Unfortunately I only have the means to enter the MINI world through a used one. You would not believe how hard it is to find one that DOESN'T have a freaking moon/sun/panoramic whatever roof. Forget trying to find one in the racing green. Everyone around here seems to like the paddle shift automatic crap as well, manual is rare as well.

Either way, I look forward to doing some minor modifications to my future little gokart, though I'm not familiar with these cars, I'm no stranger to a wrench.

I admit I'll be sad to see my Bronco go, but I need something with better mileage, and I figured these would be the most fun while saving money as well.

I AM worried about used though. Are there typical issues with the S's as they get some miles under the hood? I know that superchargers tend to cut the engine's life down, not to mention how often the charger itself needing replacing; and by looking for a manual, is there a clutch life that seems to be typical? Just asking for anything to keep my eye out for when shopping around that might be a known problem. Oh I should mention I'm looking for 06 or newer, and maybe I should ask the experts what the price ranges generally are in the Illinois area.

 

Welcome Mr. C!

I can't help you with your questions, but try the search function in the upper right. You'll probably find a bunch of good info until someone more knowledgeable replies.

 

Keep looking you'll find the right car. Just watch for clutches making noise, control arm bushings wear out all the time, thermostats leak. But otherwise just check the car over like normal and you'll be fine. Then when you get it let the fun of modding begin. There is a ton of good things you can do, and a ton of bad so research and you'll be fine.

 

Welcome to the forum, good luck in your search for a used MINI, should be a good selection in your area.

 

The engines are built for supercharging and take it well. The superchargers themselves tend to go down sometime after 100K miles. There are some reports of them lasting much longer. One guy with the 1st gen Coupe Talk section has a 200K mile posting, and he's still on the original. Stiegemeier (http://www.stiegemeier.com/home.html) offers very fair rates on rebuilds should you need one down the road.

If you opt for a 2nd gen MINI, make sure to read up on carbon buildup issues. These are usually taken care of with running SeaFoam through the engine. Just something you have to kinda stay on top of.

Best of luck to you. There are good deals out there.