ARe the JCW parts as good as the tuner aftermarket...

Head? No friggin way.
Pulley? Not as much reduction as others.
Airbox? It's a fine piece, just 2x what it should cost.
Injectors? They're fine as well. Bosch makes good injectors.
Exhaust? Doesn't look too good if you look at the backpressure numbers Roland measured (posted over on Mini2)
Brakes? Real heavey floating calipers. TCE, Detroit tuned and others have better kits for less$ that weight less.
Wheels? JcW wheels are expensive and heavy. This is one area where they really screwed the pooch. Nice wheels, but why they put such boat anchors on what supposed to be the performance pinicle? Makes no sense.
Shocks and springs? ARe they any better or worse than PSS9s? I drove the Dinan car, they do thier own springs and revalve adjustable Konis. best Mini suspension I've ever driven on.

So, really if you like to tinker on your car, get a car you can tinker on! That can be a used or new S or JCW.

To really get in trouble, it seems to me there are a few really good reasons to get the JCW. If you like them go for it!

1) Factory hot(tish) rod.
2) Exclusive.
3) History.
4) Warranty
5) Rolling it into financing.
6) you don't work on your own car (labor costs up the cost of the aftermarket add ons).

The reasons not to:
1) Very expensive per performance gain.
2) If you're going to mod, why buy the expensive stuff in the first place? You will just take it off later.
3) If you don't really care about the warranty stuff.


But what it comes down to is that there are different strokes for different folks! For me, I bought before you could order the JCW kit, decision made. ButI was thinking about getting a GP (didn't do it), and that would have had all the factory stuff on it.

In hind site, I wouldn't get the JCW kit. I'd do the DIY mods. I get stress reliefe from working on the car as well as driving it. For those that love the JCW kit, I'm happy for them. It's just not for me.

So think about what you want out of the car, and get the one that fits your needs. You may have different priorities than me, and that's good. But you may have different priorities than Thefuturequeenofnebraska (I keep wanting to hit the space bar as I type this!), and then the JCW may not be for you.

Matt

 

NM.

 

Again, if you are going new I think the warranty is a huge issue and is worth preserving......would you spend say $25K on something and nothave a warranty.....????? if you want a hobby and you know you are going to mod the hell out of your car buy used.... older.....have fun and don't look back..... I was caught by a warranty issue because of my mods and it cost me over 2 grand...... is this your daily driver....... Dr O is absolutely right the aftermarket parts are much better for the $ but .....and this is your real decision, do you care about warranty...... maybe you should have a talk with your dealer and ask him how far you can go before he negates your warranty.... all the dealers seem to be different here.....either way welcome to "Minidom"

 

there was a lot there so I only took a piece of it. This is my last question(wel maybe not the last).....Has there been a lot of problems with the Cooper S that I should be thinking about a warranty? It seems we keep coming back to this, and if there are a lot of problems with the car, then I should probably think more heavily about the warranty.

 

I just love my JCW - it's the bomb-jiggity!

Never been sorry, I think.

Sorry if I had been sorry.

I'd do it again, I guess.

Oh well.

 

Love my JCW, but all here are correct - you can piece something similar with high quality aftermarket parts. If you do go aftermarket for your fun, I would recommend ordering the S with the limited slip. It works and is very expensive to go aftermarket on if you decide to do it later.

 

I had an '03 MCS for three years. Only a couple problems during its 33K miles before replacing it with an '06 JCW S. I've only had the JCW for a month, but absolutely love it. Factory JCW engine w/dealership-installed JCW suspension. This is a factory-feeling, smooth, yet tight car that for me is well worth the sizeable upcharge. Warranty, warranty and warranty.

Unlike many of the NAMers, I do not enjoy wrenching these days. It really stresses me because my Mini is my only car. Can't enjoy a Sunday afternoon modding project that could go awry and leave me stranded the next day.

But, if I were still into wrenching, and my Mini were a weekend toy-- I would definitely seek out tips/inspiration from the many talented, experienced NAMers for some DIY fun.

BAck to reality... One of the best advantages of my owning a JCW S is that I no longer need two cars (daily driver + weekend adrenaline machine). I now have a spare bay in the garage and a dependable sports car that still hauls the daily crap. lost or retired your wrenches? go craptastic!

