Hi everyone! I'm getting rid of my '11 Mustang GT, and looking for a fun dd. I considered the R56, but I don't like the oil caking, tensioner, etc, issues that come with it. The only thing I really like about it is it's turbo, and I've been building and tuning turbo mitsu's since '98. I love the exterior and (especially) the interior of the R53, but am not so sure of the supercharger. It seems like they're only good for 100k or so from the reading I've done so far. Is this a fair estimation?

Assuming I get a R53, I'll probably be finding a mileage range from 70-100k. I'd rather put the $2k of supercharger into suspension unless it's absolutely necessary. I've also read that the M45 has been discontinued. Is this the case? If so, how am I going to get a replacement supercharger if mine craps out and can't be rebuilt?

I've learned a lot the last few days I've been here, and I hope to learn a lot more!

 

Why are you getting rid of the stang? I've got an 11 GT vert as well as my summer/weekend car..I would never get rid of it lol

I just picked up an R53 as my DD and I love it so far, it's tons of fun....but with it being such a stiff car, the suspension already needs work after a couple hard runs with it lol

As for supercharger, I feel as though that's a touchy subject with too many factors regarding previous owners and maintenance to have a solid answer of km's it will last.

 

If you find a car with good service records buy it. The oil has to be checked/topped off every 30k or so in the resovoires on the SC. If they aren't you can have problems with the PTO bearing going(usually the first thing to go). I replaced the charger on mine @ 80k due to no main being done before I bought the car. Then my negligence for not checking the oil levels.

 

I just bought an 06 Dinan R53 a few weeks ago and drove it 1,500 miles home and have learned a lot. Am also the original owner of a modified 92 Galant VR-4 so am also coming from the Mitsu turbo world. I went with the R53 due reliability and it being easy to work on (no issues at all on the trip home).

The supercharger issue does not appear bad as long as you check the supercharger oil (though checking it is not easy). More common problems appear to be coolant tank and power steering leaks. Seems like the Sprintex supercharger is the way to go if you ever really decide to replace it. The R53 being such a light car compared the the Mitsu 1G AWD turbos you may not feel the need to go that far.

 

The SC are still available from BMW...new (euro stock) and rebuilt, sitting on the shelf...
enough cars have been junked, and the SC can be rebuilt, so I doubt getting a good one will be an issue...heck I have a spare sitting on the shelf off of wrecked car with less than 10K....Steigimer (does lots of mustang work) does Mini rebuilds that are actually better than the OEM, for less $$...so don't stress it.
Sc life is all over the board....some die in a few years (bad seals) or go 160k A-OK.....so they seem to be good till they fail....design life is said to be about 100k..that is why they do not have a planned lube...too much $$ to justify it vs what MIGHT be gained....
Many MINI's are weekend cars, not daily drivers, so while many are over 100k, quite a few still pop up with less than 50k.....

 

True indeed. My 02 R53 hasn't hit 40k yet.

 

My 02 R53 has 135k with a 17% pulley installed about 10k ago... I always, always let it warm up before I even go past 1/8th throttle, and never hit boost within the first 10 minutes of driving. Not sure if it makes too much of a difference, but mine is still good FWIW. And you can buy a rebuilt and ported SC from WMW for $1,000.

http://www.waymotorworks.com/r53-por...ercharger.html

No repair to a MINI is too expensive as long as you're not scared of doing your own work. Biggest thing that's happened to me was I had a hydraulic lifter go out at 121k. That was $600 in parts, because I went in and replaced all of them and the lifter is part of the rocker arm.

 

I wouldnt really worry about the sc all that much since rebuilt ones are fairly cheap. Babying until full temp is a must as with any boosted car. I also never hit boost until the car has been fully warmed up for quite a while (due to no oil temp gauge). Before water temp is up I try not to go any higher than 10 mmhg vac on my boost gauge.

 

I got rid of an '08 evo for the mustang on a whim, since it was supposed to be the best thing since sliced bread. I'm bored with it already, and am looking for another dd I can have fun with. I bought the mustang 8 months old, and can sell it right now for as much as I bought it for. (got a killer deal)

Another reason is the fiancee made me sit down, grab records/ receipts, and compose a list of how much I've spent on cars and modding over the past 13 years. It actually made me a little sick to my stomach when I saw the end number. She said it was a good idea if I toned it down a little, so that's what I'm doing. With the R53, I think I've found something I will like dd'ing, autocrossing, and modding, without spending another $40k+.

I'm not trying to start any supercharger debates here, I'm simply ignorant of the options if the one I get takes a crap. Thanks for the link Michael Lewis! That's a cheap enough price that I might do that as a part of my initial round of preventative maintenance when I get the R53.