[myluplymini]

Like a good few of you, I've been getting pretty excited thinking about 200+ bhp MCS's.

After speaking to a small number of the tuners out there & also to my MINI dealer (re: warranties, tlc package etc.) I think it'll probably be the Hartge conversion that I'll go for (after I've recovered from the financial battering of Xmas). The general level of helpfulness, friendliness, willingness to provide details about conversion & overall reputation for excellence of Bird's seems to have swung it.

Just wondering though, how many of you are more likely to wait for the JCW conversion? How about the Hamann or Graham Goode Racing packages? Worthy of a poll perhaps?

Are there many other conversions out there that are supposed to be worthwhile?

[CSDan]

Which ever comes with an LSD

[Grinder]

Yes, there are quite a few MCS conversions out there... Check the link in my signature....

[Bad Manners]

Quote:

Originally posted by myluplymini
After speaking to a small number of the tuners out there & also to my MINI dealer (re: warranties, tlc package etc.) I think it'll probably be the Hartge conversion that I'll go for (after I've recovered from the financial battering of Xmas). The general level of helpfulness, friendliness, willingness to provide details about conversion & overall reputation for excellence of Bird's seems to have swung it.

If I was to pay the money, I'd go to Bird's for the Hartge conversion too. Their openness helps!

If there's a price hike, I don't think I'll be doing it. I have also to recover from Christmas, MINI purchase, want to move house...

Quote:

Originally posted by Grinder
Yes, there are quite a few MCS conversions out there... Check the link in my signature....

Grinder,

I appreciate the hard work that's gone into your MCS mod reference page

[MichaelK]

I'd go for the JCW Only 3 weeks to wait

Cheers

Michael

[LMB]

Quote:

Originally posted by MichaelK
I'd go for the JCW Only 3 weeks to wait

Cheers

Michael

Have they given you a delivery date yet?

[cordial]

Quote:

Originally posted by CSDan
Which ever comes with an LSD

Surely DSC/ASC+T makes an LSD superfluous? Unless you are racing and drive with DSC off....


Sorry, that's off topic. I'm going to wait for the final JCW spec and price and then decide between JCW and Hartge.

P.S. Does anybody know what the differences are between the JCW head and the standard cylinder head are (apart from having gas-flowed ports). I'm sure the head is responsible for the lion's share of the high price. Perhaps JCW could offer their kit minus the head swap?

[Wynn]

For the not-too-mechanically smart, how does changing the head benefit the car?

The JCW kit sounds to me like the SMARTEST option, with its warranty and reduced likelihood of destroying the engine over time, but it's just prohibitively expensive, if it really comes to 3,500 pounds or $4,900. *gads*

[MichaelK]

LMB:

No confirmed date yet, although it should be around the 4th of Jan. My car gets built next week, then transported to JCW

I can't wait, after all I've be waiting 18 months !

Cheers

Michael

[Tom F.]

Quote:

Originally posted by cordial


Surely DSC/ASC+T makes an LSD superfluous? Unless you are racing and drive with DSC off....

No it doesn't. I've got DSC and all season tires, and the car could not make it up my driveway Sunday. I learned to drive in Chicago, so I know how to go smoothly in snow.

DSC does nothing about getting power to a wheel that does have traction, it just takes power away from one that doesn't.

Biggest failing of the car, IMHO.

[QQQ]

Having a test drive with a Hartge MCS in January, if I like it, I'll leave my MCS to have the kit fitted. Later I'll add the Hartge exhaust and maybe also their wheels.

Can't wait

[Keith]

Quote:

Originally posted by Wynn
For the not-too-mechanically smart, how does changing the head benefit the car?

The JCW kit sounds to me like the SMARTEST option, with its warranty and reduced likelihood of destroying the engine over time, but it's just prohibitively expensive, if it really comes to 3,500 pounds or $4,900. *gads*

What they do is make sure all the air paths are highly polished and as large as possible. They may even enlarge valves. Less friction in the air flow gets more air into the engine which gives more power.

