Hello, I'm glad to be here and thank you for having me.
I have been looking AT Minis for several years and FOR a mini for about two years. My youngest child of three is nearing the age to drive and I have certain rules regarding first cars. These rules are that yhe car must be a four cylinder, preferably a two seater and have a manual transmission. I had made up my my mind, thanks to these and other forums that the car for Kaitlin Rose should be a 2005 or 2006 model year Mini Cooper and carry the S designator.
Last year, while doing a job for a wholesaler for whom I do quite allot of jobs, I noticed an older Mini convertible in the lot amongst the hundreds of other wholesaler cars. Upon closer inspection I saw that it appeared to be the correct year range, certainly had the S designator and low and behold I see JCW on the boot lid. Open the bonnet and there I see a JCW tag riveted to the cylinder head. Real deal car. So I ask my guy to sit on it for me which he does..... for a bit. meanwhile #3 has fulfilled her obligations running all AP classes with an engineering dual enrollment and flight training>> pulled highest grades in her class. Good job Punk;n. OK, I'm in.
Brought a boost pack and a bucket of gas and it lit right up runs great, no leaks, brakes feel great, clutch is great. 98,000 on the odometer. I pick it up Saturday and bring (her) home. Kaitlin is struggling with a name but I'm sure it will come in due time. We will then put her up on stands and change all fluids, brake pads if needed, check CA bushings, etc. Tha'ts just normal ****.
Here is where Y'all come in, I don't have 1 hour experience with these cars.
If you could offer any tips on the following issues to help flatten my learning curve I would be much obliged.
1) The rally stripes are wrong, just wrong, so wrong, suggestions please.


2) the front seats are busted. As in the seat backs either flip all the way forward or all the way back but do not lock into any normal position unless you are Kareem Abdul Jabar.
3) Boot storage latch is busted, the whole trim piece came loose, press the button and it clicks but wont open.
4) Passenger rear window regulator appears to have the common issue. Replace or $65 cable kit I saw online?
5) Rear chrome molding is fubar. OEM only still?
Thanks Much,
John.. DFTR

 

Congratulations on your exceptionally excellent find and welcome to the wonderful world of topless motoring.
It is late evening leaving little time for a proper response so tomorrow I shall PM you my hard learned wit and wisdom.

 

The Brick will likely have more detailed information, I'm rather new hear as well...

The rear chrome belt molding is oem only and the price is insane - close to $500 for the full set IIRC. I had a dent and separation from the rubber on mine. I gently worked the dent out with a wooden pencil and reattached with some E6000. It's held for months.

That is all I really have to offer - I'm concentrating on roof retraction issues at the moment. Sounds like you're going to just have to dig into the seat and boot issue and see what failed.
Cheers,
Dave

 

OK, decided to post rather than PM. Someone else might find value in some of my ramblings (rantings?).
!st, these are NOT drive 'em and forget 'em grocery getters. They require closer attention.
This is the service schedule I follow very closely. I check those fluid levels weekly and on road trips,
every morning before departure for the next adventure.
Lube, oil, filter and rotate the tires every 5K. (the wheels are cambered causing uneven wear)
The easiest way to keep track of that is if the ODO is showing 4 zeros or a 5 with 3 zeros.
Brake Fluid every 20K
Coolant every 30K
PVC vent valve every 30K
PS Fluid flush every 30K
Fuel Filter Change every 50K
Plugs every 40K
Serpentine belt every 40K
BG-44K every 6 mo.
For taking care of the body I use Griot's Garage products including claybar and a random orbital polisher.
As for the bonnet stripes. Removal is easy with a hair dryer. But, there may be fade shadows underneath calling for replacement. It's easy to do.
Here's a link showing boot strip application but bonnet stripes go down the same, just scroll down the page to the pictures.
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ictures-5.html
Another link for jacking up one side for tire rotation. Scroll down to "How a stud lifts a MINI".
https://www.blimeycabrio.com/2007/04/
The black plastic skirt treatment. THE best treatment is Black Wow at http://blackwow.com/ Richard Lin used to be a frequent contributor here on NAM.
Also consider replacing the rear sway bar with either a 19 or 22 MM adjustable sway bar and upgrade the struts. You won't believe the difference in handling.
Another have to replacement is the coolant expansion tank. The plastic one is an eventual failure point. There are metal ones available on line and it's an easy replacement job.
You will need a small hand to reach under to hook up the rear hose. (I think you've got one available)
The front strut towers are another week spot and an easy intallation. https://www.waymotorworks.com/strut-...0-r52-r53.html
If it doesn't have one with it, you will need to check on NAM and ebay (& etc.) for a replacement wind deflector, a vital necessity for pleasant topless motoring.

If I think of something else I'll be back, but to close, a little philosophy:
Four reasons ONLY for running up the top
1: It is raining
2. It is snowing
3. My co-pilot is whining about being too hot or cold and I can't hear the supercharger
4. Some guys are throwing empty beer cans in the back seat and didn't invite me.

And ALWAYS remember, topless motoring IS motoring at it's best.

 

An after thought (and there may be more).

There are some great annual adventures to be had. Watch the forums for announcements.
To name a few:
MINIs take the states
MINIs on the Dragon
MINIs in the Mountains
MINIs in the Ozarks
They each have their own websites for more information.
We've done MITM, MITO and have driven the Dragon but not during the annual rally.
There's a website called https://www.motorcycleroads.com/ that will help finding the roads less traveled.
Also, use ONLY 'top tier' fuel. I had to learn the hard way some years ago. https://www.centerforqa.com/top-tier-gasoline/
Ask around from other MINI people where the best independent service shop is located. Don't take it to a dealership for service if you can avoid it.

 

Welcome to the forum and the MINI experience. Your decision to buy a MINI is extremely close to mine with a different end result. My second child was starting to drive 3 years go and needed "access" to a vehicle. (She was #3 in her class and is now studying Chemical Engineering) We had three cars and with four drivers and we needed a fourth primarily in the summers and winter break. I bought the R52 MINI for myself and she drove my primary vehicle all summer. Besides the opportunity to get a fun car for myself, I thought it would be best to have the kids driving the newest vehicles in the family fleet with back-up cameras, navigation and so on.

Once you get it in good shape, it should serve you well. I have been extremely happy with mine.

 

Thanks for the welcome and replies. Here they are.

 

Welcome and Congrats. It's great to see you getting young people into MINIs. Hope we can help you with any future needs.