Has a new-generation MINI hit the million-mile mark yet?

http://autos.yahoo.com/articles/auto...-Million-Miles-

Do you have the car with the highest total miles? How did you do it?

 

There's a guy in WI with 325,000 miles and still going.

 

That's a good start! Any details as to MC or MCS, year, etc?

 

It is a Silk Green '02 MC, driven by Harold Stanfield, a very pleasant gentleman. Todd from MotoringFile interviewed him during last year's MTTS Chicago event.

 

That picture was taken a year ago as The Milwaukee MINIs prepared for the 2008 Fourth of July Parade in New Berlin, Wisconsin. But time keeps passing!

My car was exactly 7 years old yesterday - and just passed 340,000 miles.
I don't have photos to prove that - but, here's a picture of the shirt I wore for my Tour of The Oxford MINI Plant during MINI United - May 22-25, 2009. I'm Awfully Glad I decided to go to England to celebrate MINI's 50th Anniversary!

The other picture was taken July 4th, as an enthusiastic lady added signs with 'unproven claims' to my car for this year's Parade. Here's an enjoyable rather long-running thread in which some people have come close to my mileage - or were adding miles faster than I was: http://www.mini2.com/forum/general-d...317-000-a.html
There could be people out there with more miles - just too busy driving to tell about it on the Internet.

 

Wow Harold 340,000 miles !! That is awesome!!! Going to Oxford had to be amazing!! Thanks for sharing your story!! Sounds like you really love to Motor!!!!

 

Amazing! They should have given you a 50th anniversary "freebie," your choice of colors...

 

Or rather, they should have gave him a coupon for a freebie. We all know he wouldn't drive anything else until that BEAUTIFUL Silk Green is out of commission. Hopefully that won't be until MANY MANY MANY years from now.

 

On the original motor, I think it would be very difficult for a Mini to make it to the Million marker. The difference in the amount of maintenance that our Mini requires compared to my old Volvo is stark. Even the guy with the world record Volvo has gotten his car restored to new condition something like 3 or 4 times. I know he's even gotten the engine rebuilt once, but it's still the original components. So it still qualifies for the Guiness Book.

Last I heard, he's closing in on 3 million miles? Every time he rolls over a million, Volvo gives him a brand new Volvo coupe. The one they gave him in 1989 (I believe) has over 1 million miles on it also! I'm not sure they gave him a free car for that one though, lol. And the one that that they gave him in the early 2000s has something like over 300k already. The guy must just love to drive.

 

It depends on many things beyond the design and manufacture of the car.

1. A friend said, "The amazing thing is that you've gone 340,000 miles without an accident". (Well, I have hit two deer)
A waitress told me her car had had three accidents but, "No one was in the car for any of those."
Two happened in parking lots - and the car was finally 'totaled' by another while parked in front of her home.

2. Where I live, they spread salt on snowy roads for 5 - 6 months every year.
I drive one car - now the MINI - practically every day of the year.
Even with high mileage, I've never really worn out a car; - they just rust away till it's not safe or smart to keep re-doing them.

3. Then there is that internal pressure. My wife used to tell friends,
"Never marry an Engineer; - they FIX everything - you never get anything New!"

I'm not trying to set any records - I just drive when no one needs me - or cares where I am - because I love to drive!
(and that odometer keeps counting).
I didn't suspect my driving was anything unusual till my MINI Service advisor called and said, "BMW has refused to reimburse us for your first oil change; - they said, 'You must have made a mistake - He couldn't have driven that many miles since taking delivery' ". Later, when I called to make an appointment for my 60,000 mile Inspection, he said, "I'll have to call you back, - we've never done one of those - I'll have to see if we have all the filters and things we'll need."

Will my MINI make 1,000,000 miles? Well, nothing seems to be getting tired yet! During those parades, people would shout, "Original Engine?" and I could truthfully answer, "Original MUFFLER!" (I was tempted to say, "Original Spark Plugs" - but, the Dealer actually had replaced the original spark plugs about a week earlier! Gee - we used to carry 2 spare plugs in the trunk for a 300 mile trip!)

