Hello, i'm pretty new to the forum, to Mini's and to BMW in general.

I found an 04 Mini S w/ 35k miles in Clifton, NJ. Seems like the owner didn't really care about the car much, or just has no clue on how to drive. Car has scratches all over the body, windshield is cracked, door lock doesn't work and the amp is blown. Well, he's 22 and he calls me dude via email, so im not too surprised. Not too sure if i want to buy a car from someone who's 22 and has scratches all over the car.
We agreed on $9000 to offset the $1500 or so for painting it and the windshield issue. Seems to be a decent price, or?

Are there any common issues or things to look out for when inspecting/buying a Mini Cooper S in the 2004 Model year?

I scheduled a Pre Purchase Inspection (PPI) for tomorrow, Mon Dec 7. Anything in particular they should look at? Again im in Chicago, IL - about 800 miles away, so cant really inspect it myself before we meet.

If any of you guys are from the area and could take a look at the car i'd highly appreciate that and awarded with a small BMW gift to compensate your time.

Thanks In Advance for your attention

 

I own a 2004 MCS. I would avoid the car you're considering. If the present owner ignored some obvious issues it is not difficult to imagine that some potentially expensive ones will emerge in the near term, related to abuse of the clutch, overheating, etc.

 

Thats exactly what im afraid of. Clutch is a pretty big one.

How much does it cost to replace a clutch on a Mini S, btw? Im sure it varies, but on the TT i just sold - it was $1700-2300 with tax, flywheel included.

Thanks

 

Pre-purchase doesn't mean you are oblige to buy it.
You have to spend money to pay the inspection - if the mechanic is pretty good and tells you some positive thing about the car -- then consider it.

Who else better there than the mechanic's advice? You?

Go check it out.

 

I'd suspicious with that one.
Have a MINI dealer take a look at it if you are serious.
Check this out:http://www.motoringfile.com/mini-r50r53-buyers-guide/

 

Agreed. I'd have a MINI tech look it over. It may be fine, but the 2002-2004s did have more problems overall than the 2005-2006s, and that combined with some of the red flags you talked about would be enough for me at LEAST to have a good tech check it out. If there's nothing wrong with it, then $9k is probably a good deal...worth the $150 or so to inspect it and find out!

 

Perhaps buy closer to home? Cars.com has a dozen 2004 MCS hits in your area. The Red John Cooper S with 31k miles looks sweet at Elmhurst Ford!

I recommend you stay away from an uncared for Mini. Also - I found it extremely helpful to test drive them myself to be able to see/hear/feel/smell the details.

I took two 2004 MCS out for runs on one Saturday. The two were the same year and same miles. Both were fun to drive. However - One was clean (inside, outside, engine) and sounded good. The other was not clean (inside and engine), had corrosion in the engine bay and made lots of noises on the test drive.

If $$ is the driving force, saving money on the purchase may bite your butt in near-term repairs.

I wish you well in the hunt.

 

I'd def have someone familiar with MINI's check it out. If it is rough like you say he's probaly abused it and lacked on the maint. Be cautious. For 11k I'd think you could find a nice car you could personally check out.

 

I would avoid it like the plague. The market for used MINIs seem to have dropped a bit. If your going to be going to be paying $9K for the car, $1.5K for paint, that's still $10.5K. For a couple thousand more, you can get your self a car that you know has been treated well. It's just too risky... plus, a real paint job costs much more then $1.5K and will never be as good as OEM for that price. Take your time in the MINI market, and find that special one that you won't regret.

 

Look elsewhere. Try our marketplace.

 

I wouldn't get that one, especially since its 800+ miles away. I looked at cars 2-3 hours away, and it was such a hassle. I bought locally which allowed me to take my time and not act on impulse. I had time to look at the car 2-3 times, sleep on it a few times, get it checked by a locally trusted mechanic, then proceed with the purchase. The cost of traveling out there (and the fact that you dont want to waste your travel money) might cloud your judgement and make it an emotional purchase.

Beside that, there are TONS of well priced MINIs in Chicago right now. I just bought on yesterday and it was well below kelly blue book. If you're in the burbs, beware of the 04 Black JCW Cooper S at Nissan of Lisle on Ogden Blvd. Carfax was clean, the car was clean, selling for 6-7k below KBB. Took it to a MINI mechanic and he told me it had been in a major accident and the frame may be bent. Those dirt bags at Nissan put the car back on the lot after I walked, and Im sure they knew about the accident, but aren't informing customers. That place is shady!

Check out Cars.com and Autotrader.com for great deals, but if I were you, I'd stick to private party sales.

Here's the one I picked up for $12.5k. He also threw in a 50k service, new tires, and new battery. Car had only been serviced at MINI, and had all records. This is the kind of seller you want, not some 22 yr old. Be patient!

http://tinyurl.com/ygvdtnh

 

i have a 2004 MINI S. Only things I had to get fixed. Boot latch froze in winter (motorwerks replaced it) door handles froze in winter (wotorwerks replaced it with 2005 handles) rattles in dash (they got rid of them) thats it!

 

Thanks a lot for the replies folks. Seems like a great and responsive community here. Buyer never replied to numerous emails and calls.

We were supposed to meet half way, so 400 miles each, and he was very worried that i'd say "NO" after he drives 400 miles. Here are 2 of my last email's i wrote him:


1. "well if the car is exactly the way you described it - there is nothing to worry about!

But if you're hiding something, hoping "i won't notice" - then i'd be worried too!

Basically, if its a lemon - you're right, its not worth it to waste both of our time, but if the car is perfectly fine, and the way you describe it - then don't worry.

Last, but not least, IF THERE IS ANYTHING ELSE I SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THE CAR - NOW IS THE TIME TO TELL ME."


2. "and one more thing. If there is something wrong with the car - more likely than not - I WILL KNOW.

Its up to you to disclose everything thats wrong with the car to have a successful transaction."

...after that, i never heard back from him again.



Thanks again for your replies and hope to find MY Mini S-oon!


P.S. In case one of you decides to sell your MCS or you know someone else that does - shoot me an email: ALMSdriver@gmail.com

 

...and HAPPY HOLLIDAYS to all !

 

@almsdrive:

Check out this MINI in the Chicago area. I wanted this one pretty bad, but I found a killer deal on another one. The chrono package looks really sweet!

http://tinyurl.com/ybc3okr

 

I'm just wondering but is the car silver with a black roof? I live in NJ and bought some wheels of a kid that was about 22 and had a MINI that sounds like the one you described, and if its the same one I'd say definately stay away from it.

 

I bought this MINI http://yfrog.com/e9img0201nj for daily beater. I'm hesitating to register it. I really like a Japanese car for daily driving instead of European cars. I don't know why I bought it - maybe it looks pretty.

2005 JCW series, loaded, immaculate, one owner with 56,000 miles, clean title and no
accident except the lady who owned it flowed the snow last winter, ripped the bottom
front aero plastic cover (fixed by the way). Clean CARFAX report.

The mini still not registered and sitting in my dry barn.
Make me an offer --- maybe I will bite.

 

A big DITTO to the comments here. I have owned over 35 cars, most of them used and would never consider a "Fixer-upper" because if you look long enough, you can always find a sweet deal.

Anything in the BMW, Mercedes, Audi, etc stables may be reliable but are also relatively expensive to fix due to hourly shop costs and parts. Try to minimize these by getting the best car you can from the get-go.

Try for a one-owner car also and get a Carfax or the equivalent.

Also in an '05 or earlier MINI, check out the power steering pump and mushrooming issues (do a search, lots of threads).

Best to you in your search

 

Here's a list of used Mini purchase questions that may help. Good luck.