So I'm at a point with my car where I'm in a tough spot. My r53 has 215k on it and is starting to feel a little tired. So the question becomes: do I try and breathe some life back into the car or do I move on to something new (would inevitably get another r53 with lower mileage). It runs fine but it definitely feels like theres some power gone (although that might be me being tainted by motorcycles ). Anyone have any suggestions of things to do to bring it back along for less than the price of a newer car? Let's call it sub $3k since a newer mini could partially be funded by selling my current car. Thats 3k in parts. I have no issues putting the car in front end service mode and doing everything myself.

Things it definitely needs:
Oil pan (the whole thing. Hit some rogue tupperware in the middle of the night on the freeway, screwed up the threads on the drain plug but didnt leak anything miraculously, shop kinda fixed it but I'd rather fix it the right way)
lower engine mount
supposedly the valve cover needs replaced. Theres oil coming down the front of the motor. Valve cover gasket looks fine to me. I suspect its the cps o-ring
Could probably use new dampers

The clutch is fine. It was replaced like 50k miles ago and is a-ok

What say you?

 

Do a compression test and leakdown if needed.

 

How long you had the car and how many miles have you put on it?

Can look at it as: 215,000 miles at an average speed of 35 mph = 6,143 hours times 60 = 368,580 minutes x an average of 2,500 RPMs = 921,450,000 times that the pistons went up and down. The average numbers can increase or decrease but the numbers are still pretty big. Also, I recognize that the car probably has new wheel bearings but with the average Mini tire being about 2' in diameter, the tire travels about 6.28 feet per revolution, 215,000 x 5,280 = 1,135,200,000 feet or 180,764,331 times that the wheel went around. Can also consider how many times the doors were opened, key turned, ***** pushed, relays connected etc.

I like my car but there will come a time when it will no longer be my baby.

 

I've had it since 2010 and put just shy of 100k on it.

The question really isn't "do I like the car enough to keep it". I have 2 years left of school and I'll most likely buy a f56 once I graduate and get a real job, regardless of what I do right now. Plus, I'm willing to bet good money that most r53's out there that I would buy probably need at least one of the things my current car needs.

 

Your reasoning is logical with any R53 that has over 100k. There are some out there with less miles but you have to be at the right place and the right time to make the deal. I would do as Rupnok says and do a leak down. If the numbers are half way decent, I would role the dice and do nothing, keep the money in your pocket. With those miles you are on the second supercharger as well and their life is about 100k.

 

^Ha

More like my original supercharger is on its second life. I have all the records for the car since it was new...the supercharger has definitely not been changed.

 

I recently bought a used 2005 with 161K miles on the clock. Did the SC service and the gears look pristine and had a normal amount of oil in the ends. So it boils down to luck sometimes. If you really want a another car go for it, I'd just fix what I have for way less money than it would take for a new/used car.

 

So the problem with that is, I suspect, the value of my car to have plateaued. Any money that I put into it right now is never going to be seen again. Whereas finding a sub 100k car for a low amount of money is going to hold its value for a decent amount of time. For example, theres a car I've been eyeing with 60k on it for about 7 grand. Sure dropping 7 grand is a lot more than I would need to spend to mend my car. But, I would probably see pretty much 7 grand for that car if I sold it in 2 or 3 years time.

 

You are thinking about it wrong. Cars like these are not an investment, it is just a method of transportation. Real estate is an investment. These cars will not keep their value, they will always depreciate. Your $7000 car in 2-3 years will be work $4 give or take. I used to think like you when I was in my 20s. Even your money right now will be worth less in the coming years. If you want returns, save your money and invest in something that has a better chance at appreciating. Just my 2 cents.

 

Definitely not trying to view it as an investment. But theres certainly a difference in tying up money vs dropping it into a black hole. Just trying to minimize losses. Obviously, given your flipping of minis, youll have a better view of the market than I do. But, I'm inclined to believe a 2006 with 80000 miles on it is going to be worth more in 2 years than a 2004 with 120000 miles is right now (cars are the same age at sale).

 

I don't flip minis. I"ve got 5 kids, all pretty much coming up or into driving age, so I'm getting fun cars that are safe and that I can do maintenance fairly easily.
We all have different ideas about what constitutes value.

 

My bad, I thought I remembered you getting a bunch of minis, fixing, and selling to keep them on the road. Probably was thinking of someone else

I'll probably end up keeping my car. I've yet to come across a car that peaks my interest sufficiently to get rid of my car.

 

I was in you place exactly 3 years ago. My MCS which I had had since new and had taken me on my commute needed some work. this is at 225K. It needed a suspension refresh, driveshafts, and a clutch. I decided to rebuild it and keep it on the road. One weekend spent under the car that was worth maybe 2K because it needed to drive me to work and $500 in clutch parts. Then high dollar driveshaft's because Chinese ones were junk. a new radiator, and started collecting exterior parts. I spent in total $2,000 on parts on a old warn out car. the car handled like new, drove great, I was ready to paint. Then misfire and 255K miles. The engine needs work. Except by now I had the cash to just buy a new engine. But then It would be $4000 for an engine, another weekend and still have a car that looked like crap. I feel I made the wrong decision to try to rebuild the old mini. Because I wound up buying a low miles mini later on and swapping all of my good parts. However. It was probably fine. because. I did not have the cash to buy my 2005 JCW outright at the time I needed rebuild it bought be 2 years worth of comute. I was saving my money. By bandaiding my car together for the last 2 years provided me to just Buy a great JCW r53 with cash. I figure that car will last me for 6 years at my current rate. My average cost to own a R53 is 2K per year. Once I got past 10 years old and 200K miles I was spending 2K in parts alone. If I paid labor. it would be unaffordable.


