I am a new Cooper S owner and don't know much about this whole Mini thing, other than it is just a blast to drive. I am sure that there are some things that all of the veteran Mini owner say should be done to modify the Mini. SO, save me some time and just tell me, what should my first mod be to this little thing. I want more power!

 

Welcome to the WORLD Of MINIacs....

First question is, how much money are you willing to fork out?? You will notice the MOD bug bite,and next thing you know your bank account will be "overused" and your wallet will become lighter..

Some ideas...I would get them in this order (if you want more power)...

1. CAI (i.e. ALTA seems to be the most HP gain)
2. 15% pulley
3. exhaust (Milltek)
4. header (Milltek)
5. Some type of engine tuning (MTH, Unichip, Evotech) *** which you can add of course in between any of the mods above
6. bigger intercooler or Air/Water intercooler
7. lighter RIMS/tires (again, you can get this before everything else.. depends on your budget)

If you're still not happy..
8. cams

If you want MORE
9. head work


Myself I went with
1. swaybar
2. lighter wheels and tires
3. ... then start modding for power....

Good luck and above all HAVE FUN!!!

///Gilbert

 

do the exahust first thing....
any even one ball is better than the stock.

 

CAI??? What is the CAI?

 

Ok...I figured it out. Thanks for the input. It was somewhat what I thought it might be.

 

MotoringFile just ran a "top 5 mods" story you might find interesting ...

http://www.motoringfile.com/2005/10/...ds_for_the_mcs

 

just my 2c.. but see'ing that u just got ur mini, id drive around in it for a couple of months before starting any modding.. that way u are able to adjust and familiarise urself with ur car, and then determine exactly what u want to 'improve' on ur car, rather than dumping money into various mods which u would have virtually no idea, what they're about, or what they do (just an assumption).

During this time i';d also do a fair bit of reading around to see what other people have done, why they've done it, and research on the parts u plan to install (rememebr they can affect ur warranty!)

The MCS as a stock car is a bloody fantastic car in terms of performance and handling, but once u get used to it , u will be looking at ways to increase its performance and handling. Thats where it gets interesting.


Cheers and g'luck

 

Cold Air Intake

I went with the exhaust first.

 

The first thing that I did, was put on a Whalen Shift Machine. Don't let the name scare you though, it's just a heavier, higher quality, shift **** than the factory S has. They're pretty neat, come in all sorts of finishes and designs, you can even have a custom design put on it! I regretted not getting it earlier than I did, it's not even funny how much smoother your shifts will be. If you want an actual shorter shifter get the Alta shift **** with the OEM adapter, then put on a whalen, I will be doing this in a couple of weeks. The Whalen and Alta Short Shifter are like $140 each, and are great first mods!

View this thread!

Mikey

 

oh btw the M7 Grills are good mods too!
It's the lower front grill in this pic, it's a mesh steel, that's hot zinc coated, in other words it's alot stronger than stock, and looks alot more aggresive! It's also fairly cheap in price, but not in quality!

 

A Nitrogen Tank is great one too! JK...JK

Mikey

 

Ditch the runflats and go to a driving school. From there you'll learn what you want.

 

Just twincharge (add a turbo) it off the bat, that should satisfy your need for speed

 

We picked up my wife's MCSa in the beginning of september. For me, it's like a long test drive to figure out what i'll do to mine!

I plan to order a PS/B MCS in the spring. I'll bring a set of Rota C8's that i have to the dealer & have the factory runflats put on. Save the X-lites for some sticky summer tires or something...

The Aero grill will be waiting for me when i drive the car home! As will the IceLink Plus. Also, some DIY dark grey bonnet stripes.

An intake will be next (Alta most likely, maybe HAI)

One-Ball. I would love the millitek, but i doubt i'll be dropping $700 on that.

after a few thousand miles to make sure everything is tip-tip, it will be pulley time. no idea what size yet.....

I will probably add a short shifter in there, most likely the Helix.

Thats about it. Not going overboard, did that on my miata and ended up with a car that was hard to drive on anything but sunny days...

-jac

 

Lightweight wheels and tires will get you more performance and acceleration than any other single mod.

After that, upgrade the rear swaybar.

Then install a K&N panel air filter - the stock box is already a cold-air intake.

