple times and a few screws here and there, voila!(most instructions, like Alta's, included in the kits show a very detailed procedure)

Alta's FMIC: So I know, I know, there's better-fit options. But I got this for a deal and it's black! So whatever, I'm sure most of the main ones have similar performances. Anyways, once you have the bumper off, it's just a matter of releasing the clamps on the stock intercooler and 2 screws. NOT!

Tip: There are 2 holes underneat the front metal "frame" surrounding the intercooler. That's the best way to access the screw that tightens the clamps around the intercooler. It's TIGHT but medium length flathead will get it. Be patient with this one. Even after releasing this, it's TIGHT. Brute strength is the only thing holding this sucker on.

Reinstallation took some body modification. I had a dremel and reciprocating saw(small handheld) and this was easy. Another local NAM-er helped with this install and he did the cutting. It's basically to help with how the hoses will sit with the new FMIC. I was afraid of cutting the spot where the stock intercooler was screwed on but you won't be using that with the new intercooler so cut away. I'm not sure why people make a big deal about this required mod. It was worth it for a black intercooler IMO :P

TIP: I did not find anything protuding behind my JCW aero front bumper. Instructions said to trim some diverter tabs on the stock front bumper but mine was pretty much flat. (maybe I missed something and that's what caused my difficult reinstallation?)

Putting the new intercooler was tricky. You need to get a good hold behind the hoses to push the intercooler in. Best way was to get a good start, then hold the hoses from underneath the car, and tap the intercooler in with your other hand. With this, I was able to get the lip of the intercooler to get behind the clamps. Tightening the clamp was another tight-quarters-procedure but was simple.

M7's aero carbon fiber splitter: DRY FIT THIS BABY BEFORE DRILLING. The accompanying instructions do NOT give a good picture of where to drill.

NOTE: If you have the Aero kit, you have to remove the black lip to install the splitter. This can be a nightmare if you hate tabs. And reinstalling it back on was not any easier. Is it hard? Not really, just frustrating.

TIP: Since I had to remove the black lip and was drilling holes into it(2 seperate pieces), it was best to make marks while the black lip was still on the main bumper body. If you try to do this AFTER removing it, it'll be a pain cause there's nothing holding the 2 pieces together(someone mentioned that there's a 1-piece version).

Putting the black lip back onto the main bumper body was harder than removing it cause now you have the splitter installed. Just go slow and your first intuition is to start in the middle but start from one side.

Major trouble I had was putting the front bumper back on. For the life of me, it was just tight and would not align with the side fender flares. Final solution was to get one side started, then the middle 2 Torx bolts, then brute strength on the other. The tabs will hold fine on both sides.

You can see this gap here


I'll be installing an M7 AGS-R, coilovers, Akrapovic downpipe, custom exhaust and water/meth kit soon(just got to find the time to do it). I'll take some photos later and post whatever I can. Promise!

Final pic

 

Fourth mod: Akrapovic high flow cat
Fifth mod: 3" custom exhaust

I had both done at the exhaust shop. This is just a personal opinion but an exhaust should be stainless steel, welded right and fit your vehicle. Other than that, you're paying for brand name. So instead of spending a grand or so on Alta's catback, I decided to go 3" custom with Flowmaster mufflers and 4" tips 0.0. Total cost: $350(I know a guy otherwise it would be around $550. This includes the downpipe install. (sorry no pics of install since I didn't do it)

Sound: Very deep rumble and seems loudest around 3-4k. It can be VERY obnoxious when cold but once the engine warms up, it's a low rumble. I couldn't tell you if it's the downpipe or exhaust but I'm VERY happy with the results. I attempted to record some sound clips myself but driving and holding the iPhone didn't fare so well. Gonna wait till a buddy is with me.

 

6th mod: Megan Racing Coilovers
7th mod: H-sport 22mm rear sway bar
8th mod: H-sport adjustable control arms

So I tackled this solo, with the only experience from doing a set of M7 coil overs 3 years ago. This was such an easy mod, you won't be able to live with yourself if you paid someone $200-$400 to install(4 quotes I go)

Best advice is to figure out how to jack up your MINI. I tackled the rears first so I drove the front wheels onto some 2x4s and used the front jack point to lift the rear jack point high enough to place a jack stand. Went around the other front jack point and repeated.

Pictures!

I didn't even bother with instructions. Once you take off your wheels, it's self evident:


TIP: To remove the inside bolt of the lower control arm, don't bother with cutting or pushing the insulation away. Instead, get an 18mm 1 and 1/2 inch length 3/8 driver to access the bolt from the front. It's hidden within the subframe and a 1" length is too short and 2" is too long(it hits the fuel tank in front of the subframe). Just place a thin wrench to hold the bolt from the rear side, and loosen from the front.

