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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.
maybe admin would let mountainhorse re title this thread: MINIs for sale on the Internet.
Covers all the bases, doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a good deal, that is definitely subjective. Let’s make this thread easy to spot when it gets bumped down. Lots of new found interest, especially Gen1, this should be the one of the best places to help find them for sale. While we’re at it, how about making it a sticky, itself definitely worthy with all the traffic it gets.
Just a thought.
maybe admin would let mountainhorse re title this thread: MINIs for sale on the Internet.
Covers all the bases, doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a good deal, that is definitely subjective. Let’s make this thread easy to spot when it gets bumped down. Lots of new found interest, especially Gen1, this should be the one of the best places to help find them for sale. While we’re at it, how about making it a sticky, itself definitely worthy with all the traffic it gets.
Just a thought.
Good idea @Jonny@mountainhorse . This thread helps all of those looking to get into a MINI, and helps draw more eyes, members and content to NAM.
@squawSkiBum@Robb M. or other moderator:
1. Can you change name of this thread to "MINIs for sale on the internet"
2. And can you make it a sticky thread at the top?
202K Miles 06 JCW-$5K
Pepper White
3 Owner (1st owner put all mileage on it up to 150k)
Dealer serviced and southern car
Was "Flat Towed" the reason for mileage,but not sure if mileage is logged if car is off?
took the plunge. Drives well and it seems 06-06 JCWs are worth their weight in gold. I’ll get some pics up soon.
Bought my 04 MCS manual 2 weeks ago for $8,000
1 owner 54k miles. Looks and drives new. Colorado car, dry climate not driven in winter. My 2nd mini ( first one ordered in 04 ).
Bought my 04 MCS manual 2 weeks ago for $8,000
1 owner 54k miles. Looks and drives new. Colorado car, dry climate not driven in winter. My 2nd mini ( first one ordered in 04 ).
Dang, that's a great find! BRG too! Been looking for one just like it.
I had to move fast as it was on Car Gurus via a dealer ( respected dealer ). Been looking for a couple of months. I wanted low miles and 1 owner R53 I did not care if it was a 05 or 06. Just missed out on that 3500 mile blue 05 MCS for $12,500 that resold for $23,000 on BAT 2 weeks later. Most car dealers do not know how valuable a great condition R53 is worth. The local Ford or Chevy dealer may have one that comes in but collectors are checking the websites daily. Have to move fast to beat the competition. I think that red 05 in Katy Tx is a good one, 1 owner 44 k mi asking $9,000 on FB marketplace. I would have bought it if I missed on this one. Love the condition on this one. Good luck hunting, you will find the right one but act fast !
IMO... The prices on BAT do not represent the 'Value' of a car..
Not many here that would pay BAT 'fantasy league' prices for a MINI.
Some people have them money to pay for the convenience of a BAT car purchase... but that is not the norm, and... to me... the price is inflated drastically.
"Its worth what someone will pay" certainly is true.... but it does not set the VALUE for any given car IMO.
Kinda like paying $5 for a small bottle of water inside the airport... it is convenient ... but not the true value of the bottle.
There will continue to be plenty of MINI cars... 'Justa' to "JCW's" that are out there to be had at great prices.... I just don't put a lot more value into a 15-19 year old car with 10k miles on it compared to the same car with 60-90K miles on it... if they are both taken care of... the age of the car often sets the needs of the car in terms of services and aging rubber/seals/busings/shocks etc etc.... Great 'value' is in the well taken MINI's that often can have more than 120K+ miles on them that have great service, good storage procedures and have not been operated in the "rust belt" during the winter or the shoulder months.
IMO... The prices on BAT do not represent the 'Value' of a car..
Not many here that would pay BAT 'fantasy league' prices for a MINI.
Some people have them money to pay for the convenience of a BAT car purchase... but that is not the norm, and... to me... the price is inflated drastically.
"Its worth what someone will pay" certainly is true.... but it does not set the VALUE for any given car IMO.
Kinda like paying $5 for a small bottle of water inside the airport... it is convenient ... but not the true value of the bottle.
