Hey Everyone,

I'm in San Diego. I'm a drummer and have a vintage Porsche 911 that I've restored from the ground up. I thought a Mini might be the perfect car to bomb around SoCal in...I can throw my drums in it, and can rip the twistys if I want to. Friends that have had Minis have loved them, so I made the decision to get one.

My budget is $5-7k. I know that's not a lot to spend, but that's what I've got to work with. I've seen a few 2003-2004's in that price range.

So...couple questions:

1. Anything in particular I should look out for?
2. Can anyone recommend a good Mini shop in the San Diego area where I can get a PPI done if I'm looking at cars?

Thanks, and I'm excited to get to know you guys.

 

If I was going to by a used MINI today knowing what I know now...these are the things I would look for. It may not keep me from buying the car, but they would be good ways to knock them down on price...most old MINI's are going to have some of those issues.

1. Check for mushroomed upper shock mounts.
2. Check for any oil leaks on the bottom side of the engine
3. Check for worn LCA bushings by kicking the front tires to see if you can move them back and forth.
4. Check for loose suspension parts (take it for a drive).
5. Make sure the A/C blows nice and cold.
6. Check for rust under the moldings in the door jams
7. Make sure the clutch is feels smooth when you are letting out on the pedal...you don't want a crunchy feeling at all.
7. Look at the overall condition of the car.....did they take care of it?
8. Check the oil level in the motor...and ask them how often they check it.
9. Ask them who (if anyone) does the maintenance on the car.

 

Agree with IQR - would ask for receipts of maintenance.

Just be careful about buying a "cheap" MINI. I bought an '06 for $6k with 100k miles which was about $4000 less than others listed around here. I knew it had issues pre-purchase so I've ended up replacing stuff myself to save cash but I know it's been fixed correctly. Make sure you don't end up spending more than you would fixing problems than buying a better cared for car.

 

All sage advice, thanks.

I'm not afraid of getting my hands dirty on something that needs a bit of work. I understand that it might be what's in my budget right now. I guess we'll see!

 

Right on. Thanks for the input!