Hiya:

Another MINI noob here. I have had my eye on MINI convertibles for several years now, and I'm finally at the point where I can take the plunge. There is a 2006 Cooper S available locally, in excellent condition, 1 owner, a little over 42k miles, loaded with options. I test drove it over the weekend and fell in love. And I think I can get it for about $17,000 or so (it's been listed at up to $20K, but the price keeps gradually coming down--now it's at $18,900).

But I have some fear about the upcoming maintenance issues, and one little exterior issue that could get larger.

1. This car is offered by a BMW dealer, but our local dealer doesn't have the MINI franchise, therefore no possibility of looking at Pre-Owned Certification and extended warranty. And at 2006, I don't even know if it would qualify for certification. So, knowing that it has has regular dealership maintenance by the previous owner, is this about as good as it gets for a 2006, or should I hold out for a certified pre-owned?

2. On close inspection, it really is a very clean car. But the hood has a sprinkling of tiny rock chips in the paint, almost unnoticeable. Also, on the rear bumper, there is a paint chip or scar not quite an inch in diameter, with a few fine cracks leading out from it. If I do buy it, do the paint dings warrant some sort of professional rehab before they get any worse?

Here's my potential baby:




And here's the rear bumper--the scar is that little black spot on the left end:





I need experienced MINI ownership wisdom here!

 

No expert here, but I've had one for 4+ years & 82+K miles. The rock chips are normal for a Mini. We all get them and it is an ongoing thing. Most ignore them or do touch-ups. I guess at some point, if you are keeping it, you decide to get the front end repainted. The ding on the rear sounds like one I have, but bigger. The rear bumper is plastic and I guess that's what happens when it is impacted. I don't know when or how I got mine - I just noticed it during a wash. What it takes to warrant professional rehab is a personal (and financial) matter for each or us.

 

We have a 2006 convertible (non-S) - great fun car. A few things to watch out for:

1 - bald spots int he convertible top (mechanical parts rub on the cloth and eventually poke holes in it. Make sure you don't see any white spots (rubbed) or holes

2 - mini says these can go without oil change for 15K, but that's really a stretch. These use Synthetic oil, which means if you bring it to a dealer it will cost you no less than $100-150 bucks for oil change. Other places charge around $70 for it

3 - check the tires. This is one of the bigger expenses and you are probably look at the car with almost worn original tires, or one with a fresh set. Make sure you get new tires with this car. A set should run you no more than $400 before taxes.

4 - make sure all buttons, switches work.

5 - 2006 had a problem with the trunk door sensor where it was too short and when you drive the car - it would show that the trunk is open

6 - these also had a bad coolant reservoir - it would crack and leak coolant. You can tell so by looking at it and seeing if there is any white residue around it on the engine or any signs of leaks.


Other than these - i think you are good to go. Nicks in paint are normal, it happens to all of us.

 

I just bought a 2006 S convertible from Florida but they certified it. It cost me $18895.00 so I feel that $17k without certification is a great price. I also had a local dealership here in Massachusetts look over the car (still under normal factory warranty til Oct 10th) and was amazed by the deal I got. The only thing i would be concerned about is having access to all service records as I was able to get the full download and know what type of driver owned the car previously. I lucked out that my car was only a weekend driver and not a daily. I hope this helps.

 

Hi The.Cook.Family: What was the mileage on yours when you bought it?


Davavd and Yazon, thanks much for your input. I'm sure you're right that the paint chips are just to be expected, and like I said, they're pretty tiny overall. I'm thinking I may have them repaired, then maybe have a clear wrap put on the front to help protect it.

And thanks for the info about things to watch out for. So far I don't see any worn spots on the ragtop. The tires look nearly new. It appears from the maintenance records that the oil changes were all timely.

I'll check out all the buttons and switches--still trying to find a lot of them!

 

I bought at 38k.

 

Some of the other normal 06 MCS problems are:
1. Thermostat housing leaking. It is sometimes hard to see and many only leak at night when car is off and cool. Look down towards the thermostat housing for any liquid or white residue.
2. Oil leak at oil pan. Look at bottom of engine and surrounding parts for any oil or oily/dirt areas indicating that oil has been leaking. Might be had to tell because engine might have been recently cleaned. Might also need to jack up car or put on lift to see well.
3. Passenger Side Engine Mount failure. Look for any black fluid around the mount. It is a fliud filled mount that frequently leak and fail. I have already replaced two in 58,000 miles. They make a mess when they leak.

If any of these appear to be a problem I would get the dealer to fix before you purchase or reduce the price the amount of repair.

I usually do the work myself so I can only guess at repair costs. $300 thermostat housing/gasket. $250 engine mount. $500 oil pan gasket.

 

After having the front of my MCS repainted, and I then (after curing) had a 3M clear bra put on the car. http://www.invisiblemask.com/site.ht...Fc-s7Qodq37CbQ

I believe this technology is lifesaver for the MINI if you care about rock chips, as it reduces chips to almost zero. Another side benefit is that it makes it easier to wash off bugs after a summer's day drive. The complete 3M kit was installed for $400 by an authorized tint shop.

 

Thanks Fanboy. I had never heard of the clear bra until I came to this forum, and that's exactly what I want to do (for both rock and bug reasons).

And thanks to you too, quikmni, for the warnings. I'll be on the lookout for those things.

After reading around a bit more, and accepting that no matter what, something's going to go wrong sooner or later, I got a loan and bought my convertible yesterday.

I'm not sure I care what happens next year. Right now it's perfect.

 

If you were to repaint the hood & front bumper with a polyurethane based paint and not the soft OEM paint, it won't chip and you can probably do without the clear bra installation... I have had excellent results with Dupont Imron over the years...

mis dos centavos...

 

The warranty is 4 years from original purchase date or 50K miles, whichever comes first. I bought my used 06 last November with 30K miles on it and the time ran out this May. Mine was also a CPO, so then you get the extended warranty to 6 years 100K. Finding an absolute pristine used car is very difficult. Mine had a nice door ding in the passenger side. "Luckily" someone hit me on the same door on the freeway not long after I bought it, so that got fixed, lol. I would make sure the top is in good shape without the wear or any holes mentioned earlier.