hey all,
i'm trying to sort something out.

i have a BRG 2006 MCS with sports package.
driving home tuesday, the clutch failed. it stopped in a way where i can't get it into gear (unless car turned off), pedal does have some resistance, but obviously isn't separating the friction plate and all that stuff. it can't be driven.

the place i took it to in LA says it's not hydraulics, it's a full clutch. i guess i believe this.

the car has 75,000 miles on it. i don't want to spend much on this since i'm kind of over driving stick shift in LA. but i really loved this car.

i don't really have the tools to part it out. and think it has value (even without clutch). but what can i do?

 

So a relatively low mileage MCS need a clutch and you are ready to send it to the glue factory? I can't see how you appreciate this car even in LA traffic that you are ready to give it up because it is manual. With finesse driving manual in the worst of traffic is no more taxing than an automatic. Portland is now hardly better than LA or SF, and I am not ready to be caught dead in a slush box car.

 

you're mostly right PNW. it is definitely low miles. but i have sciatic nerve problems which makes pushing one leg a foot forward every 50 feet about intolerable. when i describe my pain, doctors have guessed i have a standard transmission since i guess it's not a unique case. i no longer autocross, or do much beyond daily commuting for 2 hours, so i'm not really enjoying it like i used to for sure.

also the day to day reliability of this car has stepped down a notch or two in the past year with other repairs -- not the end of the world, but i can't really take days off for repairs anymore.

 

I didn't know you suffer from nerve ailment. Hope you find what suit you best. For manual gearbox, Mini's clutch is one of the lightest.

 

If I were you, I'd put a single mass flywheel kit in it and see how you like it. They usually have a lighter pedal, so it might make it fun for you again. If you don't like it, I think you're more likely to get a fair price for a car with a brand new clutch than a broken clutch.

 

Single mass flywheel clutch kit pedal effort is very close to the stock. Given OP's disclosure of his pain I don't think it is a good advice. Clutch pedal effort change with wear of the friction disc. Most of us have very poor memory of relative pedal effort unless perform side by side A/B test.

 

I don't have any personal experience with the single mass flywheel, but everything I've seen about the valeo is that it has a very light pedal. Both of the R53's I've had, have had very heavy clutch pedals. When I get into a Mazda or VW I almost put the pedal through the floor the first couple of times I shift. Shoot even my dad's 1971 Triumph TR6 has a lighter clutch than my 03 MINI.

 

You'll get nothing for a dead clutch car, so fix it an get real money for it, unless you are wealthy and you don't need it, or the money anymore!
I am sorry you have back issues and hope you can overcome that in the future!

 

I agree with what Wayne said.

 

Parting isn't an option if you don't have tools, time, or patience to deal with running a junkyard from your driveway. You'll sell high demand parts really quickly, the low/rare demand parts will stagnate until you decide to dump (scrap, fire sale, giveaway. . .) the carcass. You'll spend a significant amount of time in marketing, answering questions, stripping parts, coordinating meetings with local buyers, and checking/coordinating shipping with out-of-area buyers. The process is frustrating and will grind you down especially if you really need that physical space for other use- probably so given your location.

Based on the info at-hand, selling is the end game and it appears you have two options. 1. sell the car as-is for less, or 2. pay for the repairs and sell the car for more. Time and money (my two favorite Pink Floyd songs, btw) rear their head in the decision making process- how quickly do you need the money and a new car?

A lightning round of questions. . . .

Did the shop provide a quote to replace the clutch? If so, how much? Will the repair bill cause financial hardship (credit card interest, depleting savings/emergency fund. . .)?
Do you need the proceeds of the R53 for its replacement?

I'm new to MINI but the car game is the same regardless of the brand. The car has a value, let's say $2000 as-is. Once you commit to the clutch job, the labor is a significant sunk cost. Reading other's experiences it's a $2.5-3k repair bill. The "oh by the way" maintenance recommendations/requirements will appear during the clutch work- potentially adding more sunk costs. Missing opportunities to address the known maintenance issues (crank sensor and the ba-jillion other o-rings and gaskets) will diminish the buyers value of the clutch job "investment". A MINI enthusiast will question why didn't you address the known issues during this opportunity causing the buyer extra expenses down the road.

To me, the math problem is determined by if I can sell the repaired car for at least 1.5x the as-is value. The .5 multiplier accounts for my time dealing with the repairs, car sale, and other opportunity costs. Using the estimates above, let's say the minimum sale price of the repaired R53 is $6k (($2000 "as is" x 1.5) + $3000 repair). $3000 repair includes ~$500 of other repair charges. $6k represents the absolute minimum sale price- buyer in your face with cash in hand. At $6k, is the extra $1000 worth the effort? That's the answer that only you can answer.

Obviously you can adjust the numbers for different scenarios. Personally, I'm risk-averse so I look at the situation as a pessimist. If the clutch job could be done DIY then, the DIY and private sale would be the most profitable plan- depending how you value your time.

 

My wife and I drove a manual R52 in SF for 9 years, which frequently involved parallel parking into tight spaces on steep hills and stop-and-go traffic on steep hills. I enjoyed it, although my wife sometimes found it tiresome (even though she had been a lifelong manual driver). But I have to disagree — an automatic (and especially with the electric car we have now) is far easier to drive in bad traffic.

Our R52's clutch was much heavier than the manual Honda and VW we've owned in the past.

 

Where are you at in the LA area? I might have someone that would be interested in it as is

 

I'll second downshift1's question as I have someone that would be interested in it as well. They have a flat bed trailer so moving it shouldn't be too hard if it will at least roll. Shoot me a pm if you decide to sell it as is and I'll talk with my person.