Hey guys. I am new to the mini world. Looking at getting a JCW. Best place to ask would be here! I am currently looking at this one... $13k otd... drove it twice and it was nice handling, very tight and clean. I am not new to cars so I'm not afraid to roll up my sleeves especially considering I have a 94 rx7! Anyhoooo let me know what you guys think! Thanks and I look forward to being a member on this forum! BTW the car also has the remainder of the 6yr/100k

http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-s...79687335&Log=0

 

It looks clean but you have to be careful with NJ cars because of flood damage. Look for any mildew smells or water marks behind interior panels.

 

Good call, I will deff check for that. Thank you for the advise!

 

Because you can do your own work...this may be a good car for you. Keep in mind that it has an N14 engine with 85,486 miles on it.

Good luck to you.

 

Not for me an N14 with that mileage is going to problems down the road. Just my .02.

 

I want a loonie...not .02 cents!

 

Thank you for the input. I scoured the forum and armed myself with some knowledge and went to look at it again today. It was a nice 36f out... Yeah i HATE winter... So started car and noted the rattle. The car also was hesitant to start. There was the obvious rattle and after bout 10 min it started tapping. So made me think of timing issues. The guy showing me the car said that it should be covered since it still has remainder of warranty. Love the car but gonna have to go with my gut and may pass on this one. Its been for sale according to carfax for 2 months now. I think the mini jcw hunt will continue.

 

Why don't you buy an S and mod it so you get more power than the JCW but your not paying as much? just a thought.

 

Thought of that too... Just like to have all the bling off the bat. But, yes, thats a viable option and I started looking at some online. Really hooked on the clubman look. What are popular mods to squeeze more power out?

 

that don't even look like a JCW, it may have the brakes and badge but where is the bumper and side trim ? I guess maybe it just has the factory motor add on's

Plus not a fan of the silver tops , just looks funny around the back lights.

 

It sounds like the hunt is on for a MINI Cooper John Cooper Works (JCW). Please be aware that these cars used the N14 engine through 2012, this includes the Clubman.

In 2013 the JCW started using the N18...a much better engine.

Go with the N18 engine.

If you're not sure which engine a car has, plug the VIN in here:
http://www.bmwarchive.org/vin/bmw-vin-decoder.html

I wish you only the best in your search for the perfect MINI!

 

It's a JCW car, I checked VIN. May have lost badging along the way... body shop? Go with the gut feeling!