Hey Guys!
I truly need your help ASAP!
Heres the situation.

I have a 2004 MCS. I'm hoping to trading it in for a 2006 MCS with 38K and it has over 10K dollars worth of Mods to it.
Some of the MODIFICATIONS:
-ALTA CAI w/ inlet tube
-Miltek Exhaust
-ALTA SC pulley (not sure what size)
-Nology wires
-Bilstein PSS9 CO.
-Web motorsports big adj rear swaybar.
-M7 Subframe brace
-Adj endlinks
-JCW Aero Kit
-Wilwood +13" Big brake kit w/ 2 piece rotors
And tons of other stuff

I'm Planning to trade in my 04 Mini for the 2006 Mini s. The 06 is in pristine condition.
I test drove it and it handles it butt off.
While test driving it, I encountered some serious concerns.
-1st The car has some serious raspy loose part under it and rattles on hard accelerations.
-2nd the 2 piece rotors are shot and need replacement ASAP. lots of vibration when braking a the slots on the rotors are gonna disappear .
-3rd the check engine light & the Traction control light came on and stood on at the final point of my test drive and started to bog-down.

I went back to the dealership sad and asked the sells guy to read me the codes if possible.

let me tell you that First off this place sells top notch cars. I mean used Audi R8's and GT Porches.

He was very nice and read me the codes that said:
-Cylinder 3 misfire
-Lean mixture
-low fuel (car had the fuel light on because it was empty)

I'm Assuming the problem could be an injector or the wires or maybe even the ECU Map is taken off from the previous owner or dealership.

I wish I could move the cylinder 3 injector to a different cylinder to see if it a bad injector but I know the dealership won't let me do this.

My Questions is Should I consider to buy this car.
-The car is selling for $21,900
-My car is an 04 MCS with 53K miles and I need to do my big $500 service now.
-He wants to give me $13,500 for my car.
- My credit is over 713
- I owe 17,500K on my car.
-He might knock off 2K because the car has these issues.
Again this car is in awesome shape and has all the goodies and more. No dings, dents or scratches. In white w/ 18" JCW wheels w/ 38k miles


OR!!!!

I also can get a silver 06 Mitsubishi EVO 9 GSR ES with 15K miles with no mods like new condition.
-This other dealership wants to give me 12,500K for my 04 MCS.

What do I do?
I love you guys........

 

Try not let emotion override logic I know, easier said than done.
I do not see 10k in that list (at resale figure 50% of value tops on mods) , chances are the rattle is the subframe brace, lean is never good news no matter the cause, wire could be the misfire or it could also be a valve issue. Check on the cost of new rotors, pads, install. Sounds like more horsetrading to be done.....You sound like you know your way around a car, so taking advantage of you might be easier said than done; not sure what part of the country you are in but I would seek out a mech who knows our cars- not knows of our cars (big difference)

Last but not least, search for lots of comparables on not only the 06 but on yours as well. I have seen some awesome deals lately ....

Good luck!!!
Tim

 

Modded and tossing codes does not sound like pristine. Don't let your excitement for a new car drive your decision. Also, mods don't add to a price, they generally reduce it as you have no idea how the car was driven previously.

My advice.... Find a place that you trust and see if the dealer will let you take the car for a check up (leak down check and such).

 

Exactly ...mods on a car are like a house with a pool ...they are a liability. Use them to your advantage.

 

Thank you for the replies.
TLMCS05: The List that I wrote are only a few. If I were to put on all the modifications that are on the MCS 06 to my Mini Cooper they would come out to over 10K not including labor and install. Many of the modifications are not listed but do not cause the written issues.

daflake: i know what you mean and let me re-phrase. Pristine cosmetically condition.
I have haggled the price to the 06 Mini to 19,900.
There is one Mini specialist that is here in the Orlando, FL area but I'm not sure if he is off for the holidays. No answer from him in a week.

The previous owner of the new Mini seems to have put on really good parts on this Mini.
I'm just super concerned of the Check engine light and the Traction light (yellow triangle w/ arrow) that's on.
These lights only turned on and stood on after the second test drive. As I was bringing the car home to ask and show my Bother who's a Knowledgeable car enthusiast for his opinion. I ended up turning the car around to go back to the dealership before something worse starts happens.

While driving back, the car smooth out and it seem to drive smooth again. Weird....

I'm willing to let go and forget about this car if its a car that need lots of investment. But I do like all the goodies it comes with.

What do you guys recommend I do?

 

If you really reall like it, and have a bit of cash to spend, go ahead and schedule it for a check at your local MINI dealer. I know it's going to cost a bit, but it's like assuring a bit more of future peace of mind(and cash of course ).

 

Well the mods will make your car worth less as opposed to more (especially on trade-in, rather than selling to an enthusiast), so I wouldn't even figure that into your equation.

