thinking about picking this up in a few weeks if it is still available. the car looks great and the price is just about right. i am just concerned about the mileage. i do not mind spending money on my cars. i am just concerned that a 10k car will turn into 20k real quick.

http://www.stoutsales.com/inventory/...Cooper%20Works

should i hold out for an 05/06 with lower miles?

ps
i am in texas. if anyone is near this and can check it out for me i am willing to paypal some $$$ for your time.

 

yes, for a mini with that many miles 10k is way too much. offer them around $7k

but if i bought another MINI i would get a 05-06 cooper or cooper S.

 

+1 Wanting to buy it - good. Paying $10.5 w/126k, not so much.

 

hmmm. maybe i am way off on price then. i was going off of nada which has retail at $11,700 retail and $9,000 trade.

so if i can get it for 8k or 9k its a deal? what about the mileage? should i be concerned?

 

if there's a local MINI dealer i would have them do the "3rd party inspection"
on a 04 with over 100K things to keep in mind/keep an eye on:

supercharger (condition, oil leak?, does it look like it's been removed?, has the oil been changed?)

Transmission (02-04's had crappy transmissions both CVT and manual, with that many miles on it has the trans been replaced before?, does it need a clutch in the near future?)

RUST (it's been in OH for 8 years and has a lot of miles, need i say more? common spots are along the bottom of the door seam, under the door weather stripping (peeling back a little bit of the stripping will give you a pretty good idea))

powersteering pump and reservoir: common issues with early first gens are the power steering fans, the pump and the hoses up to the reservoir.
fan:if the fan fails or has failed, it's possible it could suffer a powersteering fire within it's life. (this car doesn't look like the P.O. drove it very hard but i could be mistaken)
pump:these pumps are electrically driven and sit directly under the reservoir...
reservoir:the hoses that attach directly to the reservoir like to leak over time (something this car has seen a lot of so far) with the picture on their website, it looks like it has a typical leak (mine looks about the same)

the combination of these three will sometimes lead to this...

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...bay-fires.html
all i'm saying is be cautious, it does have quite a bit of miles.
once again i would suggest looking for a 05-06

 

My 04 MCS with 40k miles was 11k... so I would not pay that much for one with 125k (even if its a JCW)

 

That's not a bad price. I've seen Justas of the same year and mileage go for the same price or more in my area. Just make sure you get it properly checked out before sign off on it.

 

JCW means it was DRIVEN HARD for it's performance and with 125K spend money to have it checked by a certified MINI mechanic/dealer like rustyeuro said.

 

on an '06. Solid (not immovable but extra reliable lump) iron engine and Getrag gear box.

 

i appreciate everyone's input. i did not think about the whole rust issue. being from texas we don't really consider that down here. i submitted an offer for 8.5k. we will see how this plays out. there are a few other cars i am looking at; however, this one seems to have got a hold of me. the others have less miles and are located closer to me. i should do the practical thing and get an 05/06 with less miles. i just don't know why i keep going back to this one. you think i would have learned already. i made the same mistake with my ex-wife! everything said no but damn it she was hot and it was a pretty good ride while it lasted.

 

+1 to everything said above. that being said...that mini sure looks good

 

Its not a JCW. It has some JCW items, but not the performance items. So now the price seems high IMO.

 

Yep - noticed the same. It does not have the JCW head or intercooler diverter. I'm willing to bet it also doesn't have the JCW supercharger, exhaust, injectors, or tune. It does have the intake and all the bling, but that shouldn't really up the price on a used car.

 

yeah i noticed that too. it does not have the supercharger upgrade. i see an intake and perhaps exhaust. i don't really care its going to be my daily driver so i am not looking for all out performance. i will upgrade the belt and pulley for sure. but that's more of a maintenance thing since i will also be replacing all fluids, filters and worn suspension parts. if i can get it for 8.5k or even 9k and it checks out i am buying. my truck is killing me at 12 mpg. with the fuel i save this car will pay for itself.

 

Take it to a MINI specialist before buying it.