Engine Drivetrain 2nd Gen Most liked posts in thread: Any way to get a little more power?

My justa SOUNDS faster then a factory S :smilewinkgrin:.

Mark

 

Can't agree on this one....

none of this is about "need" or rational thought. It's about what floats ones own boat. Heck, it may even come down to something as simple and arbitrary as not wanting to have a stupid fake scoop!

Many mod cars as a type of therepy, like meditation. Who cares what car they start with, it's somethign they want to do. Why let the "logic" of what power plant is in the car from the factory stop them?

So from where I sit, it's all good and those that want to mod a base Cooper should be encouraged, not discouraged. Justa folks, Have At It! and be happy.

Matt

 

You are logical thinker and your logic on this has a lot of merit. But from my perspective the MINI is not a logical purchase for a lot of MINIacs.

For me it started out logical, small car with good gas mileage, but there was more. The MINI has a charisma about it and I liked that. That charisma emotion won over my logical side otherwise I would driving a Pirus or the like.

Once purchased I really caught the "fever of the MINI" --- logical modding? Well we use logic to select our mods but these are emotional purchases -- do we really need them? My answer is no -- but it sure is fun!

When some look at my garage they will conclude I have emotionally gone crazy with my mods!

The MINI is a fun car I have enjoyed the challenge of making my MINI "justa" competitive at autox and the track --- No I am not passing "S"s and JCWs on the long straights but they are not passing me on the short straights. It is fun to try to hold em off, and occasionally when I can pass one -- wow do I have some bragging rights for a while! My goal is to learn to drive my slow car fast and that's a lot of fun and very emotionally satisfying.

 

A small mod here, and a small mod there, makes it a bit quicker (maybe not faster) and cost WAY less then buying even a used S

Mark

 

Then there are those of us who have had previous unpleasant experiences with turbos (by unpleasant, I mean expensive).

I tend to drive my cars alot. I put 36K on in about a year. Turbos are nice for making power, no question. But they seem still to have a limited lifetime. Coupled with the HPFP issues that are so common, the need to "seafoam" them regularly, and given the lack of variable valve timing on the "S" model, I made a conscious decision to opt for a Justa.

I did so with the hope that the aftermarket would catch up and that I would eventually have access to things like cams, headers, modified injectors, and some good old computer tweaking.

I know I'll not get to "S" territory, but I had hoped to see perhaps 130 to 140 hp out of the little bugger. Couple that with light wheels (Enkei RPF-1s at 14 lbs a corner) and lighter tires (perhaps Continental DWS at 18 lbs each), and I had high hopes for a bit of a "Q" ship in the little green car.

So far, the suspension stuff, and uncorked exhaust is all I can find. I've looked at CAI, but really can't see too much advantage.

So now I'm sitting here debating whether BMW has actually fixed the HPFP for 2010, and if they are finally finding some long-term reliability for the "S".

I'm really afraid that the Justa is going to always be a wallflower, and I don't want to just be an observer at the Dragon next year.

And I'm way over 60 years old and my time to wait is limited.

But I'd still like a "Q" ship if I could just build one.

 

That is really all I am talking about, intake, torque arm bushing, sprint booster and so on. Not rebuilding of the engine. For sake of arguement perhaps no real HP gain, but my car is much more "peppy".

I too am past the 60 mark, which is perhaps why, although I love the feel of power, I really wouldn't use it anymore other then to pass something when necessary. I don't feel like a "wall flower" at the Dragon.

You talk about the "Q" ship. If I hit the lotto I would love to have WMW drop a JCW engine in my justa just to watch the "S" folks faces when I blew by. :lol:

Jim

 

I've had my Justa for 2.5 years. Until a few weeks ago I had every intention of trading for an S in another year or so. I've changed my mind. I'm having so much fun on the track with this car I'm sticking with it. I've decided to put my money into this car and slowly but surely turn it into a all out track car. I have ordered suspension upgrades which will be installed next week. Down the road I will upgrade the exhaust and then probably more serious suspension items. At some point I will probably get another MINI (maybe an S, maybe not). At that time I will start serious weight reduction mods. (remove seats, etc) and this will become a dedicated track car. For me the MINI is all about handling. In that arena there is nothing the S can do that the Justa can't. No one expects much from a Justa. After all, it's just a cute little economy car. It'll be fun debunking that belief.

 

BTW, I too am 61. This car has made me young again!

 

I'm also well past 60, I've not had any of the troubles you read about here or on the other forum with my S, I never "seafoam" it and while I respect the fact that some people have experienced these issues, I think they are in the vast minority, so it had no effect on my decision on which car to buy.

Like a few have said, I'm also past the time of waiting, so I bought the one that satisfies my needs, just as you all did. What's right for me is not the same for everyone else, I accept that freely.

But I'm not in the least worried about whether the car will hold up, and when I was in Colorado this summer, I was very pleased with having forced induction when climbing those mountain passes!

Here at sealevel, it just makes it easy to blend onto the highway, and allows me to go up hills on the cruise without the car having to downshift (I have an automatic). Not to mention how much fun it is when I kick it!

Again, I agree with the Justa owner's decisions, I'm sure they got exactly what they wanted. But for the difference in base cost of about $3k, you can't buy enough suspension, brakes, CAI's or anything else to measure up to what the factory has already done. That's my point. Also, if you bought a Justa for it's improved fuel mileage, lack of complexity, reliability and so on, why would you then modify it and potentially ruin those very qualities?

Good luck with your mods, and I hope you find some fun stuff that makes your can even more fun to drive and own!

To me, that's what its all about, having fun with your MINI, however you do that!

 

The Dragon tends to level the playing field with all it's turns and bends, don't feel your Justa is going to be a wall flower there. There have been a few "S's" that ended up in the weeds. Work on the suspension and tires and you'll be just fine there.

 

Keep in mind your only young once, but you have a lifetime to be immature

Mark

 

I'll take on an S in real tight twisties any day

Mark

 

Well said. What is right of one is not for another and having fun with our cars is the point of it all. Thus far all the mods I've done to gain a bit more "pep" have not changed the MPG any noticeable amount. There are strong feelings between the justa and non-justa folks and the great thing about this thread is that both sides have expressed their feelings with no name calling, back stabbing or snide comments and I think this is very cool. It also sounds to me like all us over-the-hill-guys should meet for a beer and tell a few tall tales at MOTD 9.

Jim

 

Having one each, and of each gen. has me sitting firmly on both sides of the fence.

Mark

 

Ouch!

 

Well, having "duel" citizenship, makes it east to be in two places at the same time. :cornut:

Jim