R56 Cooper S JCW - You may recognise...

[Jason_E]

I made a promise to myself that I'd buy no new cars in 2019, after the Boxster I decided 2 cars is enough and I really should grow up a bit.

So here's the car I bought a couple weeks back.

A 2009 John Cooper Works, very much "Track" spec. I've been wanting something track focused for years, and I had a bit of a hankering to do one of these JCW's. But the cost of getting it where I wanted was too much to swallow, I'd probably be £15k deep if I did all the stuff I wanted (Engine tuning, Diff, half cage, Recaro Poles etc etc.

However, lucky me, this came up on eBay and within a week I was driving it home. It's not only got all the bits I wanted, but its green, so to me its perfect.

Before viewing it I did my due diligence, and googled the plate as well as the usual HPI checks. And what came up almost top of the list? A thread on here by @Sir_Dave a couple of years back, turns out he was the one to do most of the mods to it. His thread is knocking about so feel free to go see this cars history!

Since then its had a few bits added, main spec is:

Downpipe with Decat, FMIC, intake etc. and manic map (270bhp-280bhp)
Quaife LSD
KW ST's
Yellowspeed big brake kit up front
Half cage
Luke harnesses
Recaro Pole Positions
Rota wheels with AD08Rs

I've already had it on track and the thing is an absolute hoot! Properly hilarious chassis to play with, but planted when you really want to go quick. The diff is quite amusing, whereever you point the car it just goes.

Anyway, I'm sure I can remember to update this with all my fails/crashes/explosions as I try and go to as many trackdays as I can this year! Plenty to get on with tinkering for now anyway.

XSP_7599 by Javelin Trackdays, on Flickr

XSP_6562 by Javelin Trackdays, on Flickr

 

[cat171]

It looks great!!

 

[Briank_]

Well, thank you. I never made the same promise as you, and now you’ve got me looking at Mini’s for sale! Looks like a lot of fun!

 

[-Simon]

That is mint mate. Properly like that. Got any interior shots?

 

[Jason_E]

That is mint mate. Properly like that. Got any interior shots?

Cheers, just a couple actually! Need to take it out for a little photoshoot when I get the chance.

 

[imprezaworks]

Not a fan of minis but that looks awesome

 

[Stefan.]

Heck yeah!

 

[Hixle]

Class car, it’s just clicked that it was @Sir_Dave’s!

Dave ran Ohlins iirc?!

 

[Rob]

That’s a superb looking car. Before I bought mine I tried so hard to find a green one and never could!

Great buy

 

[Matt W]

Looks awesome!
How does it pass a MOT with no airbag on the steering wheel?

 

[leeds2592]

Love this.

 

[Jason_E]

Cheers all!

Class car, it’s just clicked that it was @Sir_Dave’s!

Dave ran Ohlins iirc?!

Yeah I was quite amused when I googled the plate and found out it was a CS member.

Shame it doesnt have the Ohlins. At some point they apparently needed a rebuild, and the only owner that I havent been able to speak to (Other than Dave, the last owner, and the owner after Dave) made some odd choices. One was selling the Ohlins and fitting some naff BC Racing ones that needed a rebuild by the time the last owner had it.

He opted for the height+damping adjustable KW ST's and theyre very good tbf.

That’s a superb looking car. Before I bought mine I tried so hard to find a green one and never could!

Great buy

Haha I spent AGES wanting a green one! Like you I found them hard to find, hence being very trigger happy when this came up.

Looks awesome!
How does it pass a MOT with no airbag on the steering wheel?

I can get all the airbag and seatbelt lights coded out (I think a resistor works as well). I've also got to wire in a new horn somwhere off the wheel. But it has 12 months MOT so its kinda next years problem anyway. That or find someone friendly to put it through

 

[brisa4984]

That looks fantastic

 

[_Tom]

Mini friend. Love the spec. Not sold on the wheels but glad to see no black headlight rings.

 

[Sir_Dave]

Class car, it’s just clicked that it was @Sir_Dave’s!
Dave ran Ohlins iirc?!

Yup, this car goes on the pile of "wish id never sold" along with the ShedTrophy, R53Trackshed, Aegean Blue M3 and e90 M3. At the time i bought the RS3, the sentimentality of the R53 made me choose that over this, but in reality, this would have ended up being the better car, plus it would have broken less ?

Re: the Ohlins, i think the issue was that Lohen thought they were broken when i had it in with them for the Quaife - from memory, the dampers move around a little when on a lift (designed like that), but as the GP2 Bilsteins do that when they are knackered, they advise a rebuild. Being that they only had 300 miles on them at the time, i told them to sod off. Clearly the next owner wasnt so clued up, hence the purchase of the BC's. Funnily enough, Lohen are now resellers for Ohlins ...

Yeah I was quite amused when I googled the plate and found out it was a CS member.

Shame it doesnt have the Ohlins. At some point they apparently needed a rebuild, and the only owner that I havent been able to speak to (Other than Dave, the last owner, and the owner after Dave) made some odd choices. One was selling the Ohlins and fitting some naff BC Racing ones that needed a rebuild by the time the last owner had it.

I think the "missing" owner is this chap, i actually tried to buy it back off him, but he wanted £10.5k, which was more than i sold it for the year previously lol.

https://www.minitorque.com/forum/f272/brg-jcw-daily-track-car-189177/

Look forwards to seeing more progress on this as the months go by.

BTW. Turinis.

 

[Scrooge]

I really like that and I f**king hate Binis, especially mine ?

