I wonderin...are most members well-to-do (wealthy) on this site? I sold a nice 4 x 4 Chevy truck & then emptied my savings for my used '04 Mini R50. Lately the mechanical repairs, broken strut mount, new fuel pump, P/S pump and high pressure line have taken every spare $ I have-HOWEVER I LOVE this car but wish I could post some cool upgrade or new wheels. Kinda think this site isnt for me

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Why? Does it cost money to be on here? Of course it is for you, you have and love a Mini don't you?
I wouldn't sweat what others have.

 

Your so right and really kind of you to reply Thank you! Yes I lovvvvvve my Mini

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I thought the same thing on bimmerforums, everyone on there is rich so its very discouraging at times because a lot of members are judge mental and don't understand everyone doesn't have the funds they do. I wouldn't let it bother you though. I tried for a year to find a clean mini I could afford. The bottom line is, if your an enthusiast then you belong here.

 

I think Beachnmini said it all. You have a wealth of knowledge here and all you have to do is ask the questions and there are many here who would help you by sharing their experiences and knowledge. Mini's get into you as much as you get into them. They are so much fun and the people you meet on here along with the other Miniacs you meet along the way are here to help you thru your problems. Done give up on Mini's quite yet. Once you get past this setback you will be motoring with a smile on your face again.

 

There are plenty of members here with fat bankrolls and heavily modified JCW's that share a stable with other very high end cars. I haven't found any of them to be snooty asses though.

For what it's worth, I'm a 30 year old blue collar tradesman, and I foolishly (in retrospect.) financed my R50 three years ago. It's nearly paid off and I look forward to having the extra money in my pocket rather than making payments.

 

Have not been on here long enough to judge the attitudes of folks here, but I can tell you that boards like the Samba for VWs are filled with people who don't understand that not all have money. About the only thing I can say about this site is that people tend not to listen when you obviously know what you want.

 

Thanks everyone for kind encouraging words so I say it out loud "I was wrong" now if you knew me you would have fallen outta your mini seat Glad to be here

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I think you'll find most people on here trying to help others save money i.e avoid the stealerships. It's full of trouble shooting, diy's and the best place to source parts.

 

Some have money....
Some like to pretend they have money and live far beyond their means....
But I think most of us here are here to TRY to make mini ownership less costly....
Heck...less I spend fixing it...more $$ I have for mods or other fun stuff!!
Having lived in MANY different states, including misery... Er...Missouri...income varies greatly...and so do expenses.....
So what is outrageously $$ in one area is reasonable in another....
I can say "wealth" is defined very differently....
Back in Joplin, even if you made big $$, most folks would not have put up with the big city life where you can make more $$....so its a choice....fishing with a bass boat in the country, or having a nice mini in the city....

 

Or fishing in a boat on the gulf AND having a nice MINI! :-) no worries

 

Meh... I have a 2004 R50 that I pay cash for repairs. In fact, I will be stalking my UPS driver today for new parts. :-) It's not all modded out, just fixed up enough to run and be safe. Being cute it a bonus. ;-)

It doesn't matter how you got to NAM, just know that this is the best resource for all things Mini.

 

Since when does the amount of $$$'s you're worth have anything to do with your luv for a particular car. If a person has a inferiority complex, it typically extends far beyond the type of car they like or drive and has nothing to do with actual acceptance by other owners. Don't mean to sound harsh here, however, self esteem is internal in adults and we should all be willing to accept ourselves for what we are and not worry about where we are in the "social structure" or if a few "snobs" accept us or not!

 

To me, this forum is a place we can all share a common interest....Mini's! It is the one thing we all have in common, a passion for driving excitement that we satisfy thru Mini's!. When you find people with like interests, it establishes a common ground where all of us have the same "feelings" and isn't that what we all crave? People who understand our feelings! hehe Perhaps I'm going off the deep end, but, in a world that seems cold and impersonal, here, we all have the warm fuzzies for the same thing. Mini's!

 

This site has saved me numersous times. It has saved me time and $$$ for repairs and has increased my confidence in my capabilities of fixing stuff on my own.

Yes some users of this site seem to have lots $ and cool motorized toys above and beyond their MINI, but the community here is pretty awesome. People of many different economic levels contribute to it and get a lot out of it. It's a wonderful resource.

 

You'll also find some people who are just really hit hard by the modification bug. People who will do things like eat Ramen for weeks on end to be able to afford the spiffy new go-fast bits (or appearance bits) for the car. Or people who are hustling for super-duper deals so they can make the mods they want without spending much money.

And there are others, like me, who don't feel much need to mod their cars at all. Some can't afford it, some could but don't want to...

The biggest question, to me: Does the car put a smile on your face? If so, then welcome home!!

 

+1


...to the OP just do your hw on what you did want out of your car. Unless your a track/autocross junkie, no reason to have 1,000 mods to your MINI. I picked what I needed/wanted and I'm done. Well until the spring when I lower the car a little.

Don't follow what others do here, their excuse is, "I want the best MINI", or "I want it to beat other cars". My comment to that is, "because race car."

I feel bad for those who put over $3,000 in their MINI, mods only. If I wanted something fast, I would have bought a Mustang GT, Subaru STi, Camaro SS, or even a Hyundai Genesis. These cars will never be FAST! Quick is what these turbo MINIs are, that's that. All these immature drivers talk about racing a car and get so giddy about beating a V6 Camaro hahaha.

Sorry for the rant, but don't fall in the trap from half of these "experienced" mod guys, half of them wasted more money to shave off 0.2 seconds on their 0-60 time.

Save for the wheels you want and add a rear sway bar if you haven't first. That's the best mod(besides my retrofit projectors). I still love over my "tune", exhaust, and a couple other things I'm forgetting.

 

Well said!!