 

each year seems to have it's particular gremlins.... Don't really know how to answer you question. Yes, there are people who have needed the warranty to cover some pretty heafty bills. But not so many that it's a statistically large chance it will happen to you. Flip a coin.....

As fas as smooth goes, I guess it depends on what you get. Gary Anderson and I drove the Dinan demo car in 115 degree heat, and even then it was impressive. The smoothest Mini I'd ever driven. Fastest I'd ever gone in a Mini, and stable as speed for sure!

So there are other ways to get smooth....

You know, if you're going to buy used, get your finances in order, and start looking. The used JCW premium isn't the same as the cost of adding new. So get a used JCW and then have at it! Best of both worlds...

Matt

 

Just get the JCW and make us all jealous. You'll regret it if you don't. Plus, have you read Gabe's Motoringfile review on the JCW...

 

wow i'm amazed. usually the craptastic voice is overruled by the DIY contingent. this is (so far) a surprisingly pro JCW crowd.

and also (refreshingly) realistic. not much bashing here.

my (somewhat biased) distillation?

JCW is smooth and simple. and expensive.

if the car has to work every day, and you can afford it, go JCW.

if you want the fastest and best pieces, and either do it yourself or don't mind paying somebody else to install and sort it all out, you can do better with your own mods. no JCW pieces are really the best in class, some (like the wheels) are actually nowhere near best. but they DO work together right out of the box.

all the modders here should honestly agree that there is sometimes more than meets the eye in selecting a good combination of pieces that work well together.

 

I think every one who has built up a car has bought parts that moved on.... The good builders do it less often than the newbies or bad builders....

Matt

 

Very true...

 

If you think you want it, go ahead with the JCW from the factory. I ordered my car without it, but I was able to add it to my order. After sole searching about the price (I think its' about three grand too much) I knew I would be unhappy if I didn't get it. I have been doing cars since Xmas Day 1968 and I've found the simple fact that if you think you want something, cheaper to start out with it. I passed on a 93 Cobra one time as a felt I could make a GT better and I did in total performance but it actually cost me $10k more, however while I had the GT, I purchased a used Cobra that wasn't as fast and liked it more as it was a better balanced car for day to day driving. Couldn't seem to fine a road I could do 175 on with the GT. Then when it came time to switch back to a Turbo Regal the Cobra sold immediately for near what I paid for it and my modified GT took months and brought about .40 cents on the dollar invested. While people have done real well with the resale on the standard S,however if history repeats itself the JCW cars will reach a point where they hold their value better as they are in less numbers, might not be there now, but who cares. If you want it and can afford it without stressing your finances get it because you won't be second guessing and spending more later. You won't be sorry!! All these cars are great, but get what you want as life can be short.Good Luck on your decision!!!

 

I've had my JCW for about 1800 miles now and, imo, it's not all that it is hyped up to be. I had Detroit Tuned install a 15% and 2% on my old MCS that already had a Milltek exhaust and Pilo CAI. The JCW doesn't seem to have as much power as that one did. I do like, and it was a consideration, that the JCW with minor suspension work can be ran in autocross under the STX class instead of SM like any MCS with a reduction pulley.

If your only concern is warranty. Then get the JCW. Or take it to Detroit Tuned to get the above stuff installed and put the remainder of the $6500 in the bank. These motors are strong and and if the tech says a problem is because of your mods then most likely you just have a tech that has no idea. As long as you are conservative on your mods.

The above mods are considered conservative and safe. Also with a guess of around 185hp since I didn't have the ecu upgrade. With the JCW being listed as 207hp. I have my doubts and someday hope to take it to a dyno because it is hard to believe it after driving a modded MCS.

See if you can get a ride with someone who has a slightly modded MCS then ride in a JCW before you purchase. Check with the local MINI group in your area and I'm sure some will be more than willing to take you for a ride.

 

Well said... Except for the team craptastic stuff.. some of the dumbest reading to found on the net...

 

JCW all the way.

Unless you have a great tuner shop near your home ... or you are a ace mechanic, dont bother modding the engine. It will be end up being amateur night and you will always be hacking.

Go for the JCW kit. It gives you seamless integration and harmony. 210HP plus warrantee to boot.

My tried and true 2 cents.

