I've never had a Mini, want to get a car for myself to play with and to let my teen drive, and really want a manual. So I'm thinking Mini.

Just started looking in earnest today. Does anyone have any experience with Mini of Nashville? I may ask them to do a pre-purchase inspection if I find one I like.

Anything I should know about going in?

Thx,
Jon

 

I would get a pre inspection first by them , even if you find one somewhere else, you can also find out what other people did by checking out the Tennessee club.

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...mini-club-304/

 

Thanks, ECSTuning, for your reply.


That's my plan. Just got off the phone with the service department. ~$125 for the inspection. Waiting on a call back from sales to see if they'll run a Carfax (would be great if service could do it as part of their inspection service).


And thanks for pointing out the Tennessee subforum. I'm just an FNG here and didn't even know about it. :-)

 

You are welcome.

 

Hi illzoni!

Welcome to NAM, you are going to love getting your hands on a MINI! Doing your homework up front is very wise. It took me about a month to find the right R53 '04 MCS in April and I've been enjoying it ever since.

Here's a few relatively easy items you can check yourself:

Basics to Check when Buying a Used MINI

Chassis site lines for alignment
Air conditioning/heat/fans
Windows/door locks
Pull on wheels vertically and horizontally, check for movement from the control arm bushing or wheel bearing
Tire wear, wheel damage, brake pad wear
Moisture by battery box in trunk
Lights, wipers, buttons and switches, pedal feel, clutch, gearbox feel
Smooth idle, no noise or rattle, reservoir tank line, hose check
Strut tower bulge
No bouncing or chirping from tensioner assembly
No fraying or cracks on serpentine belt
Valve cover gasket and any oil at back of engine
Water thermostat – let engine get hot
Check jack points under car for bending
Check for oil leak behind front bumper at crank position sensor O ring
Oil filter housing
Power steering fan & pump inlet hose
Engine mounts
Listen for clicking sound from drive axles when test driving and turning
Clutch slave cylinder dry, oil filler cap any carbon or sludge?
Brake fluid color
Dipstick breakage

You can find out a great deal more from our free service & maintenance, performance upgrade, repair, and accessory guides on our website. Plus, be sure to sign up for member discounts there as well.

Please let us know if you have any questions!

Drive Hard. Drive Safe. Keep Grinning.

 

if you get a mini, post up pics!

 

I sure will.

Couple of questions...

1) What's it take to fix a sagging headliner? Cost?

2) Are curb-rashed rims fixable? Cost? Replacement cost?

Thx,
Jon

 

There are a couple videos on YouTube showing Do-It-Yourself rash repair. Can't vouch for them but may be worth a look before paying to have it done, or buying new wheels. Same for the headliner. There are also some good threads here in NAM:

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...liner-diy.html

Drive Hard. Drive Safe. Keep Grinning.

 

Thanks. That's a great thread--I've saved for later reference.

 

We had a sale fall through after the inspection came back with too many issues.

And today we had another car ('06 S w/ 76k miles) inspected at Mini of Nashville. It has several items, but all seem to be about normal for this age of car. Other than a complete brake job (expected), some bulbs, and an oil change, the attached excerpts from the quote list what's needed.

Would you consider these normal for this age/mileage car?
Would you walk away or consider negotiating the price down to offset repairs?
Could a reasonably capable DIYer tackle any/all of these?
What would a DIYer's cost be for each?

TIA,
Jon

 

For that year and mileage it's probably not all that unusual. My '04 with about the same mileage had a few minor issues: a bulb, passenger door actuator not working, and rattle from the hatch hinge that was easily fixable.

Everything you have listed could be tackled by a DIYer, and you can price out expenses for all the parts involved on our site, plus there are articles and application guides as well.

How much do they want for this one? Frankly, I would be willing to pay slightly more for a model that didn't need all of this done.

However, if this is a bargain, everything here you can do yourself, or buy the parts and have a local, reliable mechanic work on it.

Drive Hard. Drive Safe. Keep Grinning.

 

Okay, if you don't mind, I'd really like to get advice on each item...

Lower control arm bushings
I've been reading several threads and there are many options. In my mind (with little Cooper experience), factors include: cost, ease of installation, performance gain. I would be working in our garage with no specialized tools, a floor jack, and jack stands. I would not be in a rush to get it done. A couple of vendors active here offer solutions, either just bushings or brackets with bushings already installed. What do folks advise?

Engine Cooling Fan Stage 1
It's not working in stage one. The dealer priced out replacing the fan (PN 17-11-7-541-092).
Is it a reasonable R&R?
Is that necessary or is there a common, cheaper solution?

Engine Oil Pan Gasket Leaking
I haven't even researched this yet, but assume it's not too bad. Is that accurate?

Brake Pads and Rotors (all)
I'm betting this is akin to asking which oil is best...opinions will abound. Please share them. ;-)

Muffler and/or Gasket
Dealer is quoting replacement. I didn't hear a leak when I test drove. If I were to replace with aftermarket, I wouldn't want anything more than a slight increase in sound. Whatcha think?

Thx,
Jon

 

Hi Illzoni:

Lower control arm bushing:

For the do-it-yourself'r, the bushing can be replaced from the bracket, but the old will need to be pressed out and the new pressed in with a special BMW Tool. This bushing goes on the rear end of the front lower control arm.

To simplify repair, you can replace the entire bracket with the bushing already pressed in. If you prefer to get the bushing with the bracket, see NMS7615L on our website. Replacing the entire bracket with the bushing will save you a lot of time for little added expense. You also won't need the BMW 'special tool' if you replace the entire bracket with bushing already installed.

For the performance minded, go with Powerflex Polyurethane Bushings.
http://new.minimania.com/part/NMS761...t-Arm-Rear-Oem

You should be able to do the oil pan gasket. Check the torque settings here:

http://new.minimania.com/part/NME761...R53-Value-Line

Brake pads and rotors:

Replace them both at the same time. Pad choice based on if this is your daily driver, track day and/or autocross car.

Here is a rotor replacement and upgrade guide - there are also links to factory replacement and upgraded pads and fluids here:

http://new.minimania.com/Mini_Cooper...lacement_Guide

You may want to get a second opinion on the muffler/gasket. You'd certainly save with just a gasket replacement. If you go with a replacement/upgrade, here is an application guide that should give you some ideas:

http://new.minimania.com/MINI_Cooper...lication_Guide

Finally, a couple of good manuals will help - Bentley and Haynes. I use them both:

http://new.minimania.com/part/BOOK13...tley-2002-2006

http://new.minimania.com/part/67020/...oper-2002-2011

Here's a NAM thread on the Stage 1 fan:
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...age-1-fan.html

Hope this helps, let us know if we can answer any other questions!

Drive Hard. Drive Safe. Keep Grinning.