69 replies to this topic

[Cooperman]

There is so much 'stuff' on the market these days to make Minis go better and some of it is very expensive, so maybe we should put together a list of things you DON'T need to buy to improve the overall road performance of the Mini. This will, hopefully, help to save hard-earned cash for those who want to improve their cars.
To start off with, you definately don't need:

Vented discs
4-pot calipers
1.5:1 roller-tip rockers
6" wide wheels (and wider)
Rear disc brakes
Straight-cut drop gears
Rear camber brackets
Coil springs
Mini-fin rear drums
A cam 'hotter' than a Kent 266, mg Metro or equivalent
Vernier timing chain sprockets

Anyone want to add to this list? There must be lots more stuff available which gives no actual improvement to performance.

[Ouster]

I'll disagree on two points:

A big engine means you're going to need 4 pots to stop more effectively.
Depending on engine spec and driving style a hotter cam might be a better choice.

[shorty]

i know id rather have disc brakes on the back if there was a great amount of BHP under the bonnet.

do you mean what stuff is not needed for standard road going minis or minis in general so race ones, road ones with less than standard engines etc?

Edited by shorty, 25 September 2009 - 08:09 PM.

[daemonchild]

CHROME

[liirge]

Excessive Sized Exhausts and Downpipes....just not needed

[jaydee]

Poly subframe bushes, apart from the lower tower mountings.
Big arches.
Quickshift steering rack.

[dklawson]

Regarding brakes in general, you only need more stopping power if your going to be braking from higher speeds than when you had a lesser engine. I'm not in the habit of driving with one foot on the brakes and the other on a wide open throttle. If on the other hand you consider your current brakes marginal for the way you drive, by all means do something to improve them.

Regarding the rear brakes, they do surprisingly little work as it is. MiniFins won't make that big a difference unless you start messing with the proportioning valve so they are working near the limit of locking up. Regardless, you never want the back wheels to lock up before the front.

An alternative to vernier timing gears are offset ground keys. Much cheaper and achieve the same end.

[jaydee]

I love 'not to do' threads rather than 'what to do' threads!

[The Matt]

But there's a lot of stuff on there that has proven gains and benefits to faster road going cars.

You're setting a 'limit' of what you deem driveable for road use? But you seem to be saying, or assuming that limit is suitable for everyone, rather than just your personal taste?

A 266 cam is the 'limit' of what's necessary on a road car? A 6" too wide for road use and people 'definitely' don't need more? Man, I'd say that there are thousands of people who'd disagree with that point alone.

I'm of the opinion that if you want to do a mod to your car (and it's safe and legal) then you should do it, it's your car. I'm not sure that telling people what to do based on your own opinions is reeeeally that helpful?

[The Matt]

Regarding brakes in general, you only need more stopping power if your going to be braking from higher speeds than when you had a lesser engine. I'm not in the habit of driving with one foot on the brakes and the other on a wide open throttle. If on the other hand you consider your current brakes marginal for the way you drive, by all means do something to improve them.

True about speed, but what about people that are driving in areas where they're on and off the brakes more, so they're retaining more heat in their solid rotors?

[mini93]

what a silly idea for a thread

people can buy anything for road mini's...im been driving mine on the road for quite a while and has most the stuff on that list bar roller rockers, coil- springs and rear disks

and by coil springs you mean coil overs? if you dont coil spring conversion has been said to improve the car for the good

[The Matt]

You like the way I said 'rotors'?

[Ivor Badger]

i know id rather have disc brakes on the back if there was a great amount of BHP under the bonnet.

do you mean what stuff is not needed for standard road going minis or minis in general so race ones, road ones with less than standard engines etc?

Why would you require rear discs. If you are stopping that hard, the weight transfer would mean the rear wheels would be that lightly loaded that they wouild only take a small amount of braking effort without locking.

When people like Commercial Motor test truck brakes, they carry out a snub test. This involves accelerating a fully laden truck to 50 mph and doing a crash stop. Then you repeat the test another 9 times. The greater power the engine has, the faster the repeat test. Thus the more heat the brakes need to dissipate. Thus the brakes don't need to be better than the engine. So on a road going mini, why would you require better than S discs and good pads. Afterall, people raced on them for years.

[The Matt]

I wouldn't put rear discs on a roady, they ARE totally unecessary IMO. But again, if people want to, they're welcome to!

I'd just use them on a racer to save a bit of weight to be honest.

[benpopham]

Wow this is a stupid thread... all these items are on sale to the public because there is a demand for them, and they sell! they sell because they all work and serve a purpose!!