TIP: Spray everything with WD-40. It made removal alot easier:



From memory, it's a total of

:(per side)1 bolt on bottom and 2 on top for strut
:(per side)1 bolt on bottom and 2 on top for rear sway bar(you need to release 2 more bolts on each side for the subframe so you can slip the sway bar
:(per side) 1 bolt on the outside and one inside for rear control arm

That's it! (random photo)



The fronts are alot easier. Basically 1 bolt to release end link(16mm 2"), 1 at bottom to disconnect from main rotor(18mm 1") and 3(13mm 2") that you access from engine bay.

TIP: Fit the new coilover into the body sleeve first, then use a hydraulic jack to move the whole rotor/suspension up until you can slip the end link bolt, then upwards for the 3 top bolt.

Stance is PERFECT(I didn't want to slam since it's winter and my driveway is steep :X) with the wheels BARELY tucking and almost no wheel gap. It got dark by the time I was done so no photos yet but will get some tomorrow morning.

Compared to M7's, the Megans feel like cloud 9. It's slightly stiffer than OEM but not by very much, maybe 10-15%? Feels very comfortable and I had dampeners at half(16 clicks) and loving it.

TIP: I had 2 problems after the install. Rubbing from rear right and then clunking on front left. Rear right was because the insulation was pulled out and wasn't tucked back in and front left was because the spring perch was loose so spring was clunking.

Rear sway bar is set at mid setting and it's just right. It feels planted when turning and more speed can be carried around turns as well. Just a tad of oversteer, the way I like it. I sprayed the adjustable control arms with another layer of clear coat after the debacle on my last set(read it under suspension mod forum)

 

Update: Megan Coilovers

The Megans feel like they're the right choice for those wanting to get rid of wheel gap without a harsh ride. After a few hundred miles on them, they still feel "just right" for a daily driver. There's still -some- body roll compared to my previous M7's but the non-harsh ride is what I wanted for a daily driver.

There seems to be one issue I just can't seem to fix however. I'm getting some coil binding on the front driver's side coilover. It's creaking during slow turns and I'm pretty sure it's coil binding. I removed it yesterday afternoon and took it apart to clean and regrease. Drove it today in the morning and early afternoon and not a single peep. I fixed it! However, I spent the afternoon routing the methanol kit wires/tube under the car with the passenger side jacked up. And now the creaking is back. Argh! I tried jacking up the driver's side to see if I can somewhat reset the two sides but no dice. I don't feel like I should have to remove and reassemble the coilover every time I jack the car up -.- So unless I find a fix for this, I might be swapping coilovers >.<

Next mod: Aquamist HFS-4 Methanol Injection Kit

 

9th mod: Aquamist HFS-4 Methanol Injection Kit

This is a long install. In fact, I spent 2.5 hours just routing the tube and wiring under the car. I've been putting off doing this because I kept going round and round about whether to route the wires inside the MINI or underneath. I went ahead and just ran it under. If I had to do it again, I might be able to do it under 2 hours. It's not hard per se, just labor intensive. Below are the photos:

The R55 install is different than the R56. I am keeping the kit in the wheel well instead of the back. With the cover on top, it's hidden from sight and takes up no room. I kept the foam wheel covering in and just cut out 2 notches to anchor the kit. As you can see, the OEM hole is on the right side, under the carpet of the R55.:





This is the venting tube:



Coming out of the heat shield(the red, black and white wires in the picture is coming from the back)



Just follow the other lines:



Finished boot(sorry Einstein's dirty)



The second half I think is going to be more involved but most posted installs fall short of details on it so I'm going to post it as soon as I get it finished(I had to stop as single digit temps got unbearable :X)

 

Looking great! Can't wait to come and see all the work you've done, you owe me a ride in it yet too :0P

 

Lol, bring ear plugs. I'm gonna try this mod in about a week or so, debating if I should get new fender panels or just mod the one I have :X Oh and do you see that JCW brace of yours sitting in Einstein? Come pick it up! ;p (might be joining you this Thursday on Cheese night though so might pass it to you then anyways)

 

cont
DARN IE ATE UP MY 3/4 FINISHED POST! ARGH!
(rewrite)

I've been putting off finishing the Aquamist install because of 2 reasons: Wisconsin winter and HATING HATING tapping wires. And since the Aquamist requires tapping the ECU, it made me doubly nervous and so been reluctant. However, I braved the winter conditions this past Saturday evening(13F in non heated garage!) and Sunday morning(not as bad as temps were around 20F) to finish a few things. 3 total things kinda pushed me over the edge and made me do this during crazy weather:

1. M7 carbon fiber splitter: Wisconsin had a pile of snow 2 weeks ago and even though I should know better(had this happen on my previous MINI with M7's splitter as well), I once again plowed into some snow and pulled off the adjustment rods. Luckily it didn't break the rod, rather just got pulled out of the bumper(the nut on the other side must have rattled off). I had to take the front bumper off, tear apart the bottom lip of the aero skirt and reinstall(there are some bolts on the bottom of aero version of the splitter

2. Megan coilovers: I've posted how I've been struggling with coil binding on these coilovers. I absolute LOVE them as they're the right balance of comfort and performance, FOR MY NEEDS. However, the springy sound as I take slow turns drives me INSANE. Someone recommended bearings to replace the noise cancelling cushions(ironic name, I know) from Summit Racing and I installed them. This is after taking the coilovers apart, cleaning and greasing the crap out of them TWICE, to no avail. After installing these, not a single peep. Whee!

