Hi all,
I'm the new owner of an old Mini. 2010 MCS Convertible R57 to be precise.
It appears that the previous owner neglected to maintain the Mini. Luckily, I bought her at about 46k miles, so I think there's plenty of life left if I provide the TLC she needs.

After taking it to the dealership for an inspection, here's the laundry list of things they recommended I get done

• Brake pad and rotor replacement, both front and rear
• Microfilter replacement
• Engine air filter replacement
• Drive belt replacement? (Report says it shows cracks)
• Water pump pulley replacement? (Report says its showing wear)
• Coolant flush (discolored coolant)
• Injector cleaning + oil service
• Left windshield wiper nozzle doesn't work, needs replacement

They were quoting me some pretty hefty numbers.
Considering that I bought the car for $6500, I'm not ready to drop $3000 on repairs, especially if I'm able to perform them myself. That being said, I've never worked on a car before but would LOVE to learn.

I've owned motorcycles and worked on them, but mostly light work (e.g. chain cleaning, tire replacement, brakes, fluid flushes, etc.).
I intend to do as much as is reasonable.

So my question to everyone, what in the above list is worth doing myself?
I just bought the parts to do my brakes. I've heard that oil changes and coolant flushes aren't worth doing on your own given the equipment/supplies needed.
What else do you guys do on your own?

Thanks for your time!
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Hey, my Mini is NOT old!

Best suggestion is to find "a guy". Everyone who owns a German automobile needs "a guy". I would start with your local Mini club. I think you'll find those repairs will cost nowhere NEAR $3000 to complete.

 

Haha I meant old as in "not quite new".

And thanks for the tip! That's a great suggestion
I'll check the local groups to see what others are doing in the area.

Out of curiosity, have you done repairs/mods?
And if so, which ones did you perform yourself?

 

Honestly you can knock the filters, oil change, and do spark plugs in under 2 hours. For your injectors the are going to probably pour a bottle of Techron in there and call it a day. You can get a bottle yourself or put 2 gal e85 in the tank then fill rest of it with 93. I got 2 gal of 85 for 3 bucks, then keep 91 or 93 in it. Check out our vendors they have maintenance stuff you might need, like plugs and filters.

I had a coolant leak, turned out to be the tank, did flush while we were there, 265 total

new clutch, fluid, bearings, and turned flywheel 1400 total

those were done by my mechanic

turbo muffler delete - 20
alta boost spring - 25
new style DV - pulled off of junker 10
forgery DV spacer - 9
g+ intercooler- 142
afe drop-in dry filter
new plugs
forge noise maker delete - all 3 180
plugged off passenger side pcv - 25
DIY OCC - 45

installed by myself in townhouse complex parking lot, I do have a 3 ton jack, stands, and have been picking up whatever specialty stuff along the way.

 

I've replaced the valve cover seal myself. Was going to do the serpentine belt, but since no one in my club had the special tool, I negotiated a discounted rate at my dealer.

Now that I found "a guy" he's done oil changes, changed my spark plugs, fixed my AC, changed my brake pads, replaced a bad ignition coil. All for a LOT less than the dealer, and he has the necessary scan tool to read and reset all the codes, including the oil change indicator. Very happy!

 

My two cents: Biggest factors are time, sunshine, tools and the will to diy. If it's your daily driver and you have no tools, I agree you need "a guy".
However, you can change the cabin micro filter and engine air filter yourself. You tube.

As for the other stuff:

• Injector cleaning + oil service
  • This is a direct injection engine and depending on the miles, deposits are known to build up on the back sides of the valves which can affect performance. See all the various threads. An injector cleaning requires that the oil and filter be changed afterward. The cleaning may not be necessary if you're using the right fuel (91 to 93 octane, preferably ethanol free) and you have not noticed any stumbling on acceleration.
• Brake pad and rotor replacement, both front and rear
  • Rock Auto and DIY and tools, they'll pay for themselves.
• Drive belt replacement? (Report says it shows cracks)
  • Your guy.
• Water pump pulley replacement? (Report says its showing wear)
  • Your guy
• Coolant flush (discolored coolant)
  • Your guy
• Left windshield wiper nozzle doesn't work, needs replacement
  • Rock auto or stealership part, DIY.