Description:

2009 MINI Cooper S, Chili Red, 150k miles, "Mechanics Special" for (new pirce) $1,750 / best offer.
Looks good, runs and drives well, but has some issues that require attention.
A video walk-around of the car can be seen here: 

THE GOOD:
* Well-optioned car:
** From factory: Six-speed manual trans with limited slip differential, premium package, cold weather package.
** By dealer: Driving lights, bonnet stripes, mud flaps, alarm system and wheel locks, floor mats and cargo nets.
** By owner: Auto Meter gauges (oil pressure, water temp, volts, boost) mounted in CravenSpeed pods. CravenSpeed dipstick, "Gemini" phone mount and "Platypus" front tag mount (early styles).
* Most maintenance performed by the dealer.  This includes a new turbo at 68k miles, heads cleaned with walnut shells at 107k miles, new clutch at 133k miles (all documented).
* New Continental Conti Pro Contact SSR run-flat tires at 139k, inc. wheel alignment.  They still have lots of tread left with only 11k miles on them.

THE BAD:
* The dealer installed a 3M protective film to the car's nose, mirrors and door edges when new to protect against stone chips, etc.  Unfortunately it hasn't aged well.  It's developed black spots under it, and dried out and cracking on the hood from engine heat.  It could possibly be removed from the mirrors and door edges and cleaned up, but doing that to the hood would probably make it look worse rather than better.
* The car had a minor fender bender early in life.  Damage was mostly just to the front bumper cover which was replaced.  The good news is that the replacement didn't get that 3M film applied. #silver_lining
* Like many R56 MINIs it's become something of an oil burner, consuming a quart every 1500-2000 miles.  Consumption rate has been stable for quite a few years, not getting worse.
* The antenna mast and base plate cover is gone, believed to be knocked off in a car wash.  The radio still gets surprisingly good reception with just the base plate so I haven't bothered replacing it.
* The flex tube between the header and catalytic converter pipes is leaking.  It's part of the cat pipe which is fine otherwise.  Cutting the bad flex pipe off the front of the pipe and grafting in a new one should be possible ($) compared to replacing the entire cat pipe ($$$).

THE UGLY:
* The flex pipe developed its leak because one of the cat pipe's hangers broke away from the front subframe.  It did this because the front subframe is rusty and starting to rot out.  It hasn't reached the point of being compromised structurally but it's moving in that direction.  It's fine for now but should be replaced sometime in the near future.  The rear subframe has surface rust and looks crusty but doesn't appear to have structural rot.  The car body is remarkably rust-free; I wish they'd done the same rust preventative treatment to the subframes.  Front and rear subframes are both pictured.
* Some oil is being passed into the coolant system, most likely at the head gasket.  The head was retorqued, the cooling system flushed and the fouled coolant reservoir replaced ~11k miles ago.  That worked for a little while but the issue came back over time, so a new head gasket is probably required.  There's no evidence of coolant passing into the oil side or combustion chambers, which IMO would be a bigger and more immediate problem.  The car comes with a new coolant reservoir from when I was considering doing that repair myself, having replaced I-4 head gaskets previously on other cars.

Once those last three bullets are addressed this should be a good looking and running car for many years and miles.  It'd be most cost effective for the next owner who could do some or all of this work themselves.  I've owned it since new and have been thinking of repairing and keeping it.  I really enjoy the car but after 14 years I'm also ready for something new, so it's time to let it go to a new home.