2003 Mini Cooper S with lots of power

2003 Mini Cooper S with lots of power

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HorneyMX5

Original Poster:

5,306 posts

149 months

Friday 11th August 2017
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Picked this up this evening. Pulled up outside the house and before I'd even got out of the car had the following whatsapp from the wife:



It is indeed rather loud. This will need to be rectified. Not only for the sake of my marriage, but to be able to use it on trackdays.

The car itself is a 2003 pre facelift Cooper S in that common grey. It has a white roof that's been wrapped black. The owner before the guy I bought it from spent a LOT of money on it.

Brief spec:

JCW engine fitted 2015 after OE engine failed
ARP Headbolts
Cat Cam from 1320
550cc injectors
Oranjje Stealth Airbox
Airtec Intercooler
15% reduction pulley on the charger
Janspeed manifold
Custom manifold back stainless exhaust
Mapped by 1320 at 225bhp at the wheels with a 500rpm rev limit increase

AP Coilovers
R56 Front brakes
Wheel spacers
Sparco Assetto Corsa wheels

It is frankly stupid. I love it. It needs a fair bit of tidying up. The bonnet has bad laquer peel and one of the A panels is dented. It needs a damn good clean inside and out.

My only plans for it are to fit a facelift gearbox with LSD, quiten down the exhaust, remove the black wrap, replace the damaged panels and drive the wheels off it.

A couple of pics that aren't mine. Will get some over the weekend.





Off to Mini in the park in it on Sunday.

steve-5snwi

8,592 posts

92 months

Saturday 12th August 2017
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It looks pretty good from the pictures, I find minis have pretty good exhaust notes for there little size

HorneyMX5

Original Poster:

5,306 posts

149 months

Saturday 12th August 2017
quotequote all
This is obscene. I like a loud exhaust but it's actually quite embarrassing.

Apparently these make more power with a the factory cat so I'm going to pick up a used standard manifold and get a mate to chop up the decay pipe and fab up the cat in the middle of it. 1320 sell these as "TomCat".

HorneyMX5

Original Poster:

5,306 posts

149 months

Saturday 12th August 2017
quotequote all
Aaaaand it's broken already.

Flat battery this morning. Jump leads started it but I can't leave it running due to the noise.

The battery looks brand new so suspect there's and alternator problem. It looks badly cracked using a torch to peer down there.

Once my neighbours are all awake I'll fit it up again and get the multimeter out.

Do these show a battery light if not charging? Hoping really that it is the alt otherwise it has a power drain somewhere and they're always a bh to find.

Saleen836

11,061 posts

208 months

Saturday 12th August 2017
quotequote all
HorneyMX5 said:
Aaaaand it's broken already.

Flat battery this morning. Jump leads started it but I can't leave it running due to the noise.

The battery looks brand new so suspect there's and alternator problem. It looks badly cracked using a torch to peer down there.

Once my neighbours are all awake I'll fit it up again and get the multimeter out.

Do these show a battery light if not charging? Hoping really that it is the alt otherwise it has a power drain somewhere and they're always a bh to find.
It wont show as charging on tickover, revs will need to be held at around 2-2.5k rpm

HorneyMX5

Original Poster:

5,306 posts

149 months

Saturday 12th August 2017
quotequote all
It lives! Proper tightening of the battery clamps fixed it. Used alternator being sourced and fitted though because the current one is cracked and swollen and looks like it's not long for this world.

turboflutter

268 posts

128 months

Saturday 12th August 2017
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Well isn't that a very cool car! Is it a daily driver or strictly a fun car? I'd love one but I'm put off by the reliability stories laugh and also the mpg I hear they deliver.. I'm a one car man though so I'm fussy with my one car to do all

HorneyMX5

Original Poster:

5,306 posts

149 months

Saturday 12th August 2017
quotequote all
It's just a toy. Got a 2014 Clubman D as a daily and a modified MK3 mx5 as another toy when going topless is required.

