Matt (CamelPilot),

I have all the parts on my car, and I would put them in the following order of preference for purchasing:

1) Engine Torque Damper (currently only available in "pink")

2) Under Strut Tower Brace --- both the front and middle

3) Under Floor Spoiler (the "wings")

As has been commented on by many others, the quality of these JDM products is superb!

Cheers, and I'll see ya' at the WMS install function this weekend...

 

I picked one up for my 03 MCS but decided I would like to sell it use the money elsewhere (finish the very little that is left for my suspension) so $170 shipped to anyone who wants it, I posted a thread in the marketplace forum also. Thought I would post here in case anyone was keeping an eye on this thread.

Thanks,
BEATNUT

 

I've had the "pink part" for a few weeks now, and it is a very worthwhile mod. The engine feels much more immediately responsive without the springy slack of the stock mounts. The responsiveness actually gives an effect of having a more powerful engine! I've had the damper on and off a few times for comparison (the damper itself literally takes just a couple of minutes to remove and re-install, when the end brackets left bolted on). The damper's effect is immediately noticable.

Alas, not all is completely pink and rosy. As others have noted, the damper adds some vibration. I would describe the extra vibration and noise as similar to having a rough idling engine. You notice it when stopped, especially through the steering wheel, but it is masked once you get moving. Unfortunately, I do spend a lot of time stopped on congested San Francisco streets. On the other hand, the damper also makes the car more responsive in stop and go situations, because without the slack there is better control over modulating the clutch. In my case, the MINI is our (only) family car, and the extra vibration is a tradeoff. For a performance oriented enthusiast, the relatively small amount of extra vibration is easily tolerable, and far outweighed by its benefits.