[sxhinkle]

Question - Which MCS 200bhp upgrade should I go for, Hartge or Graham Goode (people from UK only please)?

Hartge/Birds £1500+VAT or Graham Goode £1000+VAT?
which is best?
Both appear to do same work and not much difference in location and waiting times!

Looked at power graphs:-
It appears that Goode kit has more power at lower revs! Goode power curve actually follows the original with approx 20% more power at same revs thoughout all rev range!

Hartge however requires more revs, with max power well into redline area!

At present I'm thinking of Hartge as a few people have reported on them on Mini2.com, but if anyone has used Graham Goode on their MCS upgrade, I would be interested in their comments!

cheers

Steve

[Sam Johnson]

I started a thread on this yesterday as I wanted to see if anyone else had tried mini design/ graham goode conversion.

I know the boys at mini design have done others as I have seen the pictures but maybe they are not mini2 regulars.

The conversion I have has greatly improved the cars driving dynamics.

The throttle is reprogrammed to give a quicker response which allows the spin up and down of the engine to be faster and allows the revs to drop between gears which removes that annoying neck snap when you let the clutch out after changing up.

The job as a whole has impressed me greatly. From the advice/opinions and discussions with mini design beforehand through the collection of the car and the explanations and advice when the car was returned to me.

It may be that the ECU programming is the same on all these conversion and the charger pulley wheel assembly can be done by anyone that way inclined I suppose, but when spending a lot of money and handing over my baby, I like to be looked after a little.

If you are local I'll take you for a ride in mine.

I'll do anything to get out of the office and pose!

Sam

[sxhinkle]

So, big thumbs-up Sam?

I'm from Croydon near London. Graham Goode offered me a test drive, which I'm trying to find time for.

I've had my car just 3 weeks, all run-in and with 2k miles on the clock already, I've had the chance to see what it's got standard!

Feel the need to max it up & we all know MCS can handle more power!

200 bhp will give the MCS all the punch it needs against those more expensive (lesser) alternatives.

That JC Works site has poor level of information to-date and I believe there will be no option for minimal upgrades to obtain 200 bhp (i.e sub £2500).

Enjoy

Steve

[cleverzippy]

I drove the GGR car a couple of months ago and I have to be honest and say that I didn't really notice much difference. As I have reported on this site before, it was a car with 500 miles on and I drove with the guy from GGR i.e two up so maybe my judgement was a little clouded. Anyway, the racing brakes it had on were stonking, you could stick your eyeballs to the windscreen - expensive but well worth it IMO. I'd be interested to know what anyone else thinks of the GGR conversion if you have a test drive.

[DinkaDonka]

i may be wrong but the mini design / GG conversion kicksout around 220-230 bhp because not only does it have the chip and pulley but the induction kit and cat back exhuast system,awsome iv heard!i pm'd u sam about the car but u aint replied yet ,where abouts are you located, hope u like the car!, im only getting the exhuast and induction kit however as for insurance purposes , shouldbe good for 190 hp tho

Paul

[Grinder]

Dinka: Exhaust and induction kit for an extra 30 BHP?? Ummm, doubtful. Very doubtful. Also where did you hear the 220-230 numbers from? It seems as if your numbers might be just a few hp high.

[cleverzippy]

GGR kit is for supercharger and ecu conversion only. Exhaust and induction is staying as is or so I was led to believe by GGR. Didn't feel like it had 220 bhp to me. More like 180.

[DinkaDonka]

The GG conversion is 200hp yes but mini design add to it by putting an induction kit and exhuast and "apparently" give out 220+ hp!kit costs around 2k me thinks

Grinder,thatsjust wot iv bin told

DD

[DinkaDonka]

Mini Cooper S
Stage 1: Graham Goode Racing, Supercharger and Superchip upgrade to 202bhp. £1,173.83
Stage 2: As above but with - Full stainless exhaust system (twin 3” tails), Cat replacement pipe and Air induction kit raising power output to over 220bhp. £1,999.00

[Kupa]

Re-reading evo this morning they report that the Birds MCS they drove also had an optional £750 Hartge four-pipe exhaust on it, which improves sounds but doesn't generate more power as it uses standard cats which are the inhibitor. This suggests that if they dropped the cats then they could be looking at more than the dyno'd 212bhp.

The GGR Stage 2 seems to bypass the cats, meaning that 220bhp would sound like a possible figure.

For my money and of the two above and the JCW kit, I am leaning in the direction of Hartge - TUV approved, very reputable tuner (woth £500 over GGR for my peace of mind) and nearly £2k saving over the JCW kit. Even though you blow the TLC, I wouldn't imagine on savinbg £2k over two years with that scheme anyway.

[monsta]

Quote:

Originally posted by Kupa
Even though you blow the TLC

TLC is invalidated with the JCW kit as well. Unless the kit for the S is different to the Cooper...

[dinger]

Quote:

Originally posted by monsta
TLC is invalidated with the JCW kit as well. Unless the kit for the S is different to the Cooper...

Monsta thats why theres a delay on the works S so the TLC wont be invalidated.....fool

[monsta]

Quote:

Originally posted by dinger
Monsta thats why theres a delay on the works S so the TLC wont be invalidated.....fool

shut it!

I don't have an S so haven't really been following it.... I'll get my coat

[KLF]

Here is the GGR graph looks like 207BHP @6320rpm






[IMG]C:\My Documents\My Pictures\GGR200(2nd)[/IMG]

[KLF]

Sorry mucked that up not sure how to attach image! anyway that graph is on the GGR website

chris

[dinger]

Here you go.

[HartgeCooperS]

hi

i spent the day at rockingham race track with my Hartge conversion. basically a track day for a feature in Cars and Car Conversions magazine. should be out next month. anyway, the GGR car was also there. nice brakes plus its 'max power' like 18" wheels (bit bad boy for my liking), and the engine conversion. it wasnt as quick as my car, particularly top end, and with independant timing, was also 3 secs slower around the track too (im running on standard 17" wheels and standard brakes), so may give you an indication of the difference in the quality of tuning out there. it may be cheaper by a few hundred pounds, but i suppose you get what you pay for. plus, which badge would you rather have on the back of your MCS?!!

cheers

[Bonnie Scotland]

Good for you HartgeCooperS, at last a true apples versus apples comparison, i'm not surprised at all about the outcome.

One point though, were both cars driven by the same person or was it just a case of the owners going round themselves??

No doubt the GGR is quick, just a wee bit shy of the Hartge.

alan fae bonnie scotland

[HartgeCooperS]

hi bonnie

all cars were driven by the CCC team when we were timing. we all had the chance to drive them later in the day. great fun!

also worth noting (i know u have been thinking about this before bonnie), even with the prototype exhaust, mine sounded great. makes a real M3 'metallic' sound rather than the annoyingly loud 'rasp' that the rest of the field seemed to have. the GGR exhaust looked like two trumpets...! i just made me realise the Hartge conversion is more professional and considered, and less 'add on' than the competitors.

[Minirichc]

Hi all,

I was talking to my mate Wayne from Goodies on sunday at the motorsport show at the NEC and he said it was a noticable differance using the lowered springs on there car(from standard).

He went as far to say the standard setup wasnt much cop!
Had to disagree but not having tried there car wondered if you boys could shed some light?

Ive Known Wayne since he started there and hes not wrong often.