 

pulley

 

I gotta know. WHY would just a shift **** make your shifts smoother? A short shifter I can see. That is one thing I want to do.

 

for me... i did it in this order:
1) MOMO shift ****
2) H-Sport Comp sway bar and Alta Intake
3) New tires/wheels
4) Exhaust, short shifter
5) 15% pulley, denso ik22s
6) MTH chip
7) Ferodo DS2500 pads
8) Greddy SMI gauges with Alta mount
9) M7 Grille
10) GRS intercooler, coil pack, wires
11) Eibach Springs/koni shocks
12) racing seats (since took out)
13) Wilwood BBK
14) lighter wheels/new tires

that's it for now.. racing seats i had will be replaced soon

personally.. i drove my S stock for 6 months before the momo went in... so just drive the hell out of it first!

also, one man's poison may not be your own... if you want to spend 2000 bucks on it... then ignore the wheels/tires.. stick with stock, get a pulley, get a chip, put on a sway bar and you can hang with most things on the road.. perhaps an intake and exhaust would be good... if you are not racing it then intercoolers, head, cams.. those are unecessary... lowering is subjective, as are harder shocks...

so just figure it out.. wat are you using the car for?

 

How about this duct tape mod I have heard so much about lately?


https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ad.php?t=53306
This might be the mod to start with.

 

WARNING...SARCASM IS ABOUT TO BE DISPLAYED

I think the first mod should be a 21" computer screen, so you can read the forum recommendations a little easier!

 

I gotta second Driver's school as a first mod. Followed by the pulley.

 

This is a great question for new owners (see the first gear forum).
It's been asked many many times before.

The answer is your first mod should be the one that is "right" for you.
This can be based on your opinion/values and:
Budget
Appearance
Improved functionality
Enjoyment for using/driving your MINI

The MINI is a performance vehicle and is fun to drive whether in stock or modified form. Therefore some owners don't feet complelled to make changes that affect warranty on those parts that are upgraded. Some owners would rather add appearance minded upgrades (clear bra, 3M light protectors) or functional upgrades (roof rack, alarm, shift ****, stereo upgrade, or console/glovebox organizers).

Often you won't know what you want- so get out to your local MINI club's next event and see what others have done (get some ideas).

For the wise owner- It's always a good idea to keep things stock for as long as possible. When problems occur you can take them to the dealership and expect warranty service. Once you mod parts you are responsible for any problems related to those upgrades.

Also, for many of us we have not had much experience with modding in the past so we don't really know the full impact of doing certain performance mods that might affect ride quality for using our MINIs for daily driving. That's why it's good to go for a ride in a modded MINI to get the feel of the firmness of the suspension after adding lowering springs or the loudness of the exhaust after upgrading the cat back exhaust.

Take your time in deciding. There is no rush to get everything done in a hurry. Talk to other MINI owners. Plan a budget. Check out other MINIs.

If I had to do it all over again. I'd pick my first mod to be-
Driver's school (over and over). (It helps to improve the "nut" behind the wheel).

 

I think your first mod should be lowering springs and or new lighter rims. I notice a huge difference when i went with lighter weight rims. Stopping distance improve. And the suspension and the whole carfeel more nimble.

 

"FREE" Actual Size decal from Dragonslayer before he turned it over to Aesthetic Creations (Ok it cost me a SASE). NAM decal (naturally), Warning to female passengers decal. All here and and ready to go on the MINI when it gets here.

Awaiting my "MINI Car Club of Indiana" decal.

Considering "1:1 Scale" decal.

We will get a "Tail of the Dragon" decal when we get there next spring.

Then light weight crank pully, Light weight flywheel, MTH Chip, Light weight wheels/tires (want to put winter tires on the 5-stars) Intake, Exhaust header & Cat Back (still deciding) Cam, Port and polish head.

Aftermarket chrome interior, Aftermarket NAV, Katzkins seats (club logo), Tint windows, Factory alarm.

Yes I have plans but starting easy by going with decals first!

 

A heavier shift **** like the Whalen will dramatically reduce the "notchiness" that is apparent with the stock MINI. Plus it looks sweet! I'm pretty sure that the effects of the heavier shift **** will increase if the shifter is shorter. The Whalen lets gravity help you when shifting, and allows the shifter to feel much more balanced in my opinion.


Mikey