But throwing codes is not a good sign. Instead of taking more cash off (which is fine, whatever), why don't they fix what's wrong with it? Taking $2k off the price of the car is pointless if the repairs are more than that (which is likely, at MINI labor rates). Brake job alone, you're looking at $300-700 (depending on what you want to do with it), and that's doing the labor yourself.

With the crappy economy there are tons of good used MINIs out there. I say walk away. If there's nothing pressing wrong with your car, just be patient; you'll find something perfect

 

do you still have the stock parts? if so you might want to revert the MCS back to stock before you try to sell/trade-in. it will probably enable you to resell/trade easier.

 

I think there is some confusion... I believe it is the 06 (the car she is considering) that has the mods and is throwing codes not her car that she is trading in. I think the price on the 06 is still high at 19 for a modded MINI and the code means that there is more happening there. None of the mods listed above should be causing codes so I would say walk away as there seems to be something off.

That being said, why not take that money and mod your 04?

 

I'm guessing there were mods that might have been done to the car that aren't being disclosed. And, I am wondering why is it that you want a car so heavily modified? Sounds like this car might have been a track/auto-x car at some point. Are you interested in autocrossing or track? If so, maybe it would just be safer to spend the money on modifying your own car.

 

I don't really have alot of experience with mini's in particular but i would be very careful in buying any modded car. I think you should keep and mod your 04.
As for the evo, being a previous evolution 8 owner i can attest to how much of a great sports car it is. It's a wonderful car. My favorite part was the quick steering and agility.

 

Again Thank you so much for the replies.

For me this is a time sensitive choice.
Why. I'm pass due on my big maintenance and...
The Mini that I'm considering might be gone at anytime buy another buyer.
For instance. As I was arriving back to the dealership with the car there was a gentleman waiting for me to arrive for a test drive. Him being surprised of a woman coming out of a highly modded Mini, he came to me and asked me if I liked it and what was my impression. Any ways....

Let me tell you that this car needs a little Tender-Love & care.
That's what this woman likes to do and provide. But is it worth it in this situation is the question.
It's Peppermint White (the color that I like) and has all the mods I want. Its like a good man, he has flaws but a woman like myself can fix him up alittle and this man looks real good.

Think old Porche 944 turbo S which needs some work but it's in awesome condition.

Will I ever benefit from all these cool mods, maybe not. but do 90% of all Porsche owners bring their cars to the maximum limit?
I would like to modify my Mini but the cost doesn't justify the mileage and cost of all the other modifications the other Mini has not including installation.

Like one member said. The Mods don't bring up the value but I know what the mods are worth and I'll be paying alot less for all these mods.
Do I autocross? Occasionally .

As for the EVO 9 that I'm considering, I have an 05 STi heavily modded so I do know what it has to offer but I also do know what this 06 Mini is cappable of too!


My Question is:

Many of you know how awesome the Mini Cooper is, that's why we have them.

This 06 Mini has lots of goodies. It seems as if the previous owner was an autocrosser or tracked the car at some point.

Heres the Q.'S
-Whats the suggested route to be taken with a car that is modded for track but has the above posted conditons?
-Could this Mini be a Dimond in the dust or would you consider this 06 MCS with mods for tracking and the check engine light on a piece of DODO...

Again I'm not affraid to leave this car and look for something else. The same way I found this Mini I'm sure I can find another sometime in the future.
Or can this Mini be a steal and just need some TLC?

What would you do and Check to see if this might be a real good buy?

O... I just found a local Mini specialist shop and I'll be calling him first thing in the morning.

Thank you again for all you guys. Thats why i love this place.

 

Personally I'd have the $500 service done on your MINI & keep it.

There are lots of issues with that 06 & you will lose a lot of money trading yours in. You get 13,500 for a car you owe 17,500 on. I'm not a math whiz & even I can see that transaction is going to hurt.

If you really want another one I'd keep looking & find one without a pile of issues.

Good luck with what ever you choose to do.

 

My concern is that with that many mods, the car has very likely been tracked. Which means it very likely has been beaten on at worst, driven very hard at best.

I mean if you like the car, don't care if it's been beat on and want to do work on it, then cool - go for it. But I wouldn't let myself get stuck on this one car because you feel like you're in a hurry. Any dealer you trade your car into will not care if you're a little overdue on the maintenance. I wouldn't let that factor alone sway you into making a hasty decision. There are tons of MINIs for sale out there.

The amount of mods and the code-throwing to me are just flat-out bad juju though. That, combined with losing $4k on your car for the sake of $500 in service, and I'd be running. I say keep your MINI, get the service done, and be done with it - unless there's something majorly wrong with it that you aren't mentioning.

