I love my Mini convertible and want to have a long term relationship - say a decade or more. Thought about getting another car as a daily driver to 'protect' the Mini by keeping in the garage and just driving it for fun. One problem with my theory - I always want to have fun driving. When I came to this realization I realized I don't want to drive anything else.

So, what can I do to help my Mini last the long haul?

Here's what I have so far...
1. Take care of the finishes by detailing with quality products (whenever I spent enough time in the detailing forum to decide just which one's to pick)

1a. Get the Raggtopp stuff for my top.

2. keep up the service.

3. Keep up my part of care by checking the tires and under the bonnet regularly (which I've been woeful on so far).

Well, that's about it. Does anybody have any specific tips? One thing I wondered about was chaning the air filter more often than the every 10,000-15,000 miles between services. Didn't know if that was a good idea especially in the dusty environment when I currenty live (lubbock not iraq).

 

Those all sound positive, but you missed one. Your driving habits. Driving it hard and taking care of it's maintenance is not the same thing as beating it. I don't find the MINI really a laid back driving machine. Too much sitting is not good for them either.

Then there is fate. Some cars just seem to go on and on for ever and ever. Some cars don't have a chance, it's like the luck of the draw.

 

you don't need to change your air filter that often, and it will likely be bad for the engine in the long run. OVer the typical filter change interval, a filters ability to flow a lot of air goes down, but its ability to clean the air that passes through it goes up. In other words, a clean filter flows better, but a dirty filter FILTERS better. If you replace the filter too frequently, yes, your engine will be able to breath better, but it will be breathing dirtier air. 10-15k sounds like an air filter change interval in Saudi Arabia, try 25-30k.

 

I would definitely get the strut brace for the long haul, especially since it's a cabrio. That should help with keeping the chasis rigid as the car gets worn over the years.