[Van Cooper]

Since I took delivery of my Mini back in April, I have been looking at different alternatives to make my Mini louder. I have looked at aftermarket exhaust and they were very expensive and from the sound samples I've heard, didn't give you a huge difference in sound so I started comtemplating the idea of having the silencer taken off and basically put a straight pipe instead.

That idea came to me when I drove down to Houston, Texas in my Mini back in July. While I was there, I attended a Hill country drive and one of the guy on the Houston caravan had installed straight pipes on his BMW 330i and they sounded loud and nice...just like I wanted.

So I started talking to the sales manager at Mini yaletown and he told me that the cats were up front and that it wouldn't void the warranty if I didn't touch them. I then learned that the cats and O2 sensors were on the headers so I thought "hey, I can put straight pipe on my car without voiding the warranty".

Last thursday, I got the itch for more sound so I looked in the yellow pages for a muffler shop where they did custom bending and exhaust so I went there for a rough estimate of cost and when he told me $60 plus a $20 chrome tip, my jaw dropped to the ground and I came back to the same shop 30 minutes later and asked them to do it!

So they took the car in and told me to come back in an hour. So I did come back an hour later and it was already installed and ready to go. The guy started the Mini and took it off the lift and I had a smile that went right up to my ears!

$80 dollars and my Mini has an even bigger presence on the road. It does have some resonance inside the cabin at low speed but it goes away when higher up in the revs. I also did lose some low end torque but I gained high end performance and sound.

As for a sound sample, I'm attending a BMW drive tomorrow and I'll have one of my friend with a digital video camera record some samples of it and I'll post it on here as well as pics of the underside! Hopefully, it'll give some of you guys the sound you've been looking for!

P.S. Taking the silencer off basically cut weight by at least 15 pounds!

[gromit]

I used to annoy the hell out of my (then) future mother in law with my Harley with straight pipes.

[w3kmp]

Great idea, I will try it on my MCS this coming week. Did the shop replace the pipe up to the cat, or cut it further back? The S will take a bend at the end to exit in the proper location, but I will see if he can run 2 1\2" from the cat back. The other idea that I had on the S, was to remove the left muffler and redo the center pipe to the right side muffler. I like the straight better!

[benggolf]

I heard VanCooper's "modified" pipes and they sound really sporty!

Friends living downtown could hear him crossing the Cambie bridge "pedal to the floor" and said it sounded like the CARTs back in town! LOL!

Great going VanCooper! Any MCS owners doing this mod, please post results and photos please.

[Pebble]

>>I also did lose some low end torque but I gained high end performance and sound.

Firstly, I know everyone likes different thinks and the following rant is meant in good humor, (Also I am bored at work.)

Ok, maybe I'm an old fart (I'm 31) but I just don't get it.
I would much prefer a quieter quicker car.

Frankly If I heard a really loud mini, I'd assume there was a hole in the exhaust somewhere that you couldn't afford to get fixed.

Other things I don't get:

Painting bits yellow. (Wiper arms, skirts).
'Type R' stickers, ("Ok, maybe your one of the >few< that have a real type R, but on a ford escort??).
Exhaust Tips you can fit your head in. (the engine was designed to work with a certain amount of back presure).
Huge Spoilers, You probably get more downforce from the extra weight!.
Fake Disks. (the cover the fact you have drums behind there".
Removing a wiper arm and adding a bigger blade. (Don't forget to paint the remaining one yellow!).

The things I want on my car are the things you >cant< see.

More Torque.
More Horses.
Better cornering.
Better breaking.

Hmm. I am an old fart arn't I?

Pebble.


PS I think the exhaust note on my 'S' is sweet as it is.

[LuckyRVA]

Some people just want the sound I guess. What ever floats your boat. *shrug*

[Van Cooper]

Well, I now have a picture of the straight pipe installed. It's in a photo album that includes pic from a BMW drive to Harrison Hot springs last weekend. The straight pipe is picture number 16

http://www.imagestation.com/album/?id=4291331801

[w3kmp]

I have the MSC now equipped with a 2 1/2" exhaust from the rear of the CAT to the original center exit point. The sound is great, but it is too much for the street. I will be installing two 12" X 4" straight through mufflers on Friday. (one just aft of the CAT, and the other in the area where the right side muffler was located. I have pic's of which I'll post on Saturday.

[benggolf]

w3kmp, will be interested to know how your revised set-up will sound and perform. With the straight pipe, do you notice any loss of low end torque. I suspect you won't notice any because the MCS engine is supercharged and not naturally aspirated.

TIA!

[w3kmp]

I have an appointment to get two dyno runs with the straight exhaust. I am also going to see what type of increase in HP takes place when the intercooler is chilled. Not sure what type of coolant will be used, but I am going to try alcohol, and have thought about propane, but that may prove to be a little on the hazardous side! Freon may be more suitable.
Ken

[benggolf]

Definitely be interesting to know just how much more power can be derived with liquid cooling the intercooler.

Just make sure you have the auxiliary (blower) fan in the dyno facility on full blast. Maybe you should try distilled water to cool the intercooler to make things more realistic. To use freon would be pretty expensive and harmful for the environment.