So if I was to hazard a guess at a budget for the things to keep my R53 indefinitely, I come up with the following:


Cosmetics - paint, windshield, pieces & parts $3500.


Suspension - struts, bushings, what have you - $2500


Engine rebuild, new supercharger, etc. $6000.


New exhaust - $1500.


New upholstery for driver's seat - (only thing that is worn at all inside the car) - $300, maybe.


Quick total $13,800 and hopefully it would look and run like new.


I don't know what my insurance runs on the 2002 but I just got the bill for the next year's license plates - $108...


I'm thinking that's a lot less than the $35k I would be looking at paying for a new F56. And insurance will be much more expensive on a new car...


And. AND I don't have to spend all of that at once...


Anybody else have any idea of the cost comparison of refurbishing versus buying a new ride?

 

This thread should be "who will spend money on their Mini until they die"

 

Edgy..only counter to your argument is financing...most places (paint, engine builders) won't be letting you pay for that over 5 years. A new mini gets you that. I toy with theses thoughts same as you all the time. I am just over 100k miles...thinking that as much as it might suck the car will get traded in a few more years. Hardly any miles being put on the R53 anymore as I take the subaru when I have my son with me. (Safer, more room for his stuff, easier to get him in and out of car seat) so maybe 6k miles a year?

Hope when it's time an enthusiast will come along.

 

He already has. He rides in the back if your Subaru.

 

Haha well played sir - unfortunately he's 6 months old I don't think I can hold on 15.5 years until he is old enough for a new car.

The issue is: 2 car garage and no parking on street overnight.

Not that keen on parking newer car outside and can't do a shuffle everyday. 1st world problems I know.

Also really worried about part availability given lower steering shaft issues recently.

 

Forever and Ever Blackeyedsuzie and I will be together. This is the year I dump the $$$$ into her cosmetically and mechanically. at 128k she is all stock and getting all new as my wallet allows (stock as car as mechanically with the JCW) exterior I have a kit on her custom bumper and the English ground effects. The bumper needs work - cracking from stress and so forth. I am getting her wrapped next month. Save the paint $$ for when I can do the whole car. I don't drive her in the winter once the salt starts getting thrown she goes down for a winter nap.

 

I'll be buried in mine - that'll be an expensive plot.

 

I just refreshed a extremely poorly maintained 2002 Mini. Rebuilt the engine, put in new clutch. Painted it with PlastiDip Sora Blue Pearl. Looks good now. Certainly not like brand new but it cut it's age in half at least. I recommend that you guys with high mileage Minis keep a look out for the radiator fan resistor failing because it will lead you to have to rebuild an engine in no time. If that is in check, the engine will go on its merry way for a long long time.

 

Got any photos? Sounds interesting

 

Look for it in the car for sale section.

 

I've been thinking about this for a long time. I work out of state and very rarely get to drive my R53. There's a battery tender connected and it runs, but it's got 185k miles on it and needs work..water pump/supercharger, headlight igniter, AC, front bushings replaced and the passenger door won't open from the inside or out.
I love that car and promised myself that I'd keep it forever, but at this point, it probably needs $5k to get it back on the road. Kind of funny...$5k is probably pretty close to how much I spent on mods.

 

I love my R53 JCW, but I am trying to sell it right now.

Though I do plan on picking up a R53 GP in a few years (to keep forever). Does that count?

 

I plan ok keeping mine for a long time.
I have been slowly updating/upgrading/replacing everyone that's either broken, about to give up or could us improvement.
List so far:
R56 seat swap
Orceari cowl scoops
Replaced door panels and 5 pc dash
New grilles (all 3)
Alta 15% pulley
M7 strut bar
M7 cai
M7 JCW air diffuser
MSD coil and cables
New spark
Detroit tuned valve
All gaskets
New wheels and tires
Carbon fiber door handles, trunk lid, mirrors
New headlights and tai lights
New door actuators
All weather floor mats
Led interior lights
Ehandle, shift **** and leather boots for both
Radiator, ps pump, fan and hoses
Rmw shorty header
Invidia cat back
All engine mounts
New full paint job
New tints
Few interior accents


To be done the first of next moth
New supercharger
Rmw head
Rmw dominator cam
550 injectors
Lsd
Flywheel and clutch
Tune

Yes, I am keeping mine forever.