[jlm]

I'm still not sure about DSC. If you lighten one front wheel in cornering and it speeds up, doesn't DSC brake that wheel, effectively transferring power to the traction wheel? (although at the expense of the braking effort)? Sounds a lot like a limited slip.

by the way, check out this site for some far-out mods: found it in the racinbg forum:
http://cascadeautosport.com/customers/newmini.html

[Bad Manners]

Quote:

Originally posted by jlm
I'm still not sure about DSC. If you lighten one front wheel in cornering and it speeds up, doesn't DSC brake that wheel, effectively transferring power to the traction wheel? (although at the expense of the braking effort)? Sounds a lot like a limited slip.

People who badly overcook the throttle on a corner find that the (fairly subtle and really quite helpful) brake-a-single-wheel technique employed by ASC-T turns into a (oh dear this is bad how do I turn it off) situation where MINI cuts the engine power drastically until it's confident there's enough grip.

This second stage impedes your fast progress through the corner, but will at least assist you make it through safely without the front wheels running wide through power induced understeer.

In street driving, if ASC-T cuts your power that much, you'd have been better off asking the engine for less power by lifting your foot a little before the power is cut. I think good progress can be made in ASC-T's stage one (brake one wheel), and most everybody who's experienced it will tell you stage two (cut the engine power on behalf of the driver) will slow you up more than if you drove that corner with less gas.

On the track, you will likely turn ASC-T (or DSC) off, and many track drivers would consider using an LSD instead,

[Bonnie Scotland]

Quote:

QQQ Wrote
Having a test drive with a Hartge MCS in January, if I like it, I'll leave my MCS to have the kit fitted. Later I'll add the Hartge exhaust and maybe also their wheels.

Can't wait

Don't waste your time with the test drive, book it in now!!
You won't regret it, on the other hand, do you live near rasp, he's had it done and i'm sure he'll let you see the mod in full flow.

alan fae bonnie scotland

[myluplymini]

Hi All,

Just thought you'd be interested to know that Autocar magazine are testing a Hartge MCS this week and will be reporting results in next weeks issue.

Will be rushing out to buy a copy when it goes on sale - Tuesday 17th December.

Bonnie Scotland - much respect for putting your money (and MCS) on the line and having the conversion done. And it's really great that you're enjoying it. Makes me wish I could skip christmas the year and just pay to have the conversion done NOW!

[QQQ]

Quote:

Originally posted by Bonnie Scotland
Don't waste your time with the test drive, book it in now!!
You won't regret it, on the other hand, do you live near rasp, he's had it done and i'm sure he'll let you see the mod in full flow.

alan fae bonnie scotland

I'm in Holland Alan, so actually not really close to rasp We do however also have an official Hartge dealer here in Holland, who will do the job for euro 1,750 (that's about GBP 1,100 and includes fitting and VAT). I already contacted him one or two times and he will have a demo available in January and can fit the kit for me within 2 or 3 weeks after ordering. So if all goes well, and I don't doubt that it will, I'll be cruising in a Hartge MCS before the end of January.

[CSDan]

Quote:

Originally posted by cordial


Surely DSC/ASC+T makes an LSD superfluous? Unless you are racing and drive with DSC off....

I Autocross very frequently--At least two or three a month during the season, and running the Cooper S was a blast-however coming out of any tight corner--the inside wheel would just spin like mad. I cant imagine more power out of this car with out a good way of getting it transfered to the ground. Its got more then it can handle at the moment .

As for street driving--I dont have a problem with the DSC.


Daniel

[Bonnie Scotland]

Quote:

QQQ Wrote
I'm in Holland Alan

Doh! shoulda checked the obvious first. Sorry, anyway, i'm convinced you will have a huge grin on your face when you get a test drive, nice price too, well cheaper than here!

alan fae bonnie scotland