Hello NAM!

Ive lurked for awhile now, been researching minis for a few months while im saving my pennies for a Coop S of my own. Up until now ive been planning on picking up a R56 probably 08-10 with as low miles as i can afford. However, as i look around at all the cool mods, i cant help wonder if i would be better off buying up an older 05-06 JCW that i could really sink my teeth into.

I'd be happy with some fairly basic mods on my newer mini, IE CAI, Catback ect ect. However, im not aware of the restrictions imposed by the MINI factory warrenty. Will i void it at the slightest modification? If i bought an older care i would have a lot more money to dump into really tuning it up, However im concerned that ill get myself into an unreliable project car. Obviously these are very different motoring philosophies, im just looking for some input from the fine people At NAM.

I'm a part time college student with a solid tech related job, i make decent money, but not a ton. So any mods would come with time. nor do i have a garage or any real collection of tools, so i wouldnt be rebuilding a tranny anytime soon. Wheres the best bang for my buck?

 

All cars and years can have good and bad buys, My advice to you is to spend a little money up front and have a MINI knowledgeable mechanic inspect the one your interested in. I hope you make a good (Informed ) decision with your purchase. The money you spend to get it inspected will be well worth it.

 

www.motoringfile.com has a very good buyers guide on their home page, in the upper corner on the right margin. Lots of great info to help you with your decision.

 

Drive both the Gen1 and Gen2 MINIs. You'll know which one you want. They are different animals.... both good.

 

good advice, all... I would definitely argue that you want a thorough inspection of the proposed used vehicle, especially a late model first gen JCW or modded car, to be sure the driver was knowledgeable and treated it with respect. The warranty vs mods thing is as old as time, and I hear stories in both directions. It scared me off from doing much to my first MINI, but I heard from enough people that their dealers did not ding them on warranty requests that weren't directly related to a mod, so I was probably overly-conservative. And yes, the two cars are much different rides. I actually prefer my 06MCS to the new ones, personnally. But I liked it hard and tight... uh, so to speak.

 

Thank you so much! This site is awesome. How have i never come acrossed this?

 

Buying a used car is always a gamble but getting a good prepurchase inspection can cut the odds, and certainly you should drive both gen1 and gen2 as they are somewhat different. If you buy an '05 or '06 JCW you probably don't need to do many mods as it is pretty hot as is. The same goes for an '08, '09, or '10 JCW, get the warranty and forget any mod problems, that JCW will light your fire.

 

Excellent, i have been looking at some JCWs. I should also mention i plan on going directly through the dealership and spending my time tracking down the perfect preowned. Ferman Mini in Palm Harbor, Florida.

 

IMHO: Go for the R53. The R53 (2002-06), otherwise known as "Gen 1," happens to be my favorite because they are a bit more raw and less refined than Gen 2, just like a proper British car should be .

The JCW version would be tops, but they are much harder to find than a MCS. Speaking of the MCS, you should know MINI has a "magic switch" on the R53, and here's the entire "switch" kit for a reasonable price:http://bit.ly/bs5HNA This kit plus a high-volume CAI and new cat-back pipes will help your MCS breath harder. These mods alone will put you around the 200WHP mark with little effort and at less than $2K. Not bad, but it gets better.

From here, you can dig into your engine and replace the head, cam and header and give it a RMW tune for the 250WHP mark. If you have more money to burn , you can twin-charge your R53 MINI, but you'll need to rebuild the motor to handle the power which can exceed 300WHP! Pretty good for a 2,650lbs "econo" car.

In case you decide on a R53, I know of a "like new" 04 MCS with 29K miles that is obsolutely perfect inside and out. This car is available at an independent MINI shop where I have my car maintained. I'd buy this car in a heartbeat if I was in the market. Check it out here: http://bit.ly/d1khUb


Happy motoring and modding!

 

Wow mcs, that does look like a pretty good deal, i'll have to find an R53 locally to test drive, see how i feel about the matter. Thanks for all the advice, really great stuff.