so i have a 08 cooper s iv had it since september nuthing has been done to it yet. so im thinking of a change and actually putting some stuff on it. i have about $500 to spend im thinking of getting the ddm RIS and im coming to think is that the right move ?

 

Save your money for a rainy day........

 

doesnt rain much where i live im tryin to do mods to my car just dont know if ddm RIS is the best place to start ....

 

I would save up a little more and do a suspension upgrade first. Or maybe lighter wheels and stickier tires.

 

i was thinking about that to, but then i was just like i do need an exhaust so i think im going to go with the borla sport...

 

I second the idea of wheels or suspension. Honestly, $500 is not going to get you a big difference in the hp department, you aren't going to notice a big change. Go with suspension or wheels, and you will notice dramatic changes, i.e-lighter wheels. Just my thing. Or save it, cuz the other thing is, as you may have noticed others saying, once you mod one part, you want to mod the whole car, so it might be depressing when you dont have enough money to change other things.

 

rear anti sway bar. you could even do that and a CAI for about $500. easy enough to do on your own and you will hear/feel an immediate difference.

poly engine bushings. way cheap and give driving a crisper feel.

road trip. go see your old friend in Ohio (or where ever). putting a couple of hundred bucks in the gas tank is never a bad investment

 

for now. Really, there are lots of little things that will do little amounts and eat up your wallet. Go get some high performance driving experience (track day or the like) so that you can use what you've got. When you start to find the limits of the car, then you can spend to improve the limits you run into.

Matt

 

Listen to this guy, 500 dollars saved will generate $$$ down the road. A 500 dollar dodad will get you enjoyment for a few months, years, maybe.

 

lol i guess wheels it is..... any sizes that anyone would sugest? im thinking 17"

 

I have the DDM CAI Street and RAM scoop and for $500 it does make a difference. Sometimes you just have to do things in steps and this is one you should consider.

 

Here's a good starter question: What are you trying to get out of the car? Better handling, braking, power, aesthetics? Don't "mod" just for the sake of modding. Sit down and look into the future and plan out your goals for the car. This way you don't waste your money and time doing things that may not help your end-goals.

 

My first mod was the DDM Works RIS and I haven't regretted it for a moment!

 

I spent my first $500 on tint and a GPS and mount. Makes every trip more enjoyable and easier. After that... a few odds and ends and then saved my pennies for the Stage I kit. Makes every trip sound better and a lot more fun.

Oh wait... I spend a boatload on winter wheels and tires very first, and paint protection film for the front end (after a $200 deductible), then the Stage I.

But Ryan has the right idea... you have to know what you want. Don't spend $500 just to spend it so you can say that you've modded your car. Make sure you get something that you'll get some use out of and appreciate for a while.

 

I agree with Ryephile. Before I even got my car I laid out what I wanted to achieve. Thus my first change was new lighter wheels and stickier tires. My next step is to upgrade the braking system either by getting the bigger JCW kit or just replacing the stock pads with HAWK HP+. My next step is suspension and will finally end up with engine upgrades but I'm still far from getting to that point.

 

Will lighter wheels really make a noticeable difference? I am wondering because I hear how much better it makes your 1/4 times, 0-60 times, etc, but will it truly enrich the driving experience?

I'm not so much into the flashy wheels department, and I love quality over quantity. I just don't want to spend $600 on quality wheels that don't really do much but look different. That would be depressing, indeed. Tires are definitely next on my car, though!

 

in my limited experience yes. I've autoxed on and off for about 6 years with my M Coupe and I didn't put lighter wheels on the car until the last 2years. at least on the autox course I can feel a bit of a difference in initial throttle response.

I honestly can't say the same about the MCS, since I've not autoxed and I put the new wheels on fairly early on. IMO swapping out the runflats with regular summer tires (I'm in CA) made a major difference in grip level as well as comfort.

 

and going to lighter wheels is like adding from one to a few percent in power. Not huge, but there. One other benefit is that reduced unsprung weight allows the suspension to better track road surfaces. This shoud effect breaking distance and cornering limits on real world surfaces. How much I really don't know.

Matt

 

I have a Cooper non S and went from 21 lb rims to 16 lb rims and it made a world of difference.

 

First thing I had done was the H&R short shifter adapter $45, very happy with this. H&R springs and rear sway bar as well. This was close to $500 without install.

I am very happy with this decision, feels like a totally different car. Also gets rid of that nasty wheel gap and looks so much better.

I am still on the fence about the CAI. I decided to just get the K&N drop in.

Jason

 

It's like dropping about 50 lbs from the car (20 lbs in basic weight and another 1.5x that in moment of inertia). That's less than 2% in vehicle weight.... Much less when you consider the rest of the rotating assemblies.

Matt

 

Just do a $20 Stubby Antenna, $137 Craven Speed Strut Defender Plates (Prevents Mushrooming), $50 Drop In Air Filter and then save the rest for a rainy day.

 

Well the easiest way to tell is to drive on a hilly back road. With the heavier wheels there is no point in shifting to 6th gear until at least 55 mph. With the lighter wheels the car easily goes up hills in 6th gear at 45 mph.

But I noticed the difference right way even on level roads.