I just bought a 2006 Mini Cooper this morning for a 24 Hour of Lemons race. It should be a fun adventure for myself and a group of buddies. I am familiar with wrenching on cars, but have zero experience with Mini’s. I restored a 1989 Land Cruiser, and have always had fun working on friend’s projects.
She was a FB marketplace purchase. The engine runs really smooth and the 5spd clutch seems to work well. Very easy shifting. She’s definitely a Monet, good from afar, but up close she has the nicks and dings, faded paint, and worn interior of a 20 year old car.
I am mainly going to be interested in maintenance and upkeep with some mods and tuning that would help in a crazy race, all on a budget. A few quick questions:

What are some good sites for parts? New/used etc.
Are there readily available manuals?
Is there anything I should watch out for as I dive under the hood for this year of mini?
We may have some parts for sale, mostly interior.

Any advice and help would be greatly appreciated. I am used to car enthusiast forums and will try not to ask too many questions that are easily searched. In advance I apologize for noob questions
I will dive into the forums and start to figure some things out and look forward to this new experience.
Thanks
Tim Stromatt
Houston, TX

 

Welcome! We should have what you need.