A friend of mine is selling is 2003 mini cooper s and i am looking to buy it.

86k miles
aftermarket tires/wheels
brakes changed about 15-20k miles ago (new brakes and rotors)
vinyl seats

There are no major problems, but he had to change the alternator once in the past.

He was rear ended in 2005, but no damage to the frame and he fixed it.

Once he accidentally went offroad and bent his supension/control arm. After that he got it all repaired and got it re alligned.

He also added a few modifications which include..
Intake
Boost pulley
Rear sway bar
Short shifter
Aftermarket tires/wheels

He is looking to sell it for around 11-12k, but i am willing to pay 10k for it.

What is a reasonable price and what can i expect in terms of reliability etc, on a car with suck high miles on it?


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More questions.

Any rust?

Look under the lower inner door frame rubber gaskets, just pull them up and look under- expect some rust both sides. Most owners don't know about that.

Check the windshield for cracks.

Check the front strut towers for "mushrooming" an uneven surface to the top of the strut tower where the top of the shock bolts in.

Ask about what oil is used and how often it was changed. Stock oil is Castrol Syntec changed every 12,000 to 15,000 miles. Most of us use better full synthetic oil and change every 5000 to 8000 miles.

When was the air intake filter last cleaned or changed? If unknown then that needs cleaning.

What size reduction pulley is installed? 15% to 19%? If he doesn't know that would be bad. 19% pulley requires smaller drive belt and should be changed about once a year. 15% pulley uses stock belt and is changed every 3 years.

When was the last time the brake fluid was flushed and filled? Hopefully when the brake pads and rotors were changed but maybe not. Fresh fluid would be good every 3 years.

When was the radiator fluid flushed and filled? Transmission fluid replaced?
When was interior cabin filter changed?

Any problems with the Xenon lights or with the power windows? Electrical items can go bad.

Any track use? Any drag racing? Any autocrossing? Any high performance driving school?

What tires are on the car? How much tread left? Any flaws in the wheels/the finish?

You didn't mention if he is the original owner or second owner. Any use in snow? Any long cross country trips? What percentage urban vs long commuting miles?

Any other drivers? Like someone that doesn't drive manual transmission well and could wear out the clutch?

Always check carfax for any information that the car was in a flood or other mishap.

Put a little water on the front and rear windows and use the wipers to wipe it clean. If it streaks the rubber blades need to be replaced. Try the controls for the front and rear fluid sprays- the rear spray gets clogged.

Check the front and rear shocks- they might be worn out or leaking. Depends on loads carried and how the car was driven.

It's likely the battery is not original. What battery does it have now and how old is it. 2 years old might be weak.

$10,000 is possible or as close to that as you can get.
86,000 miles is not really that high. That's about 14,000 a year.

Reliability will vary. My 2003 MCS has 46,000 miles and is doing quite well.

 

Any other questions i can ask

And who can i take it to that can do a full, very detailed, very intensive inspection of all these things and more??

 

For any used car you can take it to an independent garage that knows MINIs.

Does the previous owner have all of the documents on maintenance?
If so, the documents will show what was done and at what mileage.

Car around to shops that handle european cars in your area. Sometimes BMW shops will handle MINIs. Just ask if they do routine work and if they do upgrades like supercharger reduction pulley installs (about $300 in labor).

Does the car has an aftermarket exhaust? Seems funny for it now to have that since pulley and intake were upgraded. What about ride height? Is it stock? Seems funny to upgrade power and not lower the suspension.

Usually you just tell the mechanic that you want to check the car overall for problems/ damage/ repairs/ rust/ oil or fluid leaks because you want to buy it used. Get any problems written down and you can use that to lower the selling price.

 

i will for sure be talking to him about all of these issues and will post back with any updates for help.. etc

 

Simple checks of fluid quality/appearance and engine bay tidiness can tell a lot. You can also tell the difference between a quickie clean job and an engine bay that's routinely visited. Good luck! Sounds like a decent car, based on the mods - just make sure the owner took good, quality care of it.

 

Its a sweet price, just take it to a local mini-mechanic and have them do a pre-purchase inspection, its the best $50 you can spend.

Other than that, enjoy

 

wtf that is so cheap for an S!!! is it because it has 80+ miles? mine was 23k. i dont get why its so cheap. and why he would sell it for 10. jesus. lucky.!!

 

I agree, for that price, I'l go for it, but only after a pre-purchase inspection at you local MINI dealer just to see where I'm standing.

 

So, didja buy it? Huh? Didja? Huh?

 

Did you buy it???

 

Yeah, what they said...dija buy it!?

 

... and if you DIDN'T buy it, let us know that too!

 

Id love to know as well!

 

I need to give him a couple weeks to fix another car for him to drive when the mini is gone.

After then i will take it to a BMW/MINI dealership to get it inspected

If all is well, i will purchase it.

 

Being a friend and all I think I would take it at what he wants out of it. All deals are better when fair for both parties and both are happy. Even @ $12,000 you are getting a good deal.