So it's been about a year and a half since I picked up my 05 JCW.

What started out test drive (for fun) when I was hunting for a Porsche Cayman has ended up as real love for this little go cart.

This particular car was a locally purchased, one owner car that had been mainly a daily driver. Though it had been cared for fairly well it was in need of the regular MINI Maintenace items. Most evident was the badly leaking crank positioning sensor O-ring that allowed a mess of oil to cover the front of the engine. It also had a rock chipped windshield.

As a car hobbyist with a home garage, I thought I'd buy it, take care of the maintenance items (have a bit of fun driving it) and sell it. The more time I spent driving however ...the less I wanted to part with it.

After putting the car into front end service mode, I took on some routine Maintenace including: crank position sensor o-ring, timing chain tensioner, supercharger oil, serpentine belt, tensioner and idler pulley, water pump and bypass valve and oil pan gasket. I replaced the windshield and swapped out the damaged rain gutter trim pieces. Then with the help of some online vendors (ECS tuning, Madness Motorworks, DDM Works and others) I took on some bolt on mods Those included: Madness 22mm sway bar, Madness Lower Stress Bar, MSD Ignition and wires, DDM Works silicone intake and inter cooler couplers, cabrio braces, aluminum coolant reservoir, and Mishimoto silicone hoses...topped off with a JCW shifter **** and brake handle.

Now pretty much complete, I'm finding it really hard to list this car for sale. Whenever I take it out for a cruise it just a blast to drive and always puts a smile on my face!

In my area of the Canadian Pacific Northwest, these 1st generation JCW's are getting hard to find (lots of garbage or fake ones).

Looking forward I may now do a brake refresh(car has JCW brakes) update brake lines as well as an replace clutch / throw out bearing (Veleo perhaps)

It may not be a Caymen S, but for a fraction of the cost, this car is a real gem.
This car may have found a permanent spot in my garage Here are a couple of pics

 

Thanks for the orders this 2005 MINI JCW looks awesome. R98 web spokes with the Aero kit. Nice find.

 

Great to see fellow Canuck in a R53 JCW!...

 

Are you in Victoria? Looks like Dallas Road....Im in Victoria

 

Yes.. That's Victoria.. but. It's Willows Beach

 

Very nice car!

It's a keeper.

 

JCWs are the best. With I'd gotten one in 2007 instead of the MCS but I didn't know about them.

 

Beautiful piece of machinery. Hang on to it.

 

The gen 1 versions are getting harder and harder to find, hang on to it.