New Member my 2006 Mini Cooper S project
 

Hello -

I would like to start first with a thank you. In my research around buying a Mini this site and you, its members, helped me quite a bit to narrow down what I wanted in a Mini Cooper S.

I ended up with a 2006 Mini Cooper S as a project car. I purchased the car without knowing it would run.

My wife and I celebrated our 10 year anniversary - which is metal (or tin) so we decided to buy a fun car to enjoy. We recently moved to a new (to us) home with a three and a half heated garage. When we bought the house my wife could see the wheels turning on what I was going to put in that third stall.

I have a six and half year old son who shows an interest in cars and fixing things - so this is a project we can work on "together". I will do the heavy lifting (literally) and he will learn that a person and fix their own stuff and get his hands a little dirty.

I am already on my way to getting everything I need delivered. I had to order two parts direct from BMW in Germany so that blew my timeline a bit. The Cooper goes off next week to a body shop for a quick pull and a bit of touch up paint (minor rust starting on the drivers side taillight and tailgate - having those spots taken care of right away.

Our car was purchased at a local Copart Auction and I knew if things went sideways I could sell the parts for what I had into it. We won the auction, I had the car flatbed delivered into my garage and within 20 minutes I had it running. It was a relief to hear it run. And it purred right out of the gate.

Attached are tow photos. One when I found it at the auction lot, one the day it was delivered and another how it sits today.


https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nor...3365572c64.jpg
This is the first time I saw the 2006 Cooper S before I bid on the car at auction. The Airbag went off so the car wouldn't start.
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nor...fd954b2f64.jpg
As it was delivered into my garage on a flatbed. Took me 20 minutes to get it running, It purrs...
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nor...51bf61b10a.jpg

Hi and welcome to NAM, Jomamasmini!
Congrats on winning an 06 MCS! The best year of the gen 1 Minis and one of the most raw and fun Minis on the road! and a slick top to boot!
It looks sweet and also looks in good shape!
It is great you 6 1/2 yr old has interest! Once it is driving down the road, his excitement and yours too, will be big! These cars handle like a go-kart and make you feel young!
The damage looks minor and the parts are fairly easy to find. Tell us a bit more about it! Is it manual, or automatic? What does the interior look like. Is it showing and trouble lights and have you done an OBD II download to check systems? There is a lot of help here, if you get stumped on anything and many ideas in the gen 1 section, to make your Mini more personal to you!
Keep us posted!

Hi ItsmeWayne -

Thank you for the welcome. Happy to be apart of the community.

I have been a Mini Cooper fan since I saw my first one in 2001. I test drove one in 2008 but I decided to buy a Porsche 944 instead. Big mistake as that 944 cost me more than a three year Mini lease and my wife hated the 944 - she liked the Mini (she had hand-me-down BMWs growing up).

My wife and I moved to a suburb SW of Minneapolis in May. We are just on the edge of farmland and the Minnesota river is just south of me about five minutes. There are a ton of winding and twisty open and not heavily patrolled roads in my area. The Mini Cooper S is perfect for the roads out here. A life long friend and fellow car nut just got his customized 1987 BMW 530i back from being rebuilt to his racing like specs. He took a look at my Cooper S and asked about weight and HP when I am done. He is super excited as the Cooper S and his BMW will be comparable in handling and speed on the twisty roads due to the weight difference. He has $25K into his BMW I have less than $1,600 into my Cooper S as it sits today.

My 2006 Mini Cooper S is an Automatic with the paddle shifters. My wife, while she can drive a stick it's not easy for her so we went with an automatic. I have my eye on a few other Mini Coopers including a six speed manual. Our third stall would hold two Mini Coopers with space to spare (his and hers???...).

The interior is clean - one minor cut in the passenger side seat bottom (where yer butt goes) will be sorted by a pro over the winter. I have dreams of swapping the interior for 2008 Mini "sidewalk - I really like the black with the white piping seats look. My interior, while in great shape - isn't what would have picked. Yes no sunroof - I read from a post on here that the car handles just "that much" better. I was okay with not having a sunroof as A0 my Honda Element doesn't have one up front (on in back) and our Audi Q5 has a HUGE panoramic sunroof.

I have been pleased about the parts availability and price. The biggest thing I have struggled with is the bumper cover. I got one locally in Indi Blue. The guy had a JCW bumper put on four days after he bought his Mini. The number went into storage until I bought it last month. Its really clean and it ALMOST matches my Hyper Blue - almost.

The trouble lights are tough as it blew the airbag in the accident (which I have replaced) and with the radiator out I'm kinda waiting to really run it until I get coolant into it. I would also like to do a complete oil change prior to really running and driving the Cooper. I have a OBD II around here somewhere - I might need a more updated one as it didn't work great with my iPad or MacBook.

The car did not come with any records and my local Mini Dealer said they don't see much done on the car - the oil change sticker in the window was a Rapid Oil Change place. So I feel like I am in the dark on the maintenance. That means I have a list of things I am going to do to the engine.

Oil and filter change
Look at and probably change the oil filter housing seal(s)
Transmission fluid and filter.
Supercharger service
Change the Supercharger pulley to 15%
Change the main pulley to an 2% oversized.
While I am in there look at and probably change the main seal.
Water pump, thermostat housing and coolant hoses - due to the bump in the front the radiator is bent a bit so I am going ahead and replacing it as well.
Cold Air induction air filter.


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Congrats looks like you got a good project. Hope we can help even if you need used parts as we have parted out many MINIs.

"Way" ahead of you - I already have a Way Motor Works list going...

You have the slick top with the chrono package. It is both rare and cool! Make sure to use 100% synthetic oils and vitally important to only use premium fuel. The plastic coolant expansion tank is crap and they always split at the seam, and cause overheating, which is never good. Buy a metal one that takes the factory cap, as that will save you many headaches.
Use something like Redline synthetic trans oil and replace that and the filter, every 30 to 40 K miles. Don't listen to people telling you, it is forever oil! It is not and is also the quickest way to have transmission nightmares.
The power steering hoses always leak. Sometimes just putting on screw type clamps with fix this.
That car has many miles left in it. I drive My 06 MCS JCW daily and intend to for a long time to come. My first was an 05 MCS with chrono package and I just wish I still had it too. I got up to a bunch of Mini Coopers and had to get rid of a few, but always have my eye out for the next one!
Keep us posted and enjoy the help of your son!

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nor...1cee5ae6ea.jpg

Welcome, I like your open wheel shot. Despite the fact the front end is a little messed up, I would say everything else looks pretty clean.

Nice! Salute to a cool dad!
And Congrats on the cool project car.

Wayne's caution concerning the PS hoses is spot on. The safest way to replace the PS fluid is to use a baster to pump out about half and replace then repeat a few months later. For handling, THE best bang-for-the-buck mod you can make is a heavier rear sway bar. For struts, KONI FSD's are tops. Most important when its back on the road is to wave. Welcome to the clan.