There will continue to be plenty of MINI cars... 'Justa' to "JCW's" that are out there to be had at great prices.... I just don't put a lot more value into a 15-19 year old car with 10k miles on it compared to the same car with 60-90K miles on it... if they are both taken care of... the age of the car often sets the needs of the car in terms of services and aging rubber/seals/busings/shocks etc etc.... Great 'value' is in the well taken MINI's that often can have more than 120K+ miles on them that have great service, good storage procedures and have not been operated in the "rust belt" during the winter or the shoulder months.
.
I agree that I would not pay BAT fantasy prices for a Mini, but I would absolutely put more value on a 20 year old car with 10k miles on it than the same car with 90k miles on it. Once you've done the same repairs and mods to both cars, only one of them would have 10k miles on it!
Just the fact that Gen1s have a steady and strong presence on Bat shows that they have finally come into their own. Geneva Motors is almost single handedly keeping them relevant on Bat. And that’s a good thing. Most of the MC/MCS models we’re bought and driven as DD, they were not treated well, and most are on their last legs, and honestly, not worth much more than $3-5k. As prices rise on the pristine low mile examples, it creates a new sub market of buyers, looking to get in, without taking out a 5 digit auto loan. So now you’re talking $5-10k for sub 100k miles. That is almost certainly going to preserve the decent examples left on the road. With an upcoming, and quite lucrative used parts market for all the ones that are no longer road worthy, there is a place for all these MINIS, from a pristine low mile 06 JCW to the Justa skeletons sitting in a dirt lot on its own unmounted tires. There is no turning back for the gen1s, they are appreciated by proud commuters, track enthusiasts, and collectors alike, that’s a great crowd. With it’s quirky cute (I hate that part) but timeless looks, and its above average performance capabilities for its segment, it’s no wonder these cars are finally getting the appreciation they deserve. I don’t mind spending semi stupid money for parts and repairs for a car that sings to me every time I mash my foot on the pedal, it is truly visceral, and one of the few cars that feel like was created just for me.
Clearly I'm biased on this topic, having scored the 2006 MCS with just 4k miles < 2 months ago. Like the cliché often said, "they're only new once". After that, cost for repairs and restoration to as much "like new" as practical is a given. I'd rather pay more directly to the seller for low mileage and content than alternatives. Regardless of the current pricing trend (IMO, mostly driven by Covid-19), I tend to look at the "all-in" cost of acquisition as a retired hi-tech industry procurement pro who routinely factored "landed cost" as the total cost of goods. Buying used from a retail dealer at inflated pricing subject to local sales tax? No way. Buying long distance with covered transport required as the most practical method? Possibly but not likely. So then, just private party sellers for me. Roll time back to pre-Covid and such low mileage cars were out there but increasingly tough to find. Even low mileage cars tend to be traded-in on new car replacements. Here in AZ, agreed cost for the new car less agreed trade valuation sets the net taxable amount due which is what most folks tend to do. The few private party sellers remaining often are downsizing their "fleet" or selling a family member's car who passed on or can no longer drive. Doesn't leave much left for those like us looking, does it? Then there's Carvana which seems has now dominated the used car market - at least in the SW region. Perhaps after Covid-related parts shortages and supply/demand backlog normalizes, the used car market will regain some sense of sanity. But then, the hyper inflation factor in play now suggests that current costs might not ever return to normalcy.
I agree that I would not pay BAT fantasy prices for a Mini, but I would absolutely put more value on a 20 year old car with 10k miles on it than the same car with 90k miles on it. Once you've done the same repairs and mods to both cars, only one of them would have 10k miles on it!
I hear ya... and agree to a certain degree... you have a better chance of a lower mile car being in better shape.. unless you count the 24k mile JCW I looked at a while back in San Franciso up in pacific heights... garage kept next to the Maybach... with sacked out clutch & plenty of parking boo-boo's.... ouch.... but hey.... the french fries between the seats are worth something, right.... what a waste of a trip.
Does an pristine 10K car perform better than a pristine 100k car tho?
If someone is a buyer with an eye on ROI (seems like most BAT sales are in this category).... then yes.. you have to worry about resale value...but for me.... bragging rights of low miles don't have as much importance as a truly sorted car, priced reasonably, and the joy of driving it daily.
