This is very unlikely (1) because it would mean virtually every dealer was forgetting it on every car and (2) now some are coming with pre-cut holes.

 

Before any more of my 'generation 1' comrades give additional harsh comments on the R56 hood scoop...

I direct your attention to the 1st generation S's and our 'dual exhaust' compared to the 'lowly single exhaust' of the non S.

For those who don't know and have never looked, the 1st gen MINI S exhuast in single until the tips, or last 12 inches anyway.

 

but gasses can go out either of the "tips".

I find these pissing contests about stuff like this funny. There's tons of stuff on cars for style only, yet some choose to focus on just one bit that is there for style only......

Matt

 

Yup, lots of styling items. For me the key is in any conversation about a R56 & R53-50 or whatever is to remember that either version is more appealing to me than the other stuff out there.

I also try to remember what it's like when a Classic Mini owner goes out of their way to be rude to a MINI. It's not pleasent, and I hope I never make a R56 owner feel like that.

I can consider the 1 generation MINI my favorite, and politely mention I happen to prefer certain things about it, without slamming or insulting the 56 or those who prefer it.

And remember friends, when watching a p*ssing contest always stand well to windward.

 

um opening in the hood scoop and letting more cool air into the engine absolutely changes the temperature in a positive way.

not sure why one poster thought it would be negative.

what it does not do is impact the air coming into the engine itself as the cold air intake has a tube that runs up next to the driver side headlight.

Ive been driving in heavy rain and its not getting wet. but I can tell you for people wondering about the top of the engine, block, heads etc, all you need to do to get that wet(and I mean really wet) is run through a decent puddle.

so the now functional head scoop in no way impacts the amount of water coming into the engine compartment so you can stop guessing about it.

and actually one of the things the solid hood scoop did do was block the noise the turbo makes, so without it the car is louder.

but to hypothesize that removing the block actually hurts the carefully engineered engine compartment is ridiculous, especially since mini is already providing hood scoops that have holes and let air in.

so for those interested, its 5 screws to get it out, 1 screw goes back in and presto done, no more useless hood scoop.

 

{o,o}
|)__)
-"-"-
O RLY? Do give us your before and after measurements with this mod...

 

Hmm... Maybe aftermarket can make a small oil cooler that would be right behind the scoop when you close the hood. Maybe even make a plastic/rubber seal that goes from the scoop and wraps around the oil cooler.

 

Supposedly, the JCW mod uses it for air intake. That's what my MA said, anyway.

 

If the tuning kit uses it, that would be...

 

Answer: One of the reasons for MINI's redesign of the Bonnet in the first place was because of the new European Pedestrian Safety Standards.

The "Plug" in the hood scoop has to do with those European safety standards.

For Example: Upon hitting a European Pedestrian, their internal organs tend to splatter, and, should one of their organs need to be poured, sewn, or stuffed back inside their torso, they don't want that organ getting damaged by being "squeezed" through the hood scoop and then "cooking" atop your well heated engine. Therefore the plug was put in place.

Also, the smell of buring organs tends to upset Europeans, especially the Fench, who invented "Tartar" and "pate`"

-B

 

Yeah, but they also eat cows brains, which they do cook.

 

Now i dont know if anyone's hood scoop is like mine, but there is obviously the black piece, but if you draw vertical lines down it, so theres 3 bubbles to a column, mine has a column of open bubbles every other column.....if that makes any sense. All im saying is mine is partially open, but obviously not all the way.


PS: Buffdigits, i tried removing it and i had a screw on the left side and on the right, and thats all i could see. i took them out and it did not want to come off, and there was a medal piece it looked like i had to push up to allow the hoodscoop blocker to fall forward towards the engine. any help would be great. am i missing some screws?

 

Couldn't agree more. It's interesting to see this pissing match after coming from a VW background. With every new generation that comes out, everyone with older generations immediately pounces on it and points out every little thing which makes it un-VW. The MK2 guys did it when the MK3 came out, and then the MK3 guys did it when the MK4 came out, and the all new and improved MK5 is still not living up to what people think a VW should be.

I remember when the MINI was released and it was immediately labeled as blasphemous by Mini afficianados who said it was too heavy, big, flashy, and all about options. I'm sure 5 years or so from now there will be R56 owners complaining about the next evolution of the car too. It's a stupid, vicious cycle.

 

yup, lift up the hood, look at the underside of the hood dead center, you see that plastic plug? Pull it out, underneath it is another star drive screw, you need to take that out before the hood scoop piece can come out.

once that screw is out, then lift firmly from the top of the hood while grabbing the hood scoop insert. it pops out, careful as there are little plastic
pins all around the scoop that hold it in.

then you can take the other two screws you could not get too and presto
the plastic insert comes out.

I put the screws back in so I wouldnt lose them, pressure fit the hood scoop
insert back into the hood, put that big star screw back in, put the plastic
plug back in and presto all done.

as for temperature of the engine, I dont think its hugely signifcant, but I do notice that the fan does not stay on or not as long as it use to when parking the car and turning the engine off. so its obviously helping.

but as from experience with lots of cars over the years, when driving in 115 degree texas heat, the more air flow you can get through the engine compartment the better off you are. It also reduces the heat build up
under the hood which is also good especially for all those rubber hoses and plastic pieces that are scattered all over the engine compartment.

its like anything else though, you dont have to do it if you dont want to, be skeptical all you want, but it helps, it works, and it doesnt hurt anything.

 

hmmm, buff. That sounded very easy. I think at some point I'm going to pop mine out and do a number on it with a drill bit and my dremel.

 

I agree with that idea.

The bonnet was designed with a scoop. So be it.
Now lets make it really work, not just be blocked off and for looks.

Replace the solid plastic grille and put in a open screen.
Put in something to route the air from the scoop to where it would help most.

Drill some holes in the plastic grille.

Put in a monster scoop.

 

My neighbor race's F-1's when he looked at my R56S and saw where the turbo is and were the scoop is he told me he'd drill hole's in the cover or take it off. I'll probably drill holes.

 

Your neighbor is Scott Speed? He's the only american in F-1 right now...

 

and ask Eric from Helix13.com "when's your mod'd airbox" coming out?"

 

thanks digits, ill do it tomrrow- its to dark out now. Ill post again to let you know how it went.

 

Anyone here read ALTA's post over in engine mods?

Sounds like they've developed - AND DYNO'D - a revised intake system. They've tested the system with the scoop block in place and removed for more air flow and engine cooling. There appears to be at least one item in the works that will make this whole issue moot (with number to back it up).