2003 Mini Cooper S with lots of power
Discussion
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.
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.
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".
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".
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 b
h to find.
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 b
h to find.
That looks lovely! You can use an app on your phone to check the noise but they're not that accurate sadly.
Black wrap removed from the roof, mirrors and boot spoiler. Luckily no horrors were revealed beneath. I much prefer it with the white bits. Really need to crack on and sort the bonnet, I can't stand the black scoop.
Went to a meet tonight and got a couple of pics with my proper camera.
Black wrap removed from the roof, mirrors and boot spoiler. Luckily no horrors were revealed beneath. I much prefer it with the white bits. Really need to crack on and sort the bonnet, I can't stand the black scoop.
Went to a meet tonight and got a couple of pics with my proper camera.
Mr Peel said:
Like. These first-gen ones really appeal now. Thought hard about one recently, but went for a Mk5 GTI in the end. You never fancied one of those?
I have yes and they're tempting value these days as well. No doubt I'll try one eventually. Stella the proper mini has just got back from a tidy up session. I'll drop you a PM, she looks amasing!
Update time!
Went to Retro Rides Gathering at Shelsley Walsh. I didn't take the MK3 MX5 because I thought it would be too modern for the clubstand at the show. I therefore thought I'd take something that could carry loads of stuff easily, but also wasn't the diesel daily. ASBO Mini it was then.
On the Saturday night they have a charity auction of "tat" people donate plus other show related things. In a slightly tipsy state I bid and won the chance to close the show by doing the final run up the hill climb. I bid £60. I had £25 on me, no drivers licence, no helmet, no paperwork for the car and above all it's not a retro ride. Luckily Kev and Ian from Retro Rides sorted me out with a helmet, squared it with the organisers re paperwork and told me to go make a lot of noise. After a dash to Tesco in the morning for some cash, I duly obliged.
Video from a chap who wanted a ride up the hill and stuck his GoPro to my windscreen:
https://youtu.be/kjLYVWYzXf4
All in all a quality weekend.
The next day I did a Trackday at Brands Hatch with the MiniTorque.com chaps in the MX5 (now a tradition for me to take the wrong car to every event). Chatting to Adam and co while poking round there cars confirmed a few things. Mainly that I can fit a full cage but retain all the rear seating which is a requirement for Road Going Sprint classes. Result!
So all of this leads to a list of things I would like to get done over winter. It reads a bit like this
1 Make it not so bloody loud by fitting a cat (and remap to suit)
2 Replace bonnet and A panel for non battered ones
3 Fit Sparco Sprint 5 bucket seats left over from the supercharged MX5
4 Replace front bushes that are knocking
5 Replace all fluids
6 Purchase and fit front camber plates and adjustable rear control arms so I can get the alignment set up properly with how low it is
7 Fit a stereo that has Bluetooth hands free (have stereo, just need fitting kit)
8 Replace knackered alternator
9 Source and fit used facelift gearbox with LSD
10 R56 brake discs and calipers with decent pads
11 Rear cage sourced and fitted
I'd like to manage 1-9 doing 10 and 11 as well would be ace. Probably also missed off a couple of things.
Went to Retro Rides Gathering at Shelsley Walsh. I didn't take the MK3 MX5 because I thought it would be too modern for the clubstand at the show. I therefore thought I'd take something that could carry loads of stuff easily, but also wasn't the diesel daily. ASBO Mini it was then.
On the Saturday night they have a charity auction of "tat" people donate plus other show related things. In a slightly tipsy state I bid and won the chance to close the show by doing the final run up the hill climb. I bid £60. I had £25 on me, no drivers licence, no helmet, no paperwork for the car and above all it's not a retro ride. Luckily Kev and Ian from Retro Rides sorted me out with a helmet, squared it with the organisers re paperwork and told me to go make a lot of noise. After a dash to Tesco in the morning for some cash, I duly obliged.
Video from a chap who wanted a ride up the hill and stuck his GoPro to my windscreen:
https://youtu.be/kjLYVWYzXf4
All in all a quality weekend.
The next day I did a Trackday at Brands Hatch with the MiniTorque.com chaps in the MX5 (now a tradition for me to take the wrong car to every event). Chatting to Adam and co while poking round there cars confirmed a few things. Mainly that I can fit a full cage but retain all the rear seating which is a requirement for Road Going Sprint classes. Result!
So all of this leads to a list of things I would like to get done over winter. It reads a bit like this
1 Make it not so bloody loud by fitting a cat (and remap to suit)
2 Replace bonnet and A panel for non battered ones
3 Fit Sparco Sprint 5 bucket seats left over from the supercharged MX5
4 Replace front bushes that are knocking
5 Replace all fluids
6 Purchase and fit front camber plates and adjustable rear control arms so I can get the alignment set up properly with how low it is
7 Fit a stereo that has Bluetooth hands free (have stereo, just need fitting kit)
8 Replace knackered alternator
9 Source and fit used facelift gearbox with LSD
10 R56 brake discs and calipers with decent pads
11 Rear cage sourced and fitted
I'd like to manage 1-9 doing 10 and 11 as well would be ace. Probably also missed off a couple of things.
The Spruce goose said:
I was there on Sunday until the end, i saw you run up the hill sounded good. i was passenger in the mk2 cavalier with 3.0v6 omega engine. i definitely would love to go up in a car myself it looks a lot of fun.
It's a lot of fun. I prefer sprints and hill climbs to circuit racing if I'm honest. It's a real short and sharp buzz. Gassing Station | Readers' Cars | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff