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That's a great looking R50, but is that a picture of your '03 or '06?
Hyper Blue and Indi Blue can look very close in pics, but it has face lift headlights and a pre-face lift bumper and grille surround which makes it hard to tell. My favorite color was Indi Blue, but I wanted a face lift R53 and Indi Blue was discontinued after '04.
Located in Chandler, AZ. It’s on Facebook marketplace. I was unable to generate a link, you will need to search for it.
I just sold my '06 JCW on Friday, picked up my 2021 JCW on Saturday, and I still want this '06 checkmate. Dammit... patience grasshopper. Gotta wait 9 months until new house is built with extra garage space!!!
I know this car is now here in Arizona, but I see the Washington plates. I've bought a few cars from the PNW over the years, and they're usually a little grimy in spots, but surprisingly no rust. Less sun damage than AZ cars too...
Not a bad price considering it is a California, low mile, Supercharged and loaded JCW 'vert' from 2008 thats not black.
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This one is still available, I just texted the owner this morning. He seems like a very knowledgeable guy, works on the car himself. The car blew a head gasket, and the head was rebuilt. Lots of new parts. Having the owner doing all the repairs makes me a little nervous, only because MINIs are pretty technical and if you dont really know what you're doing you can mess up the job. Maybe I'm being overly cautious, but I'd hate to spend $9500 on a JCW only to have the head gasket leak again. I paid a friend to do the head gasket on my Jeep and it leaked 6 mo later. I'm going to pass, but this might be a really good deal for someone.
This is from the seller via text:
New clutch, pressure plate, master and slave, engine mounts, a few sensors, fan switch, thermostat, coolant, all fluids, head rebuilt (new seats and lapped valves). All German parts. Most of this work was done at 38k miles,, 2 years ago,, when i purchased the car. It runs strong. I bought the with blown head gasket. The overflow cap failed, lost coolant, and over heated. It was slight, not that uncommon. Still the special JCW head...but like new. I did the work. All German parts. That was 7000 miles ago. Runs perfect. Amazing little car.
Selling to build an overland project. I want to camp more with my 16 year old. Throwout bearing was wearing. I just replaced the whole thing. Still the original dual mass flywheel. Clutch seemed fine, but I was in there. So why not. Its Luk.
Small ding passenger front bumper. Perfect with alignment. No leaks. Steering hose leaked . Fixed now.
Ball joints and tie rods are good. Lower control arm bushing are common.
But they're good for now. Machine shop flatten and resurfaced. New seats and lapped valves. German head gasket and new torque to yield bolts. They pressure tested it too.
The block is iron. So no problems there. Just the aluminum head. Unfortunately. Its common when you don't stay on top of maintenance.
It failed because of a 9 dollar overflow cap. ...$4500 of work.
I agree... sometimes "owner work" can be sketchy... because they don't know that they dont know.
But... often.... I find owner work to be better, as all items get addressed in a less production environment and can have a patient hand.. depends on abilities and how methodical they are. If you know what you are looking at mechanically... then easy to verify the work...and that is where the bargains can be found on cars that have had that expensive maint done... (like clutches etc)
Nice to see good quality parts being used.... not a SMF/Valeo budget job or head gaskets from Üro.
One of the big points on factory LCI JCW's as opposed to "dealer" JCW's is that "Some'" mechanic at "a dealer" had to disassemble an already factory assembled engine and add a 'kit' to it... even if the 'kit' is 'factory sourced' and the installer is a 'dealer' mechanic... that install may not be as good as a 'virgin factory install' which is, IMO, the foundation for the "Factory built JCW" fan-club. Many enthusiasts, myself included, will do a much more thorough, careful, and methodical repair or maintenance item than any line-mechanic at a dealer or independent shop can afford or want to do. Even if it is little, like too many wrench marks on a valve cover bolt, or cleaning the trans and bellhousing area when doing a clutch, or not prying on bodywork and marking it up.... those kinds of things are a labor of love and very few mechanics that are working on other peoples cars will give it that kind of attention.
