I am looking at a 2003 MINI Cooper s with 135000 miles. It runs good and has good power. Clutch feels great. Super charger runs great.

One issue. I have pictured what appears to be a small leak. When I brought it back from the test drive i looked at the stain it could of left while parked in the lot it left a stain smaller then a quarter. Owner said it was parked there for a few days and hasnt moved.

It is just a photo. but can anyone help with where it could come from? I know it could be a number of things

The price is good at 3500.

Is this leak worth 3500

this would be a second car. Like a toy to play around and maintain. It won't be a primary car.


Thanks

 

What side of the engine is this? It appears to be the transmission to the right, and if so I am wondering whether this is the rear main seal leaking?

With that mileage, knowing the maintenance on the car is essential. Has the supercharger been replaced as they go around 100k, but can last a little longer. Have you performed a compression test on the engine? Suspension,

IMO, for $3,500 the car would have to be in excellent shape. KBB says at good around $3,000.

Can you turn your own wrenches?

 

i can do my own work. No problem. It is on the right side. Near the transmission. I do not know much history on the car. The seller does not have much besides the car fax.

 

I would say that is the rear seal. Check out ModMini on Youtube. He probably has a vid on redoing the clutch that would entail removing the transmission thereby allowing access to the rear seal.

For me, I would have the guy take the car to a Mini Shop or Mini dealer and have PI performed. You could use that as a tool to negotiate the price. A guy was looking at a car a couple of weeks ago, had the PI and there was allot of work that needed to be done. Seller did not want to take the costs into consideration so the guy walked. Smart man.

The Mini is a BMW. The euros love to talk about engineering and yes the Mini is a well engineered car. Well engineered does not always mean the item is easy to service nor that the parts are cheap. In WW2 there was the American Howitzer with like 13 moving parts and the German Howitzer with like 36 moving parts. The German Howitzer was an engineering masterpiece whereas the American Howitzer was an maintenance masterpiece. Which gun do you think fired more shells?

 

i def understand that. I had two minis thus far. 2005 non s. And 2011 turbo. I've done work on em. Just unfamiliar with the 03 and a super charger. If this was a primary car I would of never looked at it. But if I can get it under 3k I didn't know if it was a steal or not.

 

If it is the gasket around the fuel pan itll be worth it. I can do that myself. If it is not and much worse, i will just have to let it go. I just done know how to tell.

Thanks for all the replies.

 

...Hmmm, could be a good buy, then again maybe not.


Bottom line, if you pull the trigger be ready to take the bullet.


Yes, it looks like a real main seal, not to terribly hard to change, good reason to do a good cleaning under there and inspect the clutch at the same time.


So many things to check, strut mounts, engine mounts, lower suspension bushings, brake lines, last time the fluids where changed for example the brake and clutch fluid is are hydrophobic (absorbs water) this is why it needs to be changed every few years. Point is, it can be a money pit, but if you go in with that knowledge and you are prepared to bang knuckles and christen each new part with blood... It can be a hoot or a nightmare.


But then I have three and looking for another....


Motor On!

 

thanks for your answer. I would like to give it a try. I just don't know if it's worth it. I love the cars. And love working on them. I just don't want to get it and then work on it longer then I can drive it. Definitely a fun hobby to make something more perfect. But constantly working on something is what scares me. I won't get an answer until I own it.