Minibull

 

I'm sorry to hear that you are dissapointed in your JCW, perhaps it still not fully broken in yet. My 06 JCW has nearly 4000 miles on it and while I don't get on it very often, when I do, whoa!. It feels very powerful, but I don't have many options on mine, so it's lighter than the typical S. I recently had a chance to drive a stock S and it felt slow in comparison to mine, both below 3000 rpm and then again above 4500rpm, where there is considerably more oomph in the JCW.

I agree with your comment to ride/drive a lightly modded MCS before making the decision. That's exactly what I did, via this board I got in contact with two great guys who let me drive their cars. An 05 JCW and an earlier MCS w/Alta CAI + 19% reduction and a 15% reduction car. No doubt the modded cars were impressive, but driving the JCW sealed the deal for me. I found that its power delivery was smoother and as I am a pretty conservative person, I admit that I was scared of modding a new car under warranty.

However, as some have suggested, if you want to buy a used car, then modding is the way to go. I often wonder what the combination of a M7 Cosworth pkg w/an Alta turbo kit might be like!

Anyway, that's what's so cool about these cars, there truly is something for everyone. I don't think anyone should bash any others reason for doing what they do to their cars. Everybody has different levels of driving skills, mechanical abilities and some people are risk takers while others are more conservative by nature.

Just be sure you make a decision that you are comfortable with and be happy, it's a MINI!

 

I just passed 5000 miles with my JCW Cabrio on a weekend trip over the last couple days - and decided to try something that was very, very hard for me yesterday....

On the route home from VA to NJ, I tried to do as much of an "econo cruise" as I could on the car, driving it for maximum mileage, to see how high I could push it. Over 250 or so miles, I pulled into my home town at around 32.5 mpg (per the OBC) and had it above 33.0 for a long time before hitting local traffic.

Around town (suburban stop and go driving), when I don't go crazy I average 24 mpg. When I do go crazy with lightning acceleration and fast, fast, fast driving, I generally get around 22 mpg.

So, my factory JCW is proving out to be a 24 / 32 mpg (city / highway) car, which is much better than I had hoped when putting down the money for the kit.

Bill

ps - and, by the way, the JCW makes the S into a cruise missile....

 

I finally managed to find this thread again. I have to update my thoughts on what I said about the performance of my JCW.

I found that a vacuum hose from the air filter had come loose. So I feel that it was making me loose boost as this same hose ties in with the hose for the VGS mod to control the bypass valve. I reconnected the hose and it felt better immediately. It feels strong now.

I did carry it to a dyno and it reported under 170hp to the wheels. I understand a dyno isn't the most accurate but I thought I would mention it since this was done before I found the disconnected vacuum line. I'm willing to bet that it would be well over that if I took it to the same dyno now.

I like the JCW very much now.

BTW, my first run in STX in the JCW got me a 3rd place finish and would have been a 1st place trophy had I remembered to sign up as novice. Now that the vacuum line is secure. I'm going to try to get a better position in my class. Those Subaru's are tough to beat.

 

I've had my JCW for 2400 miles now (in a month!). When I ordered mine, I got the JCW Tuning kit which gave me the exhaust, the brakes and the engine kit. I didn't get the suspension kit or the wheels.

I've been very happy with mine and I've no regrets getting the factory JCW. For me, this car is my new daily driver, so I didn't want to be tinkering with it and modding it (well, I have but the mods are all cosmetic). I have enough project cars as it is. I drove both the S and the JCW, and the JCW was noticeably better, IMO.

As for buying used... well, I don't think I'd buy a used JCW or S. Who knows how bad they've been thrashed.

 

Im a little differn't my mini is a weekend car so if its down for a couple days then thats fine. $6500 is a bit steep for 40 hp, calculate it down and it come to roughly $162 per horsepower... for that money you can get a Alta Twurbo kit with supporting mods, well it would prob. be a little more in the end but you would have double the power than JCW and probally the fastest mini in your city/state but for a daily driver it would seem a little much. Im a aftermarket tuner ***** and gearhead so I enjoy saying all my aftermarket brand names pieces than just saying I have the JCW package to someone who ask's. Plus a new car shouldn't have problems associated with a used car so warrenty should be too too much of an issue. I blew my warrenty on my Subaru RS and now on my Stage 2 WRX but never had any problems with either so warrenty is a little overrated to me.. Don't know how the coopers hold up but they seem well built and not junk boxes.