http://www.lundeautos.com/show.aspx?vid=1922800

It's Tuesday and he's thinking of buying within the week. He's in his 20's with apparently some sort of income these days. I clued him in about the weak spots with the early cars: motor mounts, thermostat housings, control arm bushings and the like. I cautioned him that the clutch will be a wild card on a car with 85k as will the supercharger. Both could fail in the next 3-5k miles or hold on to 120k or more, and that both are expensive fixes.

He seems to know a lot about cars, at least on paper ("all mouth and trousers" as the Brits would say) but doesn't have any practical experience working on cars. Surprising, really, given some of the beaters he has owned. An oil change on the MINI would be a major undertaking for him.

For that reason I'm going to say that this car at 10k (down from $10,999) with an extended warranty would be worth it if it passes an independent inspection. The dealer gave him that whole "driven by a mechanic's daughter" line of BS, so that's why I advised him to get it inspected. Also, the AutoCheck reveals that it started life in Las Vegas and was wholesaled at about 54k; it then found it's way to Oakes, North Dakota. A minor accident with an animal (probably a deer) happened in 2007 and then it was traded in recently. There are no service records on the AutoCheck, just license renewals.

I should also mention that he lives in Fargo, ND and the nearest MINI dealer is in Minneapolis. Both he and his dad drove my R50 for a bit this summer when I was visiting my mom and loved it. Apparently they are playfully fighting about who gets to buy it.

Anybody else want to weigh in on this deal?

Val

 

You have very reasonable concerns. I guess the two major factors are: How ready he is to work on the car and how much he is willing to pay on repairs. For instance, within two months of purchasing my MINI I put in close to $3K in repairs (a lot of it was labor on things I couldn't do myself at that time). But, that was things like new control arm bushings, tires, PS fan, etc.

So if he is financially sound and knows what he is getting into that he should be fine.

I suggest, as you did, to have it inspected. Seems to be a good price but it is always nice to get it down further, even below 10K.

 

You seem to have covered many of the basic concerns. Two things I will add. Go to nada.com and check out what the trade in value is for the car. That should tell you roughly what the dealer owns it for and how much room they have to move on the price. My previous experience with used car sales at dealerships is that they often have at least $2-4k of profit in a car. They may be willing to move a bit on the price. The other thing I noticed is that there are no floor mats and more importantly there is only one key, which will require a purchase from a dealer and is on the expensive side.

 

keys are $215.00.

Check: PS line hose from tank to the steering rack for leaks
Coolant tank apears to be original - should be leaking by now if not soon. Check the seams sides and bottom for residue.
Intercooler boots should be replaced. Old ones while not cracked have no resiliancy left and tend to "balloon" up as boost increases, dropping pressure.
Check lower steering spindle for play.
PS Pump Cooling fan.
Main Bearing seal leak ( for crank pulley )
Oil Pan gasket leak/seeping.
Corrosion at rubber/metal fastener for low pressure inlet pipe for A/C line.
Belt tensioner rattle ( bushing gone )
Water or evidence of water in the battery box compartment.

Rust behind license plate
Rust underneith doorway seal ( give that strip a tug and look under it )

Check for any evidence of mods done and removed such as Nitros injection......

All I can think of right now. Good luck !