I thought I 'd start a thread for my 2002 R50 project. "Winnie" is a 79,000 mile Liquid Yellow with white roof Mini Cooper that was purchased from the original owner who was faced with clutch/transmission issues about 5 years ago and simply parked her after acquiring another car. No, I didn't name her myself, but the name sticks, lol! There's even an aftermarket European tag for the front bumper that came with her with "Winnie" embossed on it.

There's lots to be done, electrical issues, a major water leak around the windshield that has saturated the interior floors/carpet, and of course the clutch/tranny. The front and back Mini emblems are missing paint, some of the trim could be better, the headliner is sagging from the water damage, brakes are pretty much toast, but she does run good. I'll be frequently perusing NAM for how-to's and technical info as the work progresses, and may reach out to other members from time to time for help troubleshooting some of the gremlins that seem to be common to these cars.

I do have a few upgrades in mind in the brake and transaxle department. Some Mini's do appear at the local pick 'n pulls around here from time to time so I'm hopeful that a few items like upgraded seats, 6 speed, etc will be a little more affordable. I'm a stickler when it comes to rebuilding cars and keep very detailed build notes and expenses (which I don't like to review too often, otherwise I wouldn't keep doing this - the money in a hole thing!).


First Photos of Winnie

First Photos of Winnie

First Photos of Winnie

First Photos of Winnie

First Photos of Winnie

First Photos of Winnie

Loaded Up And Ready To Go To Her New Home

Loaded Up And Ready To Go To Her New Home

 

Very nice find! Can’t wait to see the resurrection!

 

Not much new to report. Trying to do some research on Mini issues, figure out the mysterious rear hatch release, and the non-functioning of the windows and door locks. For now, here's a picture of Winnie's Euro style front plate!