Are R53's worth it if you don't wrench? I own a 2005 R53 Auto in British Racing Green with around 52,000 miles and was wondering if you don't work on these cars yourself are they worth keeping as a daily driver? There are a lot of small things that are starting to turn into issues, engine is leaking slightly, passenger door wont auto unlock, time for some big maintenance items etc.

For the price of maintenance and repairs would you just buy something else?

Also when I park after driving for 10 minutes the fan kicks on for 5 minutes and is super loud, is that normal?

 

As much as I love my Mini's, I would say no.... They are a blast to drive but I would not recommend them for being your only driver unless they are new and under warranty. You need to be able to do some stuff yourself or have a great Indi mechanic friend to lean on. Unless you have deep pockets and don't care then yes they are worth it but the costs can climb past the value of car very quickly depending on issues. With that said, I have 3 and can do some stuff myself but I work so much I don't always have time to fix so I'm willing to pay my mechanic buddy to keep them going when need be.

 

I don't think they are worth it if you don't wrench. Things that you think may be easy, are complicated by the fact you have to put the car in "service mode" in order to do so much. This is just extra work that is not needed on most other cars. If you have a garage, a second car, and tools, you could use the MINI as way to learn to wrench though.

 

I don't care if its a Mini or something else, any 17+ year old car isn't worth it if you can't do your own work

 

I have an '06 with 253000 miles on it and I do some of the maintenance/repairs myself (brakes, suspension, etc). Anything bigger or requiring a lift, I take to a mechanic. For example, last year I had a new clutch fitted at Detroit Tuned, who I cannot recommend highly enough. While they had everything apart, they also did the inner and outer ball joints, timing chain with guides and tensioner, rear main seal, trans fluid, etc. If I remember correctly, it cost just about $2300. A lot of money for sure, and probably a high percentage of what the car is actually worth. But it sure beats a car payment on a newer more user friendly, but boring Honda, Toyota, Nissan.

That is just my 2c worth. I agree with njaremka that an older car will definitely be more of an "hands on" experience.

 

no worse than most any other car.

The weak points with high mileage are well known

 

Before I reply...I must be sure that this post work. Test..this is only a test.

Mostly....I have not been able to log in....so I gave up.


Cheerio,

Monkey Juice

 

Ok..

So...cocktail chatter, sorry.

Mine is a 2005 r53.
I've owned it since new (well, I bought it from my sister who didn't appreciate nearly new..).
I only own a 2 sizes of claw hammers and some screwdrivers, so I don't wrench.

Mostly I blame my lack of wrenching to living in a high rise building..but actually I am too insecure in my mechanical abilities to attempt perhaps a simple repair...like hood shocks., or what ever.

This is my only car.

I only (until recently) serviced it only by the MINI dealer...probably way overcharged. Now I have a new source.

I am overkill on service...open checkbook, basically (and I do not mean to boast this...and I probably should edit).

Since the warranty expired, It costs around $4800/ year (USD) ...this is an average., to keep your MINI Dealer serviced (as though it were under warranty).

This includes all tires/fluids/air conditing/strut towers....leaks.... clutch..and whatever else needs done. Anything.

And it makes me smile every time I drive it...


Best,

Mark (A long time non wrenching one time MINI owner)


ps I have considered selling after 14 (15?) years...but I don't know if I can?? It is a lovely machine.

 

This is my boy.

 

More cocktail chat.



Yes, I have been sniffing to upgrade Monkey Juice. It will be a sad day, but I probably sell it whilst in perfect condition ( a friend or a neighbor will buy it). I like some of the new Mercedes Benz products. Something sensible, e300...probably. I refuse to sell my MINI to a teenager...or any MINI 'iac wanting a car for track purposes. This is not negotiable. I want it maintained as I have by somebody whom appreciates what care the sweet car has been given.

ps I'm buzzed....sorry.



pss I so did not mean to hi-jack this thread....carry on.

 

To me, an old car is usually worth it, provided it's a special car. By special, I don't mean rare, I mean special in terms of enjoyment. My Silverado was a great truck (recently sold it back to the dealer I bought it from for nearly what I paid, WITH 71,000 miles on it due to new car shortages nationwide) and totally reliable. Reliability came at a cost though of around $800 per month in payments. I bought my R53 for $5000 and it had all the services receipts and is an impeccable example of an early Mini with a build date of 01/02. Now, if it needs anything done that I don't want to do, I can have it done at a shop without cringing because I'm not making a payment on it AND paying for repairs. If I go 6 months without any major repairs needed, I've saved $4800! To me, it's very easy to justify putting more money into a car than it's worth IF the car is special. That being said, if I went six months and had to replace the engine, I have saved enough in car payments to do it. For me, spending $10,000 in repairs/upgrades on a car that looks awesome, handles great and is just plain fun to drive is worth it even if I only paid $5000. Plus there aren't too many R53's on the road, so it's different than the run of the mill cars out there today.
My '99 FRC Corvette is a perfect example. 320,000 miles on the car when I bought it for $8K. The car ended up with 700hp. The money that went into the car easily eclipsed the purchase price, but it was great having a streetable 700hp without paying $85K for a Hellcat!! And no car payments!!!

 

I have 3 so I can be pretty sure at least one of them will be road worthy at any given time. My mechanic is on a first name basis with all of them and has a lift reserved for them if necessary.

 

I could not justify keeping mine unless I was doing all the work myself. Labor aside; parts for these machines is crazy. I can get a door lock actuator for a 2005 Honda Civic for about $10. My 2005 Mini? - $160 !!

There's a whole separate discussion on Genuine/OE/OEM when it comes to parts but for some parts you have no choice but to get them directly from MINI (several seals and gaskets some to mind).
In the case of my door lock actuator example; I ended up buying a used one on eBay - but even that was still $100.

When you factor in the labor on top of that - it's just not worth it imho. Which is why I'll gladly do any job on my car in order to keep it .