You are currently viewing our forum as a guest, which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our community, at no cost, you will have access to post topics, communicate privately with other members (PM), respond to polls, upload content and access many other special features. Registration is free, fast and simple, so please join our community today!
I'm in the market for a R53 and looked at two of them today in El Cerrito. So if you've been looking, this may or may not save you some time. Both were pure silver.
03 Cooper S at Honda of El Cerrito - 72,0xx miles, $12,588
The PHOTOS show a great condition car but the low asking price is more indicative of what you'll get once you see it in person. The first thing I noticed pulling into the lot (it's parked right out front by the showroom) was the rear license plate falling off, hanging on with one screw. Upon closer inspection I noticed paint chips, not scratches, on the hood, front and rear bumpers. Lots of spider webbing on the black finish - pillars, roof, etc - as if the previous owner didn't know how to wash a car properly. The rubber trim was a bit faded. Paint was peeling around the passenger side foglamp. The interior was clean, aside from some scratches in the rear side panels, and a stain in the headliner near the rear moonroof. However, there was something wrong w/ the drivers seat - it had some give and moved about an inch back and forth. Obviously, with all these flaws I didn't bother driving it or looking under the hood. It definitely looked like a used car.
Disappointed, I checked Craigslist to see if there were any Coopers in neighboring cities. There just so happened to be one a few blocks down, another pure silver R53. This one was an 02, which I don't really want, but took a look since it was close by.
02 Cooper S at Wholesale Motors, El Cerrito - 75,xxx mi, $13,495
The PHOTOS depict a very clean car, and for the most part it is. The paint was very clean, no spider webbing on the pillars. A couple hairline scratches on the hardtop roof. There was minor curb rash on all four wheels. This one had the driving lamps which is a plus. The front under spoiler was detached from the mesh grill but appeared like it could be snapped back on easily. Also, there was a small chunk of plastic missing from it, which the salesman later said happened when he tapped a pole trying to park. I also noticed the paint was cracking underneath the clearcoat on the front bumper, probably from the same incident. He popped the hood for me and I immediately spotted a coolant leak. I assumed it was a faulty reservoir tank but it could've been a loose hose also. He said it would be fixed. The interior was immaculate. The leatherette seats looked brand new. However, there was some wear around the silver shifter ring and steering hub.
So I took it for a drive just for kicks. The responsiveness reminded me of my Corolla hatchback in city driving, only a lot smoother and with more power. I fell in love immediately. On the highway, the power was adequate but nothing compared to the MR2 Turbo I drove there. Still, it was nothing to sneeze at by far. I noticed a rattling noise coming from the dash. Apparently, these things are common w/ this car. The shifter had a nice broken in feel but still engaged into each gear w/ a confirming thump. Having a 6th gear sure was nice.
Upon return, we talked specifics. He showed me a Carfax citing a minor accident in 2007 and admitted the front bumper had been repainted, but that everything else was original. This pretty much killed the deal for me and the fact he was reluctant to budge from the $13.5 asking price made things worse. Negotiations ended there. If he were willing to go, say, $12k I may have taken it. But as it is, I am still Cooper-less.
Last edited by aerodynamics; 07-03-2009 at 08:17 PM.
Don't be overally critical... the cars ar 6-7 years old and will have cosmetic imperfections. If you want a new car than pay the price. These look like they are both good cars for the price.Hell they have over 70K.... what do you expect?
__________________
'03 MCS - Prem & Sport Pkg, Aero Kit, Alta 15% SC Pulley & CAI; M7 Catch Can, Crank Pulley, USS, Extreme Scoop, & TSB; Milltek Exhaust, Cat & Header; WMS Short Shifter, Unichip, Mini Madness Stage 1 Head & Engine Bushings; Schrick Camshaft, Nology Hot Wires, H-Sport Bar, Carbon Fiber rear chasis bar, GRS Intercooler, driving lights, rear fogs, parcel shelf, Whalen.
those two cars would have cost more than 20% more than they do now....
The coolant bottle leak is a known problem area on the Mini. It's a cheap part and expect to get one or two over the life of the car. There are lots of other areas for problems on a car of that vintage (front control arm bushings, passenger side engine mount to name a couple). If you're serious about a MINI, do some homework on the known issues to keep an eye out. You can probably get more money knocked off the price and fix things like the overflow tank yourself than it costs to fix.
There are currently 4 MINI's on differnt lots along San Carlos in San Jose if you choose to ventuer south. If memory serves me right 1 blue(not sure of shade), 1 chili red, 2 silver ( not sure if dark or pure). plus a few more on Stevens Creek and down on Capitol Auto Mall.
I'm looking for a pure silver exclusively and have been checking a number of classified sites daily. But if you come across one outside these means, say a private seller, lmk. I will try and track down the one in SJ. I plan on having one of these in the very near future. Thanks.
2005 BRG/W JCW