 

If you like the 06, then I'd have it checked out by another mechanic. Someone unbias to you buying the car or not. You can't always trust the place selling, cause obviously they want to sell it. Just have someone else look it over and see what they think is wrong. Then you can make a decision from then. You may find the problems not so bad, and they may get you a good discount on the car, that can be fixed easily and less than the dicount you get.

 

The real cost of this car is 25,900 since you are 4k upside down on their offer. It needs brakes and Willwood pads and rotors are not inexpensive. It has a CEL from running lean and a misfire in cyl 3. Probably needs new plugs and wires.

Sounds like someone dumped the car when it need it big maintenance. Have to wonder how long it was doing that before the previous owner traded it in.

I'd walk away from this car.

 

Gnatster, I tend to agree with your response, but just a minor correction....the dealer is already willing to go with $19,900. So I'd say real cost could be around $23,500 if she pushed a little more.

So, is basically is that car worth $23,500 + maybe another $2,000 in immediate repairs to brakes, engine, and miscellaneous to you? Do you have $2,000 in cash/credit to fix the car?

BTW, I guess there isn't any warranty being offered?

Also, what kind of wheels and tires are on that car?

 

I agree with Crashton. You are financially upside down on your car. IMO, unless you have money to burn, you need to minimize your risk. The car you are considering sounds to me risky at best. It might have been tracked, which is very tough on the car. At least, it sounds as though it has been driven pretty aggressively.

Unless the dealer
1. gives you a guarantee or warranty of some number of miles, such that you feel that you can shake down any problems within the time/mileage allowed, AND
2. fixes the brakes, AND
3. fixes whatever problem(s) are causing the warning lights to come on,
I think you should walk away, and see if you can get into better (financial) condition on your car to reduce your liabilities before you bite off any new problems. If you wind up buying trouble, it will be VERY expensive.

 

Thank you for the recent responses. I truly appreciate it.
I have an appointment in the morning with a Mini specialist. I'll have him take a good look at it and make a good decision from that evaluation and from all of you guys comments posted here.
Fingers crossed.
Any other suggestions????

 

I agree with the other assessments that you'd be much better off hanging onto your problem free 2004. You can do the $500 maintenance, spend a few thousand in mods (of your own choosing), and still be better off (economically) than if you got that potentially problematic 2006.

If you've got a heavily modded STi already, you should keep at least one car reliable, driveable, and economical. Which means basic bolt-on mods to the MCS.

Modded used cars are very appealing on the surface, since it's easy to be blinded by the performance and potential and not have to spend the same money on it yourself. However, getting someone else's problem vehicle that they may have dumped would have you soon regretting such a purchase.

Take a little more time and think about things rationally, instead of emotionally. If getting the 2006 is worth the extra money and the risks to you after thoughtfully analyzing the situation, then go for it. But from what you described, I would advise you to pass on it...

Good luck with your decision.

 

I'm with Gnatster. You will never know how long this car was actually running lean. This concerns me. Lean=Bad, and my experience with MINIs at non-MINI dealers is they like to try and pull fast ones on people. I would like to say steer clear of this one, but ultimately it's up to you to decide, however, it sounds like you have a nice "canvas" to work with now.

 

I saw the thread title and thought "Too bad, I'm looking for a female MINI owner who WANTS to get taken advantage of...."

THAT'S what I'm talkin' about..
never mind......


just kidding..... seriously, these folks who are telling you to pass on this and keep you car are 110% correct!!! Don't do this!! You will thank us later...

 

I had this happen and it turned out the traction control module was out and had to be replaced.

 

 

I am not going to read all the responses at the moment but am going to reply.

Taken advantage of?? you sound like you could tie most car dealers in a knot, and that is a complement, good on ya girl for knowing your stuff.

I have an 06 and would toss it off a cliff if i could, bought it with 16,500 miles and it had NEVER been in under warrantee, this was proven by running my vehicle history at BMW and by contacting the previous owner, I found his info not the dealer so it was not a set up, guy called me back and chatted for over half an hour, sold the car only because he wanted a boot for his golf clubs, never a problem with the car car. ME?? more problems than I care to list, the car is a nightmare of noises and problems, engine has even been out.

I would NEVER trade a car that you have that is a known good quantity because of a 500 repair, had mine not been under warrantee the replacement wheels that peeled would have exceeded that, the engine out would have been 6x that. You know your cars ins and outs, if its is problem free than keep it, This thing you are looking at is waving flags and peeing on the floor to tell you its a junker, I would have gotten out of it with the dash lit up like a christmas tree and ran away, I suggest you do the same,

If you must get a new car then look for another, with the economy the way it is I am sure there are a dozen in your area dying to be sold.

Best of luck in whatever you choose to do.

Peter