When you upgrade your MCS with bigger sway bars...

[Jeffy]

Don't just throw them in the dust bin- I would like to put them in place of my MC non-S skinny sway bars. Thanks for your consideration. -Jeffy.

[justintime]

I still have the cooper sport plus sway bar

[Jeffy]

Justin, is your car also a non-S? I find it a challenge to find ways to get more power out of the normally aspirated engine, though I have to go about it all slowly, since I'm not a rich dude. I see your name on the forums often. Maybe we can meet sometime at one of these Mini events around S.A., if I can ever get to one. -Jeffy.

[justintime]

I have a non s as well :] ya its difficult unless you can lay down the big bucks :/ ya we should meet up sometime. like keith and many others have said the power lies in the head. just I dont have the money to lay 1500 down into it ^__^ but im building on the small stuff until theres nothing left. now I just need the ported intake mani, and then Ill just have to wait it out till I can afford the head

[dougc]

Justin--what do you mean the power lies in the head? Does someone make a head that increases stroke or is there something else? I'm still new to the Mini and still think it is plenty fast (my last non-truck was a Jeep), but, I'm sure that will change.

[k-huevo]

My apologies to Jeffy for taking his thread off topic; my name was mentioned so I need to state my position on this topical tangent. The normally aspirated R50 Cooper is a hot rodded version of the One offered in other markets and is already well tuned to get the most out of its configuration. It has been the experience of others who have gone down the Cooper enhancement path that bolt-ons and flash tunes are of very limited objective value. Since not much has been left on the table by the manufacturer it takes something like a change in volumetric efficiency http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volumetric_efficiency to reap any relatively large power benefit. Once the motor can move more air, a tune can take advantage of the increased flow. It is possible some extra efficiency can be gained from changes in the exhaust manifold after head work but the stock components already have some headroom designed in.

There are of course other options to increase output from the motor, forced induction and nitrous are proven power givers but require extra care and special management, plus cause extraordinary stresses to the motor. Increasing displacement is a tried and true method for most vehicles but with the narrow space between each piston in our motors not much can be had from an overbore; stroking is a possibility that has only recently become a possibility but as yet is not in a marketable kit.