Hello all!

My wife picked up a 2010 mini cooper s this weekend. Our first mini. Ill admit i was skeptical at first but once i got to drive it once i was in love. Holy cow that car scoots. Fun stuff!! So just wanted to introduce myself and look forward to reading all kinds of threads. I do have a couple questions if you would all be so kind...

1) being a 2010 cooper s with a build date of 4/2010 is there anything with this car that i should be keeping my eye on. Anything that stands out with this model and gen bad or good?

2)looking to do a few light upgrades for the wife (or lets be honest for me). Anywhere i should start? I already ordered a set of interior led lights to "class it up" a little. The Ford dealership already threw on new bridgestone runflats, which i have NO experience with

Heres the awesome part. I drive a 15 mazda 6 that ive dumped a few thousand on in performance and looks and my car is being treated like a second rate citizen. The kids are already saying "can mom pick us up from school in the mini? "... Smh

Nice to meet you all!!!

 

Congrats on your new MINI and welcome to NAM! Please post some pix when you have a chance, and visit our website for free application guides, articles and videos on service, maintenance, accessories and performance upgrades.

You have many miles and years of grins ahead of you. I recently picked up an R53 having previously owned two racing Classic Minis and a 1967 Cooper S. LOL re the kids being picked up from school.

We recommend a cold air intake, and Sprint Booster to take care of throttle lag. Making certain the oil has been changed recently and fluids are all topped off and not dirty is important. Also, there is an article on our site called, "Mini Cooper Cold Start Rattle" you should read about your year and model car. Just put the title in our search window. Do you know if the timing chain was changed on your 2010, and how many miles on your Cooper S?

We have several articles on upgrading your MINI in steps for engine, suspension, brakes, etc. on our website, so please check it out! Feel free to ask any and all questions, we have been working with the brand on the street and track for over 40 years.

Drive Hard. Drive Safe. Keep Grinning.

 

Sounds good. I will look at those threads. No idea on the timing chain. We got the car all cleaned up and detailed out today and it looks sharp. I like the little car.

We are in san diego. Not aure if theres any mini car clubs out here or not?

 

Welcome and congratulations to you and your wife. I'd check service records or give a shout to your dealer to see if your R56 qualifies for the HPFP recall. It's definitely a good idea to check the timing chain/guide to see if it's ever been replaced. I highly recommend you keep an eye on your oil level. It's a good habit to always check it when you stop to fill up for gas. Just make sure it doesn't get low because that will start causing problems. As for the runflats, for your next set ditch them. It will dramatically improve your ride comfort/feel. As far as mods, what exactly are you wanting? A rear sway bar is definitely one of the best bang for your buck mods to go with. Anyways, be sure to enjoy and if you have any questions along the way please don't hesitate to shoot me a message.

 

thanks for heads up. I called the Mini of San Diego and it looks like 3 recalls were performed in october 2012. The cover for the heat shield on the turbo, the water pump, and thetiming chain guard. The service advisor showed no open recalls for my VIN.

thank you for that!!!

As far as upgrades are concerned, It isnt "my" car... so i need to be gentle lol.....I have a 2015 mazda 6 that ive done a decent amount of modding on.

The rear sway bar although its going to tighten things up, Im afraid it will give too harsh of a ride for my wifes liking... at least it would in my 6..... thoughts?

Ive got the interior LED's on order but i wanted to see if they were any good interior upgrades that will keep it "classy" and not kill my check book

 

There is a San Diego MINI group. We list state-by-state clubs on our site. Just click on "Social" on the menu bar and the pull-down menu will list "Clubs."

Drive Hard. Drive Safe. Keep Grinning.

 

Good to hear! Glad you got that all sorted. You can always get an adjustable rear sway bar. I can PM you some options if you're interested, but basically they allow 3 levels of adjustment so you aren't completely sacrificing ride comfort. For me personally, I didn't notice any type of a "too tight" feeling. I actually felt better and more connected to the road. For interior, you can do some illuminated door sills, a fun shift ****, some aluminum pedal boards & track mats. I can shoot you a PM with these items for you to check out as well. Just let me know.

 

Welcome

There are a ton of threads on the forum about mods. I'd read up and see what you find that may fit what you want to do with the car. Then feel free to email us any questions and we'll help you put together what you need.

Sway Bar and Forge Intercooler are always the biggest bang for the buck on an R56

 

Thanks again for the help above guys....

...need opinions / advice... was looking at maybe a larger intercooler (price is steep though) or "performance" intercooler hoses.

so 2 questions

1..... would an upgrade on just the hoses actually improve performace at all? I mean it would look cool and all but dont wanna waste that money
2.... if so.. what brand(s) would be recommended?

 

For an intercooler we use the Forge

Then for hoses we have several options, but normally leave the stock hoses and remove the restrictions with our res delete, and noise maker delete pipes. They are much more affordable than the hoses and do the same thing, but fit better.
check out our website as vendors can't post links in this section.

 

Hi again, Mason

We have a great deal of success and customer feedback on the Forge and Wanger Intercoolers, along with the pipe upgrade kit. A full selection is on our website.

Let us know if you have need of further help! Be sure to check out the installation video from Wagner on our site.

Drive Hard. Drive Safe. Keep Grinning.