When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
I just bought my mini with some oil leaks and clutch slippage with 220k on it and from what I can tell its in decent shape. I have fallen in love with minis after driving it.
I just bought my mini with some oil leaks and clutch slippage with 220k on it and from what I can tell its in decent shape. I have fallen in love with minis after driving it.
Congrats on your first MINI!
A little over 186k on ours and of course still a joy to drive.
I bought my 2005 r53 back in July of 2011 and still enjoying the little guy! I’ve been through some trialing times with the car but nothing that has made me want to get rid of it. The past few weekends I have installed a new Megan Racing manifold and o2 sensors. Also replaced the MAF, cam, and crank sensors and installed a new engine wiring harness. Looking at adding the MSD ignition, Milltek resonated catback, and the m7 speed 180 thermostat. Hopefully it all keeps the ole boy going and I get more years of enjoyment out of it!
If you do your own wrenching a few oil leaks should not be a big deal as long as your oil and coolant reservoirs are clean. The clutch is a bit of a bear to replace just because of the amount of work it takes to replace it but I did it on the gravel road in front of the house, so it is doable. Things to look out for: watch you LCA bushings and other suspension parts. I bought mine with about 77.000 miles on it and love it still. I have put a lot of work and perks into her, but like I said, I you don't mind wrenching, they are not hard to work on, just time consuming. With that in mind, I always try to think of ALL of the stuff I can take care of when I have to do work on her. Best success and happy motoring!!!!!
I'm going on my 11th year of owning my '05 S and it's not going anywhere. I don't have that much remaining to do until it's at the point where I want the car to be, which is more power, lowered a bit and most likely a paint refresh.
Lower Control Arm bushings. The originals are toast after not too many miles. Change to Powerflex polyurethane bushings. Google this and you will find many, many articles/videos on the subject.
225000 on my '06 and no intentions of ever being without it.
I to plan on holding on to my 2002 Cooper S forever its my first car and if you look at any of my threads I started knowing nothing about it and have done quite a lot to the car and plan on doing more in the spring of 2018. I bought it real cheap it does have quite a few miles now (145000) which stinks but what you gonna do... I was planning on fixing the rust under that tail lights and getting a full repaint but dont have the money as I am only 19 right now but one day in the future I hope to get it done right and have a "BMW classic Mini" Its got its querks and is not the most reliable thing but its now become fun to work on "sometimes" and cant wait til I finish college, get a good job, and make my mini great again.
Not to mention I believe I have one of the first in America as its a March 2002 but dont ruin my dreams if its not special Id like to keep thinking it is
2002 June here in Australia and got a 2002 October...keeping both...good luck with your R53 2002 March nice find
Original owner of 100% stock R50.
Currently with 163.4K miles as everyday driver over 16 Minnesota winters!
Separate set of "holies" with Blizzack WS-60s
Cheers
Thank, Eddie07S! Very much appreciated.
Pretty OCD when it comes to detailing her.
(Have to use touchless car wash in winter to keep the rocker panels blasted from salt.)
Otherwise wax is completely stripped each Spring and given clay bar then Porter Cable Random Orbital Polisher treatment before applying 2-3 fresh coats.
(Interior is in mint condition as well with winter package heated leather seats and Harman Kardon sound system.)
Cheers!
Last edited by jimmy_racoon; Feb 9, 2020 at 07:03 AM.
Reason: spellcheck
just a mini in it's natural state lol. Bought mine 2 years ago and have just started to delve into working on it. A few trips to a shop so far that were far too expensive, now i've decided to stick with it and start working on it myself. All thanks to Mod Mini on youtube. That dude does some amazing first person vids for R53s. Replacing my exhaust this weekend!
Well, my 03 R53 is still rolling after 257000+ miles. Bought it in 05 and I have had a blast with this car. My family outgrew it and my wife and daughters want me to get rid of it. As Heston said, "you're going to have to pry it from my cold, dead hands"
Nice to see you've still got your R53! Your car was always so nice back when I first got into Mini's in early 2000's! Is it just hibernating for the winter? Or for longer project?
Given the current economic climate, I have pretty much decided to literally keep my rock solid '05 MCS running until "The wheels fall off". I simply love this car and given the precarious state of our national economy, I think more people will hold on to their rides for a longer period of time.
My R53 is fully paid off. With only 48K miles on the clock, this car has plenty of service life ahead of it.
Anyone else holding onto their 1st gen MINI for years and decades to come?
Ditto.
Had my 04 R53 since new = 3mi on the OD.
Now @87,500K - Oil change every 5k, tans fluid change every 15-20k, SC fluid (just changed), planning on every 10-15K.....
18yrs accident free.
I plan on being buried in it
I plan on keeping both my R50 and R52 forever.
I have owned numerous different automobiles over my lifetime and nothing is as much to drive as they are.
Had some trouble with NC's emission testing...something is not allowing the cycle to complete so I neither fail or pass...so we go out rarely to keep things moving...
[QUOTE=CRC; 225000 on my '06 and no intentions of ever being without it.[/QUOTE]
Posted this a little over 2 years and 40000 miles ago. Now, I'm not so sure. The last 2 years have been rough on the old girl. Not long after that post, I hit a deer on the way to work one night. I have most of the things that I need to fix it, but don't see the point while I'm still driving 56 miles each way to work. Front genuine replacement bumper cover needs painted, headliner starting to sag, rust starting under the tail lights (NW Ohio puts more salt down in winter than there is in the Dead Sea!), suspension starting to creak and groan worse than my joints do! The list goes on. Not sure if I want to put the time, effort, and money into a 16 year old car, with 265000 miles on it.
Sold my 03 JCW in 2005 because I decided I wanted a Porsche 911, so I used the money from the Mini to buy the 911. Years later I regretted that move.
in 2016 we purchased a 05 JCW then some things in life forced us to sell for a more economical car, a BMW i3.
Now that is over, and we are back in a 05 MCS and now that I do not have to fret over messing up a stock JCW. The mod bug has hit and I am loving working on this car and driving it.
We are taking our first road trip with it on Friday, that is what we purchased it for, road trips, I have a doozy coming up one year from now, that is what we purchased the R53 for.
Edit -
This keeping a car forever thing is becoming a problem for me. We now have 3 of them.
2005 MCS
1991 BMW 318i
2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser
I purchased the FJ used in 2010 after selling my new one in 2008 panicking over the economy. Once I got another one, I promised myself to never sell it.
The E30... I had been lusting after this car for a long time, once I had a chance to buy it I was really happy. I cannot see ever selling it either. It is also our road trip car.
