I'm going to check out a 2006 mini cooper s with 75k miles next weekend. I hear lots of great things about them but I have a few questions before I go see it.
1. Are there any recalls or known issues with that year?
2. Is there anything I should look for on this mini?
3. what parts are likely to fail now that it's close to 100k miles if they haven't been replaced already?
4. How often do they break down?
5, Can you tow with them? I have a dirtbike and small trailer that weighs less than 500lbs together that I pull with my subaru wrx.
6. How hard are they to work on? Do I need to take it to a mini dealer or will my normal mechanic be able to do the work?
7. Anything else I should know?

 

This thread has allot of good info. It is named Buying a used Gen1 MINI."

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...gen1-mini.html

 

You could write a book on this question... I bought a 2006 that was a 'good deal' - let me tell you, that's probably the last MINI you want, lol. I have spent over double what I bought mine for at this point and I have only put 2,000 miles on it in a year. You want to find a MINI that has a lot of the common failures fixed already (ideally) - I'll sell you mine! It can save you thousands... I'm going to call it bulletproofing. The MINI has some known issues that once you work through them, they can last a long time. But getting them all fixed can cost $4,000 - $10,000 depending on if you wrench yourself. Read the 'what to look for' threads - which informed me, but I still missed ALL of it when I bought mine. Here's a list:

• Harmonic Balancer - You want to get an ATI
• Control Arm Bushings - You want Powerflex
• Front Upper Strut Mounts - Replace with Lemforder
• Struts will be worn out - Replace with Bilstein B4's > Koni FSD's > WMW Coilovers (or similar) > Ohlins R&T... depending on taste...
• Belt tensioner & idler pulley - Replace with Lemforder
• Do not replace the coil pack with a MSD
• Thermostat housing cracks - I haven't had this issue
• Crank position sensor leaks badly - almost impossible to see unless on a lift, but I can almost promise you it's leaking.
• Clutch seems to last until 75k - 125k (if you're lucky) - it's a major job and will cost $3k to have a shop do it
• Power steering lines leak - bad clamps, can be fixed sometimes (not in my case) with worm clamps.
• Rust under the rear tail lights and in the pinch welds of the doors at the bottom. Pull the weather stripping off the bottom of the door. There's a 12 year rust warranty on this, so if you have bad rust and buy an 2006 you can get it fixed...

That's all I have the energy for. I'll just say that I really wish now that I had bought a car with a lot of this done from an enthusiast like the folks on this forum.

Oh one other thing - try to find a non-sunroof model with a LSD. Rare combo, but epic!

 

Were can you find information so good for the great price of only the time you have invested? Why here of course . . . . .

 

You're talking about a car that has 75,000 miles, which is not much, but even at that age, there will be things that will need to be addressed if they have not been already. Is there a documented history (receipts, not hearsay) of past maintenance performed on the car?

If one stays on top of these cars, they run well, handle well and are extremely reliable. But you need to stay on top of things. MINI dealers are crazy expensive, and in my opinion are not your best bet to fix a Gen 1 car. "Normal Mechanics" probably don't want any part of working on them and will make you pay dearly if they have to. There are 'specialty' MINI-biased shops out there that do understand these cars in and out, but again, you will pay for their expertise.

Despite myths that says otherwise, I don't believe these cars are overly difficult to work on, but the reality is if you are not willing or able to learn about what makes these things tick (this forum is the best place to be for that) and do most of the maintenance yourself, you will pay substantially more for whatever maintenance the car will need now, or down the road.

 

You didn't mention a price $$ or car history

 

Aggie and I have had similar experiences with our Minis. I bought my 2005 for $3,100 and have spent about $7k give or take on fixing random problems in the last year and it still may not be right if my mechanic didn't fix my rich condition (don't have much hope for that and will likely need to keep digging into it). In total, I have put about 9k miles on it, 3k of which was a recent road trip from Chicago to Colorado. Everything that Aggie has listed off, I also had to do. I also dealt with a cracked head.

I was on the fortunate side when I dealt with the rust warranty and got it fixed straight away with no hassle. Others haven't been so lucky. You're pushing the envelope on time with that at this point. If there is rust, you may not even qualify due to production dates so go into that knowing it's not guaranteed. Working in the engine is... tight. There's nothing special about them as far as being able to do the work - just like any BMW for the most part.

They're fun to drive, but I'd advise to not buy a "deal". Spend money up front to have a well maintained car. Like most cars, it'll end up cheaper that way.

