Hey everyone. I'm trying to decide what mods are a "must have" on a tight budget (for now ).

It would seem that the strut brace is absolutely essential due to the weak metal causing a mushrooming defect in all MINIs.

I only need those in the front, correct?

What other mods are essentials for the life, and to protect, the car?

After I've got all these safety-cheap insurance-features, I'll do the pulley and CAI next.

At first I thought I could just do these speed mods and start having fun, but it doesn't sound like that anymore. It sounds like there are more important mods to do for your MINI to keep it in shape before it handles performance mods. :impatient :impatient :impatient

Everyone's input is appreciated,
Thanks,
Jonathan

By the way, what's an oil catch can do?

 

Drivers School #1. Best money you will ever spend. It dont matter what you add to the car if you can't drive it in stock form to its fullest potential.

 

Euro Parcel Shelf and Auto-Up Window Circuit. Don't leave home without them!

Rawhyde

 

My opinion:
Rear sway bar and pulley 1st.
Intake, exhaust, lighter wheels with sticky tires 2nd.
Header and ECU upgrade 3rd.

 

Why the rear sway bar first?

Also, I was kinda looking for my first options to be things that will help hold the MINI Cooper together. (Like the braces so the metal doesn't mushroom and cause thousands worth of damage. :-/ )

Thanks for the info so far.

 

How many times has that happened? 10, 100? out of how many cars?

A rear sway bar will decrease the inherent understeer built into the car for more neutral cornering. .... which, like I said, don't mean much if you can't drive the stock car near its limits to begin with... Take a class. Look around, there are plenty of fine driving schools ... Or not.

 

1-School
2-Brakes
3-CAI
4-Catch Can (will keep oil out of IC)
5-Harness for Auto Cross or rear sway
6-Pulley
7-Injectors
8-Exhaust
9-ECU
10-Go back to school the car will be entirely different and you can't get to much training.

MY .02 but b/c of budget admittedly not the way I'm going about things also a radar detector might keep the insurance thing down, if it keeps you paying attention to the road and not speeding, keeping you for getting any tickets, if you think it will let you speed w/out repercussion, don't bother.

 

MotoringFile: Low Buck Mods

 

There aren't any must-have's - it's a well-built solid car that will hang together for a long time.

Well, maybe a piece of window screen laid on the IC under the diverter to keep the bugs and gravel out, but that's about it...

 

That's the kind of stuff I'm talking about. Yes, the MINI seems to have had lots of good reviews about it being very solid, but based on who you ask, there will be little opinions about keeping your MINI in better shape.

My question is, are these things really that necessary. I want to keep the car for...well...too long... I understand why the braces might help, but how many MINIs really mushroom? How hard of a pot hole do you have to hit? Even the best driver in the world can't avoid every pot hole. Sometimes you get boxed in and can't turn to avoid big ones on highways or something. etc etc etc

Does that much gravel really get into the IC? And what is the IC? Intercooler? What's that? lol Feel free to not answer my questions as I probably ask too many of them.

 

Never too many questions, IC is intercooler, I find more bugs in there than anything else, though I did hear about one person who found a spark plug piece, I've actually been looking into following that persons lead and installing some type of "mail slot" protection. The VGS mod put me out about $3 and I had enough supplies left to put it on a second MINI, but its not really a must have. One I just did a few weeks ago was blind spot mirrors so now I need not turn my head to see EVERYTHING behind me, some places 4 times over, that went about $5 for 3 additional mirrors, one suction that covers everything parallel to the car out the side windows, and two stick-ons with 180-degree views off the side mirrors. You could also run with tow hook in place, and I painted mine for about $2. And I think a NAM decal goes for 4 bucks as well as a WRR decal. (Not 100% sure on those prices). Not all needed but cheap ways to make the car unique.

 

Thanks! How do you clean the intercooler out? Where is it located?

Thanks again,
Jonathan

 

The intercooler is the silver bit atop the engine that looks like a radiator, it is what is behind the hood scoop to clean it I usually hit it with water from the hose (not pressure washer) from a few different angles then some toohpiks to get out anyhting thats wdged itself in there thenif I'm feeling particuarly meticuleos get out a Q-tip and rub off any dirt between the fins. Here is a picture of and IC from another MINI:


The IC is under the red cover and there are two of those silver tubes connection to it.

 

Here is a link to a general glossary that made the switch to MINIs easier for me.
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ad.php?t=55819

 

Thanks again!!! I'm not even making a switch to a MINI. (Nothing to switch from) This is my first car and I usually take very good care of everything I own. So I'm learning this whole world from scratch.

 

The search function is good, and everyone here at NAM is really helpful so feel free to ask away, I'm still learning something new about MINIs almost everyday

 

Yup, I use that search function a lot. But technology and opinions are always changing. So there are times when asking questions gets the best answers available.

 

I've still been reading lots about suspensions recently, but, why aren't the braces useful to prevent mushrooming in the rear? Is it because of the lighter weight back there? Or is there more metal back there so its more durable? How would one see the shocks back there? How do we know there isn't as much mushrooming in the rear as there is in the front?

 

The "mushrooming" issue has only affected a very small number of cars that use lowering springs and 18" or larger wheels and pound the devil out of them on rough roads.

The dreaded "mushrooming" is created by repeatedly bottoming out the shocks, which simply doesn't happen when using rationally-sized wheels and unlowered suspension, and even then only if you drive like an idiot over bumps and potholes.

The rest of what you read about the need for strut-top braces and plates is pure marketing and FUD (fear, uncertainty and doubt) created by vendors who would like to sell you their product.

The Mini does not need any extra bracing for normal use. It is already a very strong, rigid car, that doesn't require extra parts unless you abuse it.

 

Not so. I have 17" TDR Pro race 1's with 205/45/17 (Stock S-lite sizes), Stock suspension (I just put H&R springs on yesterday). And I got the dreaded Mushroom. Alot has to do with were you live. Are you in a pothole prone area. Do you Watch out for pot holes when you drive. And can you avoid them. It only takes one time to mushroom.

 

OK - add 17" wheels with 92mm sidewall to the list of predisposing factors...

An extra 10-20mm of tire sidewall is a lot more padding between the potholes and the suspension.

 

And before you experience any mushrooming, the wheels, tires and shocks will need to be replaced numerous times from the abuse.

Frankly, I doubt that strut braces would do anything to cure/prevent mushrooming.

 

Well that sounds like good news. I'm getting the stock suspension and sport package 17" S-Lites.

Sounds like I won't have any problem with mushrooming and my money can be better spent on a pulley and a CAI first.

 

MODfree since Dec 04 & loving every minute of driving my Mini

 

If you're really concerned about mushrooming, you can get plates that sit atop the strut and accoplich the same thing as the tower without the bling and cost of the tower. Nuzzo Motorsports did this for their Gand Am touring cars, just plain steel cut into a triangle and driiled some holes into it. And those cars RACE and they only RACE and you can't put much more abuse on those cars than these guys do. And if you reach that point mushrooming not the biggest concern.