How old is the oldest miata and how does your R56 compare?

 

I had a NA ('91 with a 1.6) and an NB ('02 with a 1.8). I'm still getting used to the handling on the cooper. It's similar in some ways and very different in others. I'm used to the power being in the back and am still adjusting to FWD. In regards to power though, there is no comparison. My R56 (MCS) is a rocketship compared to either of my Miatas. It's pulls more like my RX-8 did.

All that said, my R56 is just playing the roll of "family" car (the wife drives an Odyssey) until the new ND miata gets to be a few years old. Then I'll get one of those.

I've had 22 cars and will only keep this one until it has around 100k and sell it.

 

Yeah, the ND! Like your Miata journey, you should've started with an R53. You might not even consider selling.... Many are stuck to the gen1s.

 

7+ year old car with 100k+ for $9-10k or 3 year old car with 40k for $13k. Not really a hard choice. I mean if in 3-4 years I can sell mine with under 100k for $10k I'll be in good shape.

And honestly, all of the R53s I looked at (and there were many) had really bad interiors (chipped paint, peeling finishes, cracked seats, etc.).

 

Guess the better ones are being kept.

 

We just bought a 2004 R50 5spd with 130K in great shape for $4500. It has excellent tires, its not beat up, most everything works except the passenger auto door lock (locks only, won't unlock), paint is excellent as is the interior. I'm in midst of changing all filters and fluids so I have a baseline for the future. After having almost 100 cars (my wife is keeping count) I'm not sure I'd ever use the word investment and daily driver car in the same sentence (with rare exceptions)

Al

 

Well, foolishly, many (me included) consider sentimental value unquantifiable.

 

My point exactly! I love cars, I love most things about them, I've had some good, some great, some terrible, Some I've kept for several years, some for only a few weeks, Some I wish I still had, and a few I was glad to get rid of. I don't care how much time and energy and money I have to put in a car IF I like the car, if it's something special to me. The "enjoyment" is the biggest return on investment I could ever get and makes it all worthwhile

 

Exactly how I feel also. Well said...

Sent from my Droid Mini using NAMotoring

 

I thought that this thread was about high mileage but then I saw 116k. I don't consider it to be high mileage until 200k+.

I'm currently sitting at 248k and I'm doing it's second light rebuild. If the car has been well maintained and has a clean record then I don't see anything wrong with a 116k mile car.

 

Amen!

 

I got my '05 base with 150k for $4300 OTD a few months ago. I've had to fix a few (very) minor issues, but it hasn't left me stranded yet. The few fixes I've been stuck with have cost me less than $300 and a bit of time.

 

I thought I'd update the thread. I just upgraded to a 2016 F55 yesterday!

 

Sharp looking car.

And with the mountains not far off you are able to drive it like it was meant to be. In the NC spring, not too far off hopefully, will be doing another twistie tour up around Mt. Airy. We go to Stuart Virginia and back, some great MINI roads.

You want to play hooky leave a post and will drop you a PM. There are several of us from the Raleigh area and also have some guys in Charlotte interested.

Now for back on topic, a Gen1 MINI with the Tritec engine is a good car. Cast iron block and more raw handling. Many examples of cars with over 200k.

 

Good car, fun, spirited, good feedback whilst driving, SC whine, lots of parts and mods available...

To answer the original question: High Milage, Bad investment?

Depends on how much you want to get your hands dirty, or have deep pockets. 17 year old BMW's, with BMW part markup.

The 05 & 06's R53's are holding their value well on the used markets compared to the 07-08's (in my area at least), showing there is some value there.

They're far from a good investment, but there are also few rides at this price range that give the same smiles per mile. It's a passion purchase (I have 3), but be aware, they're very costly to maintain and daily drive.

 

An R53 for 15-20K?? I picked up my JCW R53 5 years ago for $8,000...and it had 75,000 miles on it. Why in the world would anyone pay 15-20K for an R53???

For 20K....I can think of a lot better cars to buy...a lot.

 

look at the date of the original post...

 

My friend checked out CarMax.com and found a good selection and reasonable prices with lower miles. Might check them out. I just looked and there are 54 to look through at this time.

 

 

I bought an 04 Cooper S JCW last December with 180,000 miles on it....But here's the list of what the previous owner had done:

New Clutch, Pressure Plate and Flywheel, New Struts, springs, shocks and ball joints, New Radiator Support
All new engine gaskets, New Battery, New belts and hoses, New Belt Tensioner, New plugs and wires
New Supercharger and Water Pump, New Motor Mounts, New Starter, New front axles, New Windshield
New Clutch slave cylinder, New Hood Struts, New Brake Calipers
And a short list of Modifications!
Alta 17% Undersized Supercharger Pulley, Alta 2% Oversized Crank Pulley, Alta Intercooler gaskets
M7 Speed Cold Air Intake, Adjustable Short Shifter, Konig Wheels, Under hood Eyeballs.

So far so good and it makes me smile every time I just look at it let alone drive it.

Oh, and it was the eyes that sold my wife.