Hello, I am looking for some advice on a purchase I am thinking about making. I have come across a 2004 mini cooper s with 91,000km (not miles) on it for a reasonable price. The car seems to be up to snuff with maintenance. The only knock with this mini is that it was in a minor collision. The collision was about 15km/hr on the front end and the bumper and hood and a side panel had to be replaced by an independent body shop. There was no damage to the frame or the engine, just a minor coolant leak. The parts totalled around $2100 for everything and shop supplies, and then another 2gs for labour. everything else seems to be good on the car and it doesn't look like it was in an accident. Just wondering if i should stay away or go for it. I still have to get it inspected. The power steering pump was warrantied.

PS. How is the reliability on these?

 

I bought a wrecked 03 mini cooper s 3yrs ago. Had an independent shop fix the front bumper, hood and rear bumper. I've had no problems with it for 3yrs.

I would get the car inspected by a 3rd party before you buy.

 

There's a couple of recent threads about what to fix/replace when getting the car. It's as reliable as any other 11 year old euro car, but remember unless you do the work yourself, the labour will cost quite a bit quickly. The BMW tax on parts sucks as well.

Expect $2-4K in repairs/replacements in your first year to sort it out.
Check the oil weekly until you learn its consumption rate. They can burn a lot without you knowing.
Find the other threads to get more in depth.

If you are in Ontario, check out SOMC.on.ca

Happy Motoring!

 

what can i expect to replace? the car has 57,000 miles on the clock for an 04 that gets used as a work car. Ive read horror stories of owning one of these. I like the car. Here are some pictures.

Thanks for the advice thus far!

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Looks like a nice clean MINI that was well cared for. Hard to tell from the picture, but the coolant tank looks to have mineral deposits at the seam. Either way, that design tank can split over time and cause coolant loss and overheating.

 

Is there any after market tanks I could get here in Canada? And what are recommendations on how to/ where to get external fog lights for the car?

 

The car looks clean.... You dont say if the car is auto or manual. The autos are thought to have reliability issues, and are prohibitivly expensive to fix, and you should skip it. I would just say that if the car has been maintained, and you continue to take care of it, you should be happy with it, and be rewarded with the fun of a real drivers car. If you are just going to throw gas in it, and hardly ever change the oil, you probably shouldnt get it.

The basics: check the lower control arm bushings; little tears in the rubber are normal wear, separated, collapsed, floppy means they are bad and have to be replaced right now. Should be no oil leaks on the underside of the motor, trans, steering rack; if its leakin, somethin needs fixin. There should be no grindy, rattling, ticking noises coming from the engine compartment when the motor is running.

If the coolant tank is leaking, get a stock one from ECS or Pelican or Way. If its not leakin, then its fine. Looks like Way sells a cool aftermarket one...

There are tons of great how-to threads and discussions on this web site. Including fog light stuff. Research, dig around a bit. Have fun. Good luck!

 

YEs, it looks clean and taken car of for a 2004. The coolant expansion tank does look like it has a seem leak, but cant really tell. But if you keep up on the maintenance and change the oil. You should have years of enjoyment. Also when you drive it , puts a smile on your face.

If you need anything we have it all here: We ship worldwide.

http://www.ecstuning.com/Mini-2004-Cooper-R53-S-Coupe-L4_1.6L_W11B16A/

Like rouge said , we have it here. And here is that coolant tank. 17137529273 KT

Then just top it off and bleed the system with 50/50 distilled water and the Blue color MINI coolant.

http://www.ecstuning.com/Mini-2004-Cooper-R53-S-Coupe-L4_1.6L_W11B16A/Engine/Cooling/Expansion_Tank/




Good luck and would love to see more pics.

 

+1 Some good advise.

Due to an apparent manufacturing defect, the coolant expansion tank on the MINI Cooper tends to leak along the molding seam. It's a very easy fix if you DIY and we have a great guide here to help with the replacement.

Doing your own work on the MINI will save you a lot of money. We have some great tech articles here that can help you with any repairs this MINI may have, if you decide to purchase it. If you have any questions or need any help be sure to ask! Good luck!

-Luccia

 

not every car is a nightmare or a constant battle, some cars are friday cars but most are not. I would say your car is a good purchase but have someone onspect it that hasnt got a dog in the fight. good luck!