My first repair was Rear Brake Pads and Rotors at 186,000 miles. We have since replaced the Front Pads and Rotors, the Alternator, the Steering Pump, The Clutch, and the Fuel Pump - but, those were 'bolt-on' type repairs and all occurred after 200,000 miles. Strange new suspension noises started during the bitter cold of last winter; - and the rear sway bar Links had to be replaced because their rubber bushings had hardened and worn after 6 winters and about 320,000 miles. Steering and handling are still as tight and precise as when new.

Oil gets changed promptly when 'the computer' says so - always somewhere between 18,000 and 19,000 miles.
It's never used any oil - the level drops about 1/8 inch on the stick in 19,000 miles! And I don't think there are grease fittings anymore; - All my previous Volkwagens, Mercedes and BMWs had about 30 of those that needed regular attention!
I've Never had a car This GOOD - or This much Fun To Drive!

A week from today, I'll fill the tank, kick the tires, and start off for "MINIs In The Mountains - 2009". I hope I will see
some of you there. My MINI will be the one with the little sign in the rear window saying, "2002 MINI - 341,000 miles".
Say "Hello" - Lots of people do - and that always adds to my fun!

 

Impressive!

How many miles do you drive a day? Are you a mail carrier or something? (We had one who got that mileage out of an old-style Beetle, back in the day.)

How much do you baby your MINI, between hitting deer, driving through salt, and kicking tires?

(We'll see you there!)

 

hstanfield,

I have never heard of brake pads lasting 186,000 miles. I must brake a little harder than you, having replaced two sets of brake pads lready with 14K miles on my car.

Please post again soon when you are at 400,000 mi, 500,000 mi and so on so we can all marvel at your progress.

 

With a name like "daffodildeb", you'll probably know; -
and you'll also discover that I know nothing about things that grow.
I always thought Daffodils were one of the earliest, nicest sights of Spring -
and, I also thought they disappeared just about as quickly as tulips!
But, somewhere last week, (Mid-July) I must have slowed down enough to see a home with thousands of them still blooming like early Spring. Did I see Daffodils - or were those something else? (Friends joke that I've driven everywhere - but, never got out of the car to see where I've been!)

In England in late May. I saw field after field covered with small yellow blossoms. I was told that was a commercial crop - they plant it, harvest it, squeeze it - and make Canola Oil! Good Grief!! - How many little yellow flowers do you have to squeeze to get a tablespoon of Canola Oil??

What was your question? Oh, I don't have to drive anywhere every day. I've been retired since I turned 70 in 1995; - so most of those miles are just fun and foolishness. I am very active in 2 different churches - each about 20 miles from my home in different directions. And I'm a proud Grandpa and primary 'babysitter' with an 8 and 6 year old 30 miles North - and a 3 year old and a 3 month old 30 miles West. All those people know I'm gladly available - but, if they don't call soon enough, my answering machine tells them I'm "out" enjoying God's beautiful world. The "Sport Seat" in my regular MINI fits me more comfortably than any chair in my home; - so, a 500 mile drive after Church on Sunday is pure enjoyment (or on Tuesday - or Friday - or 'whenever')

Baby my MINI? Well, I did wash it carefully by hand that first Summer, but as soon as Winter came, my hose got all stiff - and water would not come out. So, I finally decided the whirling car-wash brushes would probably do less damage than layers of wet, encrusted salt. Well, I don't bend like I used to - so, now I go thru 'those whirling brushes' all year round. (In the Summer, I kill an awful lot of Bugs so the guys spray lots of green stuff on the front and scrub like crazy with hand brushes before they send me into those Whirling ones!)

I might not 'gleam' like the cars that are 'really babied' -
but, I'm mighty proud of My MINI anyway. We've had a lot of fun together.

 

I think that your Mini is gorgeous, Mr. Stanfield, and I pray that I am still as active as you are when I'm 80 something. Please post more pictures soon!

 

Slinger, a mechanic once said, "Those brakes look like they've hardly been used".
I said, "Check the Horn".

