You are right. It is not. Runs so far beautifully. No noises. rattling ect.
Peak

 

Dark silver, 85000 miles, and runs strong!

 

No rattling? Wait a minute. You sure it's a MINI you have there?

 

You better believe it. Great fun.

 

Hah! You sound like me - I'm only at 240k tho. I, unfortunately, have to work indoors - not while motoring. :D

I just hope with this latest fiasco, the car's life isn't prematurely ended. :(

 

I need some help please. I just sold my 2002 Mini Cooper S to my son-in-law.(it had 31,000 miles on it, and he needed a car to get to work.). I also ordered a set of Blizzaks for the car. He is going to bring the car down to my house to put them on, but I don't know what size socket I need to take the lug nuts off. Does anyone know what size socket I'll need? (I never had to take off the run-flats, so I never checked). The car has the standard 16 inch wheels on it. Also, from what I've read, the lug nuts should be torqued to 88 foot pounds. Is that correct?

Also, where are the jacking points on the car? Do you need one of those jacks that has a slot on the top that needs to be aligned with a lip that's on the bottom of the car (like most American cars have)? I have a hydraulic jack that has that slot, if that's what's needed.

Thanks for any help you guys can offer.

 

17mm socket

88 ft/lbs is fine

jack points are those plastic blocks under the sills - standard floor jack is fine, just be careful, and be aware those blocks are only held in place by a plastic 'rivet' - ie ok for up and down, not so good w/ sideways movement...

 

Bonus "Trick": the location of the blocks vs the balance of the car = jack from the front point and you can raise both the front and back at the same time (real timesaver at events )...

 

17mm lug wrench ... 80 - 88 ftlb ... jack points under the door hinge and about 8" behind the door handle (under the side skirt, of course)

 

Well, I guess I'll go. I just got mine.. heck isn't even here yet! It has 69k miles on it and it looks like it's never seen a mile of driving in its life . I can't wait to starting driving it (and modding it haha).

 

Thanks guys! I'll pick up a 17mm socket today. I have a 17mm in 3/8 inch drive, but I need one in ½ inch drive.

 

Okay, '02 folks. Give me your best advice.

I'm finally giving up the ghost on my very old (but mostly reliable, until now) car, which I've held onto for far too long. I've wanted a MINI for some time, but right now I'm just not in the financial position to buy new (or even more recent).

I've got a chance to pick up an '02 MCS with 87k on the odometer at a decent price. I don't mind the age and I'm willing to come into expecting that I'll have some repair costs. Generally speaking, how reliable could I expect it to be? I know there are a ton of variables involved, but from a general reliability point of view, what should I expect if I made this car my daily driver (with some moderate but regular weekend travel)?

Any help is appreciated. Thanks!

 

I just got a 2002 MCS for 9900 with 69k miles and it's in mint condition. It all depends on what you get it for and what they're asking . But you're asking us if you should get a mini. Of course we'll say yes!

 

Buy it, you'll love it - just remember that love when stuff happens - it's machinery, stuff will happen, brouse the threads here and be prepared...

Good luck, and Welcome!

 

Haha! That's sort of the problem. I've been wanting a MINI for so long that I sort of can't say no now that I actually need to buy a car.

Hopefully I'll get a test drive in this weekend. I'll let you guys know.

 

Test drive? You know you don't need to do that

best of luck. Let us know how it goes.

 

I wouldn't be as worried about the miles as I would be about the condition it's in. I'd take it to a mechanic to check it out. The only thing that I would be concered about at that mileage would be the super charger. They have about a 100k +/- lifespan. But, don't take my word for it. I don't even own an S. I have an 02 Cooper and I absolutely love it. I don't regret buying it one bit.
Another thing you might want to check out is to see if the power steen fan and pump are in good condition. Also, make sure the cooling fan works. It has two speeds (1,2) so make sure both speeds work.

I was in the same position you were in. My last car's head gasket blew and it was gonna cost me $2,000+ to have it fixed so I just took it as a loss and sold it for $1,200. Bought the first MINI I saw as there were only 2 in my area at an affordable price.

BTW - there are 83k miles on the clock. Bought with 77k.

 

I got my 02 S a little under 3 years ago with 56k, and now it has 102k+. The only major thing I had to repair was the clutch, but that was do to the previous owner. It still runs great, but there are some items I would like to replace in the future just do to age.

I'm not going to tell you to buy it because the car will do that for you when you drive it!

 

so i recently installed megan racing coilovers and lowered my rear subframe to put in a rear sway bar. last week i decided to sell the mini to pick up a new subaru wrx sti, so this weekend i reverted intake, exhaust, suspension, and fixed a broken bleeder valve on a rear caliper. the deal at the subaru dealer didnt go through (i didnt want to take a huge hit on the mini) so now i am at a cross roads with my 02. sell and look for something new/different versus keep and re-mod the car lol. the only good thing about it is that if i choose to re-mod ive gotten so good at installing/removing the parts that could probably do it all very quickly lol.

 

Im an 02 MC standard owner. It is the most fun car i have ever owned in my 16 years of driving. I purchased it used with 55k and now have 73k. My only gripe is how expensive the parts are. Had to replace a tranny and it costed 4600. Now the clutch and clutch cable are going. The previous owner really ragged it out before i got it. I still enjoy driving it very much i just cant afford for anything else to go wrong.

 

I've been thinking of a Subie, too. This winter has been hellish: ice, snow, more snow, more ice. But then I wax my 2002 MCS and I totally love it. I have 65,000 miles. Changed the oil every 5 thousand miles. I have an extended warranty that goes with the car, and I feel good driving in it. Oh what to do!. Plus, Honda has just come out with an all-electric car and that's the way I think the future will be. A car is more than a machine to me. It is a member of my family. I wish I looked that shiny and healthy at this point in my life!

 

I'd stay clear of the new electric cars until they're more established and they've gotten the kinks out of them. Remember the Prius? Everyone bought those then got a surprise bill of 9 thousand dollars when their electric battery died out in 7 years. Make sure you know what's good and bad about them before diving in. Buying the first of a car line is almost never a good thing.

Also, the Mini does pretty well on gas, and it's not like you've even really touched higher mileage with it... why not keep it for a bit longer?

 

4/02 build with 28K. Original owner. Many mods. Still Mint.

 

A 2002 with 28K -- OK, what's the catch? You only drive it in and out of the garage? You only drive it to the Michigan-Ohio games? Actually, I did read that you're from Michigan, and well, Arly, I live in The West where it takes 28K just to go to the store and back. Where are the photos?

 

I dont know how I missed this thread! My July build '02 is running strong, and without rattles at 84,000+ miles. Last year was expensive with the replacement of the supercharger. Other than that, the rest of the $$$ has gone to mods.
Puts a smile on my face everyday!