I am enjoying my $6500 JCW and finding JCW parts to put on it for cheap. much more than my first that I paid $23000 for.


In the end. I still have my old mini. It needs to be sold. but a part of me is like, if I just put a new head in it I can have a secondary commuter for under 1K. Everything is done on it. It needs a headliner, a head, and a evap leak fixed. so easy. that is one weekends worth of tinkering right there. then my JCW might last me 10 years.

 

That is the member Itsmewayne I believe.

 

If your clutch is new and you like the car still I'd keep it. I rebuilt my engine last year with just over 365,000 on it. I replaced pistons, cam, head etc. but in reality it probably only needed a ring job and a new cat. The symptoms were low compression (clogged oil rings) and low power, going uphill and running warm (clogged cat). The original hone marks were still in the cylinders, and the crank had absolutely no measurable wear. I spent 4K for everything, but probably could have done what was really needed for less than half that. I'd rather spend 4K on a rebuild than 30k + for a new car. I love the r53.

Nik

 

Wow! 215K on an '04? That really shows that you can take care of a car and it will take care of you.

(“Dampers” = struts & shocks?)

The immediate repairs you say your Mini needs are relatively inexpensive and easy. Whether you're selling it soon or not, leaks like these will cost you. So you’re fixing them? Good. Beyond that, you're asking how deep you should go on repairs and refreshing things?

I vote you fix it and - if you plan on driving an R53 for a while into the future - keep it. For two main reasons:

1) an '04 with that kind of mileage - even if it's in good condition - won't bring much money on resale. To a buyer, it's at the end of its life span and would cost a lot to bring it back to life. For example, you may think/know it's worth $4,000 but I (as a buyer) wouldn't touch a 215K R53 for over 2 grand. What I'm saying is don't plan on selling it and getting much toward buying a newer R53.
2) even an ’06 R53 will be 12 years old later this year. Something with low miles and awesome service records won’t come cheap, and it will still only be two years newer than what you have now. You could throw a rod tomorrow in yours, or you could buy an unknown '06 with 80K on the clock and throw a rod within six months. Though your ‘04’s mileage is high, there’s a real value in knowing what you have vs. buying something you don’t know much about.

As for repair costs, one thing I've learned about replacing wear items (suspension rubber and ball joints, especially) is that once you replace one thing, that new part (or parts) now holds firm (like new) and puts more pressure on the older parts that haven't been replaced yet, and those old parts will fail in no time at all. If you can afford $3K in repairs now, I say you should jump in and do them, and keep it for the next couple of years.

 

I ...too...am from the school........you KNOW what you have into the car when repairs are done.

a new used car....its a crapshoot

 

very good posting's here.....

 

+1 for rebuild what you have. You know the issues and they're relatively small. It's a 13 year old car and you have all the records for it since new. I HIGHLY doubt anything else you find will have been taken care of that well and rubber ages whether it's been driven for 200k or 60k. Anything that old will need suspension work at minimum and the average car owner has no friggin clue about something like that. They'll only take it in if it throws a CEL and the average mechanic just throws parts at things until it goes away. Stick with the devil you know.

Also - for $3k you can put a LOT of parts into it. Damn near build a new mini with that.

 

+1 for rebuild as well.

I was recently in a similar situation, but the big difference was that I had always wanted a JCW and so I made the jump up* (at a relatively high cost compared to fixing my original car). So unless there just so many 05-06 features that you want, then I'd put that money toward making your current car the one to keep. Salvage yards are your friend and I'm sure that 3k worth of parts would make that car great (so long as the compression test is good).

Maybe look into a Sprint Booster as I've heard great things for those giving R53s some serious pep.

* If I had the storage space, I would have probably kept my old car to rebuild later since it had lots of sentimental value.

 

I have 225000+ on my 03 R53 right now. Bought it with 22548 miles on the ODO. It has been used as a daily driver for about 3 years straight at one point due to my 95 Ford Exploder blowing an engine and I did not get another vehicle for that amount of time. Replaced the SC and water pump at 121000 miles with a rebuilt one from Way Motor Works. Added a DDM Works CAI.Replaced all bushings with polyurethane the week after I did the SC. Replaced the ideler pulley after mine failed while motoring and had to be towed home. Replaced all four wheel bearings this past spring. Changed out the shocks and rear anti sway then also. Still have the original clutch and have no problems. I have to change out the fuel pump tomorrow because mine finally died last Saturday. I plan to make this my forever car because of the relative simplicity of working on it. I plan to put another 100000 miles on it and either rebuilding or replacing the engine with one from Way. Although I know it does not have the exact zip it had when I first got it, it still has the get up and go when I am on the highway.