Bought the 08 Clubman late last year and have put 12k on it! Currently 52k and only had a handful of minor issues.

Ive been a professional mechanic for about 4.5yrs now, and working on cars for 10+, so all the repairs were done by me. Saved me TONS of $$$. All in all they arent the most fun to work on, but manageable. I need to purchase a few specialty tools in the near future to continue my efforts!

I put on a set of Michellin Pilot Sports (highly recommend these, super tire).

Replaced the front rotors and pads (Meyle and Brembo respectively from BavAuto)

Just recently did the most major repairs which included replacing the leaking turbo oil feed line with the SUPER AWESOME Detroit Mini SUPER replacement kit!! Took about 3.5hrs with slick tools and a lift. Not the easiest DIY project if youre on your back, but i would HIGHLY recommend getting the full kit from them, DONT bother with the dealer parts on this one, bad design!

This evening just finished replacing front and rear stabilizer (sway) bar bushings. Ive gotta be honest on this one. The front bushings are not entertaining either. I could see how having a rusty mini would make it miserable. I was able to drop the subframe enough to get in there, but the bolts holding down the bar are quite tight, over 100Lbs of torque and are a real bear to get at.

Also fitted some Nokian Hakkapalleta snow tires and they are great! Highly recommend them as well!!

Next on the list is the timing chain and oil seals for the front of the engine.

I drive this thing everyday, live on a gravel lane, play in a band and carry more than i probably should in the little car but it just keeps on chuggin. As always, a BLAST to drive no matter what!!

Lookin forward to more miles and repairs to learn more about these cars!!

Cheers!!

 

Nice to read a good thread. I put about 15k miles a year over 2 years now and no major issues.

 

Wish I knew more about mechanics so I could save a **** load too =/

I do the basic mechanical stuff. I'm about 3k short of 60k on my 2012.
80 miles a day 5 times a week all year long lol

I messed up on buying RF Tires, I keep reading about how the ride improves dramatically when they are switched out.

 

I bet you could buy the MINI donut and all the kit to put in the spare tire well (thats still there BTW for the RF cars...) AND a set of Michelins for less than a full set of RF tires. The ride will be better, the tires will last longer, and youll have the insurance of the space saver spare with no impact on interior space.

cheers!

 

I spent 800 something bux on my new tires with install and alignment.
Not the best decision I made I know!

 

Just turned 55k today and received my goody box from the dealer for this weekend. After swapping the summer tires back on, I noticed a few issues on top of the planned timing chain replacement.

Friction wheel and belt - toast.
Oil Pan - leaks.
Thermostat housing & temp sensor - leaking and false readout, went into 'Safe Mode'

Ordered the 'timing chain' kit from the dealer which includes all the bolts needed, chain, sprocket, tensioner, gaskets, and gasket maker for the oil pan. Im up for a great weekend of work with a friend! We did the timing chain on his '08 clubby S a few weeks back and it went very well with all the parts from the dealer. We hope to get some photos of the procedure for those who are not familiar with it, or are scared by it.

Its not terribly difficult or frightening with the correct tools, but as im sure many are aware, the tools are ABSOLUTELY necessary. I picked up a kit from eBay, and while it worked fine, the fit and finish wasn't great, and took a bit of modifying to work. I got the ProMini N14 cam kit for $40 more, and i'll let you know how it works out, but it appears to look much more accurate in its design and construction!

cheers!

 

Thank you for doing this thread. I'm a new Mini owner and much of this is all new to me, so there's so much to learn. Right now I'm gathering bits-and-pieces here-and-there to learn more about my beloved 55S and this thread helps.

Haven't done much in the way of car maintenance on my own, so I'll probably have a trained mechanic do all the work, but learning about what parts you're using is a huge help.

Thank you.

 

I'd forewarn you that regular maintenance of these cars isn't the cheapest, especially if you are paying a garage to do the work.

I dont even think it has much to do with the cost of parts. Im a full time independent mechanic and can tell you that part is mostly true. The labor involved in some of the repairs ive had to do is quite high for such a small car! They really pack a lot of engineering into a small package.

Although if you are accustomed to owning a German designed car, then you are probably used to it by now!

I feel that these cars get a bad reputation in the magazines because people drive them like Toyotas, which they just are not. I personally change the oil every 5k as it seems necessary. My car tends to burn a bit of oil, so its good to keep an eye on it and just change it more frequently. good insurance for the turbo and sludge build up.

If you find a mechanic that likes the mini's youre better off. They can be a bit frustrating at times, but there is enough online support, and a friendly dealership like Ottos Mini in Exton are all you need to keep them running tip-top!

cheers!