I have owned a 2004 MCS that now has 140,000 on it. The clutch is beginning to slip in higher gears. The rear hatch has rust that needs fixing. The driver door has lower rust that has sprung up. The rear bumper cover is cracked and will need repairs.

Do I sink money into those fixes or should I unload it for a lower mileage R53?

When I picked it up I didn't know Mini's like I do now. If it didn't have so many cosmetic issues I would be less concerned.

Also, I don't have a good feel for the previous owners. When I picked it up there was a ton of basic maintenance that had been neglected for it seemed like a long time.

The neglect has me more concerned than the cosmetics.

Thanks for the feedback.

Matt

 

The rust perforation warrenty was extended....was longer on the 2005+, but think the older cars were also extended...
I would call mini...might be a free fix...
Bumper cover is about $600-800 painted, max, less if you have a guy who can paint it in his spare time in a booth, clutch is about $1500-2000 depending on choice of flywheel/parts...
Only you know if the car is Strong enough to warrenty the cost...
My take...I'd say the hell with the bumper...too old of a car to worry about perfect looks...if rust fix is free...might be worth trying for 200k+...but that choice is a bit of a calculated risk, and you must decide if the interior is worth dealing with....well matained mini's do make 200+, but neglected, run hard ones become money pits...

 

If you can swap up for a more recent vintage car and IF it doesn't put you in a financial hardship, I can't think of any reason why you shouldn't. If you were taking food away from the baby that would be a different story.

 

My concern is I believe the car was beat pretty bad prior.

My intuition is to look for an R53 with lower mileage and less modifications with a fuller service record.

 

If you decide to get another r53, go for one without any mods at all, with good maintenance records.