FS:: 2005 Mini Cooper S - Needs Headgasket - CT

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Nov 4, 2012 | 06:35 PM

agent007

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2005 Mini Cooper S - Needs Headgasket - CT

Year: 2005
Make: MINI
Model: Cooper
Price: $8
Mileage: 126299
Color: Gray
Private or Dealer Listing: Private Listing
Location (Region): NorthEast

Hey all my first post here and sadly it is not a good one.

This is from my eBay ad:

Quick Facts:
-2005 Mini Cooper S
-6 speed manual transmission
-Gray Exterior on Gray/Black Cloth Interior (rare on an S package – less weight than the -leather seats)
-126,299 miles

Please Note: This car needs mechanical attention. Mini Cooper recommends replacing the head gasket. I cannot afford to fix it. If you are still interested please read on for the full story.

The story…
I purchased the car in July from a local used car dealership for $7,800 which at the time was a good deal with 119,000 miles. I drove it back and forth to work daily (round trip of 84 miles) with zero issues.

In late August I spent over $1,000 and had new brakes put on all around, changed the oil, cabin air filter, flushed the coolant, and air filter.

Soon after this a tank of bad gas went through the car and a tick/rattle started to occur from the engine bay. After a couple of tanks and replaced spark plugs and coil pack it seemed to be running better but having trouble with cold starts.

I finally brought it to the Mini dealership in Hartford to diagnose the valve tick and cold start issue and the results were a huge surprise.

Their results are as follows… A compression test was done: Cyl 1=85psi, Cyl 2=90psi, Cyl 3=150psi, Cyl 4=160psi. They said the car exhibited a hard start along with white smoke from the exhaust. The service engine soon light is on and they found that the coolant reservoir appears to be occasionally over pressurizing. They recommend replacing the head gasket.

All along Mini was pushing me to use it as a down payment on a new car but I cannot afford that or their labor rate to fix it so I ended up having AAA tow it back to my house.

This will be a great buy for someone who has the skills necessary to fix it, someone with access to cheap labor, or someone looking for a track car and plans to do further motor work.

The car’s condition…
While the car was running fine it was an absolute blast to drive. The suspension is firm and tight, tires are in good condition, alignment is straight, heat and a/c works, the harmon kardon premium sound is amazing, it has the sick dual sunroof, all electronics work great, auxiliary mp3 hookup, rubber mini floor mats, and the Xenon headlights.

For cons there is one hole in the back seat (maybe cigarette but the car does not smell like smoke at all), a dimple here and there, the occasional surface scratch, the clutch is high, the shift **** a little loose, and there is some minor wheel rash.

In conclusion…
I cannot afford to pay someone to fix the car and I do not have the skills to do it myself. As a result I have to sell it as is for a huge loss.

This car would sell for around $8,000 if it was running correctly. I do not know what it is worth as is because the cost to repair it depends heavily on who is doing the work so I am listing it as a no reserve auction and it will go to the highest bidder. It will most likely need to be towed to the new owners residence unless you live a mile away.

Here is a video from last Saturday, October 28th after I had the car towed back to my house from the Mini Dealership. You can see that there is no smoke as it runs in this video but there was white smoke upon the initial cold start in the morning.

Please if you have ANY questions call me on my cell phone at eight6zero seven9zero zero892. Anyone is welcome to come take a closer look.

Thanks,
Rob

Please Note: This car needs a head gasket. Please read the description in its entirety.

You can view it on eBay here: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2005-...#ht_819wt_1182

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