My car is a 2002 MCS EB. A few days before Christmas I rear-ended a big ol' Chevy SUV (I don't recall if it was a suburban or another one of those beasts.) I was totally at fault - something caused me to look down for a second- and that's all it took. The guy ahead of me stopped suddenly and by the time I looked up and found the brake but ran out of stopping room. I would estimate that the impact was less than 10-15 MPH. My airbags didn't deploy BTW.

I basically ran into the guy's trailer hitch and the underside of his bumper. His truck literally didn't have a scratch except the bracket that held his trailer wiring harness busted off. But my car took the hit of his hitch and thus his frame. It pushed the bonnett back and the radiator was blowing stream as you might imagine. I couldn't see much more in the dark and had the car flat-bedded to the neighborhood body shop. I've dealt with these guys before and they do very good work and seem to be honest and very reputable. So you could imagine how incredible it was to me when they told me that the repairs on my car exceeded the threshold to repair it (i.e.- a likely total at more than $15k)

I asked the reason and they said that it was because I needed a new (used) engine! When I asked why they told me it was because one or both of the motor mounts were broken. I went down there to look at it and get a better idea of what the damage really was. They pointed out a piece of cast aluminum (I assume that was the material) that was busted off that they said was part of the engine block, for which I'm told there is no repair. I asked a fellow club member that works in service at my Mini dealer and he said that if it's an "ear" off the block it would probably mean a new engine block and all the associated aggravation.

The motor itself was pushed back far enough to crack the brake fluid resevoir and the one next to it (I don't recall which one that is) but the point is that's how far back it moved. Possibly a number of other components are trashed too (A/C, etc). I assume the exhaust system was also affected.

I am waiting for the insurance adjuster's verdict (as to whether they want to total it). In the meantime I was wondering if I should consider buying it back and having it fixed myself. While I am okay at things like supercharger pulley replacements, brake jobs, etc. a project of this scope is really over my head and abilities. I will need to find a good local import garage to work with to make this happen.

Anyway, that's the background. The reason I am posting this is because I am wondering if any of you have had a similalr experience and solicit your advice. Also, if you are local to Pittsburgh if you know of a good local garage. Thanks in advance and be careful out there!

 

Is it possible to post a pic of the mount your shop is referring to?
The MINI block is cast iron, not aluminum, so I don't know if they are giving you the right information.

Do you recall if it was one of these...?

or one of these...?

 

sorry about your misfortune. i had a similar bad incident for which i was at fault. my insurance co. waivered a bit, but ultimatlely, totaled the car. although it took a while to replace, i am more comfortable in a new car on the track. i would hate to wonder, approaching a turn at 115mph, whether they fixed (found) everything. if you don't track the car, repair may be an alternative. when pushing a car to its design limits on the track, i'd rather start w/ a clean slate. good luck.

 

[QUOTE=PARTSMAN;1290600]Is it possible to post a pic of the mount your shop is referring to?
The MINI block is cast iron, not aluminum, so I don't know if they are giving you the right information.

Do you recall if it was one of these...?

Thanks for your reply. The shop didn't say it was aluminum, that was just my bad guess. I am really not sure which of the mounts it was but I will find out. I took some photos but need to get them off my camara onto the PC and I have to find the cable to do that. I'll post them when I do. Is the IPC (Illustrated Parts Catalog) you referenced available online? I was unable to completely follow the link (not authorized). Thanks for helping on this.

 

Sorry to hear about this. Something almost identical happened to me about 3 weeks after I got my car, but I was able to just barely stop in time. Driving is a hazardous affair.

 

The parts catalog is http://realoem.com you can put in the last 7 digits of your VIN and look up the parts.

Anyway, if you look at the first illustration I posted, #1 bolts to the top of the block in front and behind the cylinder head. That piece is aluminum, I would think that would break before the mating surface on the block would. Although, stranger things have happened...

 

Sorry to hear about this. I am glad you are OK!

 

The adjuster should be going by today, I'll report the results later. Thanks for the words of support.

 

That sucks. The same thing happened to me in my old Passat. I was going about twice your speed when I hit, but all I needed internally was a new radiator. Ironically, I think if the truck I hit hadn't had a trailer hitch, the damage would have been a lot worse, but who knows? I've always wondered what a trailer hitch might do to the Cooper, now I know. Hopefully you will find a reasonable solution to things, and quickly.