IMO.... At a certain point... you just have to decide what you need for your own peace of mind... and trust in you own abilities to repair a now 15 year old car WHEN something goes wrong..... even those 'pristine' examples will need some good maint.... and a clutch in a 20k-mile car in San Francisco may just not be as good as a clutch in a 100k-mile car that lived in San Jose.
Have fun, find the car you want... I'm not obsessing over finding that elusive barn find... because in the end.. they are not worth that much and probably will not be considering the scale of production numbers here... even on the " Limited " models... there aren't many on the market...but IMO, many people are holding onto their car....be it a MINI, a Toyota or a KIA.... because they're not buying a new/different car... people in this price bracket of a compact car just aren't upgrading/buying/selling right now.... and, IMO, not because of the rarity or collectibility of the cars.
People with a cheap car, like a used Gen-1/Gen-2 MINI, can't afford to buy a different car or justify it in this market. Not to be confused with a $100k R8, or a Yenko Chevelle...or an Alfa GT in BAT.... not the same thing at all IMO.
IMO, especially true in these "low budget" barn-find-hunters out there that want to flip a car" scenarios where they are looking for that $5000 JCW LCI 'creampuff'.... those 'collectors' that are thinning out their stables, they have a stable and generally know what they are worth... or have been corrupted by fantasies of a "big win" on BAT.
Many people are not buying newer/new cars.... especially those that have a budget-box like a First-Gen MINI... and not selling the Mini's they have. IMO, nature of this segment.
I don't think that the narrative that "more people are holding onto these 'gems" is true because the owners are big MINI enthusiasts or collectors... I believe that it has a lot to do that a person who's PRIMARY car is a budget car, like even a loaded 2006 JCW, is in a position to replace their car with something different these days. Sure, some people are enthusiasts like those in this thread... but not MOST Mini owners IMO. To most, a 15 year old MINI is just that .... a 15 year old $2500-$7000 car that they can afford to drive and lots of smiles per mile. If you are looking at a mini as an 'investment', IMO, put that money someplace else... you'll probably do better with it.
If you're going to buy it and drive it and have fun tinkering on it and feeling the rush that these diminutive cars give while driving them.... find a good one and have fun... and don't worry what the 'next owner' will value the car at.
Just see what you can get from an insurance company if your car is totaled if you need to bring it into perspective. Lots of interesting 'totaled' Minis... even some rare ones... at the auctions and insurance markets for parts. Just look at what pops up in the wrecking yards as they sell the parts following a 'buy'... plenty of new ones pop up every day.
I have yet to find an insurance company that will, at a reasonable price, insure ANY used car for an agreed upon value unless it is a collector car with proven track history... and those are mostly going to Hagerty or Grundy for low-use, expensive, agreed-value policies.
Try to get Geico/State-Farm/USAA to pay you for a "totaled situation" for your creampuff, well-maintained 2006 JCW with 20K miles on it for more than $10K... regardless of a BAT 'outlier' values present.... though anything is possible I guess with enough arguing.
Heck...looking for a good used 15-18 year old Ford ranger for my nephew is tough...not many on the market... and those that are are overpriced compared to just a year ago... because people are keeping these affordable vehicles to drive.... not because they are being 'collected'
As the economy moves through its motions and as people are fed up with their old cars... you'll see em pop up again in the numbers we're used to....
Nice Factory R53 JCW for sale with decent mileage.
2006 Factory JCW with Chrono $7000
Listed a day ago in Glendora, CA
California Car, claimed new MINI-Dealer clutch with recipts. ... some minor things wrong.... but again... none of that pesky rust-belt cancer !
Very fair price for what it is IMO.
I agree... sometimes "owner work" can be sketchy... because they don't know that they dont know.
But... often.... I find owner work to be better, as all items get addressed in a less production environment and can have a patient hand.. depends on abilities and how methodical they are. If you know what you are looking at mechanically... then easy to verify the work...and that is where the bargains can be found on cars that have had that expensive maint done... (like clutches etc)
Nice to see good quality parts being used.... not a SMF/Valeo budget job or head gaskets from Üro.