 

84,000 miles on mine. I got in an accident in November and had the hood, both fenders, and headlights replaced. I dropped it off at my local MINI dealer to see about a spot of rust on the hatch. MINI approved driver door, both rear quarter panels, and the hatch to be replaced! I love mine and the only thing I have done is the one ball mod. I can't wait for pulley, intake, and exhaust!!!

 

Is there a program that covers rust or did they just do it because it’s the right thing to do? I have found that most dealers don’t like doing the right thing.

///Rich

 

It has a 12 year rust warranty from the factory. I found out this juicy little detail on NAM. I also will have a loaner for the entire four weeks. I was quite surprised to say the least especially since I didn't buy it new and I didn't buy it at that dealer.

 

We decided to sell our 2002 this month because the rust around the taillights was getting really bad from the inside out. No way to fix it the right way without spending big money. So we sold it and should be picking up a 2010 Clubman S on Tuesday.

 

Sounds like ours got a reprieve. The MINI is my partner's DD and he had been talking about getting a more "grown up" car the past several months. We were planning on replacing it in mid 2015.
Contenders were BMW 228i, Audi A5, VW GTI. We wanted to decide soon because if BMW or Audi we would have done Euro delivery in May. We were at dinner last night and talking about going new car shopping this weekend and he said that he really was still happy with the MINI and wanted to keep it. I told him we had been "lucky" and have had to spend practically no money on repairs (only maintenance) but that winds could start changing with the car coming close to 100k and 9 years on the road. Response was "I still like my MINI, it does what I want it to, so I'm keeping it." Coming from someone who could go out and pay cash for virtually any car out there.
Time for new shocks and maybe an audio upgrade with Bluetooth streaming and finding a way to retrofit the heated seats I cheapened out on when I ordered it back in 2005 (it was my DD its first few years...) Forever is a long time but it sounds like it's sticking around a few more years.

 

I've put so much money into repairs for mine, I'm not really left with any other choice but to drive it til I die!! My husband and I were discussing trading it in for a newer model on Monday this week....today is Wednesday and we're now having to replace the transmission. Feeling defeated today.

 

I just made it through the rust repair process. It was both frustrating and satisfying. I originally took it in 14 weeks ago to have the spots under the rear tails and on the hatch looked at for warranty repair. I was told that photos would be submitted to Mini for approval. After 3 weeks of no response I kept calling until I was informed that the approval process had changed and that a Mini USA rep would have to physically inspect the car. I had to wait an additional 4 weeks until the rep made a stop at my local dealer. Once dropping off my car, the process was great. I got a brand new loaner (thanks MINI for providing manuals) for 3.5 weeks. I got my car back with the whole back end looking brand new. It will be hard to give her up for a while now.

 

Got 215k miles on my baby, and yup, planning on keeping it forever

 

Anyone have or have had Koni Sports and/or Bilstein Sports on stock springs
for their "keep it forever" R50/R53?
If so, let me know what you think of them.
I'm trying to decide between the two for my sporty daily driver 2003 R50.

 

I do often lament that I made the choices then that I would make differently now. When I gave up my 05 MCS, we had a baby, some back issues, and the general panic of 'baby stuff' issues, despite having purchased a stroller (City Mini) and carseat (Graco Snugride) that fit the MINI in the first place. It was a panic decision. I was only out of a MINI for a year before I went back, this time for an R55... but had I just held onto that first one... the real rub is that I still see it around SF, driven by the woman who snatched it up from the dealer I traded it to. On the upside, she babies it and it looks amazing. On the downside, it's just a reminder on wheels...

 

My sentiments exactly. I've had my '05 MCS cabrio since 12/23/04 and I've watched dozens of other sell, and buy new again. Approaching 99K miles; 'till the wheels fall off...or the engine dies, whichever comes first.

 

When my Black '05 R53 started getting tired, I retired her and bought another black '05 R53 that is only 80 cars off on the VIN! Alice I has 329,000 miles on her and will now just slalom race at the new track in Bowling Green, KY while Alice II has a mere 70K and has become my daily driver and work car. My daughter just bought a '10 Clubman justa and I'm trying to talk my other daughter into a Countryman.