Hey all,

I've been looking at purchasing a MINI S convertible as a second car to enjoy the 2 months of summer here in Wisconsin. The selection here is pretty slim but I did come across this one. http://madison.craigslist.org/cto/4882869597.html

KBB and Edmunds value it closer to $6,000 - $6,200. Does this seem like a better price? Based on the ones I've seen online, it seems like this one should be closer to that price rather than the $7,900 the seller is asking for.

Also, it has 160k miles on it. Since it has pretty high mileage, what are some things I should look out for and ask the seller about?

Thanks in advance for any insight you can provide. I'm sorry if this is the wrong place to post this. I hope to be part of the MINI family soon!

 

That's a lot of miles for that price, first off.

Things to check for:

• Cracked strut mounts and mushrooming
• Operating low speed cooling fan
• Original crank pulley or not (this will fail sooner rather than later if original or even OEM)
• If OEM coolant reservoir (yellow plastic) are there any signs of leakage/seeping around the mold seam?
• When were the control arm bushings replaced?
• When were the engine mounts replaced?
• Check the front of the engine behind the radiator for oil leaks
• Is it the original supercharger? If yes there may not be much life left in it
• Has the power steering pump been replaced?

I'm sure others will have more to look at, but those are things that were bad or that I looked at on my 03 with 120k when I bought it a little over a year ago.

 

Thanks for the start. I figured the supercharger would definitely be something to ask about. I'll make sure to ask about the other things on your list as well.

Were you apprehensive about buying a car with 120k miles on it? Has it worked out for you so far?

 

No problem, hope things work out for you.

I was, and I have since replaced:

Clutch, coolant tank, power steering pump & fan (under extended warranty), crank pulley, all engine mounts (shifting is night and day compared to before), control arm bushings, front sway bar bushings, crank sensor o-ring, front & rear main seals and both input and output shaft seals (since I was in there anyway), swapped driver's seat height adjuster with passenger (would only go up, passenger now stays in one position only), low speed fan resistor, low pressure power steering line, strut mounts, cat had a piece loose that I managed to get the dealer I bought it from to split with me 50/50 and no labor, passenger side axle due to torn CV boot (easier to replace the whole thing than repair), driver's side axle because I tore the CV boot and then broke the CV bearings when trying to fix the boot...

I did all of the above myself except the cat/header, and I'm having brakes done next week since I'm terrible at bleeding brakes and it's cold out, so I've saved quite a bit on labor, but I've run up a bill I don't even want to know the total to already.

It's worth it, though, I love this thing.

 

I emailed the seller. He couldn't provide much info about the car. And he said his price was firm. Looks like I'll have to keep looking.

 

What would be a fair price for this one?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Mini-Cooper-S-Convertible-2-Door-2006-mini-cooper-s-convertible-2-door-1-6-l-/121571948302?forcerrptr=true&hash=item1c4e40b70e&item=121571948302&pt=US_Cars_Trucks

 

Including the items previously mentioned by Vkng, the automatic gear box is a negative. The canvas needs a very close examination. One huge positive is the W11 engine. Have you done a carfax search?
Good luck in your search. If you do end up with a R52 S, be aware that top tier (http://www.toptiergas.com/retailers.html), 91 octane fuel (or more) only is required. Using inferior fuel will have expensive consequences. Change the oil and rotated the tires every 5K miles...and surrender to obsessive topless motoring.

 

What's the negative in regard to the transmission or than it not being a manual?

 

I'd have to dig up some old history for what years but if there's a chance it has the CVT gear box, they were rife with failures. If it's not a CVT, you'd sure want to know when the fluid was changed and how often. The Getrag manual is dang near bullet proof much as the W11 lump. Besides, there's things you can do with a manual that can't be or are danged hard to do with a slush box. Fun is often thought to be one of them.

 

I don't believe the MCS ever had a CVT in it.

 

Hence my caveat. Regardless, you surely don't want anything with a CVT even in a desk top model. Have you gotten any closer to a decision?

 

I'm pretty set on an MCS convertible. I found one on Craigslist with a manual and about 115k miles for $6.5k. I think a fairer price is closer to $6k on it. I emailed the seller but haven't heard back.

 

That is correct.

Unless you are a glutton for punishment, or are very DIY handy (and have access to garage with lots of tools), I would steer clear from used MCS's north of 100K miles. You will basically be buying a maintenance lego kit that will require multiple disassembles to fix leaks, dead suspension, carbon build-up on intake/exhaust valves, dying cooling system, etc, etc.

Unless it has been excessively maintained by a car enthusiast, who will show you copious amounts of records of preventative maintenance. In which case, the previous owner will expect to be duly compensated for the above average mechanical state of the car.

I personally love to tinker, and can afford to leave the MCS up on the jack stands for weeks on end, and am willing to pay the price of joyful handling and cute looks of the car.
But if this will be your first and only car, or if you are on a budget, you will get hurt with a 100+K mile MCS.

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Thanks for the advice. I've done some DIY things on my 335i so I wouldn't mind learning some things on the MINI. The cars that I've found, if the seller doesn't have records or can't answer questions I've asked, I've stayed away. I'm in no hurry to find anything, which is nice, so hopefully the right one will come along eventually.