Just saw an R53 JCW for sale, listed as a 2005, but has a pre-facelift reverse light and 5-piece dash inserts (not the 3-pc, as in '05 & '06). Is the seller correct? Did Mini use some '04 MY for JCW and market them as '05? Never heard of such a thing.

Update: emailed the seller and mentioned this discrepancy. He replied that the title says it's an '05. CL link below:


https://bakersfield.craigslist.org/c...603333870.html

 

Get the VIN number and look it up in a VIN decoder. I say that it's not an '05.

 

I told him the same (check the VIN plate against the title), but I didn't want to tell him his business; just to check it so he doesn't have any problems with a potential buyer. It's not for me - I'm not in the market for a JCW R53, I just saw in on CL and a red flag went up, and I wanted to make sure of what I think I know.

 

Same dash that's in my (verified) 05, S, JCW.

Mike

 

Same (single) reverse lamp too?

 

That's interesting. What was the build date (on the VIN plaque at the door)?

The JCW kit would have been dealer installed and isn't relevant to the year — factory JCW wasn't offered until 2006.

 

I agree ...

With 5-piece dash and 2-spoke steering wheel with thumb grips I'm guessing it's a 2003

 

WMWRE33424TD82724

2004 MINI Cooper S, Carfax has accidents reported in 2016.

 

Filmy -

Nope. My reverse lights are in the tail lights.

Mike

 

Is this the car in the CL ad? Did you get this VIN from the seller? Because he didn't show one in the listing. Also, looks like he deleted the JCW claims from his listing description. Still has a problem with the model year, though.

 

So odd - FL taillights, but pre-FL dash. Guess they had some leftover JCW dash parts from previous models. I didn't even think the 5-pc would mount in a '05-'06.

 

Cannibal Mini. Not for me.

 

Something isn't adding up. I think OCR didn't look closely enough at the CL photos. At casual glance, pre and post facelift dash look very similar.

'05 received new airbags to meet new federal safety regulations, and the dashboard was changed because they deploy differently from the pre-facelift airbags (the dash top pops up and the airbag comes out through gap, instead of the dash trim panel popping open. A pre-facelift dash means it has pre-facelift airbags, and wouldn't have met the 2005 federal regulations.

 

Looks to me it is a 04 S to start with. Interior trims and steering wheel are all R53.1 as well as all rear lightings. It has R53.2 engine mount. Someone said it has a salvaged title so the front end must have been damaged so bad that the a R53.2 front end was grafted onto it, together with VIN markings and all.

 

 

That car does not look like an 05. Based on what you guys stated that the JCW was a dealer add on, why does it have a pre-05/06 steering wheel and the center backup light?
Was the early 05's shipped with the 04 steering wheel and center backup light?

 

Great detective work, Alpha!

 

For the 2004 model year there were 3 types of steering wheels:

1. 2-spoke (Standard on Cooper)
2. 2-spoke Sport (Standard on Cooper S)
3. 3-spoke Sport (Option 12/2003 onward)

 

So I contacted the seller (again), this time:

"So what you really have is an '04 Mini Cooper S, with a salvage title, some JCW parts and over 150,000 miles on it. It's actually worth around $2,000.00."

He responded with:
"Yes it is a 04, but not a salvage title"

So he's now copping to the year and that it's not a factory JCW (as he had originally claimed). When I first contacted him about the discrepancy in the non-facelift parts, he wrote back saying the "title says 2005." But he denies the salvage, and hasn't changed the ad to read 2004.

I also said:
"VIN check for license plate 7GAS722:WMWRE33424TD82724, shows salvage title, accident(s) in 2016."

Let's see what he has to say about that.

 

I would not be so hung up on if it is a factory JCW. What are more important if represented as JCW, does it have the JCW supercharger, lightly ported head, slightly smaller pulley, and JCW tune.

Or does it merely has a JCW intercooler cover that he bought for $40 here in the classified?

 

I completely agree. And I'm probably not interested in it, primarily because the seller seems to be a scammer. At the very least, he doesn't know what he has. Too bad the serial number on the JCW intake is blurred (on purpose?) Car looks nice, though. Be a shame if it's not legitimate.

For you JCW experts, if the JCW parts were added on at the dealership (because of the YM, the car wouldn't be a "factory" JCW), is there any way to tell, just from looking at it, if the whole JCW enchilada is there? Does the S/C look any different from the outside? Is the smaller pulley obvious or marked? I suppose there would be dealership documentation to show the work was done, but would there be any notes attached to a title search?

 

Think Alpha nailed it. Running it thru VIN decoder all the options seem to match up. Also, that exhaust doesnt appear to be the JCW exhaust? Tips are wrong ?



Vehicle information
VIN WMWRE33424TD82724

Type Code RE33

E Series R53 ()

Series M

Type COUPE

Model COOPER S (USA)

Steering LL

Doors 3

Engine W11

Displacement 1.60

Power 125

Drive FRONT

Transmission MECH

Colour INDI BLUE METALLIC (862)

Upholstery LEDER GRAVITY/PANTHER SCHWARZ (T6PN)

Prod. Date 2004-01-23

Available upgrades
Rear view camera Check compatibility

Spare/replacement key fob Check compatibility

Smartphone mirroring Check compatibility

Additional iDrive features Check compatibility



Vehicle options
S1CAA Selection of COP relevant vehicles

S210A Dynamic stability control

S228A Sports suspension settings Plus

S249A Multifunction f steering wheel

S253A Leather steering wheel Cooper S

S262A ITS - Head airbag

S327A Hood stripe, white

S369A MINI LA wheel, S-spoke 85

S382A Roof and mirror caps, white

S429A Interior surface, anthracite

S432A Rain sensor/int. mirror auto dim action

S441A Smoker package

S450A Height adjustment, passenger seat

S470A Isofix-System

S481A Sports seat

S493A Storage compartment package

S502A Headlight cleaning system

S508A Park Distance Control (PDC)

S520A Fog lights

S522A Xenon Light

S534A Automatic air conditioning

S546A Revolution counter

S550A On-board computer

S564A Interior light package

S609A Navigation system Professional

S645A BMW US Radio

S650A CD player

S657A Radio, BMW Business/MINI Boost

S674A Hi-Fi System Harman Kardon

S692A Preparation, BMW 6-CD changer I-bus

S736A 2nd radio remote control key

S823A Hot-climate version

S845A Acoustic belt warning

S853A Language version English

S876A Radio frequency 315 MHz

S895A Additional fan

S8SPA Control unit CO2

S925A Dummy-SALAPA

S992A Control of number-plate attachment

 

Didn't you state earlier that it was a salvaged title? I have no way to check (other than a general Google search), but I've been going on that assumption. Maybe I'm losing my mind...

 

Dealer installed kits came with a Certificate of Authenticity:



There were two versions of the JCW Tuning Kit (200bhp and 210bhp). The latter included the JCW airbox and larger (380cc) fuel injectors which were available as an upgrade kit for the 200bhp kit.




For more info ...

1st Gen MCS JCW Tuning Kits and Factory Models - The MINI Wiki

 

It's moot now - the guy pulled the ad. No idea if he sold it or will try again with correct info.