Bearings: http://www.summitracing.com/parts/hal-7888-109[/SIZE]

3. Aquamist HFS-4: Ok, so back to the Aquamist. The instructions for the system is pretty straight forward and although it isn't difficult per se, it does require some planning and strategy on how to route the wires. There are 3 items coming from the trunk:
a. Red wire to positive terminal of battery
b. Blue wire to controller in cabin
c. Methanol line to FAV controller

These 3 wires are covered in loom and routed under the MINI, following fuel lines and enters the engine bay in the middle(see my previous post). It comes up right behind the intake manifold. According to the instructions, there is a grommet somewhere in the firewall that you can route the wires to enter the battery compartment. I decided to drill and put a grommet higher up for easier access.

You can see it here:

The clear line is from the FAV controller and to be routed to the jet.

There is a total of 6 wires that have to be ran into the cabin:

3 of which will be ran from the cabin, along the battery compartment area(passenger to driver side), and out near the ECU to be tapped.
1 is from the trunk(blue wire from the abovementioned list)
2 is from the FAV controller to the controller in the cabin.

I loomed the 3 to-be-ECU-tapped wires and ran them behind the engine compartment firewall(the space where battery is located). This requires removing the windshield wipers and top cover. On the other side, the instructions state there is another area where you can exit the wires to the engine compartment. I decided to drill yet another hole and installed a grommet. I'm basically doing this so it's higher up and easily accessible.


You can see 4 wires running through that grommet because 1 was from my previous water temperature gauge. I have to install another small grommet on the left side of the picture for the boost gauge still :X

All the wires are routed and you can see the 6 wires running into the cabin here:


NOTE: The wires are coming from the far right corner of the passenger foot well. I thought it would be in the middle but feel up the right side and you can fish them out. There are other wires there as well so be careful. Easiest trick I learnt is to get a straight wire(like from a coat hanger) to guide/push the wires through. Also, light up the footwell with a flash light and you'll be able to see it better from the other side to guide

My plan is to run it into the glove compartment and leave the controller in there. I still have no idea where to put the gauge though since I already have 2 gauges my the tach :/ So there you have it folks. All wires are ran and only 3 things left to do before it's up and running:
1. Tap into ECU
2. Ground the wire in the trunk(you can use a spot in the amplifier but I've yet to do this so can't confirm)
3. Attach to positive battery terminal.

Then it's testing, running and tune! I'm hoping I can hit 250whp but that's just the optimist in me talking

 

Update! Sorry for the long pause in between but with the dreaded winter temperatures(actual winter too, not the pansy winters we've seen in prior years), I've put off some stuff.

1. Aquamist update: So I ran into some issues. Basically after the speed shop tapped the ECU, I kept going into limp mode. Quite a few of you have actually pm-ed me cause it scared you off from a methanol kit. Well it's pretty much fixed. The fail safe tends to cause a boost cut from the R56/55 ECU. Just make sure you tap the wires yourself, it helps with troubleshooting after the fact. I ran half a gallon of washer fluid as a primer/while testing and frankly I could not feel much difference. That is until the engine warms up. There seems to be a constant power regardless of how long of a drive I have. Prior to the methanol kit, I've seen a decline in pull after a long drive at WOT. This changed however, when I decided to go 100% methanol. Yikes, there was an actual discernible difference. Accelerations felt smooth and strong throughout the rpm band. I've heard that the R56/55 ECU adapts but I really did not foresee an actual butt dyno difference. We'll see in 2 weeks when I get Einstein on the dyno.

2. Challenge wing: So I finally got my hands on a Challenge wing that mounts on the Clubman. Love love love. It makes the Clubman look more like an R56. The flaw(IMO) on the Clubman is that the additional length makes it look rather hearse-like. This definitely takes care of it. Performance increase? No idea but it looks bad a$$. :P I know I know, we need pictures. Well read on.

