1) agreed, but an unknown that could contribute

2) I know the numbers for the DFIC ... by all measures in the Mini market a success.....$s are invested for returns that are satifactory for passionate people.... traditional ROI models do not hold up here

3) not necessarily

4) I am a fan of Barrett-Jackson, watch the auctions often...... I see great "hobby" cars at local shows that will never make it to B-J..... that is a very elite crowd and hardly mainstream...... and hardly what our Minis are about .... at least today...... The B-j succcesss cars are the cars of our youthful dreams..... now guys that were 12-16 in the ...... put out the big bucks.... those cars are not Duesenbergs...... but rather dreams come true

 

Yup, thats the point. And look at them. Somebody got a Hemi-cuda convertable stashed about, sold maybe $4K new, sells for $2M. Even common Mustangs. Boss 302s, Boss 429s, some Camaros, never mind the Shelbys drawn big dollars.

I knew people with OEM 427 Vettes and Hemis (awesome sounding). A bit out of the reach at 16 but not necessarily in your mid-20s with a job. But the money goes to original equipment, including tries ... not modern steel belted radials never mind the bling wheels.

I do not see this as unreachable. You just have to have a crystal ball to see what will be really collectible in 15 - 20 years. I have read one article that said cars like Boxsters will NEVER be collectible because too many sold, but JCWs "might" (it was something in a money type magazine about future collectibles).

Heck, someone stashed a dozen V12 ETypes in a warehouse years ago ... I wonder when they will "appear" ... one by one

 

At some point, I can see buying another 2003 MCS for its parts...but I'd probably end up fussing over it and modding it to the hilt.

 

I really think the old rules are gone..... ...... enjoy the Cayman....looks really nice

 

Mini 2007 looks like ***.

Let's be plain about that.

Who wants to get into modifiying a car that looks worse than one from a few years ago that's cheaper?

 

What's that you say? I don't think you've made yourself clear, El_Jefe!

 

Lol! Yeah, I dont beat around the bush. I am actually really ticked off at mini for allowing this to happen. it could look BETTER but worse?

2002-6 fender and hoods will be worth a lot one

 

I want to see the actual new 2007s in person before rendering judgment. I saw and sat in a prototype earlier this year, but it was definitely not a production MINI.

I still think that to support my 2003 MCS, I'll be wanting to buy an extra one for parts.

 

I don't understand why we are even stirring up these ideas! Honestly, all it comes down to is Supply & Demand, like I said earlier.

Is everyone that ever modified an 02-06 MCS going to sell it and get an R56? NO!
Are people going to stop modifying their current cars? NO!
Are the current vendors going to stop stocking their shelves with 02-06 parts? NO!

If we keep buying, they will keep selling. That is all there is to it. Do you see people running out selling their MINI's at the thought of a different one? I sure don't, at least not the majority. The people who bought the MkII MINI and got into modifying it have a stronger love for their cars than just about any car group I have ever seen. I seriously doubt that they will all give up just because BMW redesigned the MINI and dropped a turbo in this time around.

Almost every model of car that has ever been made has had peaks and valleys on when parts were purchased. Sure there will be slow times in the future for the 02-06 MINI's, but that's not to say that the modding will stop. I think there are more than enough people that own these cars, love these cars, and have plans for these cars, to keep the current vendors busy for some time.

Since there are plenty of other owners out there that are just like me, why don't we just drop the idea of losing a parts base for our cars. We're not going anywhere, so neither will they.

Drew

 

If I get enough money up, I definitely will buy a 2nd hand mini for parts in a year or so

thats how much I dread the ford explorer edition 2007 mini

 

 

Perfect.......my kind of guy

 

The same things were said about 914s back in the 70s, but the 914 community has some amazing aftermarket "mod" development. There is even someone who has taken it upon themselves to completely redesign the Type IV cylinder head and make brand new castings. It was a massive effort and I can't imagine how expensive this was, but the market demanded it (helps that many other VW cars want to upgrade to Type IV power). However those of us with rust free tubs are noticing that demand for our quirky little cars is increasing (reflected by sale prices). Give the Boxster 30 years, and maybe it will be "collectable" too

The Volvo examples were good ones too. As long as there is a group of enthusiasts who want something, the only limiting factor will be the size of your wallet. As they say, anything is possible for the right price...

