17 replies to this topic

[Fastorq]

It looks like 2x the price of buying similar (same) parts from a reputable company.
Is the extra worth having the “John Cooper” name and stamped plate with registered number on your car.
Would that add value to the car to the tune of the upgrade cost?

Cheers
DavidR

[luismx123]

Depends what youre after. For me personally, as the my car is planned to stick with me for the next 30+ odd years, I would get the single parts as having a bit more "value" wouldnt change anything. Just ask yourself this: if you had to buy your car now, and it had the john cooper name stamped on it, would you pay the extra?

Also, the money you save can go into the necessary body work, tuning etc that is always needed

Just my 2c

[Fastorq]

Depends what youre after. For me personally, as the my car is planned to stick with me for the next 30+ odd years, I would get the single parts as having a bit more "value" wouldnt change anything. Just ask yourself this: if you had to buy your car now, and it had the john cooper name stamped on it, would you pay the extra?

Also, the money you save can go into the necessary body work, tuning etc that is always needed

Just my 2c

Yeah,
Have decided to go that way and bought a nice replacement head today.

[Chris M]

I was faced with a similar decision. So I bought a second hand ported bigger valve head, a new Swiftune cam kit & an adjustable duplex chain kit.
Also a Maniflow manifold. All at a fraction of the price of the copper kit.

[Alice Dooper]

It really depends on what you want from the upgrades.

Theirs no question that you could have just as much performance for a lot less or could have a good bit more for the same.

I’ve just fitted an S Works kit on an MPI and I love it, feels that little bit more special to us than a regular tuned up head. It makes a glorious noise.

There’s an awful lot of tat and extras that come with it that are adding to the cost, like wheel centres and a key ring.

If your after performance, just match up a good head and a few parts. If you have the engine out, put a good cam in too. The ECU is going to limit you.

[r3k1355]

You pay abit more for the name and also the convenience.

 

It's a full kit with a good reputation ready to install, you can save money by shopping around and sourcing the parts from other places but ultimately it's your own money and you spend it how you wish.

[Fast Ivan]

It looks like 2x the price of buying similar (same) parts from a reputable company.
Is the extra worth having the “John Cooper” name and stamped plate with registered number on your car.
Would that add value to the car to the tune of the upgrade cost?

Cheers
DavidR

 

These kits use re-branded minisport parts, minisport doesn't have the best reputation.

If it's performance your're after then you can definitely get it both cheaper and better.

 

It's difficult to say if it will add value to the car, I doubt it will automatically add the cost of the Cooper kit, but I suspect it may add some value over time

[r3k1355]

They're not even re-branded are they? I thought MiniSport owned the business.

 

The kit was offered for a long time and IIRC you could buy it from some dealers back in the day?

So it's got some heritage value and joe public kinda knows more about what they get from it.

Edited by r3k1355, 15 March 2019 - 10:40 AM.

[minidizzy]

The Cooper Car Company brand is, I believe, owned by Mike Cooper, John Cooper's son, and he was involved with the Cooper conversions from the start. John Cooper Garages, as it was then, was not a manufacturing company. Coopers developed the kits but outsourced production to Janspeed for the carb version, as on my car,  and then Minisport for all injection versions right from the start in 1991/2. As JCG is now closed Minisport also handle sales. They are marketed as being to the original Cooper specification. I think the idea that the kits are just rebranded Minisport may be a bit of a myth without any proven evidence. 

Original genuine John Cooper conversions have considerable added value. It remains to be seen if the relaunched versions have the same affect.

[Screwdriver]

In 10 years, give or take, these cars will be out of the reach of the average individual. In the 3+ years since I purchased my Mini 35, it's doubled in real value. I expect rust free LE cars to hit the £20K mark by 2020/1. 

 

It is likely that a genuine Cooper conversion will be worth more but hard to predict how much more, given the company continues to provide these kits to owners. 

[Fast Ivan]

 I think the idea that the kits are just rebranded Minisport may be a bit of a myth without any proven evidence. 

 

so lets cut to the chase here then - the cylinder head, where's the work on these done then if not minisport?

 

There's literally 3 people that I would consider paying the sort of money a decent head demands to, and they don't work for minisport

[Fastorq]

3 names

?
?
?

[cal844]

3 names

?
?
?

AC Dodd

Calver

Slark

Possibly?

[Cooperman]

Maybe TurboPhil on here?

[Twincam]

Just had some work done from AC Dodd, definitely be back for more work!