3. Custom exhaust: So I had a 3" custom exhaust done at an "acquaintance's" shop. It had flowmaster mufflers and sounded awesome. However, it droned to all hell and I decided to install a resonator. It helped but the highway drone was still obvious. I got a chance to place it on a lift and to my surprise, the work done was not up to par. The Y-pipe, for example, was not 3". And, the steel used was not stainless steel. So all in all, I said screw it and went to a reputable muffler shop instead. Long story short, we swapped to Magnaflow mufflers, stainless steel and constant 3" mendrel bent pipes. Definitely an improvement. Drone is gone but idle is deep and rumbly. WOT is sweet sound although I did wish it was slightly louder(supposedly the mufflers break in and get louder after 500 miles, so we'll see). I'll post a video soon. Excuse for not doing so already is listed below :X

4. Painted arches: So I had another acquaintance paint my arches and the underside black trim(aero side skirt and bumper valence) glossy black. He obviously does not prep them properly and the paint is flaking off. :( I had Einstein paint-corrected and detailed and the body shop noticed this issue. So, I decided to swallow the bill and got them done properly. He's at the body shop right now for the next 4 days getting all of it redone. ;( Soooo, all the updated photos and vids will be up as soon as I get him back. It seems he has been in shops more often than I've been driving ;x Well at least it's for mods and not repairs. x.X

 

Nice build so far. Is there a reason you went with the Alta gauges over some of the others? they do look sweet, btw. cheers

 

Personally for me, it's due to cost, looks and familiarity. It looks OEM(more so once I swap the tach and speedo gauge faces black), with a discount code I had over Christmas, it was cheap and I've installed them before. Are there better gauges out there? Yep, but the nice ones are really cost prohibitive. I'm sure down the road I'll swap to better gauges once these break down but for now I just have too many other mods that I want to do but I still need a boost reading. So far my boost readings seem correct, as compared to a ScanGauge tool I borrowed. I make sure to check every 6-8 weeks(or whenever I see my buddy with it ;p)

 

Finally got Einstein back after a whole week. Body shop loaned me a Kia- talk about a muted driving experience. Didn't last long though since I had to drop him off to get Jan-tuned

Photos!

 

Update: RMW Tune

Being tuned right now and last I heard I was at 248 whp and 310 lb/ft torque ;x Er that's not meth tuned.

 

I love everything about this car man! Looking sick! I bet thats a fun little experience once you get on the throttle a little bit. Quick question though... is the group thing to get the RMW tune not gonna happen for WI/IL people anymore? Just kinda curious.

 

It is, if people quit backing out. We are talking to Jan to see if he will do less people and if so how much. I found out today that there's an additional charge for the dyno time on top of his tune. I thought it was all included. Surprise bill for the day, bleh.

Einstein did manage 255whp and 320 lbs/ft torque. LSD is a must at this point since I'm slipping in all gears. :X I guess I could stop going WOT :p

 

Sweet MINI!!! How much did the wheel arch painting (the proper job) cost? I've been considering the same.

 

It really depends on where you are but mine was about $700. This is my second attempt. Made the mistake of going cheap the first time, never again ;p

 

Thank you. As you can tell by my signature block and possibly several of my rants on NAM, I don't do cheap on The Dread Pirate.

 

Few people pm-ed me about a review of the tune itself. So here it is:

Official review:

1. With sport button on, accelerator pedal is giving proper throttle response, it's actually perfect. No sudden lurching like before.

2. Without the sport button, the accelerator pedal is a little late(gotta push it in quite abit before actual acceleration) It's actually similar to stock setup.

3. Boost is definitely faster to spool up. I'm guessing this also has to do with the new BOV, as others have reported the same. Also, it's holding boost for alot longer than stock.

4. Max boost is quite a feat. I'm hitting 23 psi consistently even though the ECU is supposed to limit it to 22 psi before boost cut. That's very impressive.

5. Power is available throughout the whole powerband. I did feel a decrease up top if I turned the meth off. However, I'm not sure if I want to run the meth tuned map. Without the fail safe, if the pump dies suddenly, engine failure can be a real possibility with that map. Since the non-meth map produced about the same, I might just go that route and let the ECU self-adjust with meth. Not sure at this point. I wish the darn fail safe would work and not keep boost cutting.

6. When I'm not stomping on the pedal however, the results are more impressive. Einstein feels relaxed and powerful, extremely balanced. I don't know how to describe it exactly but even accelerating normally from a stop feels correct. On stock form, it felt heavy. Not anymore!

Overall I am extremely impressed. Quick boost spool so power is always available. Top end boost is held so acceleration is quick. However, it's not a sudden lurch. It all felt very linear and controlled. Gas mileage seems to have gone down but I'm unsure if it's because the map is running rich or if I'm just hitting the gas pedal harder now ;p I'll know in a week or so. So far, can't compl

 

Curious what else you've done to the beast since your last update?

 

Not been doing much since Jan's tune. Busy with home renovations and business stuff. It's actually up for sale in the classifieds. Sold the Range Rover and trying to become a one vehicle family. Unfortunately the Clubman doesn't fit our needs as a primary vehicle :/