Hey guys, so i recently bought a mini about a week ago. I drove 15hrs round trip to pick her up.

Its a 2004 cooper S (JCW engine package). I got it from an older couple who miraculously took care of it. It literally looks like a brand new car when you look at it in person. It has only 70k miles.

I came from an 05 GTO so I kinda thought i wasn't going to be impressed but man, this car is dope. Horsepower isn't everything. I don't know if I'm ready to say I like this car better than the GTO but I can't say its any worse either. Its' just different.

So far I have clay barred it, polished, and waxed it. (I use to detail) - I plan to buff out all swirls once it gets cooler here in the Vegas heat. I've also installed the bonnet stripes, got ceramic tint, and done spark plugs and a few other maintenance things.

Here are some photos!

 

Nice; what you pay?

 

$8,000. Not bad eh?

 

Nice that is what i paid for my 05 MCS. from one new guy to another congrats...

 

Wow! that's great looking R53. Did you buff out the headlights, or were they already that clear?

 

thank you. I was initially looking for an 05/06 but couldn't pass up this car!

 

thank you! And they were like this. All did was clay bar them plus polish and wax. Probably just made them a bit shinier at best.

 

Looks classy and clean. Nice find! Do you have any plans for mods?

 

thanks! driving lights, r90 wheels, new tires.. That's really all I can think of 😁.

 

must be a late 04 because you got the updated steering wheel, nice price on it!

 

Good looking R53....welcome!

 

Congrats on the new "too you" MINI cooperS
the r53 is definitely my favorite body style MINI has come out with in the past 15 years
have any other big plans for her?

 

Unless you really like the R90's, I would consider other wheels that are lighter. They are close in design to your current wheels, but weigh more, and are usually one of the more expensive and harder OEM wheels to find. I have them and think they look great, but I'm not sure I would get them if I already had the Challenge Spoke wheels.

One thing to keep your eye on is the crank pulley. They are known to fail and can cause major issues depending on how soon you catch it. You can get stock sized replacements or larger like a 2% to add a little more boost from your supercharger. The JCW SC pulley is harder to replace so it's a good way to go if you're wanting a little more boost.

 

Personally for me, I'm not a big fan of the aftermarket wheel look. And my current wheels are nice, they just don't do it for me. I'll save up the cash and hopefully find some new ones down the road somewhere. And thank you for the crank pulley advice.

 

Finding lighter aftermarket wheels that don't look so aftermarket is the main reason I don't have any yet. The R90's look so good on the car I can put up with the weight of them. If I eventually find a set of lighter rims I like, I'll still be keeping the R90's to change the look up every now and then.

 

do you have the 16 or 17" and which do you recommend?

 

I have the 17's which the original owner had spec'd when new. I like the look of the 17's more than the 16's, but that's just personal preference. The 17's do have more of an "aftermarket" look because they are two piece rims with all of the bolts. Also, the ride should be less harsh with the 16's since the sidewalls of the tires are bigger.

There are lots of variables to consider, but the overall look on the car is probably the biggest if it's mostly being driven on the street and all out performance isn't a factor.

 

those wheels are so sick. I think I prefer the 17" look too. Currently I have 17" anyways so I can just use the same tires/or new tires when I get them... Do you know of any site I can get them from? I don't want any replicas.

 

You can get them from ECS Tuning, direct from MINI, or any other vendor who can get factory parts.

Keep your eye out for blow outs like the R52 Aero kits at more than 60% off. About a year or two ago, MINI closed out sets of Anthracite R90's for about $750 which was not much more than people ask for used and curbed R90's. I was going to buy a set and sell mine. I would have had a new set for less than the cost of having mine refinished.

 

Great deal! The car and interior look great. I was happy with my 04 R53 bought a few months ago for just under $7,000 and just under 80,000 miles. Not a JCW though, but did the VIN check and found it has the Sports Suspension Plus. It drives like a go kart with a firm, but smooth, ride.

Drive Hard. Drive Safe. Keep Grinning.

 

Thanks I'll be sure to check them out. I'm in no rush. I like my wheels but within a year id like to get the r90's. After that I think I'm done with the aesthetics part of the mini.

 

That's awesome. That's what I was going to pay for a non JCW before I found this one. My mini also came with upper strut bar, lower strut bar, stiffened motor mounts, rear sway bar, and loads of other suspension goodies:D. But since this be my first mini I cannot compare to one that has all stock components.

 

$8K is, in my opinion, a great deal. Congrats.

 

R90/s are awesome I agree, I ended up with the Asa ar1 17s as a much cheaper option. Your challenge wheels are great wheels too.

 

Don't get bavmotors started on R90s.