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General MINI TalkShared experiences, motoring minutes, and other general MINI-related discussion that applies to all MINIs, regardless of model, year or trim.
+1 on an NA Miata; it's easy to mod and loads of fun to drive. I bought one new in '92 and drove it trouble free for 18 yrs before I bought my MINI. My next new car will be another Miata!
Why are Miata lovers/MINI haters even on this site? Isn’t there a Miata forum?
Miatas are great cars and should be considered if they work for you. At 6', I find them way too small. Before buying the MINI, I looked at a second generation and had no room for my feet, which made the manual tough to drive. In every generation, I don't have enough head room. The MINI R52 seems almost too big in comparison.
I understand your concern about potential roof issues. Repairs could be expensive, however, I don't know how common they are. I too would like to know the probability of having a major roof system failure and a list of preventative measures we should take to minimize the risk.
I used to own a Miata and am not a fan. The MINI is really a premium small car- the Miata is fun to drive but premium its not. Really tight inside, lots of hard plastic parts. Older ones required you to unzip the plastic rear window before lowering the manual top. Not my idea of fun anymore.
I'm just like you. I wanted a project car and my wife wanted an ice cream car. It was on my bucket list to take an old car and make it a super fun little runabout. We need back seats, so most convertibles are out. We've owned a s2000, and an e46 M3.
I bought an unloved r52 and fixed it to near perfect. The work is not hard if you are handy, but every mini job will be a pita in at least one way. Go in knowing that, and you'll be good. Get a Bentley manual, watch this guys videos: https://www.youtube.com/user/khammo01/videos and keep this forum close - with those three you can fix the most common issues by yourself in a weekend. Parts are not too expensive in my opinion, but it does add up. My local dealer ends up being less than most online places, so get in good with them.
I wouldn't buy this car without the convertible option. There are posts about cables breaking and motors going, but they are either fixable or you can just buy a replacement used - there always seems to be 2-3 parts cars for sale in the marketplace at any one time. Some parts on the convertible top can be fiddly to fix, but I honestly havent read a lot convertible top issue threads here. ECS tends to chime in an offer up a good solution there! Keep the top lubed up at its wear points and that will increase the lifespan of the mechanism. A surprising number of folks think their top is bad, but really its just the rear window latches in trunk not being seated properly. Mine was sold to me with an "inoperable top," but I put the latches down and it worked perfectly - there are little lever switches back there that wont let the top drop if the latches are not seated fully. Its not a well known issue/solution outside of the mini community.
Most will tell you not to buy a post 2006 hardtop S or post 2008 convertible S - these are the last years of the gen 1 engine (the r52 held the old supercharged motor a couple years before going to turbo, which had a lot of growing pains). get a "last of the supercharged" r52 and you'll be ahead of the game. Mine is a 2007 r52 JCW with 50K miles.
Most old Minis will leak oil - usually its just a seal, which isnt too bad of a job. Budget to fix a few things.. I went sort of overboard on mine and replaced body panels and things to get it back to showroom condition, but you dont have to do that. I probably spent $2K on what I would consider necessary items (i.e: full fluids change, seals, gaskets, camber plates, engine mounts, wheel sensor..), and another $5K on stuff for aesthetics, fun or better handling (aero kit, wheel arches, fog lights, window trim, sway bar, shocks, control arms, rims, tires, short shifter..).
This is a low budget, fun little car with a bit of character and I've enjoyed the experience of fixing and driving it. Bucket list checked!
Last edited by Subw00er; Jul 17, 2018 at 01:46 PM.
Totally biased here... We own a roadster and the top is down 65% of the year despite the cold and snowy winters. I found it's actually easier to drive it top down when it's cooler, then when we drive south in the scorching heat but we still do it when going south...
IMO a person is a convertible lover or not. It's that simple
As for Miata vs. Mini. Our choice was easy. MINI roadster has a bigger trunk for traveling, and the Miata is uncomfortable for tall passengers (or it use to be. I don't know if they improved the newer model). The MINI is still a tone of fun to drive so F the small difference in driving experience between the two
Get a Bentley manual, watch this guys videos: https://www.youtube.com/user/khammo01/videos and keep this forum close - with those three you can fix the most common issues by yourself in a weekend. Parts are not too expensive in my opinion, but it does add up. My local dealer ends up being less than most online places, so get in good with them. 