One of the big points on factory LCI JCW's as opposed to "dealer" JCW's is that "Some'" mechanic at "a dealer" had to disassemble an already factory assembled engine and add a 'kit' to it... even if the 'kit' is 'factory sourced' and the installer is a 'dealer' mechanic... that install may not be as good as a 'virgin factory install' which is, IMO, the foundation for the "Factory built JCW" fan-club. Many enthusiasts, myself included, will do a much more thorough, careful, and methodical repair or maintenance item than any line-mechanic at a dealer or independent shop can afford or want to do. Even if it is little, like too many wrench marks on a valve cover bolt, or cleaning the trans and bellhousing area when doing a clutch, or not prying on bodywork and marking it up.... those kinds of things are a labor of love and very few mechanics that are working on other peoples cars will give it that kind of attention.
IMO.... At a certain point... you just have to decide what you need for your own peace of mind... and trust in you own abilities to repair a now 15 year old car WHEN something goes wrong..... even those 'pristine' examples will need some good maint.... and a clutch in a 20k-mile car in San Francisco may just not be as good as a clutch in a 100k-mile car that lived in San Jose.
Have fun, find the car you want... I'm not obsessing over finding that elusive barn find... because in the end.. they are not worth that much and probably will not be considering the scale of production numbers here... even on the " Limited " models... there aren't many on the market...but IMO, many people are holding onto their car....be it a MINI, a Toyota or a KIA.... because they're not buying a new/different car... people in this price bracket of a compact car just aren't upgrading/buying/selling right now.... and, IMO, not because of the rarity or collectibility of the cars.
People with a cheap car, like a used Gen-1/Gen-2 MINI, can't afford to buy a different car or justify it in this market. Not to be confused with a $100k R8, or a Yenko Chevelle...or an Alfa GT in BAT.... not the same thing at all IMO.
IMO, especially true in these "low budget" barn-find-hunters out there that want to flip a car" scenarios where they are looking for that $5000 JCW LCI 'creampuff'.... those 'collectors' that are thinning out their stables, they have a stable and generally know what they are worth... or have been corrupted by fantasies of a "big win" on BAT.
Many people are not buying newer/new cars.... especially those that have a budget-box like a First-Gen MINI... and not selling the Mini's they have. IMO, nature of this segment.
I don't think that the narrative that "more people are holding onto these 'gems" is true because the owners are big MINI enthusiasts or collectors... I believe that it has a lot to do that a person who's PRIMARY car is a budget car, like even a loaded 2006 JCW, is in a position to replace their car with something different these days. Sure, some people are enthusiasts like those in this thread... but not MOST Mini owners IMO. To most, a 15 year old MINI is just that .... a 15 year old $2500-$7000 car that they can afford to drive and lots of smiles per mile. If you are looking at a mini as an 'investment', IMO, put that money someplace else... you'll probably do better with it.
If you're going to buy it and drive it and have fun tinkering on it and feeling the rush that these diminutive cars give while driving them.... find a good one and have fun... and don't worry what the 'next owner' will value the car at.
Just see what you can get from an insurance company if your car is totaled if you need to bring it into perspective. Lots of interesting 'totaled' Minis... even some rare ones... at the auctions and insurance markets for parts. Just look at what pops up in the wrecking yards as they sell the parts following a 'buy'... plenty of new ones pop up every day.
I have yet to find an insurance company that will, at a reasonable price, insure ANY used car for an agreed upon value unless it is a collector car with proven track history... and those are mostly going to Hagerty or Grundy for low-use, expensive, agreed-value policies.
Try to get Geico/State-Farm/USAA to pay you for a "totaled situation" for your creampuff, well-maintained 2006 JCW with 20K miles on it for more than $10K... regardless of a BAT 'outlier' values present.... though anything is possible I guess with enough arguing.