 

Here is another good example of a group keeping a car alive:

20th Anniversary Tuning Kit for BMW E30 M3: Autoblog

"In Germany, MK-Motorsport, who has tuned and raced BMWs since 1978, has released its tuning components as a 20th anniversary collection. While we could go through every detail of these parts, such as the engine modifications that bring output to 295hp or the range of carbon-fibre body upgrades, what is really exciting to celebrate is the anniversary of this iconic machine. The continued dedication to such a relatively rare sport sedan is encouraging to see when today's trends seem to shove 26-inch dubs and eighteen LCD screens into automobiles with cartoonish results. Bravo to MK-Motorsport."

 

Frankly, I wouldn't put the money in a parts car. Unless you abuse your present car, the money that you would sink into a parts car could be better spent on enhancing your current car. Things like Koni FSDs, Camber plates, s/c reduction pulley, and, and, and... come to mind. Enjoy your car! For the ~$10K to $15K that would get sunk into a viable parts car, you could have your current car turned into a really great ride. (And, you would be supporting the vendors that are producing improvements to the Gen 1 MINI.... What is the saying?: Cash talks and bulls**t walks....)

 

I would agree. For a MINI, there are still plenty of new parts, factory and aftermarket, sitting around. You'll suffer through much depreciation on an 02-06 MCS parts car. Probably so much so, that even in the long run it would be a losing proposition when you also consider the cost to store everything, expense to relocate if you have to move, etc...
+2

 

Sigh ... 95% of all p-cars are still registered in the US.

I've been talking about R&D, not parts. Any part can be made by a good machine shop.

Thanks Spider!

 

The 914 type 4 engine has its biggest backing due to the VW owners (not actul 914 owners) who swap the engines into their type 1's and 3's . Also mods for the type 4 are 2x as much as VW parts and alot harder to find. I believe the head you are talking about was made because the orginal performance heads from the factory are almost non-exsistant these days. Although the type 4 engine is slowly, and i do mean slowly, becomming more populer, its biggest fan base is still in europe.

So i dont know if thats a good example to use. Mods for an engine being made for the purpose of transplanting the engine into a totally different car. Although this does help the 914 owners. I just dont think tons of people are going to be transplanting mini engines to increase the numbers of demand for the products.

 

parts cars are for people that live in real urban areas who drive the crap out of their cars in a non weekend setting.

your car will crash 1-2x enough to make it look ugly.

 

I firmly believe that 02-06 MINIs will be considered a classic some day. They'll be a real hot car 30 years or so down the road. (Not that they're not hot now...you know what I mean though.) You have to remember that we have the first generation of the "new" MINI. This is why I chose my 2006 over the 2007. Another thing you have to consider when it comes to the new MINIs is that non-MINI people can't even tell a difference. I've showed people pics of the new 2007 MINI, and they laugh. They say they look exactly the same. Of course, they don't. ...but I think the exterior similarities of the two cars will help those of us with the first generation car stay in the game...so to speak. As far as mods go. I think we'll have plenty of stuff to choose from for quite awhile. There are many people out there (like me) who plan to heavily modify their MINI after the warranty is up. I plan to take my time in the mod world, because I'm keeping this Mini for the long haul. I'm going to see just how many miles I can put on this bad boy. Someday I'll be taking my grandkids for rides in the MINI. Will it cost more to mod our cars in 5-10 years? Possibly...but when it comes to engine tuning etc., you don't want to price shop anyway.(IMO) You pay for what you get....well, most of the time. Bottom line, I'm not worried about our mods disappearing from the market. I think the fun has just begun.