Year: 2006
Make: MINI
Model: Hardtop
Price: $1
Mileage: 100
Color: red
Private or Dealer Listing: Private Listing
Location (Region): Midwestern

you are right there. I sent the owner a text and am waiting to hear back. I have an F56 now, and kinda think having an old r53 would be a great longterm project.

 

Ha, I just noticed your location. I dont need to tell you, lol.

That looks like a nice find, the only thing that bothers me is that lazy, mismatched grill. It says the owner miiiiiiiight just be prone to shortcuts. Or maybe that was the only DIY thing he's ever done, and takes the car in for the other stuff.

 

Did the factory JCW R53 have a “Cooper S” badge on the back? No front JCW badge either...

 

I've been chatting with him (John), have the CarFax and about 20 additional photos. The car has been in an accident (front-end), and there are virtually zero service records for the car on CarFax. Owner was immediately offended when I asked about the lack of service.

 

 

Post it anyway, it's good to keep people up on the scam ads.

 

Offended? Just ask him where he gets it serviced. If he's offended about basic questions, I'd walk. I forgot to mention there's a lot of pretentious yuppies in Naperville. If he got it serviced at a dealership, MINI will be happy to hand over records. Hell, you dont even need the owner to get them.. All you need is the vin and the MINI dealership. When I bought mine from an Atlanta dealership with no records, I just called the remaining dealerships with the vin and after a few calls I got a pretty decent set of records.

They just wont give you any personal information, understandably so.. Although, one dealership accidently gave me the fist/last name on a printed report, lol.

 

Well whatever you said to that guy pissed him off something terrible. He is not even responding to my inquiries lol

 

-He doesn't know where it was serviced, which isn't promising.
-I have the CarFax, and there are essentially no service records. Nearly all major Dealers report service to CarFax. That said, the car has not been serviced at any major dealers, or possibly not at all (even many smaller shops report to CarFax).
-The front-end collision is not reported on CarFax either, yet he told me about it over the phone.

If I had to guess as to why he's not responding to texts now, it's because he's been inundated with communications from a fairly....persnickety....group of folks, many of which have no intention of even buying the car.

 

May be likely, but not always true. I recently discovered a very large BMW dealer that reports nothing to Carfax. Complete hard copies of detailed records were available on the car, yet nothing showed up on Carfax. So, keep a healthy skepticism...

 

I keep track of my carfax reports when I sell. Most of my maintenance isn't on the report. I've had somewhat major accidents not show up. I really dont trust Carfax, but its a good tool.

The much easier way to go about would be calling the dealerships with the vin. Bill Jacobs MINI would be the closest dealership.

 

One more note about Carfax reports. I recently looked at a JCW Coupe which I was interested in purchasing. The Carfax Report stated "minor front impact, passenger side". Well.....inspection of the car revealed that the entire right side of the car had been repainted. This may or may not have been the direct result of accident damage, but it just goes to show that "minor" can mean many things.

 

none of the places I get my cars serviced at even report to carfax

of course most of that is in my own garage, it's nice having a full shop & lift

 

I do most of my own wrenching, but did take the car to dealer for the airbag seat sensor recall. What Nick at Detroit Tuned said in our Buying a Used Gen1 is relevant here: "If you can't prove the car has been maintained you cannot gain the buyers trust. Proof of work is always going to make the sale. "

 

I need to take the JCW in for that recall, dealer is well over 1 1/2 hours away it's a pain

I just keep a copy of the parts receipts,I sold my 540i last night, that thing cost me 5 $ per mile, all parts no labor

 

E39? Sounds about right. I also need to take my car in for the airbag recall, the closest mini dealer is an hour away from me.



I wouldn't call this a good deal, but it has potential and is low mileage.

https://lancaster.craigslist.org/cto...543818500.html

 

^ This. If an owner can't be bothered to keep records, be willing to produce them, or even vaguely remember what work it's received, I walk. Obviously that limits the amount of cars I can buy, but I've had very few problems with the 17+ cars owned when adhering to this policy.

 

I've found most people do not keep them, and obviously used car dealers do not have them the average joe is not a car guy

with mini's it's pretty easy to know if they have been maintained, the interior falls apart and the engine will leak oil out various orifices, bmw's are basically the same with more electrical gremlins, checking every window for functionality is a must

 

This should make someone’s day. If you’re lucky, it has LSD.

2006 Mini Cooper s
93k miles
$4400

https://iowacity.craigslist.org/cto/...545786599.html

 

No LSD. It's been lightly modified as well.

I have a running list of all cars listed on Cars.com, Autotrader, Autolist, etc that have LSD. Unfortunately, most CL users don't list the VIN.

 

I ran the vin too, you're correct. Still, it looks pretty clean and decently low miles. For $4400, this is beater commuter territory. I kind of want to buy it just to drive it in the winter. My wife wouldn't be having it, however.

Also, any owner that cares enough about his front bumper to buy a tow hook plate holder probably took decent care of this. Not sure of the exhaust, but it looks like aftermarket.

 

Here is a nice one in Tucson, AZ:
2004
100K miles
DS/Black
Solid Roof
Full Aero Kit
$4,500


https://tucson.craigslist.org/cto/d/...548701346.html

 

Damn,
that's a nice one I think,
and for a great price too!



Slicktop + full aero kit really set it off very well and appeals to me,
and DS is always a good looker.

 

My hunt is finally over as I officially became a MC owner this past Saturday, more of which I'll post details of a bit later on the R53 forum after I get a chance to snap some pix.

I still like looking though as for the past 6 or so months it has become a daily routine and I like seeing what's out there, plus it's always interesting to see what people have done to their cars as far as modding & etc...except, that is, for the oft seen skatepunk style stickered dash which seems to be quite popular, I mean I get it because I was a skater and did stuff like that too when I was younger, but in my old curmudgeon'd age now I just shake my head, although with a slight grin as well just because it's a neat sort of sociological anthropology thing to me seeing cultural trends 'n such...



Anyway,
enough rambling.

Here's a specimen which is closer to home for me (many of the MINI's I most loved during my active search were inevitably all the way across the country) so if I hadn't pulled the trigger I might've gone to check it out despite the higher mileage and pano-roof just because I really really wanted Pepper White and I was growing wary, tired, and frustrated trying to find the right car for me.

It's also a 2004 like the DS listed above,
wish there were more pix tho.

2004 MCS
146k miles
JCW kit
$4,900


https://knoxville.craigslist.org/cto...549770566.html

 

Congrats! The stickers will come off with a hair dryer. I'm 40 and I remember sticker bombing my Mexican built Fender Squier guitar as a teen... I think its a right of passage. When I was 20, adding stickers to my car was a way to make it my own, yet each year I felt it was less and less mature. In my generation, stickers were collected slowly... at concerts, skate/surf shops, and gas stations. Now, you just buy them on Amazon in "sticker bomb" bundles. Sigh..

Nice JCW!