If anyone could weigh in on my situation I would really appreciate it... Heres what I'm trying to accomplish:
basically I just want to invest my money in the most effective way to get the best performance out of my 2004 mini s. I want components that will remain relavent on the track, as I plan to make this a dedicated track car in a few years, but for now its a daily driver. I don't mind sacrificing ride for performance. I know theres a ton of threads on this, but I'm in a time crunch to get this car completed over my xmas break before school consumes my life again in again....
what i have so far: 18 in. OZ rims (17lbs)
Eibach Anti-Roll Kit on the way
I know i need to drop it at least an inch, the wheels and rims are the same size as the OEM setup.
Any advice is appreciated,
grateful noob

 

Get some camber plates and 4 adjustable rear control arms. Set your alignment to your liking.

The stock springs and dampers are ok to keep right now.

 

lefty03: i agree pretty much w/ the previous post. work on your driving skills first, improve handling (sway bar, rear control arms, and adjustable front camber plates are a great start), then braking (track only pads and better fluid are a beginning), finally add all the hp you can afford! pulley, cat-back and ecu tune will get you plenty of power to be a formidible track car. good luck and keep us all posted......

 

For a track car, i'd save the engine tune for much further down the track. I'd get coilovers, front camber plates, rear control arms, adjustable rear swaybar, and track pads and fluid.

 

At a recent MINI only autocross event, I drove something like 8 different MINIs. My findings were that to make the car really handle well, you need front camber plates (preferably adjustable) and a bigger, adjustable rear swaybar. That's the simplest way to get the balance of the car moved from understeer to neutral or even oversteer.

If you are going to do lowering springs, you need to do shocks also (or go to some good coilovers). Springs and dampers can modify the balance of the car if the ratio of front to rear rates are different than stock. But, pretty much, all springs and shocks will do is allow you to go into a turn faster before you lose grip. Once you get to the "lost grip" point, the balance of the car will be the same as stock.

Also, if you lower more than around 1/2", you'll need adjustable rear control arms to keep the camber in the rear under control. I have the JCW suspension, which lowers the car just a little, and do not have adjustable rear control arms.

Another thing to consider is some front control arm bushings that add caster to the car. The Alta PSRS does this, and I have some bushings from Bavarian Autosport that add caster in a way that is simpler than the PSRS, but not adjustable.

So, start with camber plates and a rear swaybar to adjust the handling balance of the car. Then, add springs and dampers to raise the limits of grip in the car (this will require rear control arms if the drop is 1" or more). Lastly, add caster to the front. You don't have to do all three steps, but that is the order I would recommend doing them in. It's all about the alignment...

 

Also, get some good sticky tires.

 

Drop the 18" blingz0r when you finally do make it to a track too. Excess weight (remember the tires too), excessive weight far from the hub, and performances tires will cost ya 2x as much. Some nice teeny-tiny wheels will do nicely!

As already stated, best first suspension mods are a rear anti-sway bar and front camber plates. Lowering is largely cosmetic. Aftermarket spring+shock combo (or coilover) are a definite improvement though, down the road.

 

I have exactly the same ambitions. Here is what I have done, because my daily driver is 2 hours freeway per day, M-F over s***ty roads and driveways and stuff. I have NOT lowered because even though I like "spirited driving", street performance just doesn't let me go fast enough so that lowering right now would essentially mean I scrape in more places more often.

I started with Alta 19mm rr anti-sway on "stiff" setting and light weight (14 #) wheels, and (for me) what I think is one of the best VALUE tires: Kumho ECSTAs.
I added some time ago Koni FSDs for the huge ride improvement PLUS (I think) enhanced handling too.
I just got SPC camber plates and H-sport lower rear control arms to allow me to mess with camber adjustments while I still have a daily driver (to better understand the effects of the adjustments. I am still driving on the original setting, but want to try about -.25 more front and +.25 rear, soon)
If an when the car goes to ALL track, I would expect to go to LSD and coil-overs, and REALLY start to play. Will ned all new bushings at that time, also, and who knows what else.

For right now, the car is FUN and gets me where I need to go EVERY DAY, and is not way out of warranty scope where it counts.

Color me HAPPY.