CarsOrBikes

1,135 posts

183 months

Saturday 12th August 2017
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What reliability stories? Are you thinking of the R56?

Fuel wise they are thirsty little critters :-)


bakerstreet

4,755 posts

164 months

Saturday 12th August 2017
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HorneyMX5 said:
It lives! Proper tightening of the battery clamps fixed it. Used alternator being sourced and fitted though because the current one is cracked and swollen and looks like it's not long for this world.
Why didn't you buy a new alternator?

I also had 2002 Cooper S in the same colour. Loved the supercharger noise and the handling was pretty decent.

Upgrade of the box is certainly worth it. The BM box has a bad reputation and not what you want to be running if you want much more power than standard. I found that angel eye headlamps made mine look much more modern.

Battery is in the boot and that can be a ball ache if the battery is so drained, that none of the locks work. I didn't know that you could short two terminals in the fuse box to open the boot, so I nearly broke the parcel shelf getting into to boot so I could jump the battery.

-01SQ-

142 posts

85 months

Saturday 12th August 2017
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Great motor! (although slightly biased wink)

Don't worry about jumping the battery from the boot. Next to the airbox is a bonnet +ve connection, and the engine mount will do as the -ve. Had to do it with mine when i picked it up. Doing this saved a lot of faffing about trying to get the boot open when the battery is dead.

If you do, for whatever reason need to get the boot open, pry up the leading edge of the rear seat and feel for the hoop pull connector in the middle. Pulling this releases the catch and presto.

-01SQ-

142 posts

85 months

Saturday 12th August 2017
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Here's what i mean:




HorneyMX5

Original Poster:

5,306 posts

149 months

Saturday 12th August 2017
quotequote all
My car is too early for the manual boot release. Seems that was introduced in mid 2003.

HorneyMX5

Original Poster:

5,306 posts

149 months

Saturday 12th August 2017
quotequote all
bakerstreet said:
Why didn't you buy a new alternator?
New alternator is a lot of money and mine won't be excepted as exchange.

Plenty of people breaking them locally so that's just easier.

-01SQ-

142 posts

85 months

Saturday 12th August 2017
quotequote all
Whereabouts are you based?

If you're anywhere near the south coast, check out minitopia in swanmore - https://www.facebook.com/minitopiasouth/ its where i get all my bits from.

HorneyMX5

Original Poster:

5,306 posts

149 months

Saturday 12th August 2017
quotequote all
Basingstoke.

That chap is awesome. He's also next door to my mate Martyn who does MX5 fabrication stuff.

-01SQ-

142 posts

85 months

Saturday 12th August 2017
quotequote all
HorneyMX5 said:
Basingstoke.

That chap is awesome. He's also next door to my mate Martyn who does MX5 fabrication stuff.
Somehow, every time I visit Minitopia, Martyn manages to sell me more Mini parts than i ever go for.

'That LSD gearbox would look great in your car' Uber rare... laugh

turboflutter

268 posts

128 months

Sunday 13th August 2017
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CarsOrBikes said:
What reliability stories? Are you thinking of the R56?

Fuel wise they are thirsty little critters :-)
Nothing too serious, just appears there's continuous niggles. Certainly not thinking of the R56, a friend has one and they're a whole other novel in terms of problematic! I would however still like to try one at some point, a neighbour has an R53 and it sounds very fruity even in standard form.

Leins

9,416 posts

147 months

Sunday 13th August 2017
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Very nice OP, enjoy. Quick R53s are just superb fun

Was chatting to this guy at the Ring last month, and his GP is fairly standard, save for a few bits, and rated about 230hp: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=717t2oYLGkU



HorneyMX5

Original Poster:

5,306 posts

149 months

Sunday 13th August 2017
quotequote all
That GP driver is a bit good!

Got some pics of it after taking it to the local Polish Handwash and then going crazy with he back to black.











The wing that needs sorting:



With the Clubman