 

You mention that your car is running very rich, that is the natural state for the first Gens. Tons of soot on the exhaust.

 

They are asking $5200. He said there is some clear coat chipping and a ding/dent (as he put it) in the drivers door. Otherwise he said its in good shape.

Rust is a concern on this.
what is this rust warrenty you guys were talking about?

I'm kind of re thinking this car. Although it's probably in better shape mechanically than my subaru. I might be moving to california in the near future so I want something that's not about to cost me 10k to fix. If that's the case I'd just buy a new one.

 

I would buy a car like mine for $8k all day over a car for $3,500 that is stock with no documentation. I learned the hard way, but I know what's been done to the car and that it's right - that's part of what you have to watch out for as well. Shade tree mechanics can cause more harm than good too. It's a crap shoot, just don't get in a hurry if you have that luxury. Also tell us where you're located and maybe some members will help you look.

 

Best advise is to have it inspected so you don't get surprised with an expensive repair right away.

 

I'm in waterloo iowa. It would be awesome to get some help from someone.

Basically for the price, if I got 2 years out of it without any major repair I will have gotten my money's worth.

 

Unfortunately the nearest mini dealership is a 2 hour drive.

 

More than half the fun of MINI ownership is in fixing.
Aggie mentioned the common ones....but once addressed, few cars of the same trade value can top the smiles per mile a good gen1 gives.

 

I tow a track trailer that weighs more than a dirtbike, shouldn't be a problem

 

Okay, outside of the car itself you need to think about a few things here. Access to good mechanics both for PO maintenance and your future maintenance. Given the timeline of 2 years, the fact that you're coming up on 100k miles, and the nearest mini dealer is 2 hours away I'd probably look for something a little more simple.

Superchargers average ~100k miles before needing to be rebuilt or replaced. You're also coming up on a time when leaks will start happening, both due to miles and age. Unless the PO was quite proactive with maintenance, I'd pass.

 

Not sure that 100k is the average;
There are plenty of us who have much higher mileage on the original superchargers, although it's a good idea to replace the s/c oil at that 100k threshold. It is then that you can evaluate whether the s/c is still healthy...

Leaky gaskets and seals do not 'sound the death knell' on the MINIs...
Many on this forum inherited cars with these leaks and dealt with them, and now have dry engines.
Common gasket and o-ring leaks are not a reason alone to PASS on a MINI.

If you don't have someone close by who is knowledgeable about MINIs who can accompany you when you check out the car, your next best option is to get the car up on a lift, have a look all around the underside of the engine, take photos of areas of concern, and post them here to be evaluated. Give a good listen to the engine. You'll know if it's running well or rattling about. If there are concerns, shoot a video and post it here as well for evaluation.

 

Superchargers can last more than 100k, but, anecdotally, I have heard frequently that 100k is kind of "the moment" when you're either in luck or not.

Gaskets and seals don't sound the death knell on anything, but if his goals are to hold him over for 2 years until he moves to CA then that is going to be a lot of headache that probably isn't worth it, and that's where my opinion stems from. I don't think a niche car should be his "get me through until..." car, especially coming up on the 100k milestone when things typically need a thorough going over. He should expect to refresh the cooling system and suspension, like pretty much every BMW, within the first year of ownership as well as deal with miscellaneous age-related wear items. I hold strong that unless the PO was very proactive, it's not worth it given his timeline.

 

I certainly can’t quarrel with that reasoning CSP, which brings me back to my first post where I stated...

Motor on!

 

Sorry - I think I skipped over your post entirely when Aggie's resonated so well with me.

 

You don't have to take it to a MINI dealer. Have a good mechanic get it on a lift and inspect it for leaks, bushings, damage, hack repairs, and so on. Better to find out before you own it. If I had a dollar for every time a person came in and asked for a pre purchase inspection but already bought the car and we find $4000 in repairs it needs I'd be rich as it sucks to give someone that bad news as they just spent all their money on the car.

 

 

If you're moving to California look for an R53 out there. I saw loads of them on Craigslist when I was looking and you won't have to worry about rust. You will probably also find a shop that is familiar with them.
As others have mentioned an R53 can be reliable but you've got to be picky. Mod Mini on YouTube has a good video on what to look for when purchasing a Mini.

 

Jim Lind Shop over on Ridgeway is a independent that knows Minis.

The cost of a PPI will be minimal compared to repair bills.

I would say the chances of buying that car & not having an expensive repair is near zero.

 

Good I was hoping to hear that.

That would be a minimum of 2 years. If it lasts longer that would be excellent.