Actually, we all thought it strange that my rear brake pads wore out before the front - the fronts went to 221,000 miles.
They weren't really a problem then, but, I figured 'it was about time' - and "as long as I'm in-here".


Actually, Everything on that car still works like it's supposed to; - never had a window. a door lock, or the sunroof ' that acted funny'.
My 45 years of Volkswagens, Mercedes and BMWs were all great; -
but, I never had any car this Trouble Free - or this Much Fun to drive as the MINI.

 

Holy Cow, lacynpiper!
I've been thinking I was only 83!

 

You are truly amazing! I hope I can be half as active as you have, though I probably won't be taking many 500 mile Sunday drives! My father is also very active at 92. In fact, when I visited him in Florida he was complaining that he could only hike about an hour. I lost 4 pounds that week!

Not to be morbid, but now that I'm pressing 60 awfully hard, I'm really working on my "bucket list." The MINI was on my then-unformed bucket list from the late 60's and early 70's, when we used to see Minis race, and would see street cars in Europe. I always wanted a red Mini, except, of course, that they're now MINIs!

I love my little car--having driven sports cars for 60 years, I've been aquainted with quite a few--and it's really good to know I'm not the only one enjoying motoring. I guess the ideal is to croak about the same time as the key doesn't work anymore, eh?

I really hope we get a chance to get together for lunch, or a drive, or whatever--I've got the CR/W R56 MCS with a 007 Texas plates. I'll be dragging my hubby along (his heart lies more with our old Porsche), but he's a good sport. We'll both enjoy learning your secrets for gentle car care and a good life...

(Oh, and it's a little late for daffodils anywhere. The blooming season is actually quite long in the north, with early birds out in late February, and going on through April or later, depending on where you are. In this part of Texas, we've had unusually warm winters in the past few years, so we're seeing the plants come up in December, and blooms in January. But the yellow flowers you were seeing in England were rape seed, which is used to make the canola oil.)

 

[quote=daffodildeb;2832879]
I really hope we get a chance to get together for lunch, or a drive, or whatever[quote]

We'll make sure that happens, Deb & Mr Deb.
I'll be staying at the Copper Mountain Resort,
so it should not be hard for us to connect.
Watch for an old guy with white hair
and a Silk Green/White Roof MINI.

 

Super! I don't suppose there will be too many Silk Green Coopers running around there, 'eh?

Mr. Deb goes by the name Ken, on most days...

 

There was an amazing mix of Minis and MINIs at MINI United; - over 10,000 in all.
But, in three full days I only saw one other Silk Green.
So, if you give him a big hug - and then find out his name isn't Harold -
you've met 'that other guy'.

During the Oxford Plant Tour they mentioned that the two hottest colors now are Pepper White and Black. And someone on the tour mentioned that he'd not seen a yellow MINI in England

 

 

That's awesome you're still motoring at 83 Harold! My grandmother is that age and can barely climb steps without some assistance so I'm impressed.

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by polepino

That's awesome you're still motoring at 83 Harold! My grandmother is that age and can barely climb steps without some assistance so I'm impressed.

Harold, do you ever get the feeling there are about 20 who refer to grandmothers, for every 1 who refers to parents?

I'm not even going to touch your particular situation! It's probably about 50,000 to 1 (I did have a 90 year old on one of my drives this spring, though).

 

Wow, how extraordinary! It is so nice to hear of a MINI doing well. All these forums are usually so full of problems, so It is a nice change....

I was recently in the Uk and went to factory, the biggest selling colours are PW and CR at the moment, and I saw 1 Interchange Yellow and 1 Mellow Yellow on the Line! Bring back the funky colours I say!

Anyhow, I see SG regularly but have no idea if it is just the same MINI I see!

Keep up the good work enjoying life and your MINI. I hope I have the opportunity to be like you, but for the moment, life is too busy to enjoy!

Roo

 

HWS, I know you like putting more miles on your silk green but I thought I had sold you on a 2nd gen MINI while in the UK. Especially with the diesel getting such high mpg and......oh, think of all those things you could put in the secret compartment.