Heck...looking for a good used 15-18 year old Ford ranger for my nephew is tough...not many on the market... and those that are are overpriced compared to just a year ago... because people are keeping these affordable vehicles to drive.... not because they are being 'collected'
As the economy moves through its motions and as people are fed up with their old cars... you'll see em pop up again in the numbers we're used to....
I’ll give you credit for that ridiculously long response lol. You did have a lot of good points though. I just wanted to chime in with regards to the insurance since I know this isn’t exactly the correct thread for the discussion. I found the exact same issue with regards to agreed value insurance with my GP2 a few years ago. I have way too much money into it and it currently has 7500 miles. Obviously a normal insurance company is going to be clueless to it’s value and I couldn’t run the risk of having it totaled and dealing with an insurance adjuster. It took me awhile to find an insurance company but I did. Cincinnati Insurance. I never heard of them before but they are a Fortune 500 company and will basically allow me to insure my cars for whatever I want. Is the insurance more expensive....of course...but it’s piece of mind knowing that if some idiot (let’s face it, most people are under insured and just want the cheapest insurance) hits my car, they just write me a check. I’ve been with them for over 3 years and have absolutely no complaints. I also feel bad for those of you who live in states that don’t have diminished value. I’ve read horror stories with regards to that issue.
That’s good to know bout the insurance. Although my mini is basically heading into hibernation, I had mentioned to my insurance agent about making sure I’m covered for a respectable value above book, he nodded his head like it’s no problem, but he often nods his head to anything I ask lol.
Regarding the excellent post by mountainhorse, definitely a realistic view of owning a mini. Normally I wouldn’t be concerned about valuation in coming years, especially with a low mile JCW and GP. I believe that some new to the brand like myself, get caught up in the enthusiasm, especially if you scored a deal, started with the intention of just buying a fairly cheap ride to tool around in, and then realize they’re in it more serious than expected. I think the enthusiasm is especially good for preserving the nice ones that are still out there. That’s what happens when the owners think they’re worth more than they actually are.
I was looking for something I wouldn’t freak about if somebody bumped into it. Now it’s a different story. Maybe I need a good hit to knock some sense back into me lol. I really didn’t want to be a babysitter anymore, been doing it my whole life...friggin sports cars, they always seduce me into more responsibility than I wanted. I guess it’s the chase and conquest.
Another detour from Good Deals on Cars to present a listing for a set of R53 JCW checkered Floormats in good condition. In 3 years of looking this is the second set I’ve seen for sale.
Holy crap, those mats are so close to me...must resist...want...must resist.
[QUOTE=AeroJammin;4562882]Another detour from Good Deals on Cars to present a listing for a set of R53 JCW checkered Floormats in good condition. In 3 years of looking this is the second set I’ve seen for sale.
How many people on this thread believe that a price on a MINI sold on BAT will change what YOU would pay for a similar car?
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I personally would never pay a nickel over $5k for that particular mini, but I like reading the posts from bidders. They whip themselves into a frenzy. The really nice R53s bring out a lot of fond memories from past owners, regretting they sold theirs, I think that’s what drives the prices up. Hell my old triumph TR6 is bringing $20k...84 Porsche Carrera $30k -$40k if I only knew.
2006 JCW (factory)...with Aero kit.
$6000
124K miles with claimed clutch replace at 100k-Miles
contact name: Rick (626) 624-1499
Clean title. 124k miles. Runs great lots of recent maintenance for the car to go another 100k without any major maintenance. The car has new: Crank pulley Crank pulley seal Belt tensioner Idler pulley Ac compressor Radiator Water pump Thermostat housing and gaskets Overflow tank Spark plugs Spark plug wires Cabin and intake air filters Mobil 1 synthetic oil change Driver window motor
Last year it had replaced the alternator, fuel pump and filter,valve cover gaskets, oil pan, passenger window motor, and other misc things.
Clutch was done at around 100k
Car is ready to go and only other service it'll need will be the supercharger around 200-250k .
2008 Mini Cooper JCW Convertible
And another California 2006 R53 JCW with Aero in Silver