 

[rich_h]

N18 or N14?

 

[JB21]

Love that, just the reliability has always put me off!

 

[_Tom]

Love that, just the reliability has always put me off!

Don't believe the hype. They are not unreliable, its just poor maintenance which kills them.

 

[cat171]

Thankfully someone's changed the centre's of the Recaro's, red centres looked dodgy!

 

[Jason_E]

Thankfully someone's changed the centre's of the Recaro's, red centres looked dodgy!

The story as to why he changed them, other than red being not very nice...

The owner before the guy I bought it off tried to dye them black and ended up with one patchy purple cushion. Completely ruined them. So the owner I got it off (as part of his massive spend on the car) bought new centres from recaro ?

 

[cat171]

Much nicer now mate!! I really like it!!

 

[_Tom]

Any plans Jason? Or just going to enjoy it?

 

[Christopher]

Lovely stuff.

 

[Daz.]

Loved this car - needs Turinis again!

 

[Jason_E]

Any plans Jason? Or just going to enjoy it?

Might change the wheels.

Other than that, as many track days as I can. The whole thing needs raising up. It looks great but the arch scrub is annoying on road and track. It’ll be impossible at the ring.

 

[bill]

Love it, good to see it back on here.

 

[_Tom]

What FMIC does it run Jason? Is that an Ultragauge I see? What are your intake temps like?

 

[Sir_Dave]

What FMIC does it run Jason? Is that an Ultragauge I see? What are your intake temps like?

I fitted an Airtec, so unless its been changed (no reason to), itll be that still.

It ran 235bhp at Surrey Rolling Road, with FMIC, AEM intake & decat, so it was a good un. We'll after Lohen fixed their f*ckups anyway.

 

[_Tom]

I fitted an Airtec, so unless its been changed (no reason to), itll be that still.

It ran 235bhp at Surrey Rolling Road, with FMIC, AEM intake & decat, so it was a good un. We'll after Lohen fixed their f*ckups anyway.

Cheers mate. That without a map I take it then? Good figures for SRR whereas Lohens figures seem a little on the "high" side when the RR a car.

I've just fitted an ultragauge to mine and intake temps seem to be about 3c above ambient at normal driving. Driving it hard I can get it to peak at 30-35c which from reading is still low. They also drop almost instantly. Without an FMIC the intake temps can get as high as 70c I've been reading.

What did they charge you to fit the LSD?

 

[Sir_Dave]

Cheers mate. That without a map I take it then? Good figures for SRR whereas Lohens figures seem a little on the "high" side when the RR a car.

I've just fitted an ultragauge to mine and intake temps seem to be about 3c above ambient at normal driving. Driving it hard I can get it to peak at 30-35c which from reading is still low. They also drop almost instantly. Without an FMIC the intake temps can get as high as 70c I've been reading.

What did they charge you to fit the LSD?

Yeah, that was without a map, i personally wouldnt risk one without forged pistons - which would have been the next step if i hadnt sold it. Circa £2k fitted.

I paid the following from Lohen, the valve stems were done for free after they overfilled it with oil ...

Helix Organic, SMF & Quaife, Engine Oil & Powerflex Wishbone Bushes - £2,272
Valve Stem Seal replacement, Full Timing Chain & De-coke - £344

 

[_Tom]

Yeah, that was without a map, i personally wouldnt risk one without forged pistons - which would have been the next step if i hadnt sold it. Circa £2k fitted.

I paid the following from Lohen, the valve stems were done for free after they overfilled it with oil ...

Helix Organic, SMF & Quaife, Engine Oil & Powerflex Wishbone Bushes - £2,272
Valve Stem Seal replacement, Full Timing Chain & De-coke - £344

If I keep mine I'm very tempted by a diff, it def needs one now. But then I'm 33 and driving a mini so have moments of thinking WTF am I driving a cheap mini. ? (although I do love it)

 

[Sir_Dave]

If I keep mine I'm very tempted by a diff, it def needs one now. But then I'm 33 and driving a mini so have moments of thinking WTF am I driving a cheap mini. ? (although I do love it)

Dont worry, i was 34 when i had mine ?

 

[bill]

cough 42 [emoji23]

Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk

 

[Jason_E]

2009 Mini JCW by Jason.Easton, on Flickr

2009 Mini JCW by Jason.Easton, on Flickr

2009 Mini JCW by Jason.Easton, on Flickr

2009 Mini JCW by Jason.Easton, on Flickr

Finally got the camera pointed at it.

Today I bled all the brakes, raised the suspension a few turns. It still scrubs at the rear if I hit big bumps whilst cornering hard, so maybe needs to come up more! But maybe alright for track.

@TomSx the gauge is pretty good! I only got it for engine temps, are the intake temps accurate? I know it only calculates oil pressure....

 

[Jason_E]

Cheers mate. That without a map I take it then? Good figures for SRR whereas Lohens figures seem a little on the "high" side when the RR a car.

I've just fitted an ultragauge to mine and intake temps seem to be about 3c above ambient at normal driving. Driving it hard I can get it to peak at 30-35c which from reading is still low. They also drop almost instantly. Without an FMIC the intake temps can get as high as 70c I've been reading.

What did they charge you to fit the LSD?

Just thought I'd follow this one up! Stuck the intake temps on the gauge, and pretty much everything youve said there reads true.

Today driving it was a few degrees above ambient, went to around mid 30's when I gave it a good blast up dual carriageway.

 

[cat171]

I looks great!!