Manual Trans car. So what are yalls thoughts on a Justa with that kind of miles? It looks like a clean car in the pics, but are there any spooky things I should be looking for and thinking about? I will probably go look at the car on Sat. Im looking for one to get back and forth to work and park in the dirt. Don't want to screw up my new one. I want it to become an almost cherry 20 year old low mileage car, so Im looking for a cheap daily driver Mini.
Lemme know your thoughts.

 

I sold mine at 165,000 miles ( I bought it new and was a cabrio and run it on Auto-x, BMW Center events, Phil Wicks etc. ) and it ran great up till then and the only thing ever replaced outside of the usual tires, oil, brakes, were the axles, trans fluid once, radiator flush twice, thermostat gasket 3 times.. Was still getting within 2-3 mpg of as good as it ever got, while never having a tune up. Was still running original plugs, wires, belt, etc.. and only changed the oil when the computer told me to. Did have a small oil leak at the end.

 

The Justa's are pretty stout. Just be sure to cover the bases and make sure to get service records of the car. Might not be bad to get a PPI done at a MINI specialty shop just so you know what you may or may not need to replace. Look out for rust, mushrooming strut towers, check when the cooling system was last serviced, etc. Let us know how it is when you check it out and good luck.

 

+1 on the PPI.

 

Im proud of the reliability of my 02 justa. Besides the water leaks and rattles, but I believe the rattles aren't as bad in the later models.

 

What is a PPI

 

PPI = Pre purchase inspection. A MINI technician from an independent MINI shop will know what to look out for when going over the vehicle. This should give you ease of mind when purchasing a used vehicle. You can call a local MINI shop and they should give you a price for a small fee for looking over a vehicle.

 

Not all PPI's are created equally. Check reviews and references.

 

PPI is a very good idea. There are some things you can look for yourself on the initial look as well.

 

Agreed, this video is a very good starting point if you've never owned a MINI and are looking for a good used one. Since I was going through an independent dealer I checked the CarFax on the R53 I bought, plus Yelp, Google and Better Business Bureau reviews on the dealer.

 

+1 about CarFax too .. and the video posted above.

 

Mod mini always comes through!

Haven't watched his Mini buying guide before now , and it's perfect.