Greetings! I'm about as big a newb as you can get (first post) looking for some advice.

I'm considering buying a 2005 Mini Cooper S with high mileage, mainly because of the price. I'm pretty sure after negotiations I can get the car for about $6500

Here are the particulars:

1. 180,000 miles
2. 6-speed
3. blue with blue/gray leather
4. pano sunroof
5. newish tires (75% or more)
6. HK sound system

Condition:

1. Exterior - damn near perfect, minor scratches, no evidence of paint or bodywork, glass perfect and original
2. Interior - some wear, needs a detailing, but no tears or major stains.
3. Mechanical, now here is the question. It ran fine on a spirited test drive, no weird sounds, no smoke, no issues it seems, Clutch and trans seemed to shift correctly. Does have 180K though
4. Suspension/brakes - stopped well, handles okay, may need new struts, it had a little more wallow/body roll than I expected.
5. Accessories - all power stuff (windows, roof, locks) worked correctly.

So, a couple of questions:

• Would you advise against buying a $6500 Mini Cooper S with 180K? Why or why not?
• If I call the MINI dealer with the VIN, can they give me (remember I'm not the current owner) service history?
• Anything in particular I need to check out? I mean besides the usual car check over stuff.

Thanks in advance!!

 

180K is a lot of miles, but the car was pretty sorted out by 2005 (and you get a better/lower set of gear ratios.) Lots of wear items could need replacing, but as long as the engine checks out, could be a decent deal.
Yes, the dealer can give you the history.
Check out http://www.motoringfile.com/mini-r50r53-buyers-guide/

 

I think I'll keep looking. Upon closer examination, there is some oil seepage from the head gasket visible. Not enough to drip, just enough to kind of coat the area on the black below the head.

 

Okay, so now I'm reconsidering. I had a buddy who is an ASE certified mechanic at a Nissan dealer look at it with me. The dealer let us put it up on the rack and poke around a bit. The oil leak really does look really minor. It's not even enough to have any smoke or odor even after the engine is really hot.

Test drove it again, and it really does pull strong.

I did do the front tire kick a-arm test, and yeah, it will need new bushings.

Still considering...

 

Depending where the oil is, could be the Crank Angle Sensor (in the front) - fix is a a $3 o-ring and an hour or less.

 

Have a read here, for more things to consider.

It's all down to maintenance I should think - I've 192k on my R53 and its never been healthier. Mind you I've done more maintenance than most folks.

Cheers,

Charlie

 

I just bought (in January) a 2005 Justa with 130k miles on it. Overall the car appeared on the outside to be just like yours is. Driving it was a dream... I was not in a position to do a pre-inspection, but the seller was very up-front about any problems it had, which were almost nil... and after 6k miles and 6 months, not a single drop of oil anywhere and I could not be happier...

I tend to TRY to be cautious with purchases like this, but cars are sometimes like a marriage... They could be the greatest thing that will ever happen to us, or a sad tale of woe and dispair. Sometimes, we have to decide how much faith we can put into our 'best guess' at the outcome... and perhaps, go for it.

So, good luck to you. I am looking forward to when I can say my Mini Cooper has 250k miles on it, which should be in about 10 years or so.

 

I just bought a single owner 2002 MCS 6 speed in near mint condition for $4500, it has 129xxx miles.

The things that I looked and kept in mind which might help you too are:

in no particular order and there might be other stuff too

struts, shocks - any squeaks? has he ever changed or had them serviced?
strut tower mushrooming - generic to coopers
control arms, polyurethene?
cv joints
clutch might be good but throw out bearing might be on it's way out if he has never changed it.... and it's a costly repair.
super charger - has he ever changed the oil in it?
wheel bearings
water pump - has it been changed?
engine mounts
valve cover leaks
brakes
leak in coolant over flow tank?
oil pan gasket
front and reae wind shield washer

just a raw list i put together, hope it helps you.

Good Luck

 

Thanks for the advice guys, I've moved on from this prospect. It just had too many "rough edges" for me.

I have a project car already (an 86 Bertone X1/9) so I need this vehicle to be a dependable daily driver.

I've found another MINI I'm considering, a 2005 MINI convertible. Much lower miles at 41K.

 

I've got a 2005 MCS with 135k on it, but I bought it with 129k for only $7100. That extra 50k you're tacking on should make the price lower, like $6k.

Just a thought.

BTW, I love my car something fierce. With a 15% pulley and new spark plugs/wires/coil, it is championship grade fun.

I did also change the supercharger oil (major PITA, but worth it). Hoping to drive this until eventual children force me to sell it.

 

I'm no longer considering this high mileage car. I've purchased a 2006 MCS Convertible with 42K mikes. Spent about double what I was considering above, but got an immaculate car that had most every option (convenience package, chrono package, cold weather package, etc) and a few bolt on goodies (Milltek exhaust, M7 strut brace, DDM cold air intake) as well.

 

Enjoy!

Cheers,

Charlie