I am completely new to Mini's but a guy I work with girl friend has a 2002 for sale for $1000. It has high mileage (172,000) but the body and interior are in very good shape. They recently replaced the transmission, clutch and tires. It has a problem with the engine stalling. We drove it to lunch and it stalled twice while backing out at the restaurant. He says it has been stalling since July and believes it is a vacuum leak. They never had it smoke tested. I'm not confident he is right and worry it could be something far more expensive like an ECU. Like I said, I know nothing about this car and was wondering if this is a common problem with a known cause. Also wondering if 172,000 miles is considered extremely high for this car. It would be a third car for our family so it wouldn't be driven daily. Thanks

 

well my 02 has 155k, and I have replaced the passenger window motor and regulator; supercharger (first under warranty at 48,000, the second just last year at 129.000) and crank pulley. Recently I have replaced the 'wear' items (clutch was just replaced, along with the axles and it will need shocks this winter). I do drive
"spiritedly" and may account for the sc failures. I do not know your location, but look for rust issues along with front strut mount damage (mushrooming). the power steering pumps had problems overheating due to debris. $1,000 seems pretty low, so not sure what you're in for.

 

Dont know if you are looking at a cooper, or a cooper S. If it is a cooper, the big stuff has been changed (trans and clutch), and if the oil changes have been kept up, the motor should last a long time. find a good independent MINI shop in your area to sort out the stalling issue, and you could end up with a cool little car that gets great gas mileage without spending too much on it. As Gomez said, the PS pump is known to fail on these; there is a bypass you can install to eliminate it. It is still a gamble, but $1k for a car with (hopefully) a minor problem is pretty cheap. I'm an optimist, i guess, and have a great shop to back me up if i have MINI problems.

 

you want comments on buying a twelve year old car for $1000


KBB says this car is worth $3k . . . . but that assumes the car runs OK.


****
is 172,000 high


12 / 172,000 is 14,000 a year . . . that's average or more IMO

 

$1k? I'd get it. Gen1s aren't complex & fun to work w/. if only the engine bay is weren't cramped.
Stalling? Check for vac leak, plugs, leads, fuel pressure(pump related).

 

Wish I could find a $1000 MINI. I would pick it up- other posters are correct, the first generation R50's are pretty easy to work on. The first thing I would check is the fuel pump electrical connections. They are of the blade and slider type and one of mine loosened up, causing a no-start condition one day. A similar thing could be causing your occasional stalling. If that's not it, pressure test the pump, then check for vacuum leaks.

 

I'd take it to a MINI dealer and get a vehicle inspection, they'll tell you everything it needs. They can check the car for faults that may better indicate what the stalling issue is.