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I've jumped back into the world of Mini, after a short 5 months without one!!
Bought my first R53 in 2010, a DS/B 2005. Moved on to my second, a PW/PW 2006 in 2012, then onto a 2004 JCW in 2016, and I've just bought my latest one, a 2002 JCW. In between I've had a 2008 335xi (full Dinan upgrades), an E93 M3 (bone stock), and even an R55, but I've always come back to the R53. I traded my 2004 JCW in on an R55 JCW in 2019, which then made way for the M3 last September. And I'd only had the M3 a couple of weeks before I started looking for an R53 again. Took me 5 months to find it, but here it is!!
It is a May 2002 build Electric Blue / White MCS, with a dealer installed JCW kit (200hp originally and then upgraded to the 210hp kit when it became available). And, amazingly, it only had 21,200 miles on it when it arrived at my door!
When I started looking at R53's again, I had originally hoped to find a good condition, lower mile, 2005 or 2006, for $6k or less, because I wanted to be able to keep my M3 too. An all Chili Red car would have been ideal, with my second choice being an all BRG car. I hung out in the usual spots looking for cars for sale; NAM Classifieds, Facebook Marketplace, OfferUp, and the local Craigslists (Portland, Seattle and Vancouver BC) - I drove 4 or 5 and had PPI's done on 2 - I even wasted some time on an 185k mile factory JCW (which drove like absolute crap) that the seller wanted $7k for.
I knew, either way, I'd be spending 3 or 4 grand on the maintenance I wanted to do and mods I wanted to make .. so a 50 or 60 thousand mile 05 or 06 made the most sense. I spend a lot of time on Bring A Trailer (and a lot less time on Cars & Bids), where I saw 03 and 04 JCW's with 40k miles on them go for 12k. So I had a rough idea what I was going to have to pay if I wanted a nicer, low mile, car in good condition. I didn't want to spend any more than $10k though, so I knew that BaT quality examples would be a no-no.
So, I was up early on MLK day, and I checked the “Good Deals on CL” thread, and spotted a link to a FaceBook Marketplace listing for a 21k mile JCW. The seller wanted $13k for it, and the car was on the other side of the country. He had 3 other people who wanted it so I had to pay asking (plus the cost of shipping) but its a little gem of a car.
Seller wanted to chat on the phone to give me some info on the car before concluding the deal and taking the listing down: so, it turns out that the original owner was the wife of the CEO of BMW North America when the R53 was released here - car was delivered directly to them by BMW USA. My understanding (I've reached out to Mini USA and Mini UK to see if that can confirm this, and I'd be delighted if anyone on here can confirm whether this is true or false) is that a May 2002 build would be one of the first 100 cars delivered in the US. The second owner was an interior designer who worked for the first owner (who owned some hotels in NYC), and was eventually gifted the car as part of a bonus when she had completed several large projects for them. She stored it in a heated garage in Vermont while she spent most of her time in Florida. I am the third owner. The second owner got her nephew to help her sell it: he works for Hoonigan Racing, and personally built Ken Blocks Ford RS 200. He also has his own company that builds high end custom Ford Bronco's - he sells a lot of them on BaT and felt he couldn't list the R53 there because it would mess with his completed auctions (all of which are Bronco's) - so he decided to try FaceBook Marketplace . . which is where one of the members on here found it!!
The car arrived from North Carolina (where Vintage Bronco Garage is located) in early February - looked surprisingly clean considering it had to come a long way to get to Seattle! And it managed to make it to me in one piece even though it had its original tires on it, from the day it left the factory!!
Considering this car is almost 19 years old, it really does look immaculate, and drives solid and firm.
Since this is my 4th R53 I'll be making all the same mods to it as my previous ones. I'll be keeping it stock cosmetically (other than replacing the 18 year old factory tires and refurbishing the S-Lites) with some mild engine and suspension upgrades (which have already arrived from Way Motor Works and ECS Tuning - thanks guys!!). And I'm lucky enough to be close to ModMini so he'll be doing all the install work for me!
As I complete the work I'll update this thread and will probably take some videos as I do any mods. Below is a video of the car after its first wash (and yes, that is my M3 parked behind it - which ended up making a reverse trip, from WA to NJ).
Congrats, so glad you snagged it in the first 30 minutes!
But do tell...did the M3 still have to go?
Looking forward to updates. Enjoy!
Honestly, if it had been a sedan I would have kept it - but as a convertible, in Seattle, with a back seat that I couldn't sit 3 kids in, it was going to have to go, sooner or later! Am I on the lookout for an E90 M3 .. maybe!!
I managed to get through a few of the things I intended on doing myself yesterday:
Way Motor Works Front Strut Brace
4 new OEM Wheel Center Caps (2 of the originals were damaged by the shippers when they were securing the car for transit)
4 new Valve Stem Caps (to replace the 18 year old originals which were literally falling apart)
12mm Wheel Spacers on all 4 wheels, with extended lug nuts
Video's of the strut brace and the spacers are below. My wife tells me I need to learn how to use iMovie or Canva to add some captions and make my video's 'fancier' - maybe some day!!!
Hi and congrats on your early R53 JCW! It is a beauty and I am sure you will love it. After owning a good one, it is hard to walk away from an R53. Like you, I have owned many Mini Coopers and R 53 Minis have given me the most road joy, I have ever driven. I have planned to keep Mine as long as I am with the living! Just so fun! Mine is an 06 R53 JCW.
Make sure you replace that leaking coolant expansion tank. I tried to keep mine stock as possible, but those plastic tanks are crap and can cost you an engine.
The brace is a must! The coolant tanks are plastic and always split, so many of us go to aluminum, that takes the factory cap.
Hi and congrats on your early R53 JCW! It is a beauty and I am sure you will love it. After owning a good one, it is hard to walk away from an R53. Like you, I have owned many Mini Coopers and R 53 Minis have given me the most road joy, I have ever driven. I have planned to keep Mine as long as I am with the living! Just so fun! Mine is an 06 R53 JCW.
Make sure you replace that leaking coolant expansion tank. I tried to keep mine stock as possible, but those plastic tanks are crap and can cost you an engine.
The brace is a must! The coolant tanks are plastic and always split, so many of us go to aluminum, that takes the factory cap.
Thanks - yes, it'll be on of the first maintenance items done. It is showing signs of cracking, but it isn't cracked yet. It will be replaced with an OEM style one, but not OEM, for obvious reasons
What are you going with on the coolant tank. I was going to keep it OEM, no plans to do more than 2-3k miles per year, I’d think OEM would be good for 10 years.
What are you going with on the coolant tank. I was going to keep it OEM, no plans to do more than 2-3k miles per year, I’d think OEM would be good for 10 years.
I just went for a Hamburg Tech from ECS. If an OEM Mini one can last 19 years I figure one built to OEM specs by a non-Mini supplier can last at least as long!!
I've always been a fan of R53's with the top the same color as the body .. and this one is no different.
I picked up the car from Ivan at Midnight Garage today after getting the roof and mirror caps painted Electric Blue. The original plan was do do the work with the moonroof still in the car . . but once he started the work and saw how immaculate it was he decided to remove the moonroof . . so half the interior came out, the headliner, the hatch, and the moonroof . . and it turned out amazingly well!!
Super nice. Right call going with a thorough prep, the car deserves the best.
Yeah, you're right - my only hesitation initially was the integrity of the rubber seal around the moonroof. I had a real fear that once that moonroof came out the seal would just disintegrate .. but the painter said it was actually in really good condition.
A couple of updates, one from a month or so ago and one from today: one of my big projects was to put a set of Championship Red Lounge Leather seats into the car in place of the original leatherette seats. There was nothing at all wrong with the condition of the original seats . . I just hated them!! I was a bit daunted by the seat swap because I don't usually mess with electronics, and in particular not with airbags. But I followed one of the guides on here (link below) and it was actually pretty straighforward once I got going. Once I did the first seat, the second one took less than half the time.
Nice work.
I give you credit for undertaking that yourself. Even though it’s pretty straightforward, I have a tendency to over think, over plan, overly cautious, and end up messing up one thing or another. I use to do a lot of wrenching years ago, when I was more careless, and everything always when smoother. Last time I attempted anything more than checking the oil: A few years ago, I tried to remove the front bumper from a brand new car, to replace with some custom headlights, popped off all the tabs of the bumper, gave it a couple yanks, it would not let go. Went in the house to re think my strategy and settle down. Bumper fell off on the ground by itself while I was regrouping. I just don’t think I’m good at that stuff anymore, I get frustrated too quickly. But I am joking to a degree, I only attempt things that I’ve read up on, fully prepared for, and made a couple practice runs lol.
I too have panther leatherette, which are in new condition, debating on English leather (like the look) or R56 (more comfortable). It’s almost last on my list so I have plenty of time to think it over.
Are you waiting for spacers on the back seat, I read up on it quick in